Queen Witch

by Elle Middaugh

  “Oh my God!” I cried, jumping up to study the marks closer. “Was this from the zombie? Could the Blood Witch not fix this?”

  He shook his head. “She was able to rid me of the dark magic poison, but between that and saving Nathan and wiping the memories of every human witness from last night, she was literally incapable of doing anything else.”

  I could barely believe what I’d just heard. The amount of power a feat like that would’ve taken.... Wiping memories? How the hell would one even go about touching magic that powerful? It completely blew my mind. Ezra was a total badass.

  Gage traced the shiny white skin of his new scars. “You should’ve seen it. It was all red and gray, hot and inflamed, oozing blood and puss and who knows what else. And now it’s perfectly healed. Thanks to you.”

  He touched my cheek and caressed my skin.

  “You’re going to make an amazing Queen Witch.”

  I swallowed hard and shook my head. “That would be impossible. There’s no hope of me winning now, I’m afraid. I didn’t get any points from the Sixth Trial because I didn’t follow the rules.”

  Gage smirked, and his brow lifted.

  “That’s not what the Blood Witch told me.”

  Chapter 21

  Gage led me to the Parliament building, where humans bustled about completely oblivious to the terrifying events of the night before. It made me uneasy. Surely someone slipped through the cracks and dodged Ezra’s memory cleanse? No one appeared any the wiser, though.

  Still, since they were all dressed in black, I knew they’d at least heard about the demise of their king and queen. I wondered what they’d been told and what they thought of the whole ordeal.

  Everyone bowed as I passed, and offered their sincerest condolences. It was a strange experience, considering I was still completely numb about the whole thing. I thanked them with a careful nod and quickly hurried along.

  At the scoreboard, Nerissa was, of course, in first place.

  But directly beneath her... one point shy of her score... was my name.

  My mouth fell open. “How is this even possible?”

  Gage grinned. “Apparently, morality is worth striving for after all. For saving all three of us, the Blood Witch decided that you and Nerissa should tie for first in that last trial.”

  “Oh my God!” I squealed, bouncing around like an excited little bunny.

  “How did you know this when my sisters didn’t?”

  “Ezra told me when she healed me. You sisters were elsewhere at the time.”

  Happiness swirled through every corner of my body. Hope bloomed in my chest. There was still a chance that I could beat Nerissa! That I could somehow save my kingdom and our world. It was odd that I could feel an emotion as vibrant as joy, but not one as dismal as sorrow. Apparently that was how important these Trials had become in my life.

  As we left the building, I backtracked a bit. “What did you mean by us? I thought the vision was fake?”

  “It was. Sort of. Like, we weren’t really there, but the mental interaction was real.”

  “So that really was you telling me to save the kids?”

  He nodded.

  I felt another pang of desire to kiss him. He was so fucking perfect.

  Almost too perfect.

  “What’s your biggest flaw?” I asked from seemingly out of nowhere, crossing my arms.

  He grinned at me. “I mean, I’m a little cocky.”

  My eyes roved from his handsome face down to his washboard abs, over to his muscular arms, then back up to his sparkling blue eyes.

  “You have every reason to be. What else?”

  He hummed in thought. “I’m a bit impulsive? Shoot first, ask questions later. Probably why I almost got killed by a zombie.”

  I laughed out loud. Screw it. I didn’t care how perfect he was. I loved everything about him. He just didn’t need to know that quite yet.

  “I’m sorry about your parents,” he added quietly.

  I shook my head. “It’s fine. We weren’t all that close, and they wouldn’t have approved of you anyway. It’s just going to be weird for a while.”

  In all actuality, I was probably still far too angry and numb to give a proper response on that particular topic.

  “Wouldn’t have approved of me, eh? Because I’m a big, bad, dangerous dragon?”

  “Because you’re a shifter at all, really.”

  I couldn’t look at him while we talked about shit like that. It made me feel like a total asshole. So instead I stared at the ground, ashamed.

  “Your parents didn’t like shifters?”

  “Most of the magical community doesn’t,” I admitted quietly. “They think you’re all animalistic and uncivilized. I plan to change that misconception if I come into power.”

  “When you come into power,” he corrected.

  I finally looked up and searched his eyes. He didn’t even seem upset.

  He smiled. “Would you like to see them? Pay your respects?”

  The screwed up part was that I hadn’t even thought of it. Of course their bodies would be lying in gilded coffins in the Hall of Queens for all to go and pay homage to.

  Despite the fact that I felt so hollow, I nodded in reply.

  When we entered the Hall, there was already a whole shipload of people milling about. Hors d’oeuvres and glasses of wine were carried around by tuxedoed servants while elaborately robed priests strolled throughout blessing everyone loyal enough to show up.

  I tipped my head at the priest overseeing the pedestaled coffins and knelt down at the side of my mother’s. Her crown was positioned atop the bejeweled lid. Seeing the closed caskets helped solidify the truth that my parents were actually gone, but my emotions remained stowed away somewhere deep inside, hidden behind a thick sheet of constant numbness.

  Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. “I’m sorry about our fight the other night. I wish those hadn’t been our last words.” I licked my suddenly parched lips. “And I truly hope you’re in a better place. Despite all our differences... I loved you, Mother. I still do.”

  Then I rose and walked around to my father’s casket. For some reason, I didn’t kneel at his. I ran a finger across the peaks and valleys of his golden crown.

  “I wish we could have had more time, Dad,” I said with a sigh. “Just know that, thanks to your guidance and example, your three youngest children are each capable of sitting on the throne with grace and propriety. We’ll each do our best to honor you with our rule. I love you, Dad.”

  I tipped my head once more to the priest, who bowed to me in return, then stepped away from the platform. Finding Gage’s hand, I led us back outside the Hall. No doubt I would say more when I came back again some other day, once the numbness had faded and reality finally hit me with everything it had.

  “Thank you,” I said. “For suggesting that we come here. I appreciate the gesture.”

  He grinned and softly nudged my shoulder. “It’s the least I can do for my future queen.”

  Fear enveloped me. His sentence caused it to churn in my stomach like a violent whirlpool.

  “I’m scared,” I admitted, voice barely a whisper as we aimlessly strolled hand in hand down the street. “What if I don’t win? How will we ever bring Nerissa down?”

  Gage blew out a heavy breath. “I don’t know, but we won’t stop until we do.”

  I nodded, not entirely convinced, but grateful to have his support nonetheless.

  He gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “I have faith in you, Eliza Strand. And beyond that, I have hope in you. You have so much purity and light and goodness.... The world needs you.”

  I stopped walking and stared up at him.

  If I wasn’t already falling for him, I would have dived headfirst off the edge right then and there.

  “Thank you,” I said, curling into him with a hug. “You have no idea what that means to me. What you mean to me.” I swallowed hard over the heavy beating of my nervous heart. “I know w
e haven’t known each other very long, but we’ve already been through so much together that I—”

  The wind suddenly picked up, nearly taking my breath away. Dark clouds rolled in from across the ocean. Rain started spitting, then pouring, sending the people on the streets scampering to shelter.

  Gage and I shared an inquisitive glance.

  Lightning struck. Thunder crackled. A brilliant light slashed through the sky. I felt myself being pulled through that all-too-familiar vortex.

  “Welcome to the final trial.”

  Chapter 22

  Suddenly I was standing at the Suicide Cliffs near the crumbling castle in the Old Quarter. Every princess was there, standing in a circle, and the Blood Witch was in the middle.

  My clothing was different. Dark, flexible, durable. My long brown hair was tied into a high ponytail. Catfish was sitting at my side.

  “Cat!” I cried, scooping him up and snuggling him.

  But he was preoccupied, gawking at the other familiars. “What are we doing here?”

  I shook my head, and my stomach tightened. “No idea.”

  Ezra raised her hands, silencing the quiet buzz of the group. I lowered Catfish and crossed my arms, appearing much more badass than I felt.

  “In the beginning,” she said in a commanding voice, “before the First Trial ever began, you were given a gift. A choice of gemstone necklaces. Reach into your pocket and take yours out.”

  Curiously, I reached into both pants pockets and found the necklace in the left. I pulled it out and studied it, wondering what this could possibly have to do with anything.

  “This stone will become your weapon. Hopefully you chose wisely. Next,” she said, holding up two fingers, “reach in again and withdraw the pearl you salvaged from the Third Trial.”

  Miraculously, my pocket refilled and the pearl appeared.

  Every princess looked just as perplexed as I felt.

  “You will feed this pearl to your familiar, and they will become yet another weapon in your arsenal.” She held up a third finger. “And finally, you’ll find the tooth of the beast from the Fourth Trial.”

  I reached in again and pulled out a razor-sharp tooth that barely fit through my pocket hole.

  “This tooth will become your shield.” She stared intently at each face in the circle. “The goal of this Seventh and final Trial is to be the last woman standing. Points will be awarded accordingly. Healing potions will be on standby. If you’re wounded so badly that you need to drink one, you are officially out of the trial. Are you ready?”

  Of course I fucking wasn’t!

  “Amen to that, sister,” Catfish muttered. “So much for that ninth life.”

  I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. “If you die, so help me God, I’ll kill you.”

  Catfish chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Ezra went around the circle, putting a single drop of potion onto each of the three items in each princess’s hand. By the time it was my turn, I’d broken out into a cold sweat and my fingers were shaking.

  I held out my quivering palm, and Ezra grabbed it to steady me.

  “Remember what I told you,” she muttered, just loud enough for me to hear. Then she put the drops on my items and moved onto the next princess.

  Laken, Maren, Nerissa, and I all met eyes across the circle. The emotions that each gaze held amped up my adrenaline. Laken looked depressed, and that made me want to fight for her. Maren looked ready to kick some ass, which lent me some much-needed confidence. And Nerissa looked so fucking smug, like she already had this whole competition in the bag, that I wanted to knock her face right off her head.

  Ezra took the middle of the circle again. She closed her eyes and chanted.

  “Familiar, weapon, magic shield. Winner of these Trials revealed!”

  And just like that, the liffside erupted into a sea of chaos.

  Swords, daggers, maces, axes, and spears—any hand-to-hand combat weapon you could think of—appeared from the crystal necklaces. Mine transformed into a pair of twisting daggers.

  The teeth rumbled and spread out into glossy white shields. As I strapped mine to my forearm, I noticed how frighteningly lightweight it was. I prayed the damn thing would actually protect me if needed.

  Anyone who’d fed the pearl to their familiar suddenly found themselves with an oversized wild animal. Nerissa’s raven, Midnight, turned into a bird of prey ten times its normal size and grew sharp teeth on its beak. Maren’s hawk, Helia, ended up looking much the same as Midnight, except more brown than black. And Lucy, Laken’s tabby, grew into the biggest tiger I’d ever seen.

  One of the Azikizons’ ginormous snakes slithered over and struck at me. I quickly pulled up my shield, but the power behind the strike knocked me to the ground. It slithered around, trying to get a better angle.

  As the snake repositioned itself, a massive arctic fox launched at me from a gap in the crowd. I had just enough time to duck out of the way before the creature landed and joined the snake in circling me.

  I scrambled to my feet and noticed Nerissa taking on three familiars at once.

  Apparently the princesses were targeting their strongest competitors first.

  “Heads up, Cat!” I shouted, tossing the pearl into the air.

  He caught it in his mouth and swallowed, quickly doubling, tripling, quadrupling in size until he looked like some sort of dark forest tiger-panther mix. He jumped to my side and snarled. His shoulder was level with my head.

  I stroked his silken fur.

  Is that still you, Catfish? I thought hesitantly.

  He growled again. “It’s me, just way more badass. What do you want me to do?”

  I licked my lips and studied the animals surrounding me. A massive bird swooped down and joined the fight. His claws opened as he dove at me. But Catfish launched into the air and took him down, landing in a puff of feathers and terrified screeches.

  “Tong!” the Asian princess shouted. Mei-Lien Huong.

  I cocked my head in their direction. “Just keep doing what you’re doing, Cat. I need you to keep playing defense.”

  He nodded then stalked back to my side, eyeing our attackers with a deathly glare.

  Mei-Lien ran to get a potion, then knelt down beside her bird. With shaking hands she poured the brew into its beak. A few moments later, it climbed to its feet. They touched foreheads, and the bird retreated to the sidelines.

  Alone now, she glowered at me and raised her mace.

  I tightened my grip on my daggers, feeling suddenly underequipped.

  Then she charged, storming my way at full speed. I’d never had a person come at me so violently before. I backed up and lost my footing at the edge of the cliff. As I hovered on the brink of falling, the sea breeze gusted and pushed me a tiny bit forward, giving me just enough momentum to catch my balance.

  But Mei-Lien was still running at me, mace in the air. If I didn’t move quickly, she’d knock my ass straight down into the turbulent waters that had claimed so many lives before me. I doubted a healing potion could fix a situation like that.

  So I did the only thing I thought might work—I charged back at her.

  Her mace thumped into my shield with enough force to rattle my bones, but I kept pushing until she fell flat on her back. Then I backpedaled. For some reason it rubbed me the wrong way to think I’d actually have to hurt someone enough to take them out of the competition. My heart, soul, and stomach were not prepared for that.

  She sat up, and before she even stood she swung her mace around until it connected with the side of my calf. Spikes dug into my flesh, sending pain skittering through my body and blood flying through the air. I screamed and squeezed my daggers tightly against the pain.

  Catfish, who’d been attacking the snake, scratching and biting and nimbly avoiding the serpent’s sudden strikes, was momentarily distracted upon hearing my cry.

  Unfortunately, that was all the disruption the snake needed. He jabbed down and sank his fangs
into Catfish’s neck.

  Mei-Lien and I watched as Cat roared and thrashed his head, trying to shake the snake off, but the bastard’s jaws were clenched tight. He reached one of his massive paws back and let loose a razor-sharp slash of claws across the snake’s scales. The serpent’s skin split, spilling a gooey pile of organs onto the clifftop.

  The snake’s bite finally slackened.

  Gingerly rolling his head, Cat withdrew and padded over to me.

  Mei-Lien backed off as he approached.

  “You okay?” he asked. Teeth still tightly gritted, I forced a nod. “I will be. Are you?”

  He rolled his shoulders, testing his pain level. “Yeah, but that snake was tougher than he looked.”

  “Jesus, I hope not. He already seemed absolutely terrifying.”

  “Yeah, but you’re scared of snakes anyway,” he teased, dismissing my comment easily. “I eat snakes for breakfast—sometimes literally.”

  I took a strained breath. “Definitely looks like you did today.”

  “Yeah,” Cat agreed, but his slit pupils were now focused on the arctic fox. “I gotta go, Eliza. Heal that damn leg before you get us knocked outta here.”

  “Aye, aye, captain,” I muttered sarcastically.

  But just as he left, another princess joined the battle.

  I took a deep, belabored breath, and prepared for shit to get worse.

  Much worse.

  Chapter 23

  I quickly mumbled a spell—“Magic from inside me light, heal this wound so I can fight”—and I hurriedly jumped to my feet.

  The new girl was Izabelle Santos, a princess from the kingdom dominating South America. Her curly brown hair accentuated the wild gleam in her eyes, giving her the predatory air of a lion. She and Mei-Lien circled me like I was a wounded gazelle as lightning flashed in the background.

  My head hurt, and the bright light wasn’t helping much, but the magic I’d summoned to heal my leg hadn’t taken nearly as much out of me as I was expecting. I barely even noticed the dull ache behind my eyes once the sky redarkened. Hopefully that meant I was finally developing some light magic stamina.