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“Yes, Toru can. But Zalina controls the gob—” Auntie Shou started.
A cackle came from the balcony above them. Zalina stood there, her hands outstretched. She wore an inky black gown that draped below her shoulders and across her chest and fell to the ground. The violet stones lining her neckline gleamed in the eerie light of the swirling clouds. “Welcome home, princeling. Have you finally come to marry me? Let us have peace and unite our kingdoms. No blood needs to be shed.” She waved a hand, shifting the humans below half a step forward. “Your people won’t be forced to go against your wolf who will rip out their throats. They won’t have to fight dear Lord Phineas, who will slay them where they stand.”
Killian’s mind rushed through the possibilities. He couldn’t submerge the whole kingdom under her half-fairy, wholly evil, reign. But he knew he could trust his friends.
“I don’t wish for anyone to die today,” Killian said. He took a deep breath and stepped forward. “But I will not marry you. This ends today, Zalina. You end today. Unless you stop this madness.”
Her laughter pierced the air and into his marrow, morphing from a shrill laugh to a rasping, growling shriek. Zalina’s eyes glowed a haunting red, and her fingers elongated. Her skin turned to ashy pitch, like burnt birch, as her body expanded. Her face lengthened to that of a monster, scaled, with a sharp nose like an owl, massive eyes, and an abnormally large smile that spread from pointed ear to pointed ear. Six horns erupted around her head rising a foot behind her ears—they mimicked the crown she had worn in his imprisonment. Her body bent to reveal bat-like wings stretching from her back. She was more distorted, but less jagged than her horde of goblins, which looked like poor replications of her current monstrous form.
Her voice was now many voices, and she hissed like a snake. “My prince, you bring this upon your own people. Youwillmarry me in the end.” Her wings snapped as she spread them wide. “Marry me, and I’ll even spare your pretty princess.”
Rage boiled within him, and he stepped forward, slicing the air with his sword. “If you have harmed her, Zalina, I will end you. If you touch her again, it will be the last thing you ever do. This ends now.”
Zalina cackled. “So feisty, my prince. Come. Let’s dance.” Her mouth chomped twice with her too-many toothed grin, and she flapped her hideous wings.
Ew, please don’t marry that.Jax shook his large head side to side.
“Let’s get her,” Phineas growled. “Stop her. Save the kingdom. Easy.”
Killian snorted. “Easy.”
The monsters before them began to chant in a language that Killian didn’t know. The chant grew louder and louder, and they banged their shields and stomped as thunder rumbled above them.
Auntie Shou began to sing quietly beside him, her hands coated in a blue, smoky magic.
“Silent forest, blackened clouds, a squealing wind, then thunder sounds.
Coming, coming, coming fast. I do not think that I will last.
Bind the window, catch the latch, our little frame cannot be matched.
I will stand within the storm. I will go, she’ll not be torn.”
Killian repeated the last line in his mind.I will stand within the storm. I will go. She’ll not be torn.I will go. She’ll not be torn. I’m coming,Raela. With a cry, Killian raised his sword and charged the line.I will go.Clattering into the goblins, Killian slammed his sword through them, whipping them to the side as he spun and struck again, hitting the gems. The monsters disappeared in a puff of smoke as the gems broke. She’ll not be torn.Though the creatures were shorter than him, they were faster and stronger than they should be. He ripped out a dagger and flung it at a monster about to stab through Jax’s flank.
The fairies took to the sky on tiny iridescent wings. Auntie Shou’s blue-hued magic wrapped around the servants as she plucked them from the rabble and threw them into the fountain. Auntie Toru stood beside the water, coating the surface with pink. Auntie Mo surged through the forces, zapping and battering all within the reach of her green lightning-coated rolling pin. The monsters screamed in fury, and all was chaos.
Killian ran headlong through the melee, shoving creatures off the steps as he raced up to the door to get into the castle and stop Zalina. At the top, three large ogres waited with similar thorn marks on their faces, but no red gem. They wielded large stone columns ripped from the side of his castle. When they spotted Killian, they roared and battered all the creatures in front of them in their wild attempt to reach him. Killian tried to skirt around the edges of the horde, but goblins surged toward him, forcing him up to the balcony railing. He delicately hurried across, but one ogre slammed the column into the main stone bracer before him, forcing him to halt and nearly throwing him off the edge. The ogre wouldn’t let go of his weapon, so Killian ran up the column. He struck its temple with the pummel of his sword. As it fell, the creature spun around and knocked Killian in the chest with the back of its hand, sending him careening across the stone and right in front of another ogre.
This ogre grinned and lifted his massive stone weapon high before bringing it down on Killian. Killian rolled away and grabbed the creature’s leg. The ogre tried again to crush him, but Killian moved at the last second, and the ogre slammed the stone onto its own foot. Before Killian could feel the hope of success, the last ogre took hold of his ankle and dragged him up into the air. He wielded a large vase and brought it toward Killian, but blue magic wrapped it and tugged it farther up.
“Go, Killian, go!” Auntie Shou shouted as her wings beat against the effort of the ogre.
He bent at the waist, grabbed a small dagger from his boot and stabbed it into the beast’s wrist. The ogre tossed him, whipping wildly at Auntie Shou. Killian landed hard on the broken balcony, and the impact caused the ogre to stumble toward the edge. The rocks shook and heaved, and the far side of the balcony collapsed, taking the last ogre with it.
Scrambling toward the entrance as he held his bruised ribs, Killian looked over his shoulder. Auntie Shou had recovered and was already flying on her small iridescent wings back into the battle, batting down arrows aimed for her. Auntie Mo had taken to the air as well and was bludgeoning creatures from above. And Auntie Toru was guiding the castle staff on the ground toward safety, before returning to the fountain to heal others. Killian couldn’t see Jax or Phineas and was about turn back when he heard the familiar call to arms. The magic of the fountain must have worked. Soaked soldiers stood ready to fight with Phineas at the head and Jax beside him.
Go, Killian. Stop her!Jax snarled.
Killian sprinted away.
Chapter 23
Quit
Killian
Thecastlestillhadsome creatures to fight, as well as some illusioned staff that Killian disabled as gently as possible as he made his way up the floors. He slowed near the top of the third floor, panting and grasping his side where he had been hit by the ogre and thrown down hard onto the stone. His wrist ached, and his muscles were quaking with fatigue. His forearms were stinging at every cut that hadn’t fully healed from the thorns, weakening the strength of his grip.
