by Jana Oliver
‘You release the arrow and you die,’ a firm voice said. A swift glance over her shoulder proved the knife wielder was well dressed and portly, probably an official of some sort. It’d been a miracle he’d bothered to issue the warning.
Then the knife was gone, along with the threat, who crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap.
‘Go ahead, take care of that thing,’ the smithy said from behind her. ‘The reeve won’t be troubling you no more.’
‘Thank you!’
Reena studied her target again. Brain or heart? Which one will take you down?
‘You OK with this?’ Joshua asked as they regrouped, his eyes on Pat in particular. Say yes, you idiot. We can’t have Ruric take one for the team.
Pat nodded, and then the prince as well, though reluctantly.
It was an insane plan: while the other two made a bunch of noise to gain the regent’s attention, Joshua would circle behind the beast, positioning himself behind one of the massive feet. If he could reach one of the Achilles tendons and sever it, the thing would no longer be mobile. Or at least that’s what he hoped.
Joshua gave a quick look in Briar’s direction, but she wasn’t where he’d left her. He growled under his breath. He’d tried to convince her to stay hidden, but clearly she hadn’t listened. With a concerned sigh, he turned back to the task at hand.
He waved that he was ready, and at that his two companions began a series of catcalls designed to enrage their enemy. Pat, in particular, was crudely inventive, and that earned him the beast’s anger. With a snarl the regent abruptly shifted a clawed foot backwards and Joshua had to scramble out of reach to keep from being squashed.
‘Will you just stay put?’ he complained.
He lined up the sword crosswise to the tendon and then threw himself at the target. The blade caught the back of the creature’s foot and nicked the thick skin, but didn’t sever the muscle.
The monster reacted accordingly, kicking backwards, throwing Joshua into the air. He landed, hard. If his breath hadn’t been knocked out of him, there would have been enough swear words to earn him a week’s worth of chores back home.
Above him, the massive body turned as two gleaming eyes searched for the troublesome gnat. Stubby fingers dived down to grab him.
‘Run!’ Pat shouted.
Joshua scrambled to his feet and broke out in a sprint. He’d gone only a short distance when one of the fingers slapped at him, causing him to do a face plant.
Though Pat and Ruric charged the regent at the same time, yelling and slashing, trying to deflect the creature’s attention, it proved futile as the massive hand scooped him up into the air.
‘Oh God, no,’ Reena said as her friend was carried closer to the beast’s gaping maw. She tried to calm herself as she zeroed in on the area just above the left breast. She took a calming breath and set the arrow free. It zipped into the air, the fetching guiding it to its intended target. Even before it reached the beast, the regent moved and the arrow flew past, harmless.
‘Dammit!’ Reena shouted, pulling the final arrow from her quiver.
‘Closer!’ Briar urged.
The horse obeyed her, responding to her commands without question as just ahead of them the massive hand lifted Joshua higher. When he struggled in the creature’s grip, he gained a bit of leverage, but was still trapped.
I have to get him free. But how?
The charm bracelet tingled on her wrist, a reminder that it was the one thing that the regent feared. Briar pulled it off, clutching it in her palm. As she tried to concoct a plan, Joshua managed to free himself and scrambled up the arm like a monkey.
‘Incoming!’ Reena shouted a second before the arrow embedded itself deep in the regent’s breast. The beast roared, thrashing in pain, nearly sending Joshua hurtling to the ground.
Now it was Briar’s turn. This was her against the curse, one on one. If it was going to kill her, it would be now. Briar flew so close she could feel the regent’s hot breath, see the madness in her eyes.
‘Eat this and die!’ Briar called out, flinging the bracelet towards the open mouth. An unlikely missile, the silver tumbled over and over, gaining momentum. Recognizing the danger, the regent made a swipe at the bracelet, but missed, her hand knocking into the winged horse when it passed by.
As Briar and the steed tumbled over and over in the air, she clung tightly to the mare, her thighs cramping, hands knotted in the mane. When the horse finally regained control and levelled off, she shook her hair out of her face. Briar looked back at their enemy, hoping for some good news. The scene had changed: the regent clutched at her throat, eyes wide now that she had just swallowed her enemy’s magic. The one thing that could hurt her.
A thick groan issued from her mouth, before she began to choke. As the regent’s spell failed, the creature sank towards the ground, shrinking like a collapsing fountain, while Joshua clung to her arm, an ant on a falling redwood. He tried to leap away at the last minute, but his timing was off. A huge cloud of dust swirled in the air as the regent disappeared from sight.
Briar cried out his name, but there was no sign of the boy who loved her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Even before the horse had landed and come to a halt, Briar slid off the mare’s back. She sprinted across the field, terror making her cover the distance at top speed. The dust settled, revealing a body.
‘Joshua!’
She’d just reached him when he pulled himself up.
‘Oh man, that hurts,’ he said. His hair was filthy and he had fresh blood on his face. He coughed a couple of times and then gave her a lopsided grin. ‘Hey, look, it’s a real princess. Love the dress.’
Briar grabbed him, hugging him so hard he struggled to breathe. ‘You OK?’
‘I’m . . . good . . .’ he wheezed.
She let up the pressure, then swiped her hair out of his face. ‘You sure?’
He nodded wearily. ‘Did we win?’
‘I don’t know.’ But if we did, why are we still in the curse?
When she helped Joshua to his feet, he caught her and pulled her towards him. The kiss was quick and dusty, but appreciated.
‘More later,’ he promised.
‘Deal. Thanks for not dying on me.’
‘Yeah, let’s get this done so we can go home,’ he replied.
Moving slowly, hand in hand, they made their way towards the gathering in the centre of the field. There were no metal monsters storming around, the regent’s bag of tricks now useless. Hildretha was on her knees, her mask fallen away, still wearing that strange dress of hers. Her hair hung in tangles as drops of black blood sank into the soil. Her claws dug into the earth, as if she thought she could find sanctuary there.
When she raised her head, the arrow in her shoulder was clearly visible, snapped off near the skin. The regent strained, as if trying to change her features, to hide her true nature, but the charm bracelet had rendered her magic impotent. Now it was plain to see she was the unholy blend of human and drazak.
Around them, people gasped.
‘This is my kingdom,’ Hildretha said, and then spat blood. ‘I would destroy you all rather than lose the only home I’ve ever had.’
Before Briar could reply, voices rose from behind them as guards swept through the villagers, opening a path for their princess. Aurora was a mess: her dress stained, her fancy cloak ripped. There was a red mark on her cheek where she had suffered a blow.
Briar couldn’t find the energy to gloat. She knew she didn’t look much better.
Aurora seemed dazed, her attention moving across the field from face to face. She still held the sheathed knife, gripping the hilt so tightly her fingers were bone white.
‘That’s her father’s blade,’ someone nearby murmured. ‘She has reclaimed the kingdom.’
Boy, I hope so.
As the princess drew closer, Briar knew what was expected and she curtsied as best she could, while Joshua bowed. Only Ruric held his position, and for a moment Briar
wondered if there was going to be trouble.
‘Princess Aurora,’ he said, inclining his head slightly, his way of reminding her they were equals.
‘Prince Ruric,’ she said.
After a long look at him, Aurora turned towards her people, her hand still clutching the sheathed knife. Briar wondered if she knew she was holding it.
It was vital that the princess say something that would help her subjects begin the healing process. From her blank expression, Aurora clearly had no idea where to begin. She’d always been the pretty flower in the background while her father had handled the affairs of state. Now the kingdom was hers and she was overwhelmed.
‘Selfish child,’ Hildretha said. ‘You have no bones for this. I should have killed you, just as you killed so many of the others.’
Aurora’s blank stare faded. ‘What do you mean?’
‘The creature is lying,’ Ruric said, stepping up. ‘She killed your courtiers and your family.’
‘What do you mean?’ the princess repeated, ignoring him.
‘I only killed the king and queen,’ Hildretha said. She pointed a clawed finger at the princess. ‘You killed the rest. You strangled your servants and any who came to free you. It was the best part of my spell, for their blood is on your hands, as much as mine.’
Aurora’s face had gone alabaster, and Briar feared that she might faint.
‘Is this true?’ the princess asked in a tremulous voice.
Ruric bowed his head in acknowledgement.
‘Why did you not tell me?’ she demanded.
‘I felt it would do great harm to you to know such things.’
‘You had no right to keep it from me.’ The princess’s ire faded as her expression saddened. ‘I remember some of them. In my sleep, there were men talking to me. Kissing me. I longed to wake, but I couldn’t until . . .’ She looked over at Ruric. ‘Until you.’
‘What is your command, Your Highness?’ one of the guards called out. ‘Do you wish the fend executed?’
Aurora didn’t respond, her eyes fixed in the middle distance, no doubt seeing those faces in her dreams again. The crowd grew restless, muttering among themselves.
‘Your Highness?’ the guard nudged.
The princess’s arms fell loosely at her sides, her chest rising and falling with each quickened breath. There was no rejoicing in her eyes, only a decade’s worth of nightmares.
Aurora took a step closer to her former servant. ‘Hildretha of the Drazaks, you chose to make war rather than live among us in peace. You hid your true form and refused our friendship. Yet I owe you for sparing my life. You could have killed me at any time, and you did not.’
What? She’s letting the thing go? Beside her, Ruric sighed heavily.
‘Girl’s gotta grow a pair . . .’ Reena murmured. A grunt of agreement came from Pat.
‘I do not blame you,’ Hildretha said, her eyes narrowing, full of malice as she glowered at Briar. ‘It is this one who has brought the evil here,’ she said.
‘No,’ Aurora said, ‘you did. You killed my mother and my father.’
The regent didn’t seem to hear the change in tone, but instead launched herself at Briar, claws poised to rip out her throat. Suddenly Aurora was between them, her knife buried deep in her governess’s chest. The drazak slashed at her, but her efforts fell short. When the princess pulled the blade free, Hildretha slumped to the ground, dying.
A stunned silence fell around them.
‘Turn away, please,’ Ruric said, raising his sword. ‘We must be sure that she is truly dead.’
‘Strike the blow,’ Aurora said, then watched with glazed eyes as Hildretha’s head rolled into the grass.
‘So it ends,’ he said. ‘Your enemy is no more.’
The princess’s bloodied hand slowly lowered to her side, the knife and its scabbard dropping from her grasp. Her skin was so pale it nearly matched her hair.
‘Where do you wish it buried, Your Highness?’ the guard asked.
‘Ah . . .’ After an extended deep breath, Aurora appeared to regain her composure. ‘Take her outside our kingdom. I do not want her body corrupting our soil.’
‘What of the regent’s metal?’ a gruff voice called out. ‘What shall we do with it?’
Leave it to a smithy to ask that question.
‘Gather it together and have it melted down. If fire will cleanse it of her dark magic, then have it distributed to all. If not, it shall be buried at our borders, to act as a warning to those who would try to harm us in future.’
When the princess turned towards Briar, she seemed to have aged.
‘Thank you,’ Briar said simply. ‘You saved my life.’
‘As you saved mine.’ Her flurry of orders complete, Aurora wavered on her feet. In an instant, Ruric’s hand was on her elbow, steadying her.
‘Are you unwell?’ he asked.
She studied him, as if seeing him for the first time, and tugged her arm from his grasp. ‘Prince Ruric, you have my gratitude for breaking my slumber and killing the . . . drazak. No doubt you are eager to return to your own kingdom. Please send my regards to your father.’
Pat whistled under his breath. ‘Bitch slap.’
Ruric’s jaw tightened. ‘It was my honour to serve you and your people. I shall depart for my home on the morrow. I would not have it said that I had unduly interfered in your realm in any way.’
‘That is a wise choice,’ Aurora replied, though her voice quavered at the end. ‘Take your companions with you,’ she said, her eyes back on Briar now. ‘No doubt they are missing their families as well.’
They were all being shown the door.
Aurora swept away, and was handed into the carriage, a dishevelled young woman who had just inherited a kingdom and needed abundant courage to rule it.
Once she was out of earshot, Pat shook his head. ‘What a hag.’
Ruric glowered at him. ‘Mind your tongue.’
It would have been easy to hate the princess, but Briar understood her better than most. Aurora was, after all, part of her own imagination.
‘She never thought she’d have to govern a kingdom,’ she said. ‘Her parents always sheltered her and now . . . she’s on her own.’ Briar looked over at her friends. ‘I know how that feels.’
‘Yeah, but you got with the programme,’ Reena said. ‘I’m not sure she ever will.’
She has to. She has no other choice.
It was then she noticed Ruric staring wistfully at the retreating carriage, as flecks of blood dried along his cheek.
‘Cousin?’ Briar nudged him, breaking his concentration. ‘You all right?’
‘What?’ he said, startled. ‘Yes.’ Agitated, he cleaned the princess’s knife and paired it with the scabbard. ‘She will make a poor ruler and a poorer wife to whoever falls for her charms.’
Yeah, your ego is bruised.
Without another word, he handed one of the guards the knife, then set off towards the cart which was being loaded with the wounded. When he encountered the smithy, they fell to talking, but she could see that the prince wore his bitterness like a heavy cloak.
‘No happy ending here,’ Joshua said as he touched her arm. ‘Well, not for those two.’
Something was wrong. Briar had found her prince and they’d defeated the regent. ‘Why haven’t I woken up? I broke the curse. Didn’t I?’ she asked.
‘Maybe you’re not done yet,’ he replied.
Reena tossed Briar her cloak. ‘Here. You need this more than I do.’
‘Thanks.’
‘We’ll see you two later,’ Pat said, offering Reena his arm. ‘Come on, archer lady, let’s find some food. I’m hungry.’
‘I thought you were all about getting home,’ Reena retorted.
His smile faded a bit. ‘Yeah, I was. This is more . . . exciting.’
‘Meaning your dad isn’t here to give you any shit.’
‘Yup. Besides, you want to hang with me, because I’m a hero. Didn’t you see how
I whaled on that gryphon? That thing was totally my bitch,’ he said, his eyes twinkling now.
‘Pleeease,’ Reena said, grinning as she pushed a stray lock of hair out of his eyes.
With a laugh, she took Pat’s arm as they strolled towards the town, trading good-natured barbs.
‘You know, I never would have seen those two together,’ Briar said, pulling on the cloak. ‘Not ever.’
‘It’s simple: she doesn’t let him be a jerk, and he likes that,’ Joshua replied. ‘He respects her. I doubt there are many people who reach that bar with him.’
‘He respects you too. You ruled, dude.’
‘So did you, Briar.’
She took his hand, mindful of the shale cuts he’d received, and they strolled towards the town, following behind the wagon. Other villagers limped along, some wounded, some crying, some still stunned at how it’d all fallen out.
‘The princess is in big trouble,’ Briar said. ‘She has no idea how to run a kingdom. She has to get strong real soon or this place will be at war in a week.’ Or there would be mass slaughter when the drazaks showed up.
‘I don’t know, she seems capable enough,’ Joshua replied. ‘She killed the regent. That showed some guts. She doesn’t really need a prince to tell her what do to.’
Briar really liked it that he felt a girl could handle things as well as guy. Unfortunately, he was probably wrong in this case – at least until Aurora had gained some experience on that throne.
‘She’s as naive as I was. Every jerk will offer to help her. If she doesn’t go along with what they want, they kill her and take over.’
Joshua thought it through. ‘That was one of the regent’s mistakes – she didn’t murder the princess right off. The next one won’t make that error.’
‘Aurora knows it and that’s why she’s afraid. She needs someone she can trust, someone who might have his own agenda, but would be honourable anyway. Someone who has risked his life to save her.’
‘You mean like the prince she just ordered out of her kingdom?’ he asked.
‘That would be the dude.’
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
The village’s usual routine was superseded by two things – the treating of the wounded and the need to celebrate. The locals were in the streets now, and though some had lost family and friends, they were mourning their losses by acknowledging their freedom. Food had come from inside homes and shops, and the ale was being handed out without coins changing hands.