The Kingdom of Skies by Mary Claire Garcia (top young adult novels .TXT) 📖

The Kingdom of Skies
Tiffa was mentioned in the letter. Queen? King? The letter looked like it came from a role-playing game.
“Hey go to sleep. It’s late already”
I looked up from the computer. It was my favourite elder sister.
“Just a few more minutes,” I told her.
“We have a concert to go to tomorrow, right? Get some sleep. We’re going early,” she said with a smile.
“Fine,” I laughed.
I turned off the computer. She was still hanging around my door.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Good night,” she said.
I laughed and I wondered what had gotten into her.
“Night, sis,” I said with a smile.
“Be safe,” she whispered and the door closed behind her.
Did I hear her right?

The Kingdom of Skies: Voices

The darkness danced as though it was not just a form of black smoke. No, it danced as though it had spirits inside it. There were voices inside the darkness. Yet the darkness was only one…
“Is it truly her?” a shrilly female voice hissed.
“It is her!” a boy’s voice shouted back.
“Then we can throw away the fake one,” a sultry female voice said.
“Not yet,” a male voice answered back.
“Why?” a male voice boomed.
“We’ve waited for so long!” a girl’s voice whined.
“We must test her first!” a chorus of voices answered in siren-like voices.
“Before we throw away our fake queen…” a chorus of all the voices said. 

By Tiffania Hart: No way home

I awoke to the sound of noise. No, it wasn’t noise from cars or my father calling me for breakfast. I could hear noise from people cheering and celebrating. Where was I? I panicked and I realized I was sitting up and my hands were tied to the chair. A silk cloth was tied to my eyes too. I can’t scream. Not yet. I must know first where the hell I was.
“People of the skies, you have long-awaited her coming!!!” a voice boomed so loud that everyone could hear his voice.
The people cheered. I sucked in air. Was I kidnapped by a crazy cult? I felt fingers preparing to remove my blindfold.
“I present to you…” the voice said.
The blindfold was removed. I opened my eyes.
“…your queen!!!” the voice continued.
I was on a terrace of a palace. An ancient kingdom, huge stone figures as tall as skyscrapers surrounded the bridge, crystal clear waters, people cheering below, waving flags I’ve never seen before, and Merlin was beside me. I was wearing a red Victorian dress and a black cape with fur. I bit my lips. All of these were real. I was somehow kidnapped by these people because they believe I’m their queen or I was out of my mind and this is some kind of a strong hallucination.
“May they hear your name, beloved queen?” Merlin said and I knew he asked me to tell my name to the people.
Anticipation hung in the air. The people all looked at me eagerly. I breathed slowly.
“Tiffania Hart,” I said.
The people cheered. The knights in front pounded the drums I hadn’t noticed they had. The pounding had an ancient and powerful beat. It was as though it was preparing a song for battle. Then the people did begin to sing though it sounded more like the chanting of pirates. They sang slowly and if I was right, with voices full of anger and grief.
Skies, skies, skies
Never-ending wars
Let’s hope this time no one dies
All of us left with scars
The dark past continues to haunt us
Not a queen can kill her so they seal her
But the seal’s power is now dust
This is the last war
Skies, skies, skies
Give us a queen who will end this all
From the ashes she will rise
And nevermore our skies on us will fall

“If you die here, your body will die in your own world too,” Merlin whispered.
Protests threatened to spill out from my mouth. Then I looked at the people. Their stares so intense, I feared them more than the darkness they spoke of.
“Don’t I…have a choice?” I asked.
“The passage to your world will only open once your task is finished. Your body is in a comatose state in your world. If you refuse to act as queen, the kingdom will be destroyed,” Merlin said with no hint of care in his voice.
My body was in a comatose? I closed my eyes. I wanted to cry but no, I will not show them they have weakened me. My parents must be crying and wasting all their money on me now. I felt pure anger coursing through me. They had no right at all. No right at all!
“Remove these,” I said coldly.
Merlin looked at me.
“I am not your puppet. I am your queen and I command you to release me from these bindings if you want me to save your poor pitiful kingdom,” I hissed.
He looked at me surprised with my attitude. He quickly removed the bindings and I stood up. The people were still looking at me. They were waiting for me to say something.
“You don’t crown your queens here?” I asked to Merlin sweetly.
The crowd cheered. Merlin looked at me expressionless. He swept his hand and golden butterflies produced a golden crown with thin golden chains and small ruby gems hanging from it. He placed the crown on my head.
“I have no intention of dying here. Let me lead you to victory in this war. I, Tiffania Hart, will be your queen,” I announced.
I smiled to them as they rejoiced. Dark humour was the only thing helping me cling to my sanity.
“Do you accept me as your queen, people of the Skies?” I shouted to them.
The people kneeled. All of them kneeled and bowed their heads. Their reverence to me showed as they prostrated themselves to their new queen. Satisfied, I turned around and walked away from the terrace. The sun was too bright for my feelings which were the exact opposite.
 

By Lou Dellfy: My angry queen

I was shackled to a bed. I shouted for someone to free me. I was in a room full of expensive furniture. They were elegant and made me think of royalty. I was going to be hoarse if I continued to shout in vain. I had heard cheering of several people outside but they were gone now. Where the hell was I? I was wearing clothes that resembled the ones I had worn when I played Romeo for our school play.
“Why did you kidnap me? Answer me or I will scream!” a voice screamed.
It was Tiffa’s voice! She was kidnapped too!
“Keep your voice down, girl. You are screaming already,” a male voice said.
“Tiffa, open the door!” I shouted.
I heard a gasp and a sound that sounded like she pushed him hard.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve!!!” she screamed to the man she was talking to.
“I can explain,” a strangled voice said.
The door opened and Tiffa came rushing in. I have never seen her so angry before. She released me from the shackles and caressed my wrists. Then she brought her palms to my cheeks.
“Lou…,” she whispered.
She was going to break. Something big was going on here. I hugged her and pushed her head to the crook of my neck.
“Let it out,” I whispered.
She clung to me and her sharp nails dug in to my back despite the clothes I had on. The old man came in.
“You have some explaining to do, old man,” I said.
The old man dusted off his clothes. Tiffa must have really attacked him. I felt hot tears on my neck.
“Welcome to the Kingdom of Skies, young king,” he smiled.
“Why are we here?” I asked.
“Your girl is our destined queen. Since you are her lover, you are brought here also. She is a queen after all and a queen must have a king or else she is but a princess. Now, where was I? Oh yes! This kingdom is going to be destroyed by the Dark Queen. Every century, the seal on her breaks and she wages war with us. Every century, we steal a girl from your world who has magick sleeping in her. And that girl this century is Miss Tiffania Hart as you already know. The passage to your world can only open once the war is over. Also, your death here in this world means your death in your world too,” the old man explained.
“Our bodies are in a comatose in our world,” Tiffa whispered to my ear.
I glanced at my girl then to the old man. I stood up and my fist clenched. Tiffa held my hand softly.
“We have…no choice,” she said in a controlled voice.
My mind was still spinning from the new reality we had.
“What’s in it for us?” I asked him.
The old man’s lips curved to a knowing smile.
“There is compensation for the trouble we’ve caused you and your family. Do not worry we will give you both sufficient wealth you will never forget,” he said.
Tiffa glared at him. She looked like a cat ready to bare her deadly claws on him.
“Leave us,” I commanded.
“As you wish,” the old man smirked.
He turned and left. I collapsed on the bed and pulled Tiffa close to me.
“Tiffa,” I whispered.
She giggled. Her moods were either extremely