The Queen's Flight (Emerging Queens) (22 page)

“I’m not all that eager to go either.”

“No, there’s a Queen in trouble.”

Sergei looked up from his phone. “What’s her name?”

“Viola. She’s in dire need of piña coladas.”

“No drinking, Mamacita.”

“Oh, right.” Viola grinned and hugged him hard. “I guess I’ll just have to settle for some Malabringo. A lot of it.”

“Is Malabringo a Spanish appetizer?”

“Not exactly. Anyway, we have to rescue this poor Queen. I’m thinking Miami Beach.”

“It sounds like an emergency.” Sergei caressed her arms. “Or is it a Babymoon?”

“It is. It’s a vacation until we need to gear up and find more Queens. Right, partner?”

“As my Queen and my love commands,” he said, revving the engine on the Harley.

“We can take the bike until it runs out of gas or our asses hurt too much and then fly the rest of the way,” she shouted over the pipes.

“Hang on.”

The Harley full out didn’t come close to the feeling of flying. But it was a lot more relaxing. Viola held on to her mate and let him take them to safety—and a lot of virgin cocktails and, of course, yarn.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Oh no,” Viola said.

“What?” Sergei answered over the roar of the bike.

But then the sun was blocked by two large dragons. Cassandra and Justice. Sergei flew off the bike and into the air. Viola shot forward to grab the handlebars of the Harley and pulled it over.

“No fighting,” she shouted, but she didn’t think they could hear her.

Shifting, Viola launched herself where the three dragons were circling each other. Her heads filled with the otherworldly presence of Kira and Amaranthe.

“What is the meaning of this?” Viola allowed Kira’s voice to thunder through. “You are violating treaty by attacking us in our region.”

“You have no region, sub-Queen,” Justice snarled, ducking Sergei’s tail.

Cassandra lunged for Sergei while he was distracted, but he punched her in the teeth.

“You’ll die for that,” Cassandra vowed.

“Halt.” It was Amaranthe’s turn and the sheer brutality of her magic sheered through the three dragons.

Justice recovered first. “How did you do that?” He shook his head to rid the aftereffects.

“Mate,” Amaranthe grunted.

“Oh, hell no,” Viola told her white horse head. “He’s an asshole.”

“Mine,” Amaranthe said, her voice brooking no argument.

“I have not felt such power in millennia. When I was young there was a Queen…”

“Niiti,” Amaranthe intoned.

“How do you know that name?” Justice choked out.

“Um,” Viola said. “Justice, this is Amaranthe.” She gestured to her head. “Insanely powerful and old Queen.”

“It can’t be.” Justice flew in and instinctively flinched back from Sergei’s tail. Amaranthe snapped her goat’s teeth at Sergei. “My love.”

“Kill the abomination,” Cassandra snarled. The wind whipped through her long whiskers and flailed around her head like a mad Medusa.

“You die first,” Kira said, speaking from the horse’s head.

“And you all know Kira,” Viola said.

Cassandra and Justice hung in the air as shock hit them harder than Amaranthe’s power blast had.

“She’s ba-ack,” Viola sing-songed. “And pretty pissed.”

“How can you house two long-dead Queens?” Justice tilted his head. “You must come to the elders’ council.”

“No, she is carrying my eggs. Let the council come to her,” Sergei commanded.

“My Queen, this changes things,” Justice said.

“This changes nothing.” Cassandra wheeled on Viola. “You destroyed my life.”

Viola blinked. “Which one of us? Kira—whom you ordered Sergei to kill?”

“You killed Kira?” Justice drew in a deep breath.

“Thanks,” Sergei said. “Not making the situation better,” he told her.

“I thought he was in on it.”

Sergei shook his head. “Just the other five Queens.”

“Blasphemy!” Cassandra said. “Justice, execute him.”

“No,” Amaranthe rolled out.

Justice nodded. “As my Queen commands.”

Viola tensed, but instead of attacking Sergei, Justice flew to Viola, closer to Amaranthe’s head. “Or did Amaranthe ruin your life, Cassandra, by breaking free in your keep after you allowed another Queen to die.”

“My keep,” Amaranthe said, nuzzling Justice’s cheek. “Not hers.”

“Yuck. Stop that. That’s still my head. And I don’t like Justice,” Viola said to her.

Anger pooled and the skies shuddered.

“Maybe you should reconsider,” Sergei said, glancing up at the black storm clouds.

“All right. All right. No tongue kissing.”

“Ours is beyond a physical relationship,” Justice said.

“Well, thank Nidhogg for small favors,” Sergei muttered.

Cassandra’s flanks heaved as she seethed.

“Three dragons against one. Five if you count Kira and Amaranthe,” Viola said.
Seven if you count the babies.
Viola hovered far above the ground and faced off against the evil bitch that tortured Sergei. And she was winning. Cassandra was going down.

“Hatchlings,” Amaranthe grunted.

“Quiet,” Sergei hissed.

But Cassandra took no notice. “My chemist, your wretched father, has disappeared. He is mine to command.” Cassandra zoomed around. “When I find him, I will rip his limbs off.”

“Actually, he’s with the Order of Dragon Slayers. I’m pretty sure they’ll have something to say if you mess with him.” Viola didn’t even turn her head.

“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?” Cassandra screeched.

“I’m getting there.” Viola reached out to hold Sergei’s hand. “Begone witch, you have no power here. Take your flying monkey over here and fuck off.”

“Stays,” Amaranthe said.

“Seriously?” Viola looked over in disgust.

“You’d be untouchable with him as a Protector,” Sergei said.

“Until he decides to chop our heads off.”

“I would not risk my Queen,” Justice said.

But Cassandra wasn’t done ranting. “You turned the Queens against me. They think I’m a monster.”

Viola sighed. “You are a monster. The young Queens aren’t dumb.”

“I demand retribution.”

“What do you want from me? I have an alpaca farm and some sheep.” That and Sergei were all she wanted.

As if Cassandra could read her mind she said, “I want Sergei dead.”

“Get in line,” he said.

Kira nodded the white horse head.

“He killed a Queen. It is our law. He dies.” Cassandra smirked.

“You ordered him to do it. You die,” Viola shouted.

Kira nodded again. “Either would be acceptable.”

“Prove it. Who’s going to take his word over four Queens?” Cassandra snarled triumphantly.

“That’s for the Conclave to decide,” Viola said. “You can have your say next year when we all meet. And I bet the two hundred other Queens will outvote you four crones.”

“Hmmm,” Cassandra said, and the reasonable sound chilled Viola more that her ranting. “Justice, you will come with me now.”

Amaranthe growled and the sky crackled with lightning. “Stays.”

“I cannot leave unattended. If you keep Justice, I keep Sergei.”

“Like that’s going to happen. You can fly with us to the farm and call some studs to pick you up,” Viola said.

“It doesn’t quite work that way. Justice is a very valuable resource. I’ll allow you to keep him.”

Amaranth snorted.

“But I request an equal trade.”

“You can’t have Sergei,” Viola said.

“All right,” Cassandra said, again in that reasonable tone. “Then I will claim one of his eggs.”

Sergei held Viola back from lunging at her.

“It is in her right. You owe her a stud. If you don’t have one, she is in her right to request an egg,” Justice said.

Amaranthe and Kira were in agreement.

“No.” Viola shook her head.

“I’ll go,” Sergei said.

“No. I’ll fight you. I’ll get studs. By the time they’re born, I’ll have a bunch of studs.”

“Then Justice comes with me now,” Cassandra said.

“No,” Amaranthe said.

Viola knew she couldn’t force Amaranthe. “I’ll call the embassy. Reed will back me.”

Cassandra shook her head.

“Justice?” Viola glanced over at him for confirmation.

“Reed would side with Cassandra. Give her an egg. You’ll have more.”

She would have gone for Justice then, but Amaranthe held her immobile.

“Look at me,” Sergei said.

Viola could barely see through the sheen of tears, but Amaranthe let her move.

“I love you.” He nuzzled her center head. The goat and the horse heads moved as far away as possible.

“Who cares?” Cassandra laughed.

“She hasn’t won,” he told her.

“Don’t go, please,” Viola cried. “We’ll figure something out.”

“I won’t risk my children. Not in her keep. I won’t put you through that. I love you too damn much.”

“Release him, Viola,” Cassandra said. “He cannot disobey you.”

“Can a Queen kill another Queen?” Viola glared at Cassandra over Sergei’s shoulder.

“It is death to kill a Queen,” Justice said.

“Only if you’re caught,” Viola said. “I can’t choose between you and my son. Sergei, do as you will.”

Sergei nodded but when he went to fly off, Viola clutched his arm. “Do. As. You. Will.”

Justice inhaled sharply.

“As my Queen commands,” Sergei responded.

Justice opened his mouth to say something, but Amaranthe blasted him senseless and his head cracked back.

Sergei kissed Viola one last time. She felt the desperation and the slight bit of hope. He had to understand what she wanted him to do. She ached when he pulled back and left her. Would she ever see him again?

Viola watched them fly off until they were dots in the sky.

“She’ll kill him,” Justice said. “She won’t risk having him put on trial at the Conclave. These new Queens could topple the old.”

Viola didn’t say anything, just flew home to the farm.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Viola shifted immediately and got on the phone to the embassy. But Reed confirmed everything Justice had said. Justice, who had scared her alpacas into a frenzy, was making calls of his own. Pretty soon the entire elder council was circling the farm.

“You’re terrifying them,” she told the tremendous beings that shook the earth when they landed. Niall was the only familiar face. The five other members were ugly, scarred Celtics. They stared at her like she was a sideshow freak, until she went back into dragon form. Then they bowed to her.

“You.” Viola pointed to a blue dragon with enormous horns.

“Yes, my Queen.”

“Fly to Cassandra and offer to serve her in exchange for Sergei.”

The blue looked around. “She doesn’t have to accept my service, but I will do as the Queens command.”

Less than an hour later, she felt a tear in the weave. Viola steeled herself against the power vacuum that hammered into her. She refused to look. She knew what she would see staring back at her. It took another day before the blue dragon came back, unable to find Cassandra.

“Keep looking,” Viola said, and picked up her knitting.

The next day the blue returned and Sergei was with him.

“Sergei,” she breathed and launched into the air.

He hugged her and they tumbled around the sky kissing each other.

“Are you all right?” she asked, refusing to let him go.

“I am, but I’m afraid Cassandra is dead.”

Viola went to say something, but he crushed his mouth on hers until they landed. She needed him more than air, more than the need to know what happened. Her mate was back and nothing would separate them again.

“I will accept that,” Kira whispered in their ears.

“My keep is mine again,” Amaranthe said.

“What is this we hear?” Niall boomed out. Viola shrank back from his immense presence. She regretted shifting to human, but she wanted to hold Sergei in her arms.

“It is with great sadness, All Knowing,” Sergei bowed his head in reverence, “that I must tell you Cassandra is dead.”

“Who killed her? And were you her Protector at the time?”

Viola felt ice chill her all over. She had forgotten that part.

“She was killed by the Cult of Humanity. But I was not her Protector. She had asked for me, merely to prove a point to Viola. She had flown on ahead, and when they attacked, I was too late to save her. I stopped them before they could take her body to perform the ritual one.”

“Did you purify the scene with fire?” One of the elders, a red Celtic asked.

“I did.”

“Viola, is what he says true?” Niall turned his golden stare on her.

Viola closed her eyes and waved her hands around. She didn’t gaze into the weave, but she could still feel a pair of eyes looking at her from the beyond. The gaping hole she sensed was stitching itself back up. Soon Cassandra would be absorbed in the weave, now that the Cult’s spell that had trapped the Queens was destroyed.

“Yes, and Kira says that justice is done. Cassandra killed her.”

The elders frowned and talked among themselves. Only Justice glared at her. She waited for him to call her out on her lie. To name Sergei as the murderer. But he didn’t. Still she felt judged and accepted the guilt. While she didn’t directly command Sergei to kill Cassandra, she knew what he would do if given the opportunity. Did that make her as bad as Cassandra? Not yet, but a part of her felt she made a turn that she could never return from. She could live with that, if it kept Sergei by her side and her eggs safe.

Epilogue

One year later

Viola was ready to knock on the door to her parents’ house when the door was flung open.

“Where are my grandbabies?” Her mother cooed, plucking the two little dragons out of Sergei’s arms.

“Francine, let them come through the door first,” her father said and opened the door wider to welcome them in.

But her mother had already left them on the doorstep while she brought little Ivan and Tatiana up to Viola’s old room. A room that was now redecorated into a dragon nursery.

“You know, for someone who hates dragons so much, she’s definitely come around.” Viola peered up the stairs, listening to the sound of her mother singing a lullaby.

“She still hasn’t warmed up to me,” Sergei said.

“That’s because she still hasn’t forgiven you for whapping her upside the head with your tail in the hospital room.” Viola followed her father into the kitchen and sat down.

Sebastian was making a turkey dinner, for no other reason than it was Sunday and she was coming to visit. It hadn’t been all roses and candy for her mother and Viola these last few months. But it was nice to get to a point where there weren’t any more accusations and general nastiness going on—thanks to the transformative power of grandchildren.

“Did she ever sing to me like that?” Viola asked.

Sebastian took a great interest in basting the bird. “I’m sure she did,” he hedged.

“I didn’t think so.” Viola’s head reared back as a vision suddenly over took her.

Help me.

Another Queen was in danger. But Viola had her own team now, and with the help of Kira, Amaranthe, and Justice, this Queen, like all the others, was as good as rescued.

“Uh, Dad, we’ve got to go,” Viola said, gathering Sergei up with a look. “Is it okay if we leave the twins here for a few hours?”

“Your mother will be thrilled,” he said. “Do you need any help?”

“Nah,” Viola said, clasping Sergei’s hand. “We’ve got this.”

The End

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