The God Queen
M.L. Tishner
(The Rebirth Saga, #1)
Publication date: October 22nd 2019
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Science Fiction
The God Queen returns. So, why is everyone squelching her power?
In a backwater Earth town, Rei Ettowa dreams of traveling across the stars to destroy Infiernen – the knight who murdered her brother.
When Rei discovers she is the reincarnation of the prophesied God Queen, she relishes her newfound ability to channel lightning for revenge. Unfortunately, blazing through a battlefield clashes with the Federation’s plan for Rei and the others like her. All the gods are to be trained as diplomatic figureheads to sway voters, not agents of war. Infiernen must remain untouched.
Unable to let go of her brother’s murder, Rei finds Infiernen. But instead of killing him, Rei discovers a secret the Federation has been keeping from her about her brother.
Now Rei is mad as hell. Her enemies must pay. But who are they? And what else is the Federation hiding from her?
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Chapter 1
The screams drew Rei’s attention. She stood at the steps of the boarded-up temple when the first one pierced the quiet of their small town. It came from the restaurant on the other side of the square.
She dashed down the stairs and onto the street, jumping inadvertently in front of a hover car whose driver honked and yelled. She didn’t listen as she rushed past the long-dead fountain, now filled with sand and earth. Gravel crunched beneath her feet as she approached the ever-growing crowd. Not a cloud dotted the clear blue sky, the sun beat down on them mercilessly, and the smell of sweat and dirt filled Rei’s nose. She pushed her small frame to the front to get a clear view, heart hammering in her chest. He had been threatening this for months, yet Rei prayed he wouldn’t actually go through with it, but disappointment pooled in her belly as her fear was confirmed.
“Drops of *******,” someone muttered. “Why couldn’t the cleric give him a quick death? That poison takes too long.”
The boy lay writhing on the ground, blood running from his nose and ears, sand caking his dark hair. Rei turned to leave, blood pounding in her ears, but the crowd was now too thick around her and she couldn’t move.
“He prayed to false gods,” her neighbor, an elderly woman, said under her breath. “The cleric said this would be the fate of those who won’t worship the One True God.”
Ever since Earth voted to remain a part of the Dominion, the other gods were outlawed, despite the fact the holy city lay only a few hundred kilometers away from where Rei stood.
She fought to breathe as her heart raced. She never intended to convert, and the threat of not doing so had become too real.
The victim’s scream brought Rei’s eyes back to him. Folks said the poison fried the nerves, giving the victim the sensation of being electrocuted as the poison opened all the blood vessels in the head and caused blood to leak out of the nose and ears.
The cleric overseeing the execution sat in one of the outdoor tables of the restaurant, his dark eyes hard. His full lips turned down in a sneer at the poor soul in agony before him. It was a contrast to the cheerful, blue- and white-checkered umbrellas and table covers.
Rei’s stomach turned in knots. “Drops of ******* is a horrible way to die,” she whispered.
Eventually his writhing stopped, and the boy’s eyes stared at the heavens while his mouth opened in a silent scream.
“Let this be a lesson for those who still follow that blasphemous religion,” the cleric said. “The rest of you have until the end of the week to join the correct religion, or else.” He combed his fingers through sleek blonde hair before leaving. The crowd parted as he walked past, until he caught Rei watching him. She averted her gaze, kicking herself for attracting his attention.
She peered at her watch, trying to appear bored as the cleric approached her. The holographic hands reminded her she was running late, but she never ran from a fight. She pulled her dark hair up in a knot as she began to perspire. Her lips pressed together until there was nothing more than a line after the crowd dispersed and left the boy’s body on the ground.
“I hope you’re satisfied,” the cleric said. “His death is on your hands.”
Rei’s nails bit into her palm at the accusation. She wasn’t the one who decided which religion was the correct one and who should die for it. “Mine?” she growled.
“Yes, you and the others who so heinously turn your backs on the One True God.”
“Why are you so threatened by a boy who believes in many gods instead of one?” she asked, finally meeting his gaze.
“I am not threatened. The One True God wills it. The Dominion wills it.”
Rei’s legs grew weak, but she refused to back down as they locked eyes.
“And what of the will of the god queen?” she asked, standing a little straighter.
The cleric cackled. “She doesn’t exist and neither do those other false idols.”
“I believe she does.”
“You believe wrong.”
She rolled her eyes. They had been going back and forth like this for months. At first, Rei wanted to leave him be. She may not have agreed with his religion, but she respected his right to worship as he saw fit. But once he started trying to force his religion by boarding up the temple, bringing in Dominion soldiers to rough up locals who were caught worshiping during holy days, smashing the ceramic statues of the gods around town—including the one her brother bought for her—it became personal.
“I know you’re one of the reasons why many won’t follow the One True God.” His voice was dangerously low. “The people see you not converting, and they think they don’t have to either.”
“They shouldn’t have to.”
He crept closer to her, the smell of his cologne choking Rei. “You will convert. Even if I have to tie you down and perform the rite myself.”
Rei chuckled. “Tie me down? Kinky. Your threats don’t scare me. Try harder.” She spun on her heels and walked away, gritting her teeth. It took all of her willpower to not punch him in the throat.
“Remember you have a week,” he called. “A week until I make you the next example.”
She continued through the alley that opened to the two main roads intersecting at the center of town. She walked along the wall of the basilica of the One True God, where someone had decorated the outside with graffiti. The bright greens and blues contrasted against the pale earth-colored bricks.
Once she was sure the cleric hadn’t followed her, the adrenaline rushed from her legs and she leaned against the wall for support. Her heart pounded in her chest. She shouldn’t have allowed him to get so close.
“I wish someone would tie him down,” she muttered as she cut across the intersection, and one of the hover cars honked as she passed. She needed to get to the bar. It didn’t matter what the cleric threatened; he would never set foot in her place of business. She was safe there.
The cleric came into town shortly after the most recent elections and constantly flexed his powers, knowing he had the full weight of Dominion support behind him. She never bothered learning his name—that would have required humanizing him, and she wanted to do no such thing. Both religions had lived peacefully in the town of Ballarat for years. Rei didn’t understand why that had to change now. That wasn’t true. She knew it was a question of control. It was what the Dominion did best.
Rei wondered if she should go ahead and convert. The action would be hollow since she knew the gods existed. She knew they would return to save the star cluster—one had already been reborn.
She shook her head. If she gave into that monster’s demands, her influence would turn away more people from the gods. The idea fueled her anger and drove her to want to take action. No one should choose a religion based on what she did, anyway. People should believe what they wished.
Chapter 2
Rei meandered down the sidewalk, passing between the parked cars along the sidewalk and the low adobe buildings with curved aluminum roofs until she arrived at the business she owned with her mother, Coronta Bar, with its flickering neon sign of a blooming flower. They couldn’t afford a holographic sign, but Rei liked the way the flower shone at night. She pulled aside the deep green cloth that served as the door, feeling its rough texture in her hand, and entered.
Rei took a moment to let the events of the last few minutes settle around her. She didn’t hate living in Ballarat, right at the edge of the Great Basin—the one on Earth, not the famous one on Proxima Centauri II. Yet ever since the last election, Rei grew more and more anxious to leave. She didn’t mind living on a Dominion planet before, but her religious freedom wasn’t impeded on before either. Unfortunately, she didn’t know where she could go.
She pushed down those feelings and continued down the steps into the bar. The main body dove deep underground where it was naturally cooler.
It was a slow day, but there was plenty of laughter and talk that echoed off the walls and rang in her ears. It was a welcoming sound. The place boasted enough chairs and tables to fit most of the village, and to her left was the bar, a curved structure already filled with a few customers on stools. Her mother, Hotara, stood on the other side, filling orders with a speed and skill that bordered on magic while laughing at some joke.
Eyes shifted to Rei as she entered. Not all of them, but some. She was used to it. Most of the town inhabitants were capable of tracing their family lineage back several generations. With a population of no more than five hundred, their gene pool wasn’t large or varied. Almost everyone shared the same Ballaratan dark eyes and black hair, making Rei’s pale green eyes and brown hair an oddity. Of course, that wasn’t the only thing that drew stares, judging from the way their gazes looked her up and down, lingering a little longer than they needed, but it was one of them. It made her “exotic,” or at least that’s the way she put it.
Hotara, on the other hand, was considered more alluring with her porcelain skin, despite years under the harsh sun, and raven hair, which she always kept in a practical braid. Rei could count on one hand the number of times she had seen her mother’s hair loose. It cascaded like the shiny silks Rei saw in the market. Her mother’s face also had an ageless quality that made patrons always try to guess how old she was. At first glance, Rei and Hotara appeared to be the same age, but it was Hotara’s eyes that gave away her years. Rei couldn’t help but be jealous, especially of her mother’s lilac irises—an even rarer attribute to all the known planets of the star cluster.
Rei approached the bar where her mother poured several shots of Coronta—a deep violet liqueur Hotara personally distilled—on a tray sticky with the remnants of other drinks. Rei snatched two of the shots, quickly tossed back the first one, and gasped. The temporary burning gave way to warmth that started in her belly and flowed through the rest of her body. She sipped the second one slowly. All the while, her mother didn’t comment, simply pouring two more shots. She picked up the tray and handed it to Rei. “Table four, and I am taking those shots out of your pay.”
Rei took another sip. “You don’t even pay me.”
Her mother gave Rei an impish grin. “Oh damn, you’re right. Just take that tray, and there will be another one waiting for you when you get back to me.”
She did as she was told and returned to find Hotara holding another shot. Rei took it gratefully.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Rei let the burning liqueur warm her tongue before she swallowed and spoke. “There was an execution. The baker’s son who refused to convert.”
Hotara was silent for several seconds, staring at the far back wall. “Gods. What is happening to this town?”
“Apparently, I am to blame since I won’t fall in line. If I don’t convert and convince the others to do so, I will be the next sacrifice.” Rei leaned in closer to her mother. “It’s not safe for us to stay here anymore. We should leave, but I don’t want to leave Ballarat at the mercy of that asshole.”
“We’re not leaving.” Hotara took the used glasses and ran them through the motorized brush, the soapy suds covered her hand. “It’s safer for you here. We can deal with the cleric together.”
Rei’s face fell. “Safer? Are you serious? He singled me out.”
“There are more dangerous monsters out in the star cluster than a cleric who has to pick on small women to feel strong.”
Rei leaned against the bar and crossed her arms. Her mother was referring to the stranger who’d been hunting Rei her entire life, who killed her parents.
Rei set down her unfinished shot and took the cleaned glasses from her foster mother to dry them before putting them back on the shelf. “You have yet to tell me who this monster is. An invisible threat was scary when I was a child, but I’m twenty-two.”
“I never told you who it was because I wanted you to have a normal childhood. I didn’t want you consumed by pursuing someone who will never find you here.” Hotara jammed a glass vigorously onto the brush.
“You told my brother.”
Hotara stopped and let out a loud breath. “And look where that got Niklaryn. He was so consumed with revenge that it killed him.”
The hair on the back of Rei’s neck prickled. “Technically he was murdered by his best friend—”
“Don’t get smart with me; you know what I mean. You are safer here. End of discussion.”
Rei sighed, reached for her unfinished shot, and kicked back the rest of it. There were few things that scared her mother and whoever hunted Rei did. That alone gave Rei pause. Without this unknown threat hanging above her head, she would have left to avenge Niklaryn years ago. Instead, she had to stay because her brother died to keep her safe. Perhaps Hotara was right, there was no need to run. They would handle the cleric—he was just one man. She continued drying the rest of the glasses while Hotara drifted between tables for more orders.
Rei’s gaze wandered around their little bar. Since the main room sat so low underground, the only lights came from old lamps stained from years of patrons smoking. The walls boasted a few old posters of bands who used to perform as they passed through. Other posters displayed advertisements, including one for the Ettowa Star Line—her family’s most well-known business endeavor: luxury starships. But they were relatives she’d never met. No one in her family was aware she hid out here. She didn’t dare even speak the name Ettowa out loud without Hotara worrying whose attention they would attract.
Rei used to daydream one of her relatives would find her and bring her back into the family, but the likelihood grew slimmer as she grew older. If an Ettowa were ever to come to Ballarat, now would be the best time. With their money and connections, Rei would use them to avenge her brother, or at least get away from the cleric. Yet, she knew she would never leave Hotara behind, and the stubborn woman refused to leave.
Across the bar sat one of their regulars, Sagitan Bronto, a retired Daer Knight, who wore his white hair short, which contrasted against his dark brown skin. His clothes fit his body well, accentuating that he was still in shape despite his age. For someone who spent a good part of the day at Coronta Bar, he rarely drank. He claimed he “simply enjoyed the company.”
He watched one of the popular video logs on his touch screen, his back to her so she had the perfect view.
Even though Rei didn’t hear what the reporter said, the flash of bombs in another nameless city gave her a hint of what Sagitan was watching.
“More news on the civil war?” she asked.
Sagitan turned and put the screen down on the bar. “Yes. Trappist V wants to become Federation, but there is a strong Dominion base. They have elections coming up, but the violent ones can’t wait. I’m interested in seeing how that plays out.”
Another image of dark figures in red robes appeared on the screen, along with the byline about Infiernen Jessar and his Infinity Dogs almost making an appearance on Trappist V.
“Hasn’t that man done enough damage? People should vote as they want, not because of fear,” muttered Sagitan.
Rei’s hatred for Infiernen ran deeper than his love of violence, and watching him use the same fear tactics as the cleric set her teeth on edge.
“Apparently not,” she muttered. Her hand reached for the ring she wore on a cord around her neck. It belonged to her brother and was all that was left of him. “I wish the god queen would hurry up and return. She could rid us of the Dominion, and we can get some peace and quiet. He can die first.” She pointed to the image of Infiernen on the screen.
“Who says it has to be the god queen?” asked Sagitan. “Or any of the gods? People can also move mountains, even if it is one stone at a time. You simply need to put yourself into a position where you can govern the change you want to see.”
“Me? I am pretty sure you heard Hotara. Putting myself in such a position would require I leave Ballarat, and I am not going anywhere.”
“Like I said, dear, one stone at a time. There’s good you can do here and still defy the Dominion.”
He was right. She hated the Dominion’s current war on religion, among other things, and they needed someone to teach them a lesson. She may not reach the likes of Infiernen, but the cleric was close enough. An idea formed her in mind. It was simple, but it would be a start.
“Hotara,” Rei called across the room. Her mother had been chatting with customers and her head jerked up at the mention of her name. “I hope you don’t mind getting less sleep tonight. I have a stone I want to move.”
Author Bio:
Mari, a native Hoosier, currently lives in southern Germany where she entertains people with her adventures as an American expat in the Land of Beer and Pretzels on her blog adventuresoflamari.com as well as the adventures of her pugs, Abner and Roxy. When she’s not writing, Mari cooks, snowboards, dances to the beat of her own drum, reads late into the night, and binge watches Netflix with her husband. The God Queen is her debut novel.
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