Briar Rose

by Jana Oliver

  ‘Any . . . time . . . now.’

  The warrior’s shoulder turned darker, then began to disintegrate, revealing the human underneath.

  ‘Yes!’ Reena shouted, executing a fist pump. ‘Get the other one.’

  Briar did as she was told and suddenly the princess had two confused humans at her side. They quickly figured out what had happened and became her protectors.

  Meanwhile, Ruric had been hemmed in by three of the warriors and, though having secured himself a sword, was dangerously close to being gutted. With a pleased grin, Briar helped even the odds. One by one the warriors lost their metal cladding.

  Around her, families reunited with their missing sons, brothers, fathers or husbands. After the tears and the hugs, the anger rose. Those same men picked up their swords and began to clear a path to their ruler, keen for revenge.

  Game on!

  Briar turned her sights on the regent. ‘Payback time,’ she murmured, loading another stone. Moving sideways, she cautiously lined up the shot, hoping for a miracle. As the stone flew through the air, Briar whispered a prayer that it’d do the trick.

  It slammed into the regent’s mask, causing the woman to reel backwards.

  ‘Yes!’

  The regent turned towards her, but the copper didn’t disintegrate. ‘Kill her!’ the ruler ordered. ‘Kill her now!’

  ‘Why didn’t it work?’ Briar said, backing up nervously.

  ‘It doesn’t on regular metal. Just her magical stuff,’ Reena said, backing up with her, an arrow notched.

  Now you tell me.

  A village man staggered up, his shoulder bleeding in two places. ‘The princess . . . wanted you to have . . . this,’ he said. He held out the charm bracelet.

  ‘Thank you!’

  Briar took it, and then hunted for Aurora in the scrum. The princess sat on one of the horses now, surveying the battle from a distance. Briar gave her a wave and a regal nod returned.

  Briar tucked the slingshot in her corset and then slipped on the bracelet, some of the fata dust coating it as she snapped the clasp. The moment the silver touched her skin, it gave a sharp ping of recognition.

  What else can I do with this thing?

  When an enraged shout came from Joshua, they turned as one to find the guys reeling from the latest attack.

  ‘Oh, God. I can’t hit that creature, it moves too fast. Can’t you do anything?’ Reena demanded.

  ‘Maybe I can.’ As Briar set off towards the guys, her friend called out to her. ‘Do not let Pat get dead or I will be seriously pissed, do you hear me?’

  Without knowing exactly why, Briar wrapped her dust-covered fingers round the one charm that might just give her a chance to defeat the gryphon. As she picked up her pace, she made a single, crazy wish.

  Because, sometimes, wishes come true.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  The gryphon’s last pass had earned Pat three deep cuts on his forehead and a couple down his back. Though he’d pounded at it with his quarterstaff, it had had little effect. Joshua had managed to hack off a few feathers and part of a leg, but that was it. They were both tiring and their weapons were pretty much useless. It was only a matter of time before the gryphon won this battle.

  Joshua was relieved to see the townspeople had experienced a change of heart, cheerfully bashing their way towards the regent with anything they could lay their hands on. He and Pat needed to be there as well, not fighting some wind-up monster.

  Above them, their menace circled, as if it were stalling.

  Why? He began to suspect it was intentionally keeping them occupied so they wouldn’t be able to join the battle.

  But where was Briar? Joshua’s eyes darted to the tree in fear. The noose was empty.

  Thank God.

  The gryphon still glided around above them.

  ‘I wish Reena would shoot down this idiot bird,’ Joshua replied.

  ‘If she could hit it, she would have. I think it’s too fast for her,’ Pat replied.

  ‘Where is Briar?’ Joshua demanded. If she was hurt or dead . . .

  ‘Found her,’ his companion cried, pointing upward. ‘Whoa, check out that ride!’

  A sleek golden-white horse floated to the ground near them, its iridescent wings forming swirls in the air behind them. Sitting astride the steed was Briar, her cloak and unbound hair trailing behind her.

  ‘Are you serious?’ Joshua called out.

  She beckoned to him. ‘Sure! Come on, let’s go kick some gryphon butt.’

  Pat leaned on his staff, getting his breath. ‘You know how to fly one of these things?’

  ‘It’s a horse, right?’ Joshua replied. ‘How hard can it be?’

  Briar scooted further back, giving him space on the mount. Joshua sheathed his sword and tied the scabbard round his waist, then moved the blade out of the way as he climbed up to join her. The horse moved a few paces to the left and settled.

  ‘This is the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to me,’ he said, causing the mare’s ears to twitch. ‘And that’s saying something right now.’

  ‘Isn’t she cool?’ Briar said. ‘Screw driver’s ed, I’m turning up to class on this baby next year.’

  ‘You conjured her up on your own?’

  ‘Yeah. I didn’t know I could do that. I think it had something to do with the fata dust. I wished for her and there she was.’

  ‘Works for me.’

  A series of howls rent the air as a new menace joined the hunt, called to the battle by their mistress. Grey predators streaked across the open field from the village, encircling their prey.

  ‘Wolves,’ Briar said, her momentary joy gone. ‘So many wolves.’

  ‘Ah, damn,’ Reena said. ‘Just what we need.’ With one last concerned look towards Pat, she began to stalk the new threats. She didn’t dare take a shot unless there was a good chance the wolf she was targeting would go down. There just weren’t that many arrows.

  An idea came to mind, and when she spied the smithy’s son, she waved him over and handed him the pouch.

  ‘This is special magic. It destroys the regent’s metal. Have your people put it on their weapons. You understand?’

  The eager boy nodded and took off towards a knot of village men. He wriggled his way into their midst, and after a lot of hand waving and explanation they began dispensing the fata magic.

  Knowing that was the best she could do, Reena returned to the hunt. As she stalked the closest wolf, a primordial bellow came from the centre of the field.

  ‘Oh God, now what?’

  The winged horse shied away in fright as a column of dirt surged upward from where the regent had been standing. The ruler’s magic transformed her into a figure with thick arms and chubby legs. The limbs continued to elongate as the creature rose in height, first ten, then some twenty feet above the field. Its round, pudgy face sat above a massive chest and neck. It was female and completely nude.

  Joshua winced. ‘Oh man, my eyes are scarred for life. What is that thing?’

  ‘I think it’s a drazak. It’s what the regent looks like, at least the parts that aren’t human.’

  He shook his head in disgust. ‘Whatever it is, I just wish it wore clothes. Can’t unsee that.’

  The creature hoisted a massive club on her shoulders while grinning a mouthful of mismatched teeth. Apparently dental care wasn’t a priority for her kind.

  A shadow covered them.

  ‘Gryphon!’ Joshua cried out as he kicked the horse in the sides to avoid the creature. As they cantered forward, Briar grabbed on to his waist to keep from falling off. Once they were airborne, the winged horse had a mind of its own, veering away towards safety.

  ‘No!’ he cried out. ‘We have to fight that thing.’

  The mare shook her head, clearly thinking that idea was blazingly stupid.

  With great effort Joshua brought the steed under control and swung them back towards the gryphon. And found it missing.

  ‘Where did it go?’
he asked, looking around.

  ‘Above us!’ Briar cried, pointing.

  The beast executed a power dive, forcing the horse to sheer away from it. Even before Briar could load a dust-coated stone into the slingshot, the gryphon passed agonizingly close. Just like it had with Pat, a talon shot out and hooked on to her cloak. She tried to hold on to Joshua, but was dragged off the back of the horse. As her feet found nothing but air beneath them, her scream was cut off by the rushing wind. The slingshot tumbled out of her grasp.

  With a desperate effort, Briar clutched on to the beast’s rear leg with her left hand, trying to avoid the talons. Behind her, the cloak broke free and sailed away causing the wind to whistle through the opening in her dress and up her skirts. She was flashing the entire field. Aware that it had a passenger, the gryphon’s sharp metal tail lashed at her, coming perilously close to her face.

  She dared not touch the thing with her right hand, or it would disintegrate. But how long could she hang on with only one hand?

  ‘Bring her to me!’ the regent demanded in a deep voice.

  The gryphon dutifully circled round and began to descend, eager to deliver its cargo. Briar’s left arm cramped fiercely, like thousands of sharp knives digging into her flesh. Tears formed in her eyes from the pain.

  Joshua flew just below the beast, trying to get in position.

  ‘Jump!’ he cried.

  Briar shook her head. Gritting her teeth, she tried to wait out the ride, hoping to touch the beast a short time before it landed so she’d have an opportunity to escape.

  Another sharp turn. Briar’s grip faltered and she slid down the leg. Flinging out her right hand in a desperate effort to keep from plummeting to her death, she grabbed on.

  Too soon!

  The reaction was instant: the gryphon went into a barrel roll, screeching as if it were on fire from within. Where she’d touched it, the metal began to lose cohesion, some unfathomable chemical reaction that would not halt even though they were still in the air.

  As she watched in horror, the process worked its way forward, across the back, the neck and on to the head. Then it reversed its course, aimed towards her.

  ‘Jump!’ Joshua cried again.

  Terror locked her in place. Beneath Briar’s fingers she felt the metal begin to flex as the beast lost its ability to fly. Out of control, it careened towards the old oak tree.

  Either she jumped or she fell. With a prayer stuck in her throat, Briar let go. She heard Joshua shout out as his hands brushed hers, and then she was gone. There was no way he could catch her now. He would forever remember her falling away from him like some golden autumn leaf, at least until her bones and her body shattered when she hit the ground.

  Momentum tumbled her into the tree and Briar clipped something, crashing into a tangle of branches. The one beneath her cracked, sending her plunging downward. Then she caught hold of a solid limb, cushioned in leaves and tiny branches, which absorbed her landing and poked her in a hundred different places.

  For a moment it was hard believe she wasn’t still falling. Brushing hair out of her eyes, Briar stared out at the battlefield through the leaves. A wolf went down, an arrow in its side, courtesy of Reena. The prince and the smithy were fighting back to back. Aurora was surrounded by villagers, safe for the moment.

  Which left the regent.

  ‘Get out of there!’ Joshua called out. He hovered on the flying horse a short distance away, his eyes wild with fear. ‘Go!’ Then he veered off as a mighty fist tried to snatch him out of the air, like one would catch a pesky fly.

  Two massive legs thumped in her direction: their enemy had not forgotten her.

  Briar scrambled from limb to limb, ignoring the pain, but the faster she moved, the closer the solid thump thump came. A squirrel fled past her, chittering in blind panic. She was still too far up to jump.

  A whistling sound hissed through the air, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the club racing towards the oak.

  As it struck the aged tree dead centre, Briar leaped into the nothingness.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Flailing, Briar landed on her back in the grass, every point of contact sending waves of misery throughout her body. Above her, the air filled with the tortured crack of green wood, the death shriek of a tree that had lived for centuries. People screamed and fled as the wood splintered into lethal missiles. Some were impaled nonetheless, their cries nearly overwhelming that of the dying hardwood.

  The ground beneath Briar began to melt as giant roots flung themselves out of the earth, like eager new shoots seeking the sun for the first time. Shredded leaves rained down on her in a torrent of green. Her body jumped with the ground as the world-jolting impact of the trunk heralded the oak tree’s brutal demise.

  Trapped under the leafy blanket, Briar worked to free herself, but her legs were lodged under a limb. Joshua called out her name but when she tried to answer, no words came.

  ‘Briar!’ he called again, more frantic this time.

  Branches went in all directions as he tore his way to her. Then the weight lifted off her legs and she was in his arms. His breath was ragged against her face and his arms shook.

  ‘Come on, don’t be dead,’ he pleaded. ‘You can’t die on me.’

  No, she couldn’t. Then the curse would win.

  Besides, she liked his arms around her. Really liked his kisses.

  Briar blinked open her eyes and tried to grin into the panicked face of the boy who’d said he was in love with her.

  ‘Hey, you,’ she said, then coughed hard. There had to be a sackful of dirt in her lungs.

  Joshua exhaled nosily in relief and whispered something that sounded like Thank you, God.

  Briar touched his cheek, feeling the sweat. Or were they tears? ‘Can I just take a nap? I’m kind of tired.’

  He shook his head. ‘We’ve got a buck-naked giant to slay. Then you can sleep, princess.’

  That made her laugh, but when she tried to move the clothes fought back.

  ‘Damn this gown! Will you help me with this thing?’ Briar pleaded.

  Joshua produced a knife and began to make some alterations, slicing off the bottom third of the dress, leaving the back long. When she stood, to her horror she found the gown now ended well above her knees, exposing her legs and those ugly-duckling boots.

  After Joshua sheathed the knife, he studied his work. ‘Oops. I might have got it a little short,’ he said, shrugging.

  You think? ‘Thanks a bunch.’ At least it would be easier to run now.

  A near-deafening roar split the air as the regent turned her murderous attentions towards a small band of townspeople. Their three friends were at the front of the group.

  Oh God, they’re going to get themselves killed.

  Reena was thinking the same thing. She’d seen the tree explode with her best friend in the middle of it, and was sure that Briar was dead. Then she’d seen Josh pull her out of the tangled branches.

  ‘OK, girlfriend, this is your curse, not ours. We’re running out of time here.’

  As the regent squared up with them, Reena looked around for the fata. Why weren’t they here? They had as much to lose as anyone else. Not that she could blame them. Who wanted to take on a two-storey psycho monster?

  My great-gran was right. Sometimes it’s better not to get involved.

  As she notched an arrow, she swore under her breath. ‘Have I mentioned how much this sucks?’

  ‘Right there with you,’ Pat replied. He’d traded his staff for a sword now, though he swore he wasn’t particularly good with sharp, pointy objects. ‘So how do you kill one of these things?’

  ‘They love metal so I doubt the dust will work.’

  ‘We shall have to fight it hand to hand,’ Ruric said. He gave the princess a worried look. ‘No matter what happens, please keep Aurora safe.’ He took a deep breath and marched towards the regent, blade in hand.

  ‘Just a note: that whole prince/hero thing he’s go
t going, it doesn’t work for me,’ Pat said, shaking his head in despair. ‘She is just going to flatten him.’

  ‘Then we have to make sure she doesn’t,’ Reena replied. ‘No prince, no happy ending, remember?’

  ‘I was afraid you’d say that.’ He rolled his shoulders. ‘Then let’s go do something totally suicidal. It’s been at least a couple of minutes since someone’s tried to kill me.’

  Reena grinned over at him, enjoying his sardonic sense of humour. ‘You’re pretty cool. Not that I’ll ever admit I said that.’

  ‘Right back at you, girl.’ He gave her a hopeful look. ‘Maybe when this is all over we could . . . you know, hang together?’

  ‘Yeah, maybe, if we’re still in one piece,’ she said. ‘But I don’t put out, just so you know that up front. That’s a no-go.’

  Pat nodded. ‘Word. I appreciate the heads-up. Keeps me from making an ass out of myself.’

  She eyeballed him, trying to figure out exactly what had happened to the Pat Daniels she’d found in the pillory.

  What made you change?

  Though it looked flash, Ruric’s swordplay was pretty much a waste of time, even if he did get some vicious slices into the regent’s feet as the beast was busily playing Stomp the Prince. She wasn’t doing well – bad eye-foot coordination apparently. Every time she missed, she bellowed in frustration, which only made Reena’s eardrums ache.

  Yeah, yeah, you’re big and noisy. I got that.

  In an equally lunatic exhibition of testosterone, Pat raced up and jammed his blade into the beast’s leg. It had little effect other than raising the thing’s bellow even louder. He’d barely scurried away when a huge hand tried to grab him.

  ‘Guys,’ Reena muttered, shaking her head. ‘What is it with them?’

  She moved laterally, trying to find the best place to embed an arrow.

  Pat cried out as the regent kicked at him, sending him tumbling across the grass. Her heart raced until she saw him crawl back to his feet. Still, he was moving too slowly and if she didn’t do something . . .

  Something sharp pricked her in the back and Reena froze.