by Kristen Day
I swallowed, Leif noticed the subtle movement in my throat and his gaze shifted to my neck. He stroked one long nail across my neck. Goosebumps raised on my arms and I jerked my head away from his touch, "I could slit your throat," Leif said thoughtfully, "But why dirty such a beautiful, sweet smelling dress?"
"I could change," I whispered.
Leif laughed heartily again, "Is your existence so miserable that you are actually begging for death?"
I didn't answer him, I couldn't speak anymore. I had mistakenly made eye contact with Michael again he blinked and I had to look away before I lost my courage.
"A sacrifice for your friends then, how noble," Leif taunted. He released me, I took three steps back and felt something touch the hem of my skirt, but when I looked back nothing was there. I noticed the flap of the tent looked unnaturally disturbed, I hoped Leigh and Maria were still safe inside, and I was glad neither of them would see my demise.
"Just answer me something before you kill me," I pleaded, "Why the hallways? They're obviously not for equality."
"Why starve a horse before breaking it?" Leif returned, "The doors were designed to break people before they arrived here. It's not a perfect system, but the scarce number of followers you have proves that it is highly effective."
"And the door to leave this place? Where is it?" I asked hopefully.
Leif laughed hoarsely again, "Gone. You have already asked your one question and more; now it is time for you to go. Poisoning fits a queen well, I think."
I blinked and Leif had an elegant wine glass in his hand filled with what could only be demon poison. The putrid smell, tar-like consistency and color were a dead give away. I took the glass from Leif and stared into the swill. It was such a small amount, much less than I'd been infected with before. It must have been from Leif himself, a much more potent brew than his demon puppets.
"May I?" I asked.
"By all means," Leif replied.
I looked to Michael one last time. He blinked again which seemed odd, "We owe him for choosing such an easy death, make sure you pay him back," I said loudly. I hoped Michael could hear.
A stunning realization hit me, Michael shouldn't have been able to blink. He could move, and yet he was just sitting watching as I was about to drink poison. Daman's words rang in my ear, "My brother played his part perfectly."
All along Michael had just been biding his time to overthrow Daman and take his place next to Leif. I should have seen it. Everything he did was secretive, he'd been willing to go behind Kinga's back. And he'd played me just the right way to make sure I would be deadset on following through with his plan. The kiss, the tears, everything had been a well thoughtout lie.
Good night Juliet.
The first drop of poison had barely touched my lips when it was knocked out of my hand by a flying flash of red, "Alice, you ca--"
Leigh's admonishment was cut short by Leif who lashed out at her with one sharp hand. Leigh staggered backwards clutching her stomach and paling. She pulled one tiny hand away from her abdomen and I gasped as I saw she was wearing a dripping red glove. Her dress was becoming an even more saturated scarlet, and she appeared to be in shock.
"Leigh!" I screamed. I rushed to her, grabbing a handful of my skirt in one hand I pressed down hard on her wound, "It's going to be okay. You're just fine, you'll be all right!"
"You told me there were no more!" Leif shrieked. His bloody talons raked into my hair and threw me away from the suffering child. The pain from the sharp contact to the ground nearly made me black out. Stars cartwheeled across my vision and I waited for the end to come.
"Now that your dress is dirty there's no use trying to save it," Leif hissed. Leif pulled me into a standing position, I couldn't move or breathe. Tears of grief and agony flowed freely from my eyes and onto the ground below me. My hands were bloody and completely unresponsive to my wishes. I was completely helpless, Leigh and I were both going to die and there was nothing I could do about it.
Leif traced a thin line on my neck, a small drop of blood leaked from the scratch and raced down my throat. I barely noticed the small amount of stinging pain, "Good night, Alice," Leif said. He put one sharp finger at the start of the line. I closed my eyes and waited for death.
I heard a low whistle and felt Leif's finger leave my throat, a fine mist of liquid sprayed my face. Leif's grip on my arm released and I slumped to the ground again.
Leif's body crumpled to the ground in front of me, a large axe protruded from his back. Black liquid spewed from the wound, trickled to the ground and joined Leigh's blood on my hands. It burned wildly, but I couldn't command my hands to move. All I could see was Michael standing a few feet away with his hand still mimicking the action of throwing the axe, "I had to wait for a shot," Michael said.
I wanted to rush to Michael and thank him for saving my life, but the most I could do was pant and watch as Leif changed from corrupted demon to lifeless vessel. His followers rushed into the courtyard, toting weapons and a desire for battle, but they stopped when they saw their leader's emaciated form.
"He's dead," Avery's rough voice told the surrounding hoards of evil. I hadn't seen him arrive, I should have known he was there the moment I saw the axe, "I'd be pleased to send more of you with him if you'd care to."
In unison each demon turned to one of his neighbors. As one they murdered each other and fell bleeding to the earth. Black tar-like blood crept out of the mortal wounds and left angry patterns of burned grass in its wake. It was nauseating to look at. I tore my gaze away and tried to crawl over to where Leigh was still lying, struggling for life.
Two strong arms belonging to Max pulled me gently to my feet and helped me hobble over to the small crowd surrounding Leigh. Her breathing was shallow, her flesh as pale as paper, and her eyes were barely open. Michael was doing his best to stop the bleeding with his suit jacket, but it was soon so sodden with blood it was doing nothing but staining his hands.
Leigh reached up one small hand and touched Michael's wrist, "It's okay, Michael," she said.
"Leigh, I'm so sorry," I said. I began to cry heavily, "You shouldn't have had to do that. I should have fought him."
"You were-- hurt," Leigh gasped out, "Trying to--save-- us."
"Don't go, Leigh!" Michael warned, "You'll be okay! Just stay here, we'll get you back to Katleyn and you'll be just fine!"
A minute smile danced playfully across Leigh's face, "Too far--remember--"
Leigh smiled wider, closed her eyes and exhaled. She did not move again.
The anguish I felt at Leigh's death was too much for my already weakened body, the world around me faded red to black and I fell away from it all.
Chapter Fifty-one
An enormous pounding in my head woke me from my unconsciousness.
"You slept for three days!" Leigh said cheerily.
"Leigh?" I asked, I tried to sit up and the moment I did Leigh vanished. She was replaced by Bridgette who was leaning over me with a look of sadness and relief.
"No, it's not Leigh," Bridgette said mournfully, "Are you hungry?"
I shook my head and immediately regretted it, "No."
Bridgette nodded, "Just call if you need anything," she said. The room was dark enough that I could barely see her outline as she turned away from me.
"I'm sorry about Roman," I called softly to Bridgette. She rested her head against the door before replying.
"Me too," Bridgette whispered, "I'll be back later."
The door opened for a split second, Bridgette slipped through and left me in the dark once more. I blinked back tears, my eyelids stuck together and I fell back into dreamless sleep.
When I woke next sun was spilling into the room and I realized I was not in the compound as I had suspected. The furnishings around me were rich and the bed was far too luxurious. I could only assume that I was lying in a palace bed. I should have known, enough of us were wounded it would have been crazy to attempt a journey.
My stomach growled angrily. I didn't want to bother Bridgette and I didn't know if she would even hear me if I called out.
I slowly and painfully dragged myself out of bed and steadied myself against a nearby table as I stood. I was wearing something similar to what I had been when I'd first woken up in Beyond. I pulled a thin blanket off the bed, wrapped it around my shoulders, and approached the door. It opened before I had trekked halfway across the room.
"You were supposed to call for someone if you needed something," Michael chided as he entered the room.
"I'm fine," I said testily, "I can take care of myself."
Even as I spoke my underused legs gave out and I would have collapsed to the ground if Michael hadn't been there to scoop me up and transport me back to my bed, "Yeah," he said, "Just fine."
"Who's left?" I asked. I didn't need to elaborate, Michael knew exactly what I meant.
"Bridgette, she's a little beaten up but she's fine. Roan is hurting from losing Scarlett and Arthur, he hasn't left their graves since you've been out. Avery and Max are obviously all right, thank goodness I sent them back to take Katelyn home. Which leaves Maria, you and I," Michael finished.
Silently, I counted off each of the dead. Danny, Kinga, Roman, Arthur, Scarlett and Leigh.
"Gregor?" I asked.
"We haven't seen him since the Stephano took you away."
"And the demons?"
"Most are dead as you saw. Stephano survived, we captured him and he was able to tell us that the reason Leigh wasn't frozen like the rest of us was becausee Leif's spell didn't extend that far. He assumed all potential threats were outside of the tent. We're guessing there are still a few other demons out there, but we are hoping they will either stay in hiding or kill themselves as well," Michael replied.
"Where's Maria?" I asked. It wasn't a clean segue, but I needed one as a horrible feeling of guilt overcame me.
"She's helping the others look for the door," Michael replied.
"But Leif said it was gone," I responded, "That's why he tried to kill me through other methods."
I saw Michael's gaze shift briefly to my throat before he continued, "We believe he didn't tell you where it was because, I don't think he knew himself. I believe when the king left he hid the door."
"Where could it possibly be though?" I asked more to myself than to Michael.
"We're hoping the king shows up soon so we can ask him. Until then we're trying to find it on our own," Michael said.
"The king?" my thoughts went immediately to Daman before I remembered he was dead, "You mean Kinga's father?"
Michael nodded, "He made contact after we found Bridgette in the dungeons below the castle."
It was a lot to take in, my head was beginning to spin with the effort of processing all the information, "I need food," I said. Again, Michael nodded, he left and soon returned with a tray laden with delicious smelling food. A much better recovery meal than the one Kinga had given me.
As I gorged myself on the food Michael filled me in on other things that had happened. Both Daman and Leif had been cremated almost immediately after Leigh died, as had the demons who had killed each other in the courtyard. As a result, the whole of the courtyard was in ashes. The bodies of Leigh, Kinga, Scarlett, Arthur, Danny and Roman had all been buried in the palace gardens under a blossoming cherry tree.
Maria had made rapid recovery and, according to Michael, was acting like a completely mentally healthy human being. She didn't seem to remember anything that had happened to her preceding her arrival in Beyond, but she had cried harder than anyone at Leigh's funeral service and had been asking about me every day. Michael said he could only assume that Leif's death had somehow lifted the curse that was keeping Maria from recovering. He was optimistic that the other's we had seen in the infirmary would have made the same miraculous recovery.
I was also informed that everyone from the compound would soon be making their way back to the palace. They would be allowed to choose whether or not to keep their names and romances would no longer have to be kept secret. Max and Avery were even planning a wedding.
Chapter Fifty-two
I tried to focus on all the good that had happened, I tried not to think about the loss we had all experienced, but it was hard to do. I continued to heal, Maria visited me frequently and just as Michael had said, she was completely back to normal; well, almost. Neither of us wanted to admit it, but something had changed.
Maria was quieter than I remembered her, she didn't make eye contact as often, and we rarely spoke of anything that could bring up painful memories. I could sense that she wanted to talk things out just as badly as I did, but we were both unwilling to be the one who started the conversation.
Finally there was a day I was feeling well enough to leave my room and go for a long walk. I took Maria and Michael with me to see the graves of our friends. Tiny plant sprouts had begun to reach up out of the earth. I would have cleared them away, but I knew Leigh would have liked the decoration.
The three of us stood in silence for quite some time staring down at the gravestones Roan and Avery had painstakingly made.
"I'm not angry, Alice," the light breeze seemed to carry Leigh's feather-light heart and personality on it as I felt her words embrace me.
I'd known she wasn't angry with me, hadn't I? She died with a smile on her face; and yet I couldn't help remembering that her death was a direct result of saving my life.
I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, the wind still carried hints of ash from the mass burning of demon bodies.
So much life had and would come from my friends' deaths; my brain knew that, but my heart ached for everyone I had lost. I wasn't just thinking of those whose graves I was staring at either. Images of my family kept appearing around every corner in the palace and I had even stopped once we were outside because my eyes tricked me into seeing Lacey's black hair flick around a corner. I'd only continued when Maria gently grabbed my hand and pulled me along with her.
After about ten minutes of silent staring at the headstones Michael announced he needed to go make sure that Roan was eating, leaving Maria and I standing in awkward silence. Leigh's breeze picked up again, delicate fingers tickled my hand and nudged me gently towards Maria.
"Are you angry, Alice?" Leigh's voice asked. She was sitting there on the greens covering her grave looking at me expectantly. The wind laughed again, Leigh smiled and tugged at the hem of her perfectly clean white dress, "If you're angry you can't smile."
A ladybug landed on Leigh's hand, "It's good luck if she flies away," Leigh whispered as she inspected the beetle closely. Without warning, the bug took flight, "Goodbye, Alice!" Leigh exclaimed. She jumped off the ground and ran after her fleeing friend.
"Fly away home, Leigh," I murmured.
"What?" Maria asked quickly.
"Nothing, I--" I couldn't explain.
"I knew all of them," Maria remarked quietly, "I could understand and recognize people, Scarlett and her brothers were always so nice to me, Roman was always helping me find my way, and Leigh--"
Maria's voice caught at Leigh's name, she didn't have to finish the sentence for me to understand what she meant to say. Reflex and deep memory took over, I pulled Maria into me as she finally allowed herself to mourn the loss of her friends.
"I'm so sorry, Alice," Maria whispered into my shoulder when she had collected herself enough to speak, "You must hate me. I'm the reason you're dead, I was so stupid and selfish and this whole time you've done nothing but take care of me!"
Maria's words hit me in the stomach and left me breathless with shock, "I could never hate you," I replied slowly.
Maria stepped away, and looked me dead in the eye, "I killed you."
It was more of a challenge than a statement, she wanted me to be mad at her, she wanted me to rage and scream and hate her for what she had done, but despite everything that had happened because of her decision, I couldn't do it.
"You did not kill
me," I said forcefully, "A drunk driver did. Besides, it's hard to think of this as death, I've done more here than I ever did in life. I don't hate you, how could I? If I had waited at your house like I was supposed to I would still be 'alive', still mourning you, and still not knowing what it was like to live. I think the soul purpose of this place isn't to be a relief from life, it's to show you what you missed so there are no regrets when you truly move on."
Maria collapsed into desperate tears again, "This whole time I've been so terrified that you hated me because of what I did! I was sure as soon as I came out of being so lost you would drop me and never speak to me again."
"Do you really think I would do that?" I asked incredulously, "After all you did for me, you think that I would just forget you?"
Maria sniffled and flicked hair out of her eyes before responding, "I was just scared."
"You shouldn't have been," I returned coldly. It was silly of me to be offended, but I felt wounded that after what I had done for Maria she would still be afraid that I'd just leave her alone.
"I'm sorry," Maria breathed. Instantly, all anger and offense dissipated. I would have thought the same things had I been trapped as she was. Each day must have been agony for her, she could do almost nothing for herself and had to rely on the kindness of others to stay fed, clothed, and bathed. In essence she had returned to a child-like state; and although most of her physical and mental capacities had been restored to her, she was still posessed by her juvenile fears of abandonment.
Just like that our friendship was mended, it was inexplicable and totally out of the blue, but there was no denying it. Arm in arm, Maria and I walked back to the palace smiling. I for one, felt more content than I had in my entire existence.
Chapter Fifty-three
The influx of people into the palace was astounding. I had not realized just how many people had been living at the compound until I was suddenly in charge of finding them all new places to stay. Not everyone had left the old place, too many had become agoraphobic and refused to leave the safety of their thick walls and artificial skies. Those who did choose to leave were eager for a change, most immediately began going by the names they had been christened with, no longer afraid of the power others might possess over them because of it.