Ruby’s Pride

by Romy Lockhart

  Chapter 33

  I pick my way through the woods carefully, jumping at every sound on my way back to the yellow brick road. I can’t help wondering where the hell Warner is. I know he’s restless, but he seemed less so after our night together. I woke up in the middle of the night and got to watch him actually sleep for a few minutes.

  Clearly, at some point, he woke up and decided he couldn’t stand to stay still for even a moment longer. If any other guy ran out on me like that I’d be pissed. And I kind of am, I won’t lie, but at the same time I’m worried about him. Where the hell does he go when he wanders off like this? What is he thinking?

  I pause as I peer through the trees to lock my gaze on the road. It’s closer than I remembered, but someone’s pacing around out there. I swallow as I try to catch a glimpse of the person’s face. Sunlight is obscuring him from view. That’s the only thing I can figure out from this far away. Something with a muscular body is hanging around where I need to be.

  I take a few careful steps forward to attempt to gain a better vantage point. The guy moves, further into the shadowy area between the trees and the road. Damn. I don’t think it’s Warner, but it’s really too far away to be completely certain. I move along, keeping up with the road from inside the forest. Several times, I take a step forward and try to see who’s out there on the road, pacing around like he’s waiting for something or someone.

  The lingering glimpse when I see it’s definitely one of the lion-men is what screws me over. I’m not paying attention, and I wind up smacking into something hard and furry. The tight squeeze of fingers on my arm makes me shriek. I look up and find myself staring into the face of another lion-man.

  He’s less sneery than the one I killed in the house, but all the same I don’t like the look of him.

  He grabs my throat with his other hand and shock fades into anger. I go Darth Vader on his ass, choking him without touching him. Enough to lift him off his big, ugly feet. He lets me go, gasping hopelessly for air as I suspend him from nothing.

  “Where’s Warner?” I ask, loosening my grip but only slightly.

  He wheezes in a breath, and uses it to laugh. Could he be any more cliché? I shake my head.

  “If your people have him, they’ll regret it.”

  “The half-breed is of no consequence,” he snarls at me, his voice cracked and barely audible.

  Corwin was right. I ignore the flash of guilt over abandoning the brothers back at Dorothy’s house. I had to do this my way. That hasn’t changed.

  “If any of you hurt a hair on his body I’ll set you all on fire from the inside out and watch every last one of you become undone.” I say it like I mean it, because I do.

  He glowers at me. “Our king will see you dead for this, witch.”

  “Whatever,” I tell him, dropping him to the ground.

  He makes to charge me and I smile.

  “Sleep,” I say as he springs toward me.

  He crashes to the ground at my feet. He’s out of it. I move forward quickly. I can knock out every other lion that comes at me, but eventually it’s going to become wearying. I need to get to the Emerald City, and I need to get there now.

  Chapter 34

  I walk through the woods close to the road for what feels like a lifetime before I see the huge gates to the city. I stop then, and glance around. I’m alone. At least, I am right at this moment.

  And it’s a magical one. The city beyond the gates looks lush, fertile. The stunning hues of everything beyond those open green metal gates capture my gaze and make me excited to be here.

  I step out onto the road, glancing around and confirming I’m alone. I walk to the gates once I’m certain I’m not being followed anymore. This is it. I’m almost home.

  The thought makes me pause. I just promised Warner I wanted to be here with him, with all of them. They’re going to find out what a bitch really is once I’m gone. It makes me feel a little sick and sad, but I don’t have time for guilt right now.

  I rush into the city and look around. The landscape is a little all over the place, but everything is so pretty. I can’t help but stop to admire emerald adorned lamp-posts, and buildings made of shimmery green rocks.

  It doesn’t take long to find the site of destruction. The temperature drops suddenly as I step into the frozen over zone. It’s the courtyard outside a castle-like structure. There’s a thin veil of snow over everything, including the frozen over water-feature.

  In the middle of that baroquely decorated pond stands a block of ice with a person inside. I stare at the hands held out as if to protest what was happening. They look so small encased in the ice. The face is hard to see but the woman’s clothes look white. In fact, her dress seems very similar to the one I’m wearing right now.

  The good witch. Of course. That must be her cottage I was in with Warner. I look around and the sudden obviousness of the other blocks of ice all around us makes me shiver uncontrollably. So many people have already tried to free her. None of them have been successful. What makes me think I’ll be able to do it?

  A queasy feeling washes over me. This isn’t a bust-a-chair-through-a-window moment. I need to use more caution than I’m used to here. I can’t touch the ice. That’s how it gets you. I look up at the witch as I summon a fireball into my hand and use it to melt a corner of her prison.

  I hold my breath as the ice begins to melt. Then I realize how long it’s going to take doing it this way, and I don’t even know if it might hurt her somehow. So I stop and consider my options. My magic gives me so many, I don’t know where to start. So I think out what my limitations are.

  I can’t transport her out of there. So I have to... break the ice. Not literally, I don’t think. This is some kind of curse. I think about what I did to break The Woodcutter’s curse. Touching the ice seems like a bad idea, but I know I have to. Words alone aren’t going to be enough. Despite the fact I’ve barely had these magical powers for five minutes, trusting my instincts with them has gotten me this far and I’m not about to start doubting myself now.

  Sucking in a breath, I place one hand on the ice. The cold seeps into my fingers and makes me shiver. I watch as a film of frost covers my hand, shaking my head. I have to focus.

  “I lift this curse, sister-witch. You are free.”

  I try to move my fingers, but they feel stuck. Despite the panic that begins to overwhelm me, I manage to hold onto my calm, at least until I glance down and see the red glitter of my birthday shoes. “Oh, fuuuuck!”

  It’s nightfall. My magic isn’t working, and my arm is already coated in frost. I’m seriously screwed right now. My teeth start to chatter as I try to pull my arm away from the woman I was trying to free. I’m stuck fast. Goddamn it.

  Wait... Pearl helped me before when I thought of her. She showed up and used magic.

  “Pearl!” I call out her name wildly as tears spring to my eyes. “Pearl, I need you. Where are you? Come help me. Please? I promise I won’t ever question your choice in men ever again. Okay? I promise. Pearl!”

  The sound of movement to my right makes me turn. I can only move so far now that the ice is beginning to flow over my left side, but it’s enough to see that someone is standing in the shadows of one of the many courtyard entrances. A tall someone with enough bulk to make me want to throw up in my mouth. I didn’t think things could get any worse. I was wrong.

  The lion-man comes toward me slowly, a grin on his face that shows rows of sharp teeth. He could rip my throat clean out with those things. I shudder at the thought.

  “Don’t come any closer,” I call out. “I’ll turn you into a toad.”

  Now why didn’t I think of that before? Would have been less fucking awful than going overkill with the mirror and slaughtering that first creep. Of course, it’s an empty threat now, and this grinning moron breaks out into a bout of slow, creaking laughter that makes my insides churn.

  “Half-breeds have so much spirit,” he tells me, in a smarmy voice that makes it
obvious I amuse him in a way only a lesser being could.

  I swallow as the chill of frost moves down my left leg. It’s not going to be long now. I don’t need to worry about this cretin. I’ll be an ice-cube soon enough. Hooray for freaky curses.

  Or, not. Where the hell is Pearl? Why isn’t she coming? I wrack my brain, worried that the only answer to that question is that it’s nightfall and I have no real power now. I fucking hope it’s not that. Please just let her be running late.

  The lion-man stops a few steps away from me, almost within reach. Worst comes to worst, I guess I could stretch out my arm to touch him. Curse him to this icy existence.

  “Where are your mates, half-breed witch?”

  “I have no mates. I’m human,” I tell him, glowering as he drops his gaze to my chest.

  “Such a pity to lose such a fiery female,” he tells me, not looking at my face for even a second as he speaks. If he was close enough, I’d punch him in the balls. It takes a real asshole to objectify a woman who’s basically about to die. Prick bastard motherfucker.

  “It won’t be a shame to lose the weakling half-breed cubs you’re carrying, but you...” He leans in for a tenth of a second to sniff my damn hair. “You could be useful. One bite and you’d mine, little witch.”

  I smirk at him, swiping my hair back from my shoulder with my free hand. I offer my neck to him.

  “Go right ahead, asshole.”

  He deserves to be frozen. Barely three minutes in the freak’s presence and I know that. I’d be doing his pride a favor. All it’ll take is to let him bite me. Hell, if I’m going down, I might as well catch me some collateral damage on the way.

  He laughs again, this time heartily. I wince as the left side of my body numbs. I still have my head and my right side, but this is really starting to hurt. Panic swells as my thoughts decide to freak me out. Will I be conscious trapped in the ice? Oh fuck no. Please tell me that’s not how this works. Let me at least be passed out.

  “Oh, little witch.” He wipes at the sides of his eyes. “I cannot touch one who has been infected with the dark curse. It would be supremely foolish to do such a thing. Do I look like a fool?”

  “You look like a shithead,” I snap, wishing Pearl would just show the hell up already. Damn it, girl. I need you.

  “We all say things we don’t mean in dire circumstances,” he says, shrugging. He leans against the side of the fountain, apparently not intending on walking away anytime soon. “I could drink in the sight of you all night, little witch. I will stay to watch you become one with the ice. It will be pleasant to have someone to come and visit when I am feeling lonesome.”

  Ugh. As if he isn’t creepy enough with those red eyes and that big mouthful of teeth. Now he has to tell me I’m going to wind up stuck here watching him jerk off to ice-statues for eternity? No freaking way. I gasp out a breath as the frost climbs up my neck, beginning to numb the right side of my face.

  The lion-man reaches down and his arm moves slowly. I couldn’t dip my gaze now even if I wanted to. Frustration boils up within me. This fucking sucks. There has to be something I can do.

  Wait. If Pearl is busy, maybe Crystal can help me out. The bunny-girl did say I could contact them both. Question is whether Crystal has any kind of magical power like Pearl does.

  “Why won’t you look at me, little witch? I touch myself for you.”

  “Crystal,” I call out, thinking of her frown as we fought before I stormed off. She was seriously pissed at me, and she could very well be again once she finds out why I’m calling her here. This is the girl who crumbles under the smallest application of pressure. I’m expecting her to be my rescuer? Am I crazy?

  I take a shaky breath. Yes, she can be pretty fragile, but she’s my best friend and I trust her to come through when I need it. She always has. My voice is whisper faint when I make my plea. “Crystal, help me. Please. I need you.”

  The frost moves over my lips and I can no longer move them. I make a frustrated growl at the back of my throat that sounds more like a whimper. The lion-man laughs, and tugs on his dumb-ass cock a little faster, if his arm movement is anything to go by. Ugh. I seriously wish I could make the creep disappear right now.

  The thought makes me want to laugh. I’m basically as good as dead and all I can think about is how badly some idiot with man-parts is pissing me off. Story of my life, I guess.

  The spread of ice is numbing my throat and chest now. It feels odd, to be trapped standing like this, slowly being enveloped by this quick-freezing water. A tremor rushes through me at the chill, but I stay mannequin still and it makes it feel like it’s my brain that’s trembling inside my head, organs in my chest. It’s fucking horrible, but it’s still not as bad as knowing the last thing I’ll ever see is this disgusting joke of a man getting off on my misfortune.

  As the chill rushes up my cheeks and over my nose, I brace myself for what’s to come. I don’t know if I’ll lose consciousness or just be stuck in a giant ice-cube when this is over, but one thing’s for sure it’s not going to be pleasant.

  Oh, Crystal, I wish you’d heard me. I wish I could have said sorry for all the times I ragged on you for being a wimp. I’m sorry I rolled my eyes every time you cried over spilt milk. I just didn’t understand. I should have tried harder and I should have been there when you needed me, even if I didn’t get why.

  I blink and the lone tear that falls from my eye freezes before it can go anywhere. I’m done. No second chances for this bitch. Guess she was too mean to survive. I’d try hoping for a miracle, but I’m pretty sure those are reserved for good girls who mind their manners and do what they’re told. I already managed to swindle one out of the universe today when I called on Pearl. Guess I used up all of my chances.

  I expect to be frozen over now, for my sight to blur or my head to numb.

  Just about the only thing I don’t expect is what happens. A flurry of snow crashes down on us from above, bringing with it a growling snow-leopard with the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.

  What the hell? The beast snarls at the lion-man, who jumps back, apparently too freaked out to keep right on jerking off. He stumbles, tries to turn and run, and smacks into another frozen person!

  Bwa-ha-ha! Oh, the irony. What sweet justice it is to see him frost over in front of my eyes, his expression pure terror as he’s quickly trapped. Kinda weird that it only took like three seconds, though, considering I’m still only about eighty-percent icicle right now.

  The tiger’s gaze lifts from the frozen pervert to me, then the animal transforms in front of me, in much the same blurring quick-change way my lions shift to human. The naked blonde woman in front of me now doesn’t seem concerned at all that she’s naked. Her blue-eyed gaze is hyper-focused on me. Holy fucking shit. It’s Crystal.

  “I’m assuming you can’t talk right now,” she says, gazing around. “And that it would be bad to touch these ice sculptures.”

  I can hardly believe this is my friend who gets tongue-tied over shirtless men. Where did this confident, take-charge version of Crystal come from?

  “I’m assuming we don’t have much time, either,” she murmurs, before placing a hand on my temple.

  My vision blurs and I close my eyes. I’m given a burst of memory while her fingers are against my skin. Her arrival in a castle, running from something terrifying. Snow covered ground. Handsome blond men in weird-looking suits.

  She drops her hand. “I promise, I’ll be back.”

  What? No! Crystal, you have to help me stop this right now...

  Too late, she’s changed form and is running away. I hope she has a good reason for taking off. She probably can’t help me like Pearl could. If she’s a shifter, that might be all she is. My guys don’t seem to be capable of magic so she probably isn’t either.

  My guys. I never should have walked away from them like I did. I let my anger get the better of me, but I never should have let that happen. Now I might never see them again. I might never do anything
ever again. I feel the cold spread over my head and I know this is it. I’m being swallowed whole. I’m trapped, and it’s my own fault.

  Chapter 35

  At first, there’s nothing. The cold bite of frost covering me gives way to numbness. I can’t see or hear or taste or smell anything. A disembodied feeling is all there is left. When that fades it’s like drowning in darkness. I’m not awake, but I’m not quite asleep. I don’t know what this is. All I know is I don’t like it.

  “The tigress will bring help,” a soft voice tells me.

  I don’t know where it came from, but I’m certain it wasn’t from me. “Who are you?”

  A whispering chuckle is followed by, “I’m Aster, The Good Witch, of course.”

  The witch I was trying to free. “But how...”

  “We are within the same cursed prison now,” she tells me. “What is your name, sweet child?”

  Child? I’m a grown-ass woman. I bite back my knee-jerk response. She’s probably an old woman who doesn’t know any better. It was impossible to really see much of her appearance through the ice.

  “Ruby Diaz,” I tell her. “I was trying to free you.”

  “I understand that. The timing was most unfortunate. You are not yet in full-control of your power.”

  Not yet in control? “My magic only works during daylight for some reason. It abandons me at night.”

  When I need it most. When the darkness is more likely to visit. Should have known I was trying to achieve the impossible. I was doomed to fail this whole damn time.

  “You don’t yet understand,” Aster says, “but you soon will.”

  I wonder if she sounds so faint because there’s so much ice between us in that courtyard. I suppose it doesn’t matter. Maybe she’s just softly spoken. I’m kind of picturing the medium from Poltergeist, when I guess at what she might look like, but that’s only based on her voice.