Forbidden Queen Complete Series: Books 1-4

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Forbidden Queen Complete Series: Books 1-4 Page 66

by Dyan Chick


  I looked at the surrounding walls. They were lined with weapons. “What’s the best choice for taking out the creatures from the Under?”

  Lilian’s lips pulled into a thin-lipped smile. “Now you’re speaking my language.”

  She walked over to the archery wall and grabbed two bows. “I’ll pack some quivers with arrows. We wear these as backups. Find your favorite sword. Steel is always the best choice but if you lose it, grab your bow.”

  I nodded and ran over to the wall where a variety of sharpened swords hung. Grabbing two short swords I headed back to Lilian. I passed her a sword. We got all the weapons ready, then we headed to the door.

  “Our goal is to find support. We can’t do this alone.” If I’d learned anything during the trials and my time in Faerie, it was that no matter how much you wanted to do things on your own, everyone had to have help at times. We were facing odds that we couldn’t win on our own. It wasn’t the time for pride. It was time for getting even and to send the monsters back to the Under, we needed a bigger army.

  I gripped the sword tightly as I opened the door a crack to peek out. The hallway was empty, which didn’t surprise me. If they had checked down here at some point, it was when they first invaded. If they were even in the palace. We had no idea of knowing what we were walking into.

  I walked up the stairs, Lilian at my heels. It struck me as an odd twist of fate that the two of us were working together. I had to trust her now. And if she were to turn on me, I wouldn’t even see it coming because I was so focused on the Under.

  I stopped, a few steps before we got to the top and turned to Lilian. “You’re you, right?” I couldn’t believe I forgot to check.

  “You really should have asked me that before,” she said. “But then again, I could have asked too.”

  “Ask me something,” I said.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Tell me you’re good to him. That it’s real. That you’re not after his power.”

  My shoulders sank. “Of course, I’m not after his power. I’m in love with him. I’m in love with all of them.”

  Her temple bulged as she clenched her jaw. And for the first time, I recognized the hostility for what it really was. She wanted to win Queen’s Trial, but she was also nursing her own heartbreak and disappointment. I couldn’t imagine what she was going through.

  “When we get through this, I promise your family will be proud of you,” I said.

  “No more talking,” she said. “We’ve got monsters to kill.”

  The palace was unnervingly quiet when we emerged from the lower levels.

  “Do you feel that?” Lilian asked.

  “Feel what?” I asked.

  “Magic,” she said. “A lot.”

  I still wasn’t feeling it. “I haven’t been feeling magic since I got back from the Under.”

  “You were in the Under?” Lilian hissed. “How did you get back?”

  “Through a tear. With a shield around us.”

  Lilian shook her head. “The Under drains your magic. I’m surprised you could use any to get back. It will probably be a few days until you’re back to normal.”

  That was bad. This was not the time for me to have zero magic.

  “I’ll go first. Be careful, you’re basically human now,” she said.

  I scowled at the thinly veiled insult but tried to ignore it. This wasn’t the time. “Fine, go. We’ve got to find someone.”

  Lilian led us through the palace, pausing behind furniture and before we rounded corners. Finally, we reached the hallway that led to the queen’s suite. Two griffins stood outside the door.

  “They’re in there,” Lilian said, drawing her bow before I had time to react. She launched several arrows in rapid-fire.

  Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk.

  The creatures howled in pain, but Lilian didn’t wait. She had her sword drawn and charged them at full speed. I followed her, my sword drawn. She went for the creature on the left, so I faced the creature on the right. The beast swayed as it lunged toward me. It wasn’t difficult to deliver a killing blow in the throat. The already injured monster collapsed to the ground, blood pooling under it.

  Lilian had dispatched her beast as well. Her hands were covered in blood, her face was flushed. The rush of the fight seemed to suit her.

  The two of us nodded to each other, then Lilian opened the door. We both burst into the room, swords drawn.

  It only took a moment for us to realize we had no fight in here. I dropped the sword, and it clanked to the ground.

  Ethan and Dane ran for me, pulling me into a group hug that took my breath away. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I hugged them back.

  “This is sweet and all, but where is the other prince?” Lilian asked.

  The spring and Summer princes let go of me and I looked up at them expectantly.

  “Your sister was in,” Dane said. “It’s amazing how much she looks like you.”

  “We got that a lot growing up,” I said. “What happened?”

  “She and Cormac went to remove the shield,” Ethan said.

  “Why are you two in here, then?” I asked. “Why didn’t you go with them?”

  “They stayed with me,” the queen said as she walked in from an adjoining room.

  I ran to her, wishing I could embrace her, but stopped short. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

  She smiled at me. “I’m glad you’re safe as well.” She looked from me to Lilian, then back again. “I take it you dispatched our guards?”

  Lilian lifted her sword. “They’re dead.”

  “Good,” the queen said. “The shields should be down any second. It’s time to fight. Come with me.”

  The queen led us to a sitting room with a bookshelf. She tugged on a book and the shelf opened, revealing a hidden storage area. An array of weapons hung on the wall.

  “You had these the whole time?” Dane said. “We could have broken out of here long ago.”

  “By staying in here until we had a viable plan, we were able to let Amala think she was winning. She will not expect anything that’s coming. She’s probably trying on tiaras in the jewel room congratulating herself on her victory,” the queen said.

  “It’s not always best to charge in,” I said.

  “You sound like a queen,” Ethan said.

  “She does,” Lilian agreed.

  “Come on,” the queen said as she passed out weapons. “We need to be ready to join the battle.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Our little group worked its way through the palace. With the queen in the lead, taking us through the least used corridors and hidden places that were known to only a few.

  As we walked through a narrow tunnel between several rooms and a hallway, I could hear the growling of something big on the other side. My heart raced as we kept moving, unable to predict what we might find when the tunnel ended.

  Finally, up ahead I saw light. We were heading outdoors. I burst into the freezing snow behind the queen, with Ethan, Dane, and Lilian coming behind us.

  We were at the back of the palace, near a small run-down building I’d never seen before. I shivered and tried to ignore the cold that was seeping into my bones.

  The queen took off at a run without warning and the rest of us hurried to follow her. She darted into the tiny building and the rest of us squeezed in, closing the door behind us.

  I glanced out a frost covered window. The snow was coming faster now, and our footsteps were clearly visible in the thick layer on the ground.

  “What’s with the weather?” Lilian asked.

  “It means we’ve got help out there,” the queen said as she handed off her weapons to me. I took them from her, awkwardly balancing her sword and her knife with my own.

  “Let me help,” Ethan said, taking the queen’s weapons from me.

  The queen dug through an old chest in the back corner, then she stood and faced us with a smile. “It’s done. They were here.”

  “Who was here?
” I asked.

  “Cormac and your sister,” she said. “The key to the shield was used and it’s off. And based on the amount of snow we have, I’d guess the Winter Court is already here to help.”

  “How does the snow have anything to do with that?” Lilian asked.

  I thought back to the book I’d read about the seasons. All four courts used to have every season. They didn’t freeze in place until the Winter Court left. “He’s coming back,” I said.

  The queen smiled. “We have you to thank for that.”

  “I still don’t understand,” Lilian said.

  “The Winter Court is going to rejoin Faerie,” I said. “It puts everything back into balance, so all four seasons return.”

  “And you did that?” Lilian asked.

  “She did,” Dane said.

  “What can we do to help?” I asked. “If they’re out there, we should do something.”

  “If they’re out there, they’re working on taking out the monsters guarding the palace, but nothing is being done about the monsters inside the palace,” the queen said.

  “You want us to go back in there after we just escaped?” Lilian asked.

  “You want us to find Amala, don’t you?” I asked, ignoring Lilian’s comment.

  The queen nodded.

  “You should stay here,” Ethan said. “We can do this, right Dane?”

  “Yes, we’ve got this,” Dane agreed.

  “You know I’m not staying here,” I said.

  Dane chuckled. “Of course, you’re not. Come on.”

  “I’m staying here,” Lilian said. “Someone has to protect the queen, right?”

  Dane, Ethan, and I looked at each other.

  “Someone has to stay with the queen,” Ethan said. “We’ll send word when it’s safe.”

  I nodded to the queen, then followed Dane and Ethan out of the building. We quickly made our way to the tunnel we’d used to exit the palace and wound our way back through.

  “Throne room?” Ethan asked.

  “I think that’s our best bet,” Dane said.

  “We need a plan,” I said.

  “What do you have in mind?” Dane asked.

  I stopped walking and the princes stopped, then turned to me. “I’m out of magic. I used it to protect my sister when we left the under, but she doesn’t know that. She also doesn’t know that I can use the magic of others.”

  “You can do that?” They both asked.

  “I’ll explain later,” I said. “I need to get in to see her and you two come in from the back. I’ll distract her and once she’s focused on me, you two can attack and we’ll destroy anyone in there with her.”

  “You sure?” Ethan asked.

  “I can do this,” I said. “Trust me.”

  Dane navigated us through the palace, helping us avoid meeting anything along the way. Finally, we neared the throne room. As expected, it was guarded. Six griffins paced in front of the door. I had a feeling these beasts weren’t as easily distracted as the two I’d met in the dungeon.

  I pointed at the door, indicating that I was going to walk through.

  “You sure?” Ethan whispered.

  I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I left the cover of the corner we were hiding in and walked right up to the throne room.

  The griffins growled as I approached, all of them stopping their pacing to face me. The three in the front were positioned like a cat about to pounce, their front legs lowered and their tails swishing behind them.

  I lifted my chin high. “I’m here to see Amala. She’ll want to see me.”

  The creatures looked confused. I wasn’t sure exactly how intelligent they were. This whole thing could be about to go very badly.

  I held my breath and instantly regretted leaving my weapons behind. Just as I was about to turn and run, the creatures moved, creating a path for me to the doors.

  Trying to hide the fear I was feeling, I walked through them. The hair on my arms rose as I felt their breath on me. They might be letting me walk in, but they weren’t about to give me any space.

  The griffins were cautious. I hoped they didn’t follow me in. I also hoped the princes had found a back entrance by now. I wasn’t sure how long I’d have once I saw Amala. It was possible the whole thing would backfire, and she’d kill me on sight. I was counting on her high value of herself to let me live long enough to toy with me first.

  Amala was seated on the throne, three griffins on either side of her. I noticed she didn’t keep the poisonous Sodalis inside the palace. I wondered if they were less predictable or harder to train.

  “So, you found your way out,” she said.

  “I told you I would,” I said.

  “I take it the human is dead,” she said with a lazy wave of her hand.

  “Why would you care?” I asked, deflecting the question.

  “Because I’m trying to figure out if you’re here to murder me for revenge or beg for your life,” she said.

  I stood silently, waiting for her to say something else. I needed her to keep talking to buy some time until the princes could find a way in.

  “Considering your mate is currently attacking my army, I’m guessing you’re not here to give me your allegiance. So, what is it? Begging for a truce?” She stood, taking a few steps toward the edge of the dais.

  Her blue skin and midnight dress looked even more impressive here. She was clearly more comfortable now that she wasn’t hiding anymore. I wondered what she was capable of now that she was unmasked. She must have been using a fair amount of magic to hide her true form all the time.

  Without thinking about it, I reached for her magic, testing to see if I could feel it.

  My own magic still fizzled like a flame struggling to stay lit in the wind, but I could feel hers. It was like an inferno and I’d never felt anything like it before.

  Suppressing a gasp, I coughed, then continued to explore the magic she contained. Was it possible for me to use it against her?

  “So, what will it be, princess? Ask to rule a court in my new kingdom? Beg for your mother’s life? Beg for your prince’s life?” She snapped her fingers and a pair of blue skinned Dark Fae walked through a side door, Cormac held between them.

  “Let him go,” I said. All thought of using her magic was lost. I just wanted Cormac out of her grasp.

  She laughed. “He’s a traitor. And I’d like you to be the first to see what we do to traitors.”

  Heat roared through me and I reached for my magic, immediately hitting resistance. It wasn’t there. Desperate, I grabbed for hers, searching for the threads Cormac had taught me about. It took longer than it did to find my own core, but I got it. Then I tugged. Pulling all that dark magic into me.

  My body burned and my skin felt like it was boiling as I pulled more magic than I’d ever felt into me. With a scream, I released it, sending the white light through my hands as I’d done dozens of times before. As I pushed the charge toward Amala, I imagined it going through her, sending her back to the depths she’d come from.

  The room was filled with a blinding light that lingered after I released. Breathing hard, I fell to the floor, blinking into the light. I took a few deep breaths, then forced myself to stand up. When I reached for my magic, I felt it flickering to life. It was as if I’d charged it with hers.

  Let us see.

  I called back the light, knowing that I was preventing my princes from joining the fight. A moment later, the light began to fade and I saw the first glimmer of movement as figures raced toward the griffin guards.

  The killing blows were swift and silent. The creatures didn’t even have time to register what was happening before they landed on the ground.

  When the light was gone, I looked around the room. Cormac was standing over the bodies of the Dark Fae who’d held him.

  Dane and Ethan were blood soaked and breathing hard near the dais. Near the throne was a pile of midnight black fabric. Nothing else remaine
d of Amala.

  The doors to the throne room flew open and I turned to see Tristan walking in, sword drawn, bloody from battle. He stopped and looked around the room, then he looked at me, a smile on his face. “That’s my queen.”

  He sheathed his sword and ran toward me, pulling me into an embrace.

  The others made their way over to me and I glanced over to see Cormac, holding back.

  Tristan let go of me, then gave me a little push toward Cormac. “Go check on him, he looks like a sad puppy.”

  Cormac lifted an eyebrow at Tristan, but for the first time, he didn’t say anything back. He walked over to me and pulled me into an embrace.

  Dane and Ethan joined us, the three of them squishing me between them all.

  “Come on, we just saved the kingdom,” Dane said, extending an arm toward Tristan.

  I looked over to see Tristan who seemed to be considering Dane’s words.

  “You made it snow,” I said.

  He smirked, then walked over to the rest of us and threw his arms around the pile quickly, then pulled away. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  It took the queen herself to get me to agree to stay back while my mates and the palace guards made sure all the creatures were dead.

  I only agreed because they brought me a map of Faerie. Rose, who had been hiding in a broom closet, stood next to me, shifting side to side. I glanced at her, still wearing the blue dress, her hair matted, dark circles under her eyes. The fact that she was standing here, not screaming, made me change all of my ideas of who she was. How was it we’d grown up together, but I never noticed how strong she was?

  “Can you think of any other places you saw the tears?” The queen drew another mark on the map where my index finger was pointing.

  “I think that’s all of them, but I can’t be sure,” I said. “I wish I had grabbed the map.”

  “I think there was one here,” Rose said, pointing to a location outside the palace that I missed.

  “You’re right.” I turned to her and smiled.

  The queen turned to her guard. “Summon Cormac and his team. They need this map.”

 

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