"No offense but I don’t need your help,” Una protested, waving a hand at all the bodies strewn across the castle grounds and leading out past the gate. "I can handle myself, far better than you could. In fact, perhaps I should go with you into the Shadow Realm after all."
"You know why that would be too dangerous."
"And you think I'm just going to let you take all the risks, when I have the greatest chance of defeating the Sins? I am more than a match for Duessa’s strength in this realm, so why should we think that you would fare better than me in the Shadow Realm?"
"Pride…" said a voice from behind them. Una and the rest spun to see a pale skinned woman, clothed in loose black robes that seemed to hug her curves. There was a smile on her face, and Una’s eyes widened with recognition. Duessa was not in the Shadow Realm. She was here. "The most powerful of all sins, because when you have it, you would never acknowledge it. And that gives it power over all."
Una opened her mouth and let out a yell, a yell of triumph. It was better this way, better to settle the score once and for all rather than continue bickering over who would face the Sin of Pride in the Shadow Realm. Now Una could end this. She reached for her magic, to let it surge within her as it had when she faced the Faerie Queen, to let it fill her more than ever before, more power than Duessa could even dream of.
And she found nothing.
Duessa’s smile widened as Una halted midstep, her face a mask of confusion. "None are more familiar with the powers of your father than I. Do you really think you could use that against me"
Envy was smiling too, released from Una’s grasp. “The plan worked, my lady,” she said as she stopped by Duessa’s side.
“You played your part well,” said Duessa, speaking to Envy but not taking her eyes off Una.
Una tried to move, but even as she did so, a vise-like force seized upon her head, upon her soul, and forced her to fall to her knees. Pain radiated out of her temple, a pain not just physical, but one of the mind. One of magic.
Her powers were not working, and they did not want to. Something about Duessa caused them to hesitate, as if they found something familiar in the Sin, a kinship.
Only then did Una realize the magnitude of her own folly, and horror that what the Faerie Queen feared most was happening at that very moment. Gloriana had been right. Una's power was not her own, and it could be used against all of them. Una tried to glance at Guyon and Brit, to try to warn them to stay away from her. For if Una no longer fully controlled her magic, they were in danger.
And she was powerless to stop it.
Britomart watched as Una sank to her knees in front of Duessa and Envy, the smile on the Sins’ faces clearly indicating that whatever sinister plan they had devised was working. Both Brit and Guyon stood transfixed, unable to look away as Una crumpled before the black-haired women.
This was the moment the Faerie Queen had warned her of. From everything she had witnessed in the last few hours, she knew that there was no weapon stronger than Una. And in the hands of the wrong master, that weapon could be devastating.
If she were to act, she had to do so now. She could not hesitate further or take a moment to grieve her friend. The fate of Britain, and perhaps even the entire world hung on this moment.
She had to kill her friend.
She glanced to Guyon only to see tears in his eyes. He knew. And it only made sense that the Faerie Queen had given him the same instructions. Yet Guyon was not acting, his sword still pointed at the ground, his eyes clearly fixed at the travesty unfolding before him. It was up to Britomart.
Brit faced her enemies and her friends, raised her sword, and charged. Duessa turned to her with an upraised eyebrow, almost amused that Brit would try to attack her, the most powerful of the Sins. But Brit was not attacking her. She charged with her blade aimed squarely on the small of Una's back, readying herself to plunge it deep into her friend's torso, thus ending her life, but also ending any chance that she could be turned to evil.
The action seemed to surprise Duessa, who clearly did not expect Brit to take such drastic action against one she loved, but the moment's hesitation did not last long.
With the tip of Brit's sword mere centimeters from plunging into Una's back, Brit came to a halt by some unnatural means. She tried to move forward, strained against the invisible force, willing her sword to move the additional few inches that were needed, but her blade remained poised where it was.
"Interesting," said Duessa tapping one finger to her lips. “I hadn't thought the Faerie Queen would be so bold as to ask her own friends to murder this one. It appears I underestimated her. But it matters not. I warned Gloriana that no one could stand against us. You could only slow our progress. Now she will see that I am right, that I was always right."
Suddenly Envy was gone, her form mutating into that of a wolf, which promptly ran off towards the sea of beastly onlookers. Brit didn’t bother watching her go. Instead she kept her attention fixed on the Sin of Pride.
At a subtle gesture from Duessa’s hand, a red ribbon of light appeared in front of her, hovering between Duessa and Una on one side, and Brit and Guyon on the other. The red ribbon folded in on itself to create a shining portal.
Brit had never seen anyone enter or exit the Shadow Realm, but she could guess that was exactly what was happening. Duessa grabbed Una by the scruff of the neck and pulled her into the portal.
In the very next moment, Brit felt herself released from the bonds that held her, and without thinking she lunged. The portal to the Shadow Realm began to collapse, but just as it did so Britomart found new strength in her limbs. She threw herself forward, plunging headfirst through the portal just before it closed forever.
28
Brit tensed, expecting to hit the ground on the other side. But instead, she continued falling, hot air rushing past her. And yet she could make out very little. Wherever she was, it was dark. Darker than night.
Though there was something, a distant pin-prick of light growing steadily brighter below her. She squinted, trying to make out what it was. But soon, it grew larger and larger until it enveloped her range of vision. It was the ground, though only a section of it, as though a piece of earth had been carved up by some giant hand and placed into this void of nothingness. And she was about to collide with it.
She threw her hands up to protect her face even as she hit the ground with a bone-shattering thump. Her armor clanged, and her sword flew wildly, passing far enough to drop beyond the patch of Earth, continuing its fall into the unknown void.
The impact should have killed her, should have broken every bone and rendered her flesh to mush. Yet losing her sword was the worst of what happened. All wind was knocked out of her as she hit, but it didn’t take long before she could rise to her feet.
The area where she stood didn’t extend very far, perhaps a hundred yards in diameter. Yet the surface already looked far different than she expected based on her view from above. It was covered in large columns that seemed to extend to infinity above, but of course that was impossible. She hadn’t even seen columns before landing. What’s more, the place stank of rose petals, so strong it was as if the roses had been concentrated, fermented, then shoved up her nose in vast quantities.
Between some of the columns were large mirrors, sitting at various angles and shapes, all of them reflecting her image back at them. Brit shifted uncomfortably, watching her mirror selves do the same. She had gotten into this mess because of a mirror, and if what Una said about this place was true, that the Shadow Realm changed its appearance based on the one entering it, the mirrors could not be a coincidence.
“Admirable,” said a voice to one side. “The girl must really mean much to this one.” Brit turned in the direction of the sound to see Duessa standing nearby along with a few other individuals. Brit hadn’t noticed them before thanks to her mirror reflections. Beside the Sin of Pride on one side lay Una, hovering horizontally in the air, as if on some invisible platform. She did
not appear to be conscious. On the other was another face Brit recognized, the red-haired, muscular man who had confronted them near the eastern coast: Wrath.
Brit set her jaw and sprang forward at a run. “Una!” she cried out, though she had no idea if the girl could hear her at all.
Wrath shot her a bemused smile before raising one hand toward Brit. Instantly, the ground fell from beneath her feet, and once again she was falling, though this time it was worse. This time she tumbled through the air, spinning in such a way that she could not tell whether her feet were pointed upright or her head.
She collided with another piece of ground, or perhaps it was the same one, but this time the pain was much more acute. She was still alive, but her body ached, and she was reasonably sure she’d bruised a rib. Breathing in became difficult.
“She is hot headed,” came the voice of Wrath from not far away, though there were still too many stars swimming in front of Brit’s vision to get a good look at her surroundings. “I can take care of her if you wish to do your business.”
“End her quickly,” came Duessa’s voice. “I’m only leaving her with you because more important matters take precedence.”
Brit blinked furiously and raised herself to her hands and knees. Looking up she saw both Duessa and Wrath calmly regarding her, almost disinterested as though they were local lords observing an unexciting tournament battle whilst idly discussing the weather. Clearly they did not think of Brit as a threat. She would have to change their minds.
“Let Una go!” she said, getting to her feet and wobbling slightly.
“I heard you tried to kill her,” said Wrath with a dark look. “Clearly she is far safer in our hands.” Turning to Duessa, he added, “Assuming you keep your word.”
“If she dies in the ritual you will have the other to possess,” Duessa said with a wave of her hand.
“You can’t expect me to be satisfied with a mere copy.” Wrath’s face darkened further.
“You can, and you will. She will be alike in every way, save for her willingness to serve us.”
“Perhaps I should go with you, to ensure you do what you say you will.”
“Don’t test me, Wrath. We’re on the verge of bringing the Horned One into this world, and you will not let your petty desires hamper our plans. Do as you're told, dispose of the Armorican knight and continue your efforts to turn Gloriana’s little whelp.”
That caught Brit’s attention. They had to be talking about Amoret, Belphoebe’s sister. She was here. Well, perhaps she could worry about that after she removed Una from Duessa’s grasp.
But even as she thought it, Duessa formed a new red line out of the air, creating a new portal that seemed both near and very far away. Before Brit could protest, Duessa stepped through the portal, carrying Una with her.
“No!” Brit sprang forward to try and follow after the Sin of Pride once again, but this time she was too late. The portal closed with an audible crack, and Brit skidded to a halt as she came face to face with Wrath.
“Well now,” he said, eyeing her with a toothy grin. “What am I going to do about you?”
Anger boiled beneath her skin, unbidden but not unwelcome. “You will feel my wrath!” And she lunged at the man.
In the next instant, he wasn’t there anymore, replaced by one of the mirrors. Brit barely stopped herself from smashing her own reflection. The Sin’s voice seemed to echo from all around her. “Fool. I am Wrath.”
The columns began growing taller and wider, or perhaps Brit was shrinking. The mirrors contorted, reflecting misshapen versions of herself back at her. She was shrinking. Wrath’s face appeared above, peeking through the columns like a great giant contemplating his meal.
Brit did her best to save face. “I demand you release me, Amoret, and Una at once. Or I will destroy you.”
Wrath laughed, a booming noise that forced Brit to cover her ears. “Release you? You have never been more fixed in my grasp, and I have owned you from the beginning. You were mine when you threw Malecasta out of your room, you were mine when you killed in the Saxon ale house. You will always be MINE!” The last word came out with such force that Brit thought her bones might break from the sound alone. Even with her hands clasped over her ears, the vibrations threatened to overwhelm her senses.
A familiar heat rose in her face and chest. Her eyes pulsed as blood shot to her head, almost tinting her vision red. A certain unreasonable force took control of her actions, and she screamed at Wrath, a scream of defiance and pure hatred. Yet all Wrath did was smile.
Then she was falling, falling once more through endless void, with nothing but the laughter of Wrath to accompany her. She hit the ground once again, harder than the first two times. This time she heard a loud pop in her shoulder as she hit at an angle, and she would have cried out had she not immediately started falling once more.
“You have no power here,” came Wrath’s cackling voice as she continued her endless fall.
Una felt nothing but pain, both physical and mental. She was dimly aware that Duessa had carried her to the Shadow Realm, but she must have blacked out for a time, because that was not where she was now.
Wherever that was, she was lying horizontal on top of some stone platform. Her arms and legs were bound, as was her head. Straining, she tried to lift her head just enough to glance around the room, but the moment she did so pain radiated down her spine.
“Do not move.” Duessa bent over her from the right. “I’ve persuaded your magic to keep you restrained. Try to escape and you will literally render yourself unconscious.”
"What are you doing to me?”
"I am preparing you for the purpose for which you were born." Duessa left the table, so Una could not see her anymore, but she could hear her rummaging through what sounded like glass vials in one corner.
Una strained against the leather straps covering her head. The pain increased, but she managed to turn her head just enough to make out what Duessa was doing. What she saw surprised her, and the more she looked, the more she blinked to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.
Beside her was another table made of stone, identical to her own. But on it lay someone who looked exactly like herself. Una gaped. Was this some sort of reflection? But no, this version of herself was dressed differently, in plain, black robes similar to what Duessa wore, but less seductive, and she lay flat on her back. What kind of sorcery was this?
"I see you have found your doppelgänger,” Duessa returned carrying a vile of unnaturally green liquid that almost seemed to glow.
"What are you going to do to me?" Una repeated, unable to take her eyes off the other Una, the false Una.
"Don't worry. Soon it will all be over, and you won't have to worry about a thing." Duessa picked up a stone bowl from a nearby table and poured some of the bright green liquid into it, after which she set the vial down to retrieve a few dried leaves sitting on the same table. After throwing those into the mix as well, she picked up a pestle and began grinding the mixture together. "I once thought that you would help me willingly. After all, who wouldn't want to see their father alive and well? But I'm afraid you've disappointed me. After your run in with Acrasia, I knew I would have to take more drastic action."
"I will not cooperate," Una placed her head back so that she was staring up at the ceiling again. She could not bear to look at the pale imitation of herself any longer.
"And I don't expect you to. That is why I have developed this little improvement. When I'm done, she will be like you in every way, all except one. She will be more willing to help her family."
Una drew in a slow, ragged breath. She tested her restraints once more, but it was of no use. She tested her magic, but that was equally out of reach. How was she going to get out of this one?
“I recognize this place." Una could think of no solution to her predicament other than to keep Duessa talking. "We are at the top of the tallest tower in the City of Pride, aren't we?"
"Very good," said Duessa.
"I've always done my best work here. But what I did to your friend, the Faerie Knight, is nothing compared to what I'm about to do now."
"Why?" Una croaked, swallowing to try and moisten her throat. "Why is this so important. Why can’t you just leave us be?"
“Why can't a wolf not eat the stray lamb? Or the beaver not build his dam? Why can't the human be content with what he or she has instead of seeking after the property of another? We do what we do because it is in our nature."
Una shook her head. "No one is forced to live a life they were born under. Anyone can be anything." In truth she did not feel like Duessa would change her mind for anything, but the woman was talking, and that seemed to be the only thing between Una and an imminent, painful death.
"Is that what your earthly parents told you?"
Una nodded, a tear spilling out of one eye. "My mother.”
"Well isn't that precious? But don't worry, you will see your mother again soon enough. I'm granting you a mercy, you know? You will be one of the few who will not suffer in the coming days, especially among those associated with Gloriana."
With that, Duessa retrieved what looked like a long tube made of copper, or maybe gold. Then she withdrew a large needle, and before Una could protest she had attached one end to the long tube and jammed the other end into Una's arm.
Una cried out in shock and surprise, though the pain was not that intense. After Una’s blood had begun flowing out the other end of the tube, Duessa quickly performed the same procedure on the other Una using another needle and the other end of the tube. That Una did not cry out.
"The spell I use to create this clone is more complex than any I have ever performed." Duessa spoke as if to herself, but Una listened to every single word. "Yet no amount of magic can simply create life where there was none. No magic can replicate what is inherently in your blood." Duessa waved a hand at the thin tube, and Una immediately felt a mild wave of dizziness pass over her as Duessa’s magic pumped her blood out of her body and into that of her false copy. Once that was done, Duessa retrieved the potion she had concocted from the table. Its light had increased, now shining from the bowl onto Duessa’s face like green death. The Sin retrieved another needle from the same table, this one fashioned so as to administer some sort of injection. With a mild, anticipatory smile, Duessa stuck it into the green elixir, and began filling it. "Add to that a little magic, and you might as well have a recipe for life."
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