by Erin Rhew
Layla glanced at Wil. His face paled.
“But, just in case Wil actually does play a role in it, I needed to create distance between you. I think I did that job well, if I do say so myself.” Cataleen smirked.
Layla wanted to jam her sword right down Cataleen’s throat, but once again she remembered her father’s warning. The queen sought to toy with them and gain the upper hand. They would need their wits about them to make it out alive.
“Originally, I thought I would just kill you all, but I’m enjoying this game much more.” Cataleen slid over to Nash and ran a finger down his jaw. He didn’t move.
Hatred burned so hot inside Layla, she worried she might actually catch fire. This abhorrent queen sought to torment others for her own amusement. Layla couldn’t understand nor accept such behavior. She tried making eye contact with Wil and Nash to get their attention, but neither looked her way.
“I have chosen Nash for my king. Together, we will be all-powerful and unstoppable.” Cataleen took Nash’s hand in hers.
Wil shifted Mia in his arms, shielding her from the queen. “What have you done to my brother?”
“Oh, I just gave him a little something to dull his reflexes and reactions. He’ll be fine in a bit.” Cataleen kissed Nash’s cheek and stroked his face. Her gaze slid down to Layla, and a slow grin spread across her face. Layla stared back, unwilling to give Cataleen the satisfaction of a reaction.
Wil cleared his throat. “Then why are we here?”
“So I can kill Layla of course.”
“You know I will never let that happen.” Wil’s deadly tone surprised even Layla. He sounded less like the affable Ethereal king she knew and more like a Vanguard warrior.
“And how do you plan to stop me, Ethereal? Your people are weak and worthless with your silly mind tricks. I am immune to anything you try.” She moved away from Nash and stepped closer to Wil, a wicked grin on her face. “Besides, I’d hate to have to kill you before you meet your child.”
Layla’s head jerked back. “Child?”
Malice radiated off the queen. “Remember when I told you I’d succeed in driving a wedge between you and Wil? You never asked me how. Probably, you assumed you knew, but you don’t.” Her evil grin widened. “I can touch the mind of every Outlander, dear Layla, even the unborn. Mia carries the daughter of your precious King Wil.”
Layla’s muscles quivered from holding her body so taut. “You’re lying.”
“Am I? You seem to be the only one who doesn’t believe me.”
Layla turned to see Wil and Mia staring at one another, their eyes wide.
Wil’s face oscillated between bewilderment, joy, and panic. Mia dropped her head, but he raised it back up with a gentle touch under her chin. He murmured to her, and she nodded before collapsing against him.
Lips pursed, Layla shifted her gaze.
Cataleen gestured toward Wil and Mia. “What do you think, Layla? Wil can marry Mia while I marry Nash.” She covered her mouth with her hand, eyelashes fluttering. “But what about you?” A spiteful gleam twinkled in the queen’s eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll just kill you and put you out of your misery.”
The queen’s threat seemed to snap Wil out of his reverie. He whispered something in Mia’s ear. Despite the loss of her family and the revelation of her pregnancy, she stood beside him with a determined look upon her face. He handed Mia the knife he kept in his boot. Layla felt a bittersweet pang. She recognized the weapon. He’d once offered it to her back in Etherea.
Wil’s strong voice almost overshadowed his ashen face. “You will not touch Layla.”
A glimmer of pleasure flashed through Cataleen’s faint green eyes. “Big words for a man with a useless power.”
“Try me.”
Tired of being the plaything for an insane queen, Layla allowed her Vanguard impulsiveness to take over. As she leapt forward, Layla envisioned driving her sword straight through the hateful woman’s heart…if she even had one. But the queen moved aside, as though she had anticipated the attack. Layla’s blade sank into the chest of a guard Cataleen shoved into her place.
“Let it be known that Layla—citizen of Vanguard, harlot of Etherea—has drawn first blood here today in the Outlands. I welcomed her into my home, and she repaid me with treachery. I command you all to defend your homeland and your queen.”
Though the guards fanned out, Layla dispatched several of them quickly. As she fought, she kept a close watch on Wil and Mia as they battled opponents of their own. Layla stabbed, spun, and kicked her way through the Outlanders. Their shape shifting ability provided little defense against her Vanguard strength. She stole a quick glance at Nash, who had yet to move.
“Nash!” She hoped her cry would snap him out of his trance, but he didn’t respond.
Mia fell to the floor, an Outlander guard on top of her. Without hesitation, Layla lunged and sent the man sprawling. She reached down and pulled Mia up.
Mia blushed. “Thank you.”
“Do you know how to use a sword?”
“Sort of.” Mia shrugged as Layla stabbed a guard approaching from the back.
“You need it more than I do.” Layla handed her sword to the Outlander girl and took Wil’s knife. “Just try not to kill yourself, or any of us.”
“Okay.” Despite her wild-eyed panic, Mia’s face set with resolve.
Layla whirled around ready to slay more Outlanders, but she found Vespa standing in front of her instead.
“Vespa! Thank goodness you’re here…” Before Layla completed her sentence, Vespa punched her.
Layla grabbed her throbbing nose. “What in the three kingdoms are you doing?”
The princess charged at Layla again. Since she didn’t have time to contemplate the ramifications of injuring the Ethereal princess, Layla lifted Vespa off her feet and hurled her across the room. The girl landed with a solid thud, unmoving on the floor. A pang of regret coursed through Layla, but she had no time to dwell on it.
She crouched to prepare for the next attack and scanned the battlefield to locate her next combatant. To her amazement, every person fighting looked like Wil, Vespa, Samson, Mia, Grant, or her. She cursed the Outlanders and their power. All of the Outlanders must have shifted. Another of Cataleen’s tricks, no doubt.
“Wil!” Layla searched the room for the man who answered. A head popped up from the crowd, and Wil began to maneuver his way across the room to her side.
“They’ve all shifted!” He thrust his sword into an oncoming version of Samson.
Layla spun around so they stood back-to-back for better defense. “The queen is playing with our minds. Are you really even you?”
“Are you really you? How can we tell?”
She glanced at him from over her shoulder. “Well, we haven’t killed each other, so that’s a good sign.”
“You could just be biding your time.”
“Okay.” She wracked her brain for something that only he would know. “On my first night in Etherea, you told me you hated performing Alterations.”
“I remember.”
“Given our current situation, Wil, I need more than ‘I remember’ to ensure you’re the real you.”
He chuckled. “Of course. That same night, I asked you to tell me about your family, and you refused.”
She nodded even though he couldn’t see her, satisfied she’d reconnected with the right Wil. “We have to figure out a way to tell the real people from the fake ones. Even Cataleen’s own soldiers can’t tell the difference.” She threw off an Outlander that looked like Grant.
“Agreed.”
“We’re going to need the help of my brothers. I’m sure Samson stayed close by hoping for a fight. If we can get to the audience chamber door, I can call for him.” Layla kicked an incoming Vespa.
He nodded against her. “But first we need to get Mia.”
Layla suppressed the urge to groan. “Fine.”
“Mia!”
A girl raised her hand before bloc
king an attacker with her sword. Moving back-to-back through the crowd, Layla and Wil navigated the throngs of people, fighting off attackers to their left and right.
Wil tapped Layla’s leg to get her attention. “I see Mia!” A Wil doppelganger had her pinned against the wall. The real Wil raced over and drove his sword into the fake one. The other man crumpled to the floor.
Mia trembled against the wall, her face a mask of suspicion and horror. “Wil, is that really you?”
“It’s me, but are you really Mia? Prove it by telling me something no Outlander could know.” Layla guarded them as Wil turned his full attention to Mia.
“I watched Layla put the salve on you in the woods. I saw the way you looked at her, and I knew I’d never really had a chance.”
Layla clenched her teeth as Mia’s words affected her more than they should have, but an approaching attack forced her to focus on the task at hand. She body slammed a Mia-clone to the ground and twisted its neck until she heard a crack. Panting, she stood and stared down at the dead body, trying not to attach any meaning to her actions.
Wil tapped her shoulder. “It’s the real Mia.”
Layla pushed the Outlander girl between her body and Wil’s, and the three traversed the rest of the battle together. When they reached the door, they slipped out into the quiet hallway. Layla cupped her hands around her mouth and whistled a bird’s call. A moment later, a similar sound echoed back.
Samson rounded the corner, slipped on the slick floor, and raced up to them. “Is there fighting? I’m ready.”
Wil frowned. “Are you sure it’s Samson?”
Layla assessed her brother’s cocked eyebrow and smirk. “Yes, it’s him.”
Samson wrinkled his nose and laughed. “Of course it’s me. Why wouldn’t it be?”
Wil gestured toward the doorway. “Take a look, and you’ll see why we had doubts.”
Samson peered around the corner. When he turned back, his eyes blazed with fury. “How dare they fight so badly while wearing my face. I’ll show them how the real Samson Mantar fights.”
Layla pulled him back before he slipped into the fray. “We need a plan. You can’t just go in there and start killing people.”
“Sure I can. Watch me.”
Mia touched his arm, her eyes wide and sad. “Please wait, Samson. I’ve lost enough people today.”
Before Samson could reply, Vespa, Grant, Iris, and Jule rushed down the hall.
Vespa glanced between Wil and Layla. “What’s going on? Where’s Nash?”
Wil closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What are you doing here, Vespa? You were supposed to wait in safety.”
“We stayed nearby in case you needed our help, which clearly you do.” Vespa crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. “So I ask again. Where’s Nash?”
Wil sighed. “Vespa—”
“Argue about it later. Now, we have bigger problems.” Layla pointed toward the audience chamber. “We have to figure out a way to separate ourselves from the Outlanders so we don’t accidently kill one another. Any ideas?”
Vespa turned to Jule. “When you shift, can you change the objects you hold or just your own bodies?”
“Just our bodies and the clothes on them, but not the objects we hold.”
The Ethereal princess tore strips from her bright yellow dress. “Let’s tie these onto our weapons. That’s how we’ll identify one another.”
“You’re brilliant, my love.” Grant beamed.
After all the yellow strips had been attached, Layla gathered the group together. “We need a plan. Vespa, you go check on Nash. The queen has done something to him. He won’t move or talk. See if you can wake him.”
Wil held up his hand. “No, since Alterations don’t work here, she won’t have a way to protect herself. Vespa, you should leave and wait for us outside.”
The princess patted her sword. “Thank you for your concern, Wilhelm, but I am a capable fighter. Grant has been teaching me. Nash is my brother too, and I will take part in this fight.”
Wil puffed out an annoyed breath. “Okay, but Grant, please stay with her.” Grant nodded.
Layla nodded toward Mia. “Wil, Mia should stay out here. There are enough copies of her in the throne room that she won’t be missed, and she can slip into that alcove on your right and not be seen.”
Vespa paused mid-stride. “Wait a minute…If we’re fighting, so is she. She can’t just hide out here while we do all her dirty work.”
Wil stood up straighter and cleared his throat, a pink flush creeping into his cheeks. “I want her kept safe. She’s pregnant.”
Vespa leaned into Grant. Her shaking hand fluttered to her throat. “Oh. Oh no.” She touched her brother’s arms. He covered her hand with his own. She reached for Layla’s shoulder, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Oh no.”
“Hello.” Samson batted a stray piece of hair out of his eyes. Though he acted nonchalant, Layla read the sadness in his eyes. The news of Mia’s pregnancy must have hit him hard, but he hid his feelings as he always did. “Can you save the sappy stuff for later? I’m ready to fight. And while I’m easily the most capable in all of Vanguard, probably even in all of the three kingdoms, I can’t fend off a whole army alone.”
Wil nodded. “We’ll talk later. Mia, stay here. Vespa and Grant, go to Nash. Layla, come with me. Samson, Iris, and Jule, fight hard and stay alive.”
Layla stalked toward the entrance. “No one touches the queen. She’s mine.”
* * *
Layla flung open the door, and the group rejoined the fight. As she cut down the latest Outlander racing toward her, Layla glanced up to see Cataleen still standing on the platform, watching with a frenzied pleasure in her eyes.
Layla elbowed Wil and then gestured toward the front. “I’m going to kill Cataleen.”
He nodded. She gripped the handle of her knife even tighter as she prepared to attack. But suddenly, three versions of the queen stood in various locations around the room. Layla’s gaze darted between them, trying to discern which was the right one.
Layla spun around to check the room for more and found another Cataleen standing beside Wil. She charged and roared, her weapon raised.
“No!” Wil shielded the queen. “It’s Mia.” Layla noted the displeasure and panic in his voice. “She refused to hide and is going to fight by shifting into the queen, as have Jule and Iris. They’re using Cataleen’s tactics against her.”
From the platform, an enraged Cataleen waved her arms. “I’m up here. Kill the false queens!” Her soldiers glanced back and forth between the copies of their queen, flabbergasted. Their confusion made them easy targets for Jule and Iris who whirled around slashing and slaying like deadly dancers.
The queen on the stage stepped forward and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Rose!”
Iris shimmered and returned to her normal form. Layla realized that Cataleen must know the true name of every Outlander. Iris narrowed her eyes and transformed right back into a replica of the queen.
The real Cataleen sneered and called out another name. “Johanna!”
Jule’s hair reverted back to her natural brown and her eyes turned gray, but she quickly re-formed back into the queen as Iris had done a moment earlier.
“Rose! Johanna! Reina!” Cataleen shook a raised fist.
Despite the temporary disruption, the three Outlanders continued shifting from themselves back into the queen and pressed on into the fighting.
Layla pushed through the crowd, making her way toward the real queen. Just before she reached her destination, a hand grabbed her arm. She whirled around.
“Nash.” She grinned in relief as she examined his face for signs of pain or disorientation.
He yanked her to him. As she settled against his chest, thankful to see him awake and functioning, he clamped a hand over her mouth. He wrenched her arm until the sharp blade pressed against her chin. She gasped and immediately chastised herself. She hadn’t asked Na
sh to prove himself. In her joy to see him, she had dropped her guard. Her Vanguard side howled with disgust.
The real Nash still stood motionless on the platform. Vespa fluttered around him while Grant fought off any would-be attackers. The queen must have been confident in the medicine she had used to subdue him because she cast nary a glance at the Ethereal princess’ desperate attempts to save her brother.
Layla considered using her brute strength to shake off her attacker but calculated that doing so would most likely result in her death. His position behind her combined with the knife at her neck kept her rooted in place. Her Vanguard nature continued its hideous bellowing, irate at her capture.
“I’ve got her, my queen.” The false Nash’s voice rumbled against Layla’s back.
With a triumphant grin on her face, Cataleen stepped to the edge of the platform. “Drop your weapons. I have The Fulfillment.”
* * *
All around, the fighting ceased, and Outlanders shifted back into their original forms, leaving Layla’s companions exposed. Across the room, Wil threw his sword to the ground. The others copied him, though Grant kept his body between Vespa and the queen. Likewise, Wil stepped in front of Mia, but his gaze landed on Layla. Fear, bravery, love, and regret shone in his blue eyes.
Cataleen promenaded down a small stairwell, stepping over a dead body with a delighted smile upon her face. “Well that was exciting. But as I told you in the beginning, you can’t beat me. I suggest the rest of you cooperate, or I will slit the throat of your precious Fulfillment right now.”
The queen’s soldiers shoved Layla’s friends toward the front of the room and lined them up. To Layla’s surprise, no one resisted. She swallowed down the lump in her throat. The knife pressed harder against her skin. No one fought off their captors because of her. To save her life. They all believed in her—believed she could beat the queen and bring peace to the three kingdoms. Fire boiled in her stomach. She wouldn’t let their faith to be misplaced.
