Page 306 of Sorrow & Strangers

I stare at my sister beseechingly, struggling not to give in to my panic. The stranger kneels next to Summer and slices his finger. Even through the avatar, the movement is clear and defined. The spell he uses to conceal his identity is clearly perfected. I watch as he draws a Pyrrhosese rune so complex that I can’t even hope to understand the sharp angles and swooping circles.

I can’t even heal her.

Brushing Mira’s hair back, I lean down and press my forehead to hers, trying to let her know that I’m here, and that I’m sorry.

“Lucifer never does something for nothing,” the stranger says, still working on Mira. Their eyes are on me, sitting on my skin, knowing that I’ve done something and trying to guess at the details of the bargain I might have made.

Mira’s breath is less labored, and a tear slides down her cheek, streaking through the blood and ash.

“Can you take her back to Avalon?” Summer asks the stranger, still kneeling next to me. “Alice and I need to take care of a few things with Rafe.”

I hold Mira tighter, even knowing Summer is right. My sisters need me, and I can’t do anything more for Mira, but I still don’t want her out of my sight, out of my arms.

“You will be careful,” he says, and it is nothing less than an order, his tone offering no quarter. “There are bound to be more dark fae lurking.”

Summer nods, confident in her power. The stranger gently pulls Mira from my resisting hold and stands with her held against his chest. His power flares, and he vanishes completely. My stomach rolls, but I am forced to trust him.

I make the mistake of looking up and catching Summer’s murderous glare. “We need to safeguard the crown,” she snarls at me and turns toward Alice.

Alice’s eyes are bright red, and she’s still amped from the fight. She looks every bit the Mistress of Bloodshed, gore decorating her throat and hair, her dress damp with the viscera of her slain enemies.

“I’ll need to take the throne and make a speech,” she says, impatiently holding her hand out to me. I stand and engulf her tiny hand in mine.

“We are at your side,” Summer says, taking my other hand.

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Eight

Summer

“We don’t have long,” Alice says. While we’ve temporarily closed the dark fae portal, we know they will be working hard to reopen it. Though now that Dimstraeux is dead, and the pact is severed, they will have a harder time reestablishing it.

“Rafe, hold the door.” We need to prepare for an attack, and Rafe’s raw strength will buy us enough time to do whatever we need to do.

Alice hurries behind the dais, and I follow her. She slices her palm and places it on a gold ceremonial plate, ornately decorated with deep-red rubies around the rim. I’m not familiar with how it works, but like everything here, it seems to require blood. With a resonant boom that I feel through my feet, a dark door appears in the wall. Alice doesn’t hesitate to throw her diminutive weight against it, groaning with the effort of forcing it open. The room beyond is dark, but I can see the pedestal rising in the center, supporting an intricately crafted crown. Alice hesitates and takes a deep breath before walking into the room.

“Did you mean it?” she asks, staring at the crown, its presence weighty and oppressive. “What you said before? That I could change things?”

“I meant every fucking word.” The sound of shouting and banging echoes from the main room, and Rafe roars with the effort of trying to contain them. I know we don’t have time, but Alice needs this not to be rushed. She needs to take her time to think things through.

Alice picks up the crown with trembling hands and holds it out to me. “Will you put it on me?” she asks, and my chest swells with pride. Crowning the sovereign is such an honor, and it couldn’t be bestowed on anyone more worthy than my best friend, my sister, my savior.

My eyes burn with tears, but I nod and lift the crown as Alice bows her head. The moment I place it on her head, it begins to glow, and when Alice lifts her head, it is reflected in the red luminescence of her eyes.

“I sever the temporary agreement with the dark fae. They are banned from the realm of Drãculea until further notice,” she says, her voice hollow and full of power as she makes the decree. Rafe bursts into the room, having been holding the door closed, stopping any more from breaching.

“What happened?” he pants, but then he sees Alice wearing the crown and bows his head deeply in respect. “Your Majesty.”

Alice blinks once and then twice. “Neither of you bows to me. Ever.” She takes a breath and then strides from the chamber. Rafe and I follow behind her, and when she opens the door, while the corridor is in disarray, it is mostly empty apart from the servants. Broken glass and splinters of wood crunch beneath her boots, and her filthy dress is ripped in multiple places, but the way she holds herself is every bit the queen.

She arrives at the main doors and pushes them open, fearlessly facing the sea of people standing in front of the castle. To her surprise, some cheers break the silence. She frowns and looks back at Rafe and me with confusion. I smile and nod encouragingly.

The stranger and I had started releasing our own propaganda over the past week. He had hacked into the Drãculean mainframe, which was not easy given how old it was, but from there he was able to donate money to people in need on behalf of HRH Elvira Legosi, of course. We had also started spreading positive rumors about the changes Alice wants to implement in the realm, and though it is still early days, we have already received some encouraging feedback.

Alice lifts her chin and looks over her people, who have flooded the streets, the dark crown gleaming in the dull light. Rafe and I stop just behind her, flanking her, sending a clear message of support.

“Citizens of Drãculea. This is a tumultuous time, but it is a time for change. Too long have we been held down by a government crazed with the hoarding of power. No more. I know I am unknown to most. The true me is unknown to all, but I care about this realm, this species, and I will do what I can to ensure the vampires thrive under my rule. That being said, I will defend myself, my crown, you, and this realm with all the resources I have at my disposal. If anyone thinks to take me on again, they will be sorry. I will be a just and fair ruler to those who deserve it,” she finishes, and to my surprise, most of the people in the crowd bow to her.

Alice watches them for a moment before she turns around and goes back inside. Rafe and I wait until she is through the door before we follow her. Rafe pushes the heavy doors closed, and then Alice turns to face us.