by Jaclyn Weist
He sighed and turned to look at me. “Louie came to me today and told me that you’re required to have a … king.”
I don’t think I would have been more shocked if he threw a baseball at me right then. “A king? As in … what does that mean? He’s not expecting me to marry someone, is he?”
“Well, yes. He is. And he was going through a list of people who were right for the job—”
I shook my head emphatically. “No. I’m not marrying anyone. I’m still too young. I have to go to college and play sports and survive this. I can’t do this.”
“Hey, Megan. Chill. Look, that’s what we were all saying. Adam looked like he was going to strangle someone, so we came up with a compromise. But only if you’re willing to do it.”
My head was spinning as I tried to comprehend the mess I was in. “What’s that?”
Jared cleared his throat. “Well, I already gave you a ring, and I’d wanted to wait a year before asking, but I wondered if maybe—”
“Queen Megan! You’re needed immediately.” A guard stood in front of us with a stern look on his face.
I looked over at Jared and stood. “Can it wait? Jared was just talking to me about something.”
“Master Louie says it’s most urgent. Something about O’Malley?”
I wanted to laugh. Master Louie? He had to be loving that. “I’ll be right there.”
Jared stood and took my hand, but I could tell he wasn’t thrilled about being interrupted. “Let’s go.”
“We’ll talk. I promise.”
He nodded, but didn’t say anything. We hurried into the palace and through the marble hallways. Beth and Adam met us by our rooms as we walked toward the main hall. The guard announced us before stepping back. Louie was there and cleared his throat, motioning toward the throne. Oh, right. I was supposed to sit up there. I really hoped they’d get to my training soon. I was totally lost. Louie cleared his throat again and glared at Jared, who then took the throne next to me.
Oh. I looked over at Jared, my heart beating rapidly. That’s what he was trying to say. He was supposed to be the next fairy king. No wonder he was so nervous. He smiled back and took my hand.
Louie bowed and pulled out a scroll. “Your Majesties, there is a new threat on the horizon. O’Malley has amassed an army as we suspected, and he is on the way here. He wishes to take your spot. I urge you strongly to fight him with everything you have to keep this from happening.”
“No kidding,” I muttered under my breath. “Is there any chance of convincing any of the armies surrounding us to join with us instead of against us?”
“Aye. The elves and the nymphs have already pledged themselves to you. We are working on others as we speak. Another faction comes from the east, but we don’t know who they are.”
I leaned back in the throne. “Do we have a place where we can plan how to stop him? I’d rather be somewhere a little more private.”
Louie nodded. “Aye. Follow me.”
Jared and I stood and walked down the hallways. Beth and Adam caught up, holding their weapons. My hand itched to hold my sword again. Louie stopped outside a room and waited for us. He pointed at a group of fairies.
“You five stand guard. I must speak with them in private.” He opened the door, and we walked in behind him.
The room was like one giant map. It showed the whole fairy world in detail. I found the palace on the map, and the armies surrounding were labeled as well. Elves, fairies, nymphs, and centaurs camped in separate areas. I found the large swamp I’d had to cross. It was no wonder Ethan had to carry me over it. Not only was it huge, but there were countless monsters inside it that were labeled. I shuddered.
“All right. This is pretty self-explanatory. Most of the danger is right at our border already. We took care of the ogres and mountain elves. They are either prisoners, or sworn to protect Megan. Not that I trust them. I sent them with Ethan to go figure out who is coming at us from the east.”
Adam walked around the outer edge. “So what are we supposed to do? Just sit here? Have we figured out any other way to get out of here?”
“We have found nothing. The barrier is still closed. Fairies have traveled to every possible gateway, but they’ve had no success. We either need to find a way to break the curse, or go around it. That is what I want you to do. Leave the fighting to the warriors. That’s what they do.”
I wanted to kick something. “You can’t just expect us to sit here, right? We’ve been trained to fight. We defeated O’Malley once already.”
“And that’s exactly why you need to stay here. You didn’t just gain new looks with that transformation. Your powers should be much stronger, and you’ll be able to do things you never thought possible—even without the wings. You need to learn to control those powers before we let you anywhere near the field, or you could kill yourself or those around you.”
The warning sent chills down my spine. I remembered how strong the magic was when I lit the candle. Maybe he had a point. “Okay, but please let Adam and my friends explore. We need to get out of here as soon as possible.”
“Fair enough. I’d like to get out of here myself. But tell no one I said that.” Louie winked. “Now, study this map well, and know all the different factions here. Each creature is unique, and what will anger the elves will please the dwarves.”
I stared at him blankly. “So … is there a manual or something? I mean, I know some of those creatures from fighting them, but that’s about it.”
Jared and Beth chuckled. Adam didn’t seem to be listening as he walked around the map, studying it. Louie snapped his fingers, and a large book dropped to the floor. It was probably two feet by three feet and six inches thick.
“There you go. There are all the creatures in this world.” His glare was ruined by the twinkle in his eye.
Beth knelt down and opened the cover. “You’ve got to be kidding me. There’s no way there are that many creatures in this place.”
“Have you ever looked at a book of the creatures in your world? It would be twice as thick. Now, if I were to take out those who aren’t in the running for this position—” He snapped his fingers again. This time, the book was small and thin.
“Why so few?” I picked up the book and recognized many of the races. Fairies, nymphs, elves, dwarves, leprechauns, brownies, pixies, and so on.
Louie rubbed his chin before answering. “Some are less than pleasant and proved that they wanted nothing more than to destroy every other race. Others don’t care who they destroy as long as they can fight.”
“Hey.” I flipped back through the book again to make sure I hadn’t missed something. “There are no leprechauns. Why?”
Louie wouldn’t look at me as he shifted from one foot to the other.
“Louie?” I leaned down so I could be face-to-face. “Why aren’t leprechauns included?”
He glared and met my eyes. “Would you want a leprechaun to rule the fairy world? After everything you’ve had to deal with in the last year and a half?”
I bit my lip. “O’Malley, no. But you proved yourself, and I like Eoin and Patrika.”
“Remember, we’re the exception. The other fairies don’t think we’re . . . worthy of the position. We only care about gold and luck. Nothing else. Or so the fairies believe.”
I thought back to the first time I’d met April. She’d been disgusted with Louie, and I figured it was just because he was total jerk at the time. But was it more than that? “We can change that. Prove that you’re good and strong.”
Louie laughed. “Really? With O’Malley coming at us? I think not.”
“You have a good point. But you’ve done a great job being advisor. That’s saying something.” I turned back to the book. Figuring out how to please all of these creatures was going to be difficult. I read a few pages while Beth and Jared looked over my shoulder.
“Wait—there are mermaids in here. How does that work?” Beth took the book from me and flipped through it.
I laughed. “No kidding. We don’t have to deal with them, do we?”
Louie glanced at the eastern region where an army gathered. “I fear that’s who’s coming, but it can’t be proven. They’re the only ones who can hide themselves this well.”
“Awesome.” I knew that was one ally we wouldn’t have. They kinda hated me, and I hadn’t given them much of a reason to change their minds. “So, what are our plans?”
“Keep them away from you and win.” Louie drew a red circle around a few of the groups. “These armies have agreed to be your allies.” He drew another circle in blue. “These are considering an alliance, but they want to meet you. The last group insists they’re the rightful heirs, since Oona was raised in their land. I don’t blame them for holding out, but it’s going to prove dangerous. If you slip up at all, they’ll swoop in and, well, kill you. Don’t give them a reason.”
“Right. I can do that.” Or at least, I could pretend. I just needed to show them that I wasn’t a threat. “Let’s have a feast. Invite them all. Show them that we mean them no harm.”
Beth nodded. “That’s a great idea. Who doesn’t love a good feast?”
“Megan’s just saying that because she’s starving.” Jared smirked. “But I have to admit, she’s got a good point.”
“You all have fun with your party. I want to go check out this army.” Adam stood near the east. “It’ll be easier if I go on my own anyway.”
Louie studied him. “Good idea. I’ll send Eoin with you.”
“What? No. He doesn’t know how to fight.” Adam held up his bow.
“He knows enough. No arguing, or I’ll lock you in your room.” Louie glared and turned to me. “Is that to your liking, Your Majesty?”
Of course it wasn’t to my liking. Between sitting here on a throne and going out to fight, I’d take the fight in a heartbeat. “I guess so. But he’d better not be doing anything stupid.”
“Oh, like you’re one to talk.” Adam held up his hands when Louie took a step toward him. “Okay, fine. I won’t do anything stupid. I’ll leave in the morning, if that works for Eoin.”
I couldn’t help feeling like a piece of me was being torn away. Adam was the last connection I had with my family. “I want to talk to Adam alone.”
The others nodded and left. Jared paused at the door before leaving. The room was quiet as I stared at Adam.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“No, you’re not. You did what you had to. The only thing keeping me from being angry was that you sent Mom home before it was too late. I don’t envy you when you get home, though. Mom’s going to be ticked.” Adam laughed for a second, then his smile dissolved into a frown. “To be honest, I’m scared to death. You look different, and I’m worried that you’re going to start acting different. Oona couldn’t have been that evil when she was first made queen or they wouldn’t have chosen her. Just . . . remember us, okay?”
I grabbed Adam into a hug, mostly so he wouldn’t see my tears. “I’m not going to let this change me. I’ve had luck flowing through me long enough that I’m hoping I can control this. But I have to admit, I’m scared too.”
“Megan? Scared? I never thought I’d see that happen.” Adam pushed away. “You’ve been a pain in my neck since the day you were born, and I plan to be annoyed with you for a long time after. Make sure that happens.”
“Deal.” I hesitated. “Let me see your hand.”
He gave me a surprised look. “Why?”
“Just do it.” I pulled as much luck as I could from myself and shoved it into him. “Use it wisely. No taking risks that will get you killed.”
Adam shook his hand, his eyes wide. “You feel this way all the time? Dang, I haven’t felt this good since Louie gave me his luck.”
“Now imagine how it felt when he took it all away.” I bit my lip. “Listen, Dad’s not here, so you’re the best one to talk to. I think they’re making me pick a king.”
“I know. That’s one reason I’m leaving. I can tell Jared it’s fine, but I’m not sticking around for it.” He shook his head. “This is so twisted.”
I put my hand on the latch. “That’s putting it lightly.”
The door suddenly pushed open, and Jared entered, breathless. His clothes were covered in thick dust, and a trickle of blood ran down his forehead. “The castle is under attack. The front hall has totally collapsed, and Eoin has been pinned under one of the columns.”
MEGAN
“No!” I pulled up my skirts and pushed past Jared to run down the hall. Adam and Jared ran along beside me, but we had to stop when the dust got too thick.
“Megan, come on. We have to get you out of here.” Jared grabbed my arm, but I pushed him away.
I stopped and turned back to make my way to my room. It was time to change and fight. Alarms screamed through the palace, and booming sounds were followed by the walls shuddering. Whoever was here was going to be in very big trouble when I got ahold of them.
I shut my door, grabbed my clothes from under my bed, and changed. Dresses were great for being the queen, but they weren’t going to work for fighting. It was too bad my chain mail and dragon boots were still in my room back home, but at least Jared had brought my sword when he came to help. As soon as I was ready, I opened the door and took off running for the main hall.
Guards yelled, but I kept running until I met up with Jared and Adam. Beth was shooting her balls of herbs into the crowd. I squinted to see what she was shooting at, but the dust was too thick. I picked my way through the rubble, but Jared pulled me back.
“Hey, we can’t lose you. Stay back until the enemy comes to us.” Jared’s grasp was firm, his jaw set.
“I’m trying to find Eoin. I wish this stupid dust would go away.” I threw my hands in the air, and with a large whooshing sound, the dust was gone. Not just, settled-on-the-ground-gone. It had completely disappeared. I stared at my hands. Whoa.
The guards and all those involved in the battle stopped and stared at the area around them. Then as one, they turned toward me.
“Enough of this. If you have a problem, come to me and stop destroying my palace. You say you want to rule, but if you’re going to cause destruction like this, you don’t deserve the throne.” My voice echoed off the walls.
There was laughter from near the front of the palace. A large, muscular elf strode forward. His disgust was evident on his face. He stopped just a few feet away. “And who might you be?”
“I am your queen.” I stood taller, but still felt short compared to him. “And who are you, that you think you can fight me?”
“I am Robin Goodfellow.” He puffed out his chest. Murmurs went through the crowd.
I raised an eyebrow. “And that means?”
He sighed. “You humans. Most of you know me as Puck.”
“Seriously? Come on. First I have to fight the queen of the fairies, and now I’m dealing with Puck. It’s like I stepped into a Shakespeare play.” I needed him to go away so I could look for Louie. The poor leprechaun had already had too many near-death experiences. I started pulling in luck from those around me.
“Who do you think Shakespeare was? He knew us better than anyone. Those plays were warnings to you humans, but no one listened.” He took a step closer. “I came to take over your position, but I believe I’ve changed my mind. You’re quite lovely. I think I’d rather make you my wife and we can rule together.” He reached out toward my face, but Jared grabbed his arm.
“Don’t you touch her. She’s your queen, and she’s already taken.” Jared put his arm around me protectively.
Puck laughed. “You? You’re nothing but a puny human.”
“And you’re in my way.” I pulled out my sword. “We’ll deal with this later.”
I left a cursing Puck behind me and ran for the center of
the room. It was a long shot, but I hoped my luck and whatever magic I’d just gained would be enough to move the debris on the ground. I concentrated on all the stones and bent down, making a sweeping motion toward the ceiling. Nothing happened. What had I done the first time? The dust had been bad … oh, wait. I wished for the stones to get out of my way, then push my hands up toward the ceiling. Instead of repairing the hall like I’d hoped, the stones just floated in the air. And they were heavy. Perhaps I should have been more careful with my wish.
“Find Eoin! Don’t go for him—just tell me where he is.” My muscles were screaming at me, but I had to keep control of the magic.
Jared pointed toward the throne. “He was over there getting ready to make the announcement about the feast. Can’t you just push the rocks away from that area?”
I wanted to make a smart remark, but I could feel my strength fading. I pushed toward the entrance to the main hall and let go when the rocks were near the wall. No need to have the rest of them fall on top of us. Jared ran for the throne just as I collapsed. Maybe I shouldn’t have used that much power so soon. Darkness closed in just as Beth reached me.
My head pounded as I opened my eyes. Beth sat on the bed next to me, wearing the expression I’d seen too many times before. “You seriously had to lift the whole ceiling?”
“I had to find Eoin.” I sat up too fast and had to lay back down. “Is he okay? Ugh.”
Beth frowned. “We think so. He’s sleeping. Like you should be doing. But first, we need to know what to tell Puck. He wants to consider a partnership, but has several stipulations.”
“Of course. Just tell him I’ll get to him as soon as my head doesn’t feel like I have an anvil sitting on it. But still put on the feast. Make sure he’s the first one invited.” I closed my eyes. “Where’s Jared?”
Beth didn’t say anything, so I opened one eye to look at her. She avoided my gaze as she stood and went to the mirror.
“Beth, what’s going on?” I tried to sit up again, but thought better of it.
“You and Eoin were both unconscious, and Louie was nowhere to be found, so Jared was forced to sign papers with a few of the different factions. As king.” She turned and glared at me. “Did you forget to tell me something?”