by Kailin Gow
“The way your brother is?” Briony asked. The glow around her was bright enough now that most of those watching looked away, but Marcus didn’t. Nor did Fallon and Kevin. “You killed your own brother, Marcus. Are you really going to tell me that you don’t want this to end? That you want to go on as the monster you have always been?”
“If I am a monster,” Marcus said softly, “then I am the greatest of monsters. I am the one they tell stories of to scare their children. I am the thing that is most feared when it stalks.”
Briony shook her head. “I’m not afraid of you, Marcus.”
She paused, and in that gap another voice joined her. Maisy’s. “I’m not afraid either.”
“Me either,” Steve said.
“Nor me,” Kevin said.
Fallon shook his head, echoing his brother. “Nor me.”
Marcus looked around at them one by one. “Stop this!”
Briony shrugged. “Why should they stop when it’s true? It’s you who should stop, Marcus. Stop lying to yourself.”
“I do not lie!” Marcus was raging now, but he still did not lunge forward with his sword.
“You’re lying if you’re saying that you don’t feel anything about what you’ve done,” Briony countered. “All those centuries of death. You say that you’re what people are scared of in the dark? I think there’s something worse to fear, and that’s the guilt that follows you around.”
Marcus sank to one knee, shaking his head. “You. You are doing this to me.”
“I’m not doing anything,” Briony promised. She reached out. “You have attacked people I care about. You have threatened them and terrified them. You have even killed them. I’m going to give you a chance though. One chance. You have the head of the scepter. Your brother believed that it had the power to cure a vampire’s curse and make it human again. Use that power, Marcus.”
“Use the power of the scepter?” Marcus said it as though the idea had only just occurred to him. He knelt there in front of the gate, looking up at Briony through the strands of his blondish snow white hair, and he smiled. “Yes, I’ll use the power.”
“That’s…”
Energy hit Briony, and it felt like she was at the heart of the sun in that moment. There was so much of it, burning along her nerves, burning through every cell of her body. Briony couldn’t even find the breath to scream, it hurt that much in those first few seconds.
Marcus stood. “I’ll use the power for what it was intended for. To make someone the ruler of Palisor. To make me the ruler. With you dead, what then, girl? Who will be left to rule your kingdom? No one strong enough.”
More power hit Briony, and she stumbled, barely catching herself before she could fall onto the grass of the clearing. She could feel the energy now, flowing along the connection she had to the scepter. Marcus was using that connection as a weapon, pouring so much power along it that Briony felt like she was on fire. Part of her screamed that she needed to find a way to break that connection. To make herself safe. The rest of her just screamed.
Yet Briony knew that she could not do that. Somehow, she knew that this was the moment that mattered. She either stopped Marcus here, or he would go back to take Palisor for his own. Even though it hurt, even though it burned, she couldn’t let go of her connection to the scepter.
Instead, Briony began to focus on that connection. Marcus might be the one holding the scepter’s head, but she was the one with the connection to it. She was the one it had chosen, and who had the blood of hugtandalfer royalty flowing through her veins. The scepter was hers, not Marcus’. Palisor was hers. She would protect it, no matter what that meant for her.
As she thought that, Briony felt something about the energy flowing through her change. It was still there. It still ran along her nerves and bubbled through the pores of her skin, but it didn’t burn now. It felt almost gentle, instead. It felt right for her. Because it was right for her, Briony realized. This was the power of hugtandalfer kings and queens down the ages. Her ancestors. Her bloodline. The power was a part of her, and Briony knew then that she had no reason to fear it.
She brought her hands together, and she could feel the energy crackling between them like lightning. The magic was there, but there was more than just magic. There was knowledge. In that moment, Briony knew everything she needed to about the gates to Palisor. She extended her hand, closing it into a fist, and the gate behind Marcus closed. The vampire looked around.
“What have you done?”
“I have protected my kingdom from you and your kind,” Briony said. She paused, looking around at her friends. At Josh’s werewolves. Palisor might be hers, but she belonged to Wicked too. She couldn’t leave it at that.
“I’ll kill your friends.” Marcus promised. “I’ll slaughter the humans of your pitiful town. You’ll watch as they die one by one. I’ll make you beg to re-open that gate.”
Briony shook her head and raised her hands. “No you won’t.”
“What? No!” Marcus obviously saw what was coming because he tried to run to the side. Briony didn’t care. The link between her and the head of the scepter was still open, and Marcus was still wearing it around his neck. No matter how far he ran, that would be there. “No, you can’t do this.”
“I gave you a chance,” Briony said, and released the power that she held. The same power that Marcus had thrown into her to try to kill her. They leapt along the path between her and the scepter head pendant, and because of that connection, Briony could feel the moment when the power reached Marcus.
Flames leapt up around him instantly. White flames, edged with blue as he burned. Marcus bellowed with the agony of it, and Briony winced at that, but then she thought of all the pain he’d caused through his life as human and vampire and she steeled herself to watch his end. She watched the flames burn through him, dancing across his skin, claiming flesh that had been around for millennia in a matter of seconds. She kept watching when Marcus fell to his knees. She kept watching until it was done.
Eventually, when there was just iron grey ash on the ground before the gate, Briony moved over to it, picking up the pendant that had been hidden with her mother’s jewels. She hung it around her neck and then knelt again to collect a handful of Marcus’ ash. She let it fall through her fingers, the breeze carrying it away. Marcus was gone, as if he had never been. She turned to his vampires and they cowered back, then ran, one by one, plunging into the woods. That was a danger, having such old and vicious vampires around Wicked, but they were not Marcus, and eventually they would be hunted down.
For now, there was one more important thing to do. Briony stood there looking at the spot where the gate had been.
“It’s gone,” Josh said, moving forward. “The way into Palisor. Gone.”
“How is Mrs. Edge going to get back?” Maisy asked in a worried tone. “Briony?”
Only Archer and Fletcher seemed unworried by the gate’s disappearance. They stood there watching Briony, as though they knew exactly what came next. Possibly they did. Briony stood there for several seconds, facing the spot where the gate had stood. She felt the power of the pendant she wore pulsing through her. No, not the pendant. It was her power now. The power of the royal line. She raised her hands and spread them slowly.
The gate rose from the ground, arching up in a swirl of mist, leaving behind a marble gate with gently moving fog within. Briony waited until she was sure it was done, then looked around at the others.
“Hail Queen Briony!” Archer called out. “Rightful ruler of Palisor!”
Epilogue
Briony stood before the gate and Kevin joined her. To Kevin’s obvious surprise, so did Josh. The werewolf king looked at her with satisfaction. Almost hunger.
“What are you doing here?” Kevin demanded.
“I promised him he could go through to Palisor,” Briony explained. “It’s a matter of diplomacy.”
Kevin looked pointedly at Josh. “What do you intend to do in Palisor?”
> “Investigate. I’ve heard the rumors of what Palisor can do for werewolves. If they’re true, they could strengthen the Wicked pack. We’ve had enough damage already to our pack. As King of the werewolves, it’s my duty to find out ways to help strengthen the wolves.”
Kevin didn’t look happy about that, but Briony had more important things to think of. She went over to Fallon and pulled him towards her. “I haven’t forgotten you, Fallon,” she said. “Come with me to Palisor, and maybe we can discover how you can turn back.”
Fallon looked at her in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Marcus had a brother, a vampire like him, but better, almost good even. He was convinced the scepter could cure vampirism. To investigate that possibility though, I’ll need to go to Palisor, so come with me.”
Fallon beamed with so much love for Briony in that moment.
“You care for me that much?” Fallon said.
“I love you,” Briony said simply. She could feel Kevin’s reaction to that. Feel it clearly, in a wave of pain and jealousy. Was this some side effect of gaining her power as a hugtandalfer? She didn’t know, so she took Fallon to the gate. She looked over at Maisy and Steve, knowing how much a trip to a real life fantasy world would mean to the two of them.
“Are you coming?”
Maisy shook her head. “Someone’s got to watch out for Wicked and carry the torch with the Preservation Society.”
“You’ve done a lot already,” Fallon said. “You saved a lot of lives by distracting the vampires from the diner.”
“I’m not sure we did that good a job,” Maisy said. “Marcus still got there, didn’t he?”
Briony nodded. “But most of his vampires didn’t. That’s what’s important.”
Josh clapped a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “You both did well. If you ever feel like being a werewolf…”
“No, thank you.”
Briony looked over at Jake. “Are you coming?”
“You betcha!” Jake said. “I want to find Aunt Sophie; see what she’s become.”
“You won’t believe it at first,” Briony warned him. “At least, I didn’t. She’s still Aunt Sophie though, despite her new appearance.”
It was time to go. Briony pushed Josh and Fallon across the threshold of the gate at the same time, and the two stepped past the mist. Though to Briony it wasn’t misty by then. She could see perfectly well what lay on the other side. It was a courtyard of black basalt, surrounded by elegant white pillars. Briony didn’t recognize it, but she recognized Aunt Sophie, standing at the far end with Vigor.
Jake and Kevin tried to cross next. They bounced off the gate as though it were a solid wall. Briony looked over to where Archer and Fletcher stood watching her. “Something’s wrong,” she said. “Why can’t they cross?”
Archer shrugged. “You have a werewolf already in the kingdom.” He nodded past the gate to where Josh stood.
“So?”
“So your father decreed that only one werewolf at a time would be allowed into Palisor,” Fletcher explained. Since he was both older than Archer and had been King Waltham’s dragon, he was probably better placed to know. “Enough to keep in contact with them, but not enough that they could come back.”
“Why would he do that?” Kevin asked.
“Because werewolves are too powerful there,” Fletcher continued. “They used to live in Palisor. Some served the king, but with the power they had, they became almost as big a threat as the vampires. Some say even bigger.”
“So now Kevin and Jake can’t go through?” Briony asked.
Fletcher shrugged. “Not until you have learned enough control of the gates to undo what your father did, if you think it wise.”
Briony looked at Jake and Kevin. She didn’t want to go through the gate without them.
“Briony,” Kevin said. “You and I will see each other again. I’m sure of it. You have to do what is best as queen even if it means leaving me behind.”
“How can you say that?” she asked, taking Kevin in her arms. “After all we’ve been through, I can’t leave you behind.”
Kevin kissed her then. “You’ll come back. I know it. But you have to go. I’ll be here, helping Steve and Maisy fight off the vampires.”
“And we could do with an alpha wolf to lead the pack while Josh is gone. I, of course, nominate you, Kevin.”
Briony hadn’t seen Carol approach. The werewolf girl took Kevin’s arm.
“Come on,” Carol said. She smirked at Briony. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he’s okay.”
That was almost enough to make Briony stay. Kevin broke from Carol and kissed her again. When they broke apart, he whispered into her ear. “I’ll always love you Briony. Remember that.”
In that moment, Briony knew that she loved Kevin more than anything. She loved Fallon, but it wasn’t the same. She had been attracted to Fallon first, had kissed him first, and he was still beautiful to her, but he wasn’t Kevin. Kevin understood her, and he wanted to help her reach her full potential. He put her needs before his. Of course, it helped that he was undeniably, impossibly attractive, and Briony had wanted him from the first moment she laid eyes on him. That combination was enough that Briony wanted to tell him that she didn’t care about Palisor, so long as she could just be with him. “Kevin,” Briony said, “here, read this, and you’ll understand why I was happy after reading that note from my mother. I want you to have it, in case it’ll be a long time before I see you again. I want you to remember me by it.” She hugged Kevin then, and he buried his face in her neck as he kissed her neck and her lips.
“I want to remember how you smell, how you look, how you feel against me, Briony…” and then Kevin pushed her away in that moment.
That movement meant that when Pietre appeared from thin air to make a grab at the scepter, he missed, but it also meant that Briony stumbled back through the gate. Archer and Fletcher leapt through after her, even as Kevin leapt at Pietre.
“Close the gate,” he yelled. “Close it.”
Briony wanted to say no. Wanted to say that she couldn’t, but she knew she had to. Reaching into that part of herself she’d touched on to open the gate in the first place, she closed her hand and the gate closed. She sat there for several seconds staring at the space where it had been.
Vigor tapped her on the shoulder. “Come, Your Majesty.”
Majesty, not Highness. Briony didn’t know much about the protocol of royalty, but she knew that there was a difference between the two. “You… you’re acknowledging me as queen?”
“Yes,” Vigor said. “We know of the effect you have on the scepter. You were led to it, and now it sits around your neck for all of Palisor to see.” Vigor paused. “I cannot argue with that. I wish I was of Waltham’s blood, but I am not. The scepter did not speak to me as it did with you.” He looked around and Briony followed his gaze to see a collection of hugtandalfers gathering in the courtyard. “They have all heard of what you’ve done with Marcus.”
Aunt Sophie helped Briony to her feet. “You did well, Briony. You did very well.” She hugged Briony, and Briony hugged her aunt back. She realized then that she had missed her great aunt a lot. She might look more like an older sister now, but she was still Aunt Sophie.
“I’m glad you made it back,” Aunt Sophie said, leaning close. “But be careful.”
“What’s wrong?”
Aunt Sophie shook her head as her father, Latham walked up to Briony and bowed. “Your Majesty, I see you have the scepter. Now we can begin with the coronation. Palisor has a new queen. Now…Queen Briony, which of these two men will be your consort?”
“What?” Briony asked, unable to believe what she’d just heard.
Latham took Vigor by the arm, pulling him in front of Briony. He repeated the process with Josh. Briony saw the head of the scepter flare into life as he did that.
“Which of them do you wish to be your consort?” Latham repeated.
“I don’t understand,” Briony s
aid. “What’s happening?”
Aunt Sophie shook her head. “I’m sorry, Briony. I didn’t know, until you went back to Wicked. When Vigor and I were trying to run things, we found out what the people here wanted. What they would accept.”
Briony looked at her great aunt.
“They won’t be ruled by a queen without a husband,” Aunt Sophie explained. “They’d rebel before they accepted you. Yet the scepter clearly has chosen you rather than anyone else, so we have a problem.”
“We do not have a problem,” Aunt Sophie’s father said. “Our new queen simply needs to make her selection from the two suitable young men. Vigor or this wolf.”
“Why them?” Briony asked.
“Because they’re powerful enough to be a good match,” Aunt Sophie explained. “I’m sorry, Briony. I wish I could do something.”
“So Fallon isn’t powerful enough?” Briony demanded.
Latham looked offended. “Our queen is not going to marry a vampire!”
“But Vigor and Josh are suitable?” Briony felt faintly stunned by everything that was going on.
Aunt Sophie sighed. “Vigor would be able to help you rule well, and he’s strong enough to support you,” she said. “Josh there is a king already, and the scepter seems to respond to him.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” her father said. He moved over to Josh. “Perhaps there is no choice after all. The scepter has chosen. The werewolf will be your consort.”
“Just like that?” Briony demanded. “And I get no say in it? It isn’t Josh I love. It’s… another werewolf.”
She didn’t dare look around at Fallon. Besides, she had worse problems than his feelings right then.
Latham shook his head. “The scepter has decided. You will not go against the combined wishes of all your ancestors.”
He pushed Josh to Briony, and the head of the scepter glowed once more. Josh looked at Briony with surprise, but also with hunger. Briony didn’t know if it was hunger for her, or simply for the power that she represented. With Josh, it could easily have been either. Yet his expression did soften a little after a second.
