A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

Later that day, it had shown up again, this time with a note.

It’s pretty if nothing else. Use it in the ceremony when you don the crown. It’ll secure your place - A

“Tamara keeps threatening to teach me how to use it,” I told Arleth, wandering out into the field. “I decided that I won’t wear it until it serves a purpose. And that purpose won’t just be ceremonial, unless the ceremony includes cutting off Dolion’s head. No one follow me in here yet. Stay out.” I paused. “Dash, what did I just say?”

I didn’t have to turn around to know he’d frozen and started backtracking. He might be incredibly sneaky and hard to catch, but that didn’t mean he was unpredictable. He’d always loved following me.

I closed my eyes as I walked one of the rows, running my hands along the plants, remembering all the time I’d spent in this field. I’d always been trespassing. I’d always been afraid of getting caught. Dark had covered me in its embrace as I stealthily moved through the plants, pruning as I went, harvesting into my little sack.

Now look at me. Here in the light of day, with the queen and the golden prince. What an amazing turn my life had taken. It was worth the agony I’d endured in the demon lands, no question. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

I took deep breaths as I reacquainted myself with the plants. The demons had damaged them, many of the plants wilting as if poisoned. And yet…

I found a patch amongst the sickliest plants that had sprung back totally. Not just that, but there was a strange sheen to the leaves. They almost looked coated in light.

I braced my hands on my hips. I’d never seen anything like that before. I’d certainly never read about it.

Something made me turn…and I caught the guarded gaze of Hannon.

“That’s where Hannon played hero,” Sable said, hanging on to him. “I helped, though, didn’t I, Hannon? I played decoy so you could get closer.”

“You did. I couldn’t have saved you if you hadn’t played along,” Hannon replied, watching me.

I shook my head and turned back around. What the fuck kind of animal was he hiding?

I did another tour in the field just because I could, shouting halfway through, “Dash, I said get out!”

“You’re such a pest,” Sable called to him.

“Be nice, Sable,” I muttered, heading back to the demon-distressed area. “Nyfain, please bring the tray.”

I got to work harvesting from the plants as everyone else filtered into the field. Vemar hadn’t worked much with everlass, but he took to it easily, knowing the importance of the plants. All dragons did. Not to mention they’d saved us from the dungeons. Hadriel’s new love of gardening made him an apt student. Hannon mostly just wandered, trailing his fingers along the plants. He’d never been one for gardening and clearly didn’t want to learn, but he was happy to go with the flow.

“You taught your little brother well, Finley,” Arleth said as she pruned and nurtured the healthy plants, leaving me to choose what to harvest.

“It’s not that hard,” replied Dash, who was just as nimble with the plants as he was at sneaking into dangerous situations.

“Can we sing now?” Sable asked.

“Not yet,” I replied, finished with the demon area and approaching the plants with the sheen.

“I’ve never seen that before,” Nyfain said as he returned to me with a fresh tray, looking at them.

Arleth made her way over and glanced over my shoulder. She touched one of the leaves as she stepped a little closer. Then Delaney joined us, both of them bending to get a closer look.

“What is it?” Delaney asked Arleth quietly.

Arleth shook her head. “Maybe the effect of enemy bloodshed?” She raised her voice. “Hannon, you said you killed those demons here?”

Hannon looked over. “Fought them, yes. Not sure where they actually died.”

“This is gruesome talk in front of children,” Arleth murmured.

“These kids have seen a lot more horrors than that bad guy dying, I assure you,” I replied. “Okay, scatter. I want to harvest some of these. Nyfain and Sable, go ahead and sing, if you’d like.”

“Why didn’t you want us singing with the collection of the other leaves?” Nyfain asked, waiting patiently as I circled the plants and looked at all their leaves. None had wilted. None needed pruning.

“Because the singing will cure the wilting plants, and I wanted to collect some leaves from them first. These are already in great health.”

I shook my head, not really understanding. Not even wanting to pick them, they were so beautiful. What if the leaves didn’t come back the same?

“I’d love a private garden with plants like these,” I said, touching one of the leaves with a finger. “These are more beautiful than any rosebush could ever be. More majestic.”