A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

This was the way to really die. To forever die.

Images flickered through my mind, of Finley’s tear-streaked face when I emerged from the burning shed in the faerie kingdom. Of Dad’s hollow eyes and Sable and Dash’s desperation, their hopelessness. I thought of all the people who’d sat with Finley in the faerie kingdom, mourning what they thought was my loss. Hadriel had hugged me so tightly. Everyone’s faces had lit up when they realized that death hadn’t ended me, not because of what I was, but because they cared about me.

Dessia’s words had a way of crawling under my skin and taking root, and so my thoughts grew bigger. I thought of all the children in the world wanting nothing more than to play and act silly. Who should get a chance to grow up and grow old amongst their family and friends. I thought of the parents who should see their children grow without the horror of a curse.

I had a duty. Not only to Finley, not only to my kingdom, but to the magical world. I’d been born with a responsibility, and it was time to accept it.

It was petty, but I hated that Dessia was right.

I let the fear consume me so it would show me the way. Those thoughts beating in my head, my ears, my phoenix flew beside the building, looking in. Dolion still stood in the room in the corner, his furniture no longer on fire and his three people lounging on their chairs. They weren’t worried about Finley coming through. They thought they were covered.

My heart sank when I realized they were right.

A host of demons waited in the room Finley was fighting toward. More than a few of her party were limping or bleeding. She pushed forward with Nyfain, and I could see the fatigue dragging at her. Her sword strikes were a little slower. They didn’t land as fiercely. Nyfain, too, was flagging. He kept glancing at her and then the window. He was thinking of throwing her out. He must know she’d catch herself.

She wouldn’t stay out, though. She’d rush back in to his aid. There was no saving her when her loved ones were in danger.

Focus! I yelled at my phoenix. Find that well. Find that magic!

I’m trying!

Just then, Dessia shifted. Her form grew and grew, bigger than my phoenix. Bigger than Nyfain’s dragon. A great serpent’s head with four spikes reared up on a long, snakelike neck connected to a lean body with four feet ending in claws and a serpentine tail. Its mouth opened wider than that of a dragon or normal animal, revealing long, sharp teeth. It was like someone had crossed an enormous snake with a skinny dragon and forgotten to paste on the scales.

She darted forward. Her body bent back and forth as she moved like a lizard. She slammed into the front of the castle with such force that the whole thing shook. The door burst in, and the walls crumbled, her size and strength like nothing I had ever seen.

That’s probably why we got brimfire, my phoenix said, in awe. We need something strong to combat a creature like that.

And then the weight of her darkness inside of us bore down with such force that my phoenix’s vision grew spots. The choice was clear.

Fight or die.

FIFTY-THREE

Finley

The ground trembled, and the sound of a huge crash rumbled through the windows. I held out my hands for balance as everyone looked toward the window.

“Don’t stop,” Nyfain said, hacking and cleaving at the startled demons around him.

I did as he said, stabbing forward before a claw dipped low and raked across my thigh. I grunted and turned to stab as screaming sounded from below. Govam fought just ahead of us, slowed from the effort. We’d made headway. There should be just a couple rooms left before we reached Dolion.

Hannon flapped just outside the window, lowering dramatically for a moment and then coming back up.

A shock of fear froze me until I remembered he couldn’t die. Whatever was happening to him, he’d have to work through it himself. I had my own problems.

Govam slashed through a demon and turned for the door, five feet away. As he brought up his sword, a demon on the ground thrust up with his bloody dagger, sticking Govam in the ribs.

“Oh shit,” I said, trying to hurry.

He pulled away, his free hand going to the wound. Denski rushed over to him immediately, and then Sonassa was there as well, fighting the enemy demons back so Govam could get clear. He limped two paces before he staggered, looking at the blood coating his palm.

“Oh no,” I said, trying to hack through our enemies to get to him. There were just too many fucking demons! They weren’t as powerful as us, or as good with swords, but it didn’t matter. There were more. Too many more. This was the worry we’d had from the beginning.