Wicked Queen (The Royals: Witch Court Book 5)

by Megan Montero

  Cold wind blasted down the hall, sending my hair flying back from my face and my jacket billowing away from my body. I tried to wriggle my hand loose from Tuck’s before someone else saw us. But he simply tightened his grip and tugged me forward. My heart did a tiny flip-flop in my chest as we walked out to where Beckett had a portal open and waiting.

  Niche narrowed her eyes at our intertwined hands yet didn’t say anything. Instead, she turned to the rest of the group. “There have been reports that Alataris has been making hostile movements out in the open in Time Square. In fact, he’s perched himself on One Time Square the building where the New Year’s Eve ball drops. I don’t think I need to mention how detrimental this could be for all of us if he exposes Evermore to the humans.”

  Tucker tugged me toward the portal and called over his shoulder to the others. “Ready your weapons, ready your magic.”

  Without another word he stepped through the portal. For weeks I’d tried to fight the violent twists and turns of Beckett’s portal. Like trying to hold yourself up straight while riding on a wild rollercoaster. This time I closed my eyes and let it take me. My body turned in all different directions and my stomach shot up to my throat. Still, I just let it go. A moment later I stepped out onto the roof of the building just to the right of One Time Square.

  Alataris stood at the top of the building, pacing back and forth. His normal pin straight hair stood on edge. The suit he’s preserved for so many years was torn and shredded. When he looked out over the gathering crowds, his eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed. He had one hand gripped around his wrist as he paced and rubbed at it, paced more and rubbed at it more. I could see his lips moving but couldn’t hear the words coming out.

  He turned and faced Time Square. “People of Earth!” Every single screen in Time Square flickered to Alataris’ face. He lifted his hands high above his head. “Hear me! I, Alataris, have come to free you all.”

  Ophelia stumbled back from the ledge. “He jumped from plan A all the way to plan W. Zinnia, we have to stop him! Stop him now!”

  I leaned over the side of the building, looking at the all the people watching this unfold. They sat at little red tables and were draped over a huge set of bleachers. Some even stopped in the middle of walking on the overcrowded sidewalks. “We need to do damage control first. Ash, Adrienne, Serrina, Nova, get as many people as you can out of here. Serrina, without them knowing, if possible. Nova, she’s gonna need an assist here.”

  Serrina stepped up onto the ledge and held her arms out. Red sparkling magic wound its way through the crowds, covering them from head to toe. “You all want to go home . . . you need to go home . . . this was just a normal day . . . you will remember nothing out of the ordinary.” Silence, dead silence fell over Time Square. Serrina gave a nod to Nova.

  Nova stepped up next to Serrina and peeled the long black gloves she wore down her arms. She tucked them into the back of her cut-off shorts. Purple sparks flew from her fingers. Overhead helicopters started to zoom toward us.

  I tapped Tabi on the shoulder. “Your turn. We need some cover.”

  “On it.” Tabi hopped on the ledge, then jumped off. A gust of wind carried her over our heads where she hovered. Golden ribbons streamed from her body in all directions. Thick gray clouds billowed out above her. They covered the night sky until not a single helicopter or light could be seen. The clouds drifted down toward the ground, forming a dome over Time Square.

  “Brax, get me on the ground.” Nova held her arms up, careful not to touch his skin as he lifted her off the ground. I’d learned the hard way that if Nova touched the palms of her hands to another’s skin, she would see their death. It was a curse she’d had to live with all her life and now she avoided it like the plague. Tiger stripes covered Brax’s body as he stood up with Nova in his arms and leapt over the side of the building.

  With his cat like reflexes he landed in the middle of the street and placed Nova on her feet. Purple sparks shot from her fingertips. They danced over the ground like sparklers. One by one skeletal figures rose form the ground, snatched a human, and dragged them out of Alataris’ sight. I nodded toward Tuck. “Can I get a ride?”

  “Anytime.” He wagged his eyebrows at me.

  “I meant down there.” I pointed toward the base of the building Alataris stood on top of.

  Ophelia shoved to my side. “I’m going too. You’re going to need me for the spell he’s about to try.”

  “What spell?” I moved in closer to Tuck, and he wrapped his arm around my waist, then pulled me closer. His wings popped out, jerking his shoulders back.

  “If a mad man wants to take over the world but needs the power to do it, who would he summon to get that power? If all other options were taken from you?” She snapped her fingers at Grayson. “Down, baby vamp.”

  Grayson rushed to her side. “Didn’t realize I was the lift now.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Going down.”

  “O, I’m not following what you’re saying. What kind of power could he possibly siphon now?” I looked up at him as he continued to mutter. His swirling black magic gathered on the ground at the center of it all.

  Ophelia shook her head. “Not siphon . . . summon. The biggest bad of them all, Zinnia. The original bad.”

  “No, there’s no way. It can’t be.” I pointed down toward the gathering magic. “Go now!”

  Grayson gathered Ophelia up in his arms. “Does anyone want to share with the class? What about you, tweety bird? Any ideas?”

  “None, little leech. But you better get moving.” Tucker flapped his wings and we took off, soaring above the magic gathering in the center of Time Square. Burst of flames flickered within the swirling magic. I pointed down toward the street. “There, we need to be just outside that circle.”

  Serrina and Nova continued to clear people away with the help of Ashryn and Adrienne. Tabi hovered over us all, keeping the prying eyes of the public out. Tuck landed just next to the circle and placed me on my feet. Grayson landed next to me and dropped Ophelia by my side.

  A blue portal opened just across from us and Beckett stepped out. “What’s the plan?”

  I turned to Ophelia. “O?”

  “I’m going to need Beckett’s help with the portal magic. We have to stop it from opening. Zin, it’s going to be up to you to distract him so he can’t complete the spell.”

  Grayson shoved in between us. “What is it? What spell?”

  “The spell to summon the ultimate evil. He needs more power and he’ll do what he needs to get it.” Ophelia moved to stand next to the circle. She motioned for Beckett to move next to her. “We’re going to have to combine our powers if this is going to work.”

  Blue smoke billowed from his hands, mixing with Alataris’ black magic. I’d never seen Ophelia’s magic before, only her work with potions and spells. Now she opened her hands and gray smoke left her body. So much smoke. It wasn’t the magic of a witch but that of a warlock. The darker side of our world. No wonder she kept it hidden, just like Beckett.

  She turned to me and mouthed the words. “I’m sorry.”

  I shrugged. “Sisters from the same mister.” I walked over to the bottom of the building and cupped my hands around my mouth. I pulled on my magic to amplify my voice. “Hey, Dad! I don’t think this is a good idea.”

  I let my magic flow out of me. I was strong, so much stronger than I was when this all started. Lightning forked out over the sky and thunder rumbled in the distance.

  Tabi called out, “Not mine.”

  Alataris tilted his head back and chuckled. “Mine.”

  Enough was enough. I didn’t have time for this. If his lightning was magic, then I could do it too. I lifted my hand and used my magic to summon it to me. Lightning struck from the sky and hit my palm. I deflected it at the screens in front of me. The first shot landed right at Alataris’ face on the jumbotron. It exploded in a rain of sparks and wires. It shorted out the rest of the screens surrounded us.
The lights in the other screens flickered, then one by one they went out.

  Alataris summoned his black smoke and drifted down to face off against me. Tuck and Grayson flanked my sides. From the corner of my eye I saw Tuck pull his flaming sword. I too summoned my blades to my hands. Alataris gave a small bow. “And here I was expecting you to be wearing my crown . . . that you stole.”

  “Your crown doesn’t exist anymore.” I shrugged. “It wouldn’t have fit anyway.”

  Alataris spun in a circle as he screamed at the top of his lungs. “You cannot even begin to comprehend what you have done.” He motioned to his wrists. “And this. You think to unlink us, my soul mate, my wife. You can’t have her. No one can.”

  He moved to one side of the circle and tossed in a ball of energy. The swirling black magic grew higher. Flames erupted out of the center of the circle. I countered his move, staying across from him. “I found a way to destroy the crown. I’ll find a way to break that connection.”

  “The hell you will.” He lifted his hands over his head, gathering an energy ball the size of a giant globe between his hands. “She is mine and I will have her.”

  Thralls flooded out from behind the building and suddenly we were surrounded. Tuck and Grayson launched into action, plowing through them like sharks through water. All the while protecting Ophelia and Beckett, who stood at the mouth of the portal, trying to hold it all in. Alataris launched that energy ball right at them.

  “No!” I threw my powers out toward the ball. It exploded just over the portal, sending a wave of energy out that knocked me off my feet and sent me flying backward.

  I crashed into something warm and soft. “I got you!” Tuck pushed me to my feet.

  I scrambled around, looking for Alataris. “Where’d he go?”

  “Oy, we’ve got bigger problems.” Grayson pointed to the portal that started to crack open.

  Tucker wrapped his hand around my arm, holding me back. “Careful.”

  Ophelia crawled to her feet and grabbed on to my hand. “We have to stop this.”

  I wrapped my fingers around hers. “All of us together.”

  Nova, Serrina, and Tabi all lined up on either side of us. I peeked over the edge of the portal. There sitting on a metal throne carved with depictions of demons murdering, pillaging, and committing awful acts was a man I’d never seen but knew all too well. He was tall and lean, with tattoos covering his arms. His hair was slicked back from his handsome face. He was beautiful, more beautiful than any man I’d seen before. With high cheekbones, a sharp angular jaw covered in stubble. Hulking bat-like wings protruded from his back. They hung over the side of the throne, ending in two large hooks. He turned his face up toward the portal and smiled. Straight, shark-like teeth lined that smile and his eyes glowed bright red.

  “Bloody hell, is that who I think it is?” Grayson stood wide-eyed over the portal.

  I nodded. “The devil himself. Unless we close this.” I held my arms out. “Hit me, girls.”

  All at once the other queens flung their powers at me. The powers crashed into me from all sides and ran through my body. Beckett moved in next to me. “One more. You need one more.”

  Beckett let his blue smoke surround me and I let it all filter through me. The tangy flavor of his magic coated my tongue. I held my hands up and let the rainbow of colorful magic float over the portal. “That which was opened now must close. That which brings evil now must be opposed. Sins and time hold nothing back, sins and time seal this prison where it lacks.” I let every bit of power they shoved into me go.

  As the portal shrank down to the size of a basketball, Lucifer rose from the throne. Even in his leather pants and white tank top he looked like a beautiful, terrifying menace. I could feel the evil rolling out of the portal in waves. It was consuming. The smell of brimstone filled the air.

  He reached out toward me. “Interesting. So very interesting.”

  The portal slid closed, the black magic disappeared, and I stumbled back, sucking in deep breaths. We all stood in silence, staring at where the portal had just been now was a plain New York sidewalk complete with chewing gum. Grayson ran both of his hands through his hair. “Bloody hell, did anyone else just pee a little?”

  Chapter 24

  Zinnia

  I spun around. “Where is he? And where are his minions?”

  The others all turned and looked for him. Ophelia smacked me in the arm. “What was that he said about your mom before throwing the magic at you?”

  “Mom! Oh my God, he’s going after my mom!” I grabbed onto Beckett and shook him. “We have to get back now.”

  He swayed on his feet. “I’m tapped out. Closing the portal to hell isn’t easy magic.”

  Anger shot through me. He was going after my mom. I just knew it. I didn’t feel an ounce of exhaustion. I pressed my hands to his chest like a defibrillator and shot magic right into him. Beckett flew back from me and landed flat on his back.

  He groaned and rolled to his side. “Ouch.”

  “My bad.” Sorry not sorry. “We need a portal back to school.”

  Ophelia shook her head. “It’s not going to be enough, Zin. All of us don’t have that much magic left for this. What are we going to do?”

  We didn’t have time for this. I shot more magic from my hands. It forked out like lightning, connecting all the queens to myself. Instead of siphoning magic from them, I pushed it back into their bodies. They all launched off their feet and flew back ten feet, then skidded to a halt.

  Ophelia staggered to get up. “I know I like things rough, but a little more gentle next time would be nice.”

  I shrugged. “We need to get back to school now. If Alataris is going after my mom, that’s where he’s heading.”

  “But the school is protected by the Fallen.” Serrina jumped to her feet and brushed her hands down her skinny jeans.

  “But that’s just it. No one has seen the Fallen since I destroyed the crown. For all we know the school is a bunch of sitting ducks waiting for Alataris to take them.”

  Beckett threw a bright blue orb right in front of me. “Then let’s go.”

  In a flash of bright white light Tuck summoned his swords to his hands. Flames danced from his shoulders down to the tips of the blades. “Allow me.” Tuck stepped through first.

  “Get ready. We don’t know what we’re walking into.” I followed behind him.

  Madness, complete mayhem was what I stepped into when I walked through that portal. The students of Evermore rallied around Niche and Professor Davis in the middle of the courtyard. Tuck let his wings spring from his back and he took flight. Alataris hovered over the school on a cloud of black smoke. A band of his warlocks joined him in hovering in a circle over the top of the school. Their black cloaks billowed in the night air. The biggest warlock threw hulking fireballs at the students on the rooftop across from me. The barrier that’d long protected Evermore shook and fractured. Drops of lava-like flames seeped through the cracks and onto the roof of the school.

  An older boy with dark skin and a shaved head stood just under the opening with not an ounce of fear in his eyes. He pointed down to the fountain, then barked orders at three other younger students. They all scrambled together. One by one they used their magic to draw water from the fountain. It floated up in gliding spheres the way it would if they had been in outer space. They dropped the orbs on the flames, dousing them out.

  Tucker flew at a warlock with his swords drawn. His auburn hair ruffled with the wind as he aimed straight for the warlock’s chest. The warlock held his hands out, shooting lava right at Tuck. A broad smile spread over Tuck’s face as he twisted his body around at the last second and slammed the heel of his boot into the warlock’s chest. His arms pinwheeled as he lost his balance and fell from the black cloud. Tuck didn’t stop there. He was a blur of crimson flying through the night. One second he was in his human form. The next he shifted to his phoenix form. He wrapped his talons around the neck of another cloaked figure
’s neck. He yanked him from the cloud and threw him across the courtyard into another warlock. They both tumbled to the ground where they lay in a lifeless pile. Tuck moved through the pack like a dangerous nightmare. He switched back to his human form and used his wings to propel him toward one warrior after another. All I saw was a flash of fire and then other fallen enemy.

  I ran over to where Niche stood. “What happened?”

  “He’s come after the school and your mom.” Niche pointed to where Alataris hovered over the school. He didn’t throw magical balls or even fire at us. No, he simply stood there, searching out my mother.

  His lips pulled up into a sneer and he held his palms up. Black smoke filtered in through the cracks in the fractured protection. It sped across the ground like a snake about to strike, weaving its way through students who ran for cover. All the while the rest of his warlocks fired deadly magic into the school. Cross ran out from under the cover of the overhang with a gang of rough-looking students gathered behind him. He pointed to one side of the courtyard. “Half of you on this side, the others go to the other side.” Without question, the gang split. “On my count. One . . . two . . . three!”

  An array of magic of all shapes and colors flew from their fingertips up at the barrier. From the brightest whites to the darkest blacks, sparkles, streams, and smoke all smacked into the barrier, sealing up the cracks like chalk to a leaking bathtub.

  “Zinnia!”

  I turned to my mother’s frantic voice. She clung to one of the pillars that held up the school. Her feet were up off the ground as she dug her fingers into the stone structure. Alataris’ magic was wrapped around her waist like a lasso, pulling her toward him. “Mom!”

  “Catherine!” Ophelia sprinted from Beckett’s portal straight for my mom. She threw her little body over my mom’s and tried to hold her down. My mom slipped free of the pillar and Brax caught her arms just as she started to float across the ground. He wrapped his hand around her upper arms.