Queen Witch Page 11

  Laken smiled. “We’ll meet you back at the palace when it’s over.”

  I nodded in return, then Gage and I started walking home.

  He put his arm around my shoulders and gently caressed my skin.

  My heart immediately perked up, flooding my system with adrenaline and hope.

  “You’re too stressed,” he said quietly. “So what do you usually do to relax around here?”

  I pushed my luck and leaned into him, still snuggling Catfish. “Lie on the beach in the sun, swim in the palace pool, create some sort of art....”

  “Art?”

  “Yeah, especially seashell mosaics.”

  “What do they look like?”

  I smiled up at him. “Come on, and I’ll show you.”

  At the palace, we strolled down some long walkways and in between tall pillars. Large potted plants dotted the corners, adding a splash of vivid color in the form of daggered palm leaves. I turned onto a wide marble staircase and led him upstairs.

  “I keep my artwork in my room,” I said, as we approached the door. My heart raced as I became acutely aware of our soon-to-be setting. I put Catfish on the floor and pushed through the door.

  Everything was clean and pristine. A mixture of creamy sandstone, fresh white linens, and numerous shades of turquoise décor gave the whole space a definite beachy vibe. Add in the seashell artwork I’d meticulously placed on the walls, and I might have passed for a mermaid out of water.

  Gage walked up to the biggest piece—a blue whale made of empty scallops—and carefully ran his fingers across the shimmery shells.

  “This is stunning,” he said, spinning around to face me in awe. “How long did this take you?”

  “A few months,” I admitted with a smile. I walked over too. “This one with the kissing fish was one of my first.”

  He grinned and slowly walked around, carefully examining each piece up close before moving on to the next and showing just as much interest as before.

  When he was finished, he nodded and sat down on my bed. “I can see how piecing those together might be therapeutic. Just looking at them is soothing.”

  And looking at you in my bed is stimulating.

  “Nice, Eliza,” Catfish said flatly. “Nice.”

  I glared at him as he curled up in Gage’s lap.

  “You know what?” I said, about to annoy my cat. “I’m ready for that swim in the palace pool. Are you?”

  Catfish’s eyes widened. “What? No!”

  But I wasn’t talking to him.

  Gage bit his lip and tried to keep his eyes from roving over my body. He failed, and I smirked. Every inch of control he lost was an inch I gained. Which was a good thing, since I truly wanted this fated relationship to work. We needed to have that chemistry.

  I gestured toward the door. “There are spare swimsuits and trunks in the pool house. The royal family is always prepared to entertain guests.”

  “I see,” he said, standing and following me into the hallway. “Well then, thank you, your highness.”

  I shoved him off-balance and we both laughed.

  When we entered the pool room, Gage’s mouth fell open.

  It was more like a lagoon than a pool, with its tropical blue waters, exotic flowers, and natural rock fixtures holding miniature streams and waterfalls. Glass panes in the ceiling allowed the midday sunlight to stream through, and open archways on each side allowed the ocean breezes to keep the space from getting humid.

  I pointed to a folding screen room divider. “You can get dressed over there.” Then I pointed to one on my side. “I’ll be over here.”

  When we were each behind our respective shades, he said, “So what do you think about all of this?”

  I frowned, shimmying out of my dress. “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know. All of this. Do you think your sister is raising the dead because she’s trying to bring back her long-lost boyfriend?”

  I grabbed a pair of bikini bottoms and slid them on. “It crossed my mind. But she couldn’t be—we never found his body.”

  Gage paused. “Then how do you know he’s dead?”

  “Because the Rebels claimed the kill.”

  “He was murdered?”

  I nodded, then realized Gage couldn’t see my head. “Yes.”

  “So who the hell are these Rebels?”

  I grabbed a top that went with the bottoms I’d chosen and started tying it up. “They’re citizens of the Outlands. Technically a part of our kingdom, but mostly anarchistic. They’re a highly trained group of assassins who appear to have no rhyme or reason to choosing their targets.”

  Gage chuckled darkly. “There’s always a reason.”

  “Well, we don’t know it, then.”

  I walked out from behind the shade to find Gage already sitting by the water.

  When he saw me, his eyes widened. To keep from staring, he dragged his gaze to the water before us, but he couldn’t seem to keep it there.

  “It might be worth looking into,” he said, peeking up at me. “The Rebels.”

  “You think Nerissa will target them with any zombies she creates?”

  “I mean, I probably would if I was her. I’d want vengeance.”

  I toed the water. It was warm as honey, so I started wading in. “But why raise the dead to attack them? Why not just hire someone, or use your own extraordinary magical abilities?”

  Gage followed me deeper into the pool. “Yeah. And if these assassins are actually as depraved as you say, then... should we even intervene?”

  I dunked underwater just long enough to wet my hair. “Surely you’re not suggesting that we sit back and do nothing as my sister creates an army of the dead?”

  He shrugged. “What if she’s not creating an army? What if it’s just the one?”

  “Even still. Its dark magic, and it cannot be tolerated. A dark witch absolutely cannot sit on the throne.”

  “So you become Queen Witch. No matter the cost.”

  I nodded. “I just think the ‘cost’ won’t be what I was expecting.”

  He dunked underwater, then shook out his hair. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, I used to think I’d have to do what Nerissa did—siphon energy out of innocent animals and humans in order to win. But now.... Do you remember what the Blood Witch said at the cove? ‘You cannot defeat darkness with the dimmest shadow’ or something like that. I think what she means is, I can’t beat Nerissa by using normal magic, even if it is the mildest kind. I think I need to start using and perfecting light magic, magic that stems from within me.”

  Gage nodded his agreement. “I still think you need to learn how to throw a decent punch, but if you’d rather, I can help you practice this new magic instead?”

  I cocked my head, almost dipping my ear into the water. “How so?”

  “I can be your practice target.”

  “Uh, no, bad idea.”

  “Why? It’s not like you’ll be throwing curses at me. It’s light magic, right?”

  I pursed my lips and thought. “I suppose....”

  He patted his chest. “Pretend I’m Nerissa. I just passed you in a race. What are you gonna do?”

  I swam a leisurely circle around him as I considered his question and came up with a spell.

  “I’d probably say something like: magic light within my soul, give me speed to reach this goal?”

  The magic responded, and I quickly started swimming laps around Gage, forming waves throughout the pool.

  He bobbed up and down on the surf with an excited smile on his face. “That’s awesome!”

  When I stopped swimming, I instantly got a headache. I squinted my eyes shut and squeezed my brows together.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, paddling over to me.

  I shook my head, instantly regretting the motion.

  “Headache,” I said, not even trying to open my eyes. “That must be the price.”

  “The price?”

  I nodded. “All
magic has a price.”

  “Well then, this is going to be harder than I thought.”

  I peeked over at him. “What do you mean?”

  “Light magic is only good for one spell before you’re incapacitated. How will you defeat your sister with one spell?”

  I forced a gentle smile. “I won’t. I’ll have to get better at it, so that I can use more magic before the headaches come.”

  He still looked terribly concerned and more than a little doubtful.

  “Just give me a few minutes for this pain to clear up, and we’ll try again. Until then, why don’t you tell me about being the dragon chief’s son?”

  He chuckled, to my relief, and those sexy dimples appeared in his cheeks.

  “There’s not much to tell. I just kinda flew around doing whatever I wanted.”

  His answer wasn’t enough. I wanted more. Wanted to truly know him.

  “Tell me about your world, then. Is it very different from mine?”

  He shook his head. “Yes and no. The clothing is different, and the way you rule is different. But the technology is similar, and the magic seems equivalent.”

  I frowned, treading water with the least amount of effort as possible. “But, I thought your civilization was a little... archaic.”

  He laughed. “You mean you thought we weren’t civilized at all?”

  “I mean... kind of, yeah.” Embarrassment flushed my cheeks. “My first and only impression was of wild dragons and tribal warriors.”

  “Those guys were extremists,” he said, grinning and shaking his head. “They moved into the wild to live like their ancestors. They’ve even forsaken technology in the name of naturalism, or some shit.”

  “Well,” I said, completely taken off guard. “That paints a totally different picture in my mind.” Speaking of, I noticed my headache had faded. “Wanna give me another light magic task?”

  “Sure.” Then his blue eyes lit up. “Put a spell on me that lets me breathe underwater.”

  I cocked my head. “I don’t know how long it’ll last... but I can try.”

  “Awesome! Okay, I’m ready.”

  “Um....” I thought for a moment as I figured out a spell. “Magic light from deep inside, let him breathe the salty tide?”

  Sparkling energy swirled around my body, instantly giving me another throbbing headache, then zoomed over to him.

  “Yes!” he cheered. But he only stared at the water, possibly trying to pep talk himself into actually doing it.

  It made me giggle.

  He rubbed his hands together. “All right, here we go. I got this. Three, two, one!”

  He dunked under the water just as the Blood Witch hijacked my vision.

  “This is the beginning of the Fifth Trial,” she said, against a backdrop of swirling stars. “You will soon be transported to an isolated location.”

  Immediately, a vortex of fluctuating colors whirled around me, pulling on me from every direction like it had the past few times I’d experienced it. Her face remained in the foreground of it all, smiling pleasantly.

  “This is also a partner trial,” she said, as I landed at the top of a crumbling tower in the middle of a desert. “You have one goal.

  “Save your prince.”

  Chapter 17

  I gazed out across the desert. Oh, fuck. He could literally be anywhere....

  A loud groan and the low rumble of growling resounded from downstairs.

  Or he’s right below me.

  I took the spiral steps so quickly, I felt like I was flying. When I reached the bottom, though, I stopped dead in my tracks, instantly gutted by the horrifying scene before me. My skin went cold. It was like all color had drained from my body.

  Blood pooled on the dusty floor, streaming between the grasses that poked up between the old stone tiles. It dripped down the side of a rough stone bed and puddled at the top where Gage lay clenching his teeth and clutching his side. He’d been stabbed.

  I sprinted over, unsure if I should even touch him. He’d lost so much blood already.

  “Oh, my God, Gage! Hang in there, baby, I’m gonna....” I looked around for some options, suddenly feeling faint. There was a thorny cactus growing wild in the corner. “I’m gonna fix you right up, okay?”

  “Okay,” he said, through gritted teeth.

  Sweat dripped down the small of my back as I quickly thought up a spell.

  “Cactus with a desert flower, bless him with your healing power.” I moved my hands from the plant over to Gage, but no magic followed. The cactus hadn’t disintegrated.

  Panic welled in my veins.

  “Eliza,” Gage groaned, trying to roll onto his side. “Use your light magic.”

  Of course! That must’ve been exactly what I needed to do.

  “Okay, okay. Powers that inside me dwell, heal my prince so all is well.”

  Again, I aimed my hands at Gage, but again, nothing happened. No magic formed. Neither did the headaches.

  “I don’t know what’s going on!” I shouted, feeling the pressure and frustration.

  If I didn’t figure something out soon, he would die. His side was still gushing out blood. The scarlet pool on the floor was spreading.

  “It’s okay,” he said, trying to reassure me. But the weakness in his tone only ratcheted up my terror by at least ten notches. I couldn’t lose him.

  I quickly reassessed our surroundings. It was like an abandoned desert outpost. Militant in its simplistic design. Everything was bare except for a few used goblets, an empty stone basin for washing, and a shabby vase of wilted yellow flowers tucked into a dusty corner.

  Maybe there was a medicine kit in the cupboards?

  I rifled through, toppling over unmarked spices, some jarred staples with a long shelf life, and packets of freeze-dried essentials, but I found nothing useful. My whole body tensed as defeat drew near.

  How was I supposed to win this trial without magic? The thought of losing Gage, even within a vision, was unspeakable. It cut me open, brought every emotion I had for him to the surface, and doused them all in stinging salt.

  I took a deep breath. What were my options? I couldn’t use magic for some fucked-up reason. There was no medicine. Nothing to stitch him back up with.

  Gage moaned faintly from the cot.

  Come on, Eliza, think! You’re a witch. What, other than magic, would make a witch qualified to compete in this trial?

  I stared at the half-empty goblets. Then up at the unmarked spices. Then over to the stone basin. And finally to the wilted flowers.

  Potions! Witches could brew potions!

  I rushed over to Gage, carefully avoiding his blood on the floor.

  “Hold on just a little longer, okay?” I said, putting a palm to his forehead. It was covered in sweat and hot as a branding iron. He groaned, but I was certain he hadn’t even heard me.

  I was running out of time.

  I hurried back to the counter and began sniffing the items. With no labels, smell was the only hope I had. I wouldn’t put it past the Blood Witch to include poison in one of these goblets just for shits and giggles.

  Fast as I could, I gathered the best items for the job—a jar of pickles, for the vinegar; some powdered garlic spice; and every last flower from the vase. I found a lighter next to a crumpled pack of cigarettes, gathered up some dry desert shrubbery and dead grasses, and lit a fire under the stone basin. I added some wine from the goblet—the only liquid I could find—and waited for the mixture to bubble.

  In the meantime, I tried to remember anything more that I could about potion ingredients. I knew certain items were better than others, stronger. Like moth wings, or raven claws. I also knew certain things enhanced even weaker potions. Like eye of newt, or tongue of yak. But I was pretty sure it was the sacrifice part that really gave it that extra zing, not necessarily the ingredients in and of themselves.

  I could always run outside and see if I could scoop up a scorpion? Or maybe a snake? Just the thought gave me chil
ls, but I’d do it for that incredible guy literally dying on the cot. I was falling in love with him, I could tell by the all-encompassing pain that coursed through my body at the merest thought of losing him.

  He’d stuck by me, even after he was ripped from his world and thrown into mine, saved me from my sister, her merc of a prince, and a freshly risen zombie, helped me train—physically and magically—and had been there to hold me after every single tear-streaked trial. He deserved the very best I had to offer, no matter what it was.

  Even if it was my own blood.

  The stone basin began to steam, not quite bubbling. I had just enough time to search for a knife. Thankfully, as a military outpost, there were plenty of weapons stashed in dark corners. Taking a curvy one with an ivory hilt, I tested it by poking my palm with the tip. It was dull, and stung despite the fact that I hadn’t even drawn blood. Great.

  “First place. Maren Strand.”

  My eyes widened. Go, Maren! Oddly enough, I wasn’t resentful or threatened by her outdoing me. Someone had to beat Nerissa; may as well be one of us.

  I glanced over at Gage, but he wasn’t moving. My heart instantly stopped.

  “Gage? Gage!”

  But he didn’t answer. I wasn’t even sure if his chest was still rising and falling.

  “No, no no no,” I cried, and quickly dragged the blade across my palm. It cut deeper than I meant it to. Blood welled up and gushed out, trailing along the floor until I moved it above the basin.

  The potion immediately hissed and puffed, changing colors from a muddy brown into an ethereal purple. It would be blazing hot, no doubt scalding his throat the whole way down, but I was completely out of time. I snatched up an empty goblet and scooped out some of the brew, blowing on it to cool it as best I could as I brought it over to him.

  His lips were pale, and his closed eyes looked sunken.

  Please don’t let this be too late....

  I tipped his head back and parted his lips, then slowly started pouring the blazing hot liquid in. He didn’t swallow. It pooled in his mouth, then ran out the side, dripping to the floor where it mixed with his blood.

  “Trial Complete,” the robotic voice announced.

  Immediately, I was magically transported to the Parliament building.