SWNOVELS Queens and Monsters: Chapter 43
Dray wore the magnificent Wren armor. Everyone wore armor. Even me. It wasn’t as fancy as my ancestral Axl armor, but the loner Wren armor was pretty sweet. Gold that molded to my breasts and chest, black leather that bound around my body, and the distinctive blue fabric of the House of Wren. I matched Gigi, Leena, and all the other females.
“It’s protective,” Dray murmured, his voice rumbling the air between us as he checked my straps for the third time. He let me give him a once-over too. “All of it. Even the fabric.”
I knew all this, but it made him feel better to repeat it all.
Again.
I put a calming hand on his arm, just above the wrist guards. “I will be fine.”
He froze, grunted one more time, and then kissed the hell out of me. I seriously forgot anyone else existed but Dray. My entire body and soul electrified, heated, surged. My damn toes curled. So did my fingers, which dug into some leather. The pain brought me back.
Dray pressed his forehead against mine, eyes screwed shut, my face a prisoner in his hands. “I love you, Rhysa. Don’t get dead.”
“I love you too, Dray. I’d appreciate it if you stayed alive as well.”
He smiled and blinked his eyes open, locking with mine like a tractor beam that took my breath away…and maybe a little of my soul. Dray stepped back, eyes still on me as he bellowed. “Move out!”
Gigi took my hand as Dray shifted away. “We’re getting through this.”
I felt the distance grow between my body and Dray’s. “I know.”
“That’s why it’s so important we do what we do.”
Guilt pinged in my gut again. “Are you sure about this Lady Violet?”
“You’re Lady Violet in this scenario.”
“What does that make you?” In Crows at Midnight Lady Violet went in alone.
Gigi shrugged. “This isn’t a book. This is real life.”
That’s what was so scary. The consequences were incredibly real. “Then let’s just hope our Agnes doesn’t have other plans.”
Gigi wrinkled her nose. “Leena’s at work already.”
“How do you know?” I didn’t see or feel anything from the Plane and I was tapped right in. My finger was solidly in the light socket and I planned on keeping it there until we were done with the little ill-advised adventure.
“Sisters. Oh…she’s good.” Gigi’s eyes unfocused. “One time she convinced me I had terrible acne for a week. I kept scrubbing my face. Samhain don’t even get acne all that often but I was completely convinced my whole face was covered in giant red pimples.”
“That sounds like an interesting gift to have.” I could only imagine what I would have done with an ability like that as a child, moving from home to home, constantly dealing with new people and kids.
“She was a jerk as a kid. Not so much as an adult. I guess she got her evil tricks out of her system.”
“Isn’t this an evil trick?”
Gigi blinked back into focus and turned to me. “There’s nothing evil about this. A trick yes, but not evil. And I’m not even sure I’d call it a trick. It’s a good plan that Dray can’t comprehend.”
“You said it yourself. He’s our general and we’re disobeying his orders.” My chest flushed as the guilt detonated.
Gigi sighed dramatically in a way only she could pull off. On anyone else it would be annoying, but from her it was borderline adorable. “Rhysa…you said yourself that we’re walking into the unknown and you have the ability to level the playing field. Let’s level that playing field.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and grumbled. “Fine. Let me know when.”
At least I’d look good while doing this. The mystery part of this wasn’t to my liking, but the cosplay part was spot on. I drew my sword and admired the blade. “I can’t believe you all dress and fight like this.”
“Guns are for humans. Once you see what we’re up against, you’ll understand.” She took in a sharp breath. “Dray’s taking the bait. He’s…excited.”
“Should we go?” My heart had already started thumping twice as hard and fast.
“Yes. Now!”
We grabbed hands and shifted to the side gate near the Dreg barracks. I picked this place for its location. My hope was they’d detect us quickly and come running. The least amount of time behind enemy lines.
But as soon as we materialized I fell to my knees. Gigi came down beside me clutching her ears. “What’s wrong?” She stared at me wide-eyed.
The world kept shifting and tilting. Like there was no up or down. As if gravity had left us and now we were hurtling through space, except according to my eyes–when they focused–we were on the ground. “I don’t know. I’m spinning?”
“Same. I’m going to puke I think. Ugh. When I close my eyes it’s the same!”
I tried to ground in the Plane, but as I reached for the center I realized it was gone too. My finger was no longer in the plug. “Can you tap the Plane?”
“No! Oh my! What in the hell is happening?”
The Plane was just…gone. All I felt was air, all I heard were birds and distant wind rustling leaves. When I tried to shift I lost all sense of direction. “Is there…is there a dome over the house?” As I tried to probe for something, anything, familiar, the house struck me as extra strange. I could sense nothing from it. If I didn’t see it with my own eyes I’d think it was gone.
“It does feel like it’s inside a snow globe.”
It was as good a description as any. “Where is everyone?” Even though the world kept spinning I was starting to get some bearings. I didn’t see any Dregs or anyone else coming for us.
Gigi shook her head. “I don’t feel anyone. No one. There should be thousands of Dregs. Axls. Did they leave?”
“No.” I froze in terror as something emerged from the trees. It wasn’t human or samhain. It looked half dead. At the same time a dozen or so members of the House of Axl came storming out behind him, swords drawn. “We need to leave!”
I tried to shift but nothing happened.
“I can’t!” Gigi gasped. “I can’t! We’re so fucked!”
The half dead thing lurched towards us. Its eyes locked with mine. Black and empty. A sense of death hit me like a punch. There was no way I was letting this be the end. I promised Dray I’d stay safe. Getting killed by going behind his back only to be killed by an undead thing was not an option. I grabbed Gigi and used our physical connection to reach out and find the Plane. The moment I felt it I shoved Gigi into it. I didn’t know what would happen, only that instinct told me it was the only solution.
She hurtled away from me, shocked and reaching back like she could catch my hands and yank me along with her. Except instead we flew apart. With the same speed and power that sent Gigi away from the House of Axl, it sent me toward it. I lost my breath as I hit and passed through something that felt like an invisible wall, slamming into an actual wall inside the mansion. It hurt and pain shot up my spine and blinded me with white for a moment.
When I hit the ground more pain shot up my legs. I crumpled, gasping for breath. At least I was away from that thing. And maybe Lou was somewhere in here. That was the whole point of coming. And Gigi was safe.
Things weren’t all bad.
Then I looked around and changed my mind.