The Otherside: Alice: Tough Decisions (Book 6)

Early the next morning before everyone else got up, I kissed Trey goodbye and went back to my tent. I got myself ready for war. I put on a fresh pair of jeans and black long sleeved button down shirt. I didn’t want a skirt to get in my way. After I did that I met up with my aunt and we discussed a speech before war. And to be honest, I do not have the charisma of my mother. I am not good at making speeches; I didn’t think my aunt was much better. When the time came, I ended up winging it in a very awkward start.

“Today we are going to war with only the advantage of surprise. When saying that out loud, it does not sound like much at all really.” I saw a lot of nervous faces out there when I said that. I sighed. “I am being honest with you, the odds are not in our favor. The only advantage we have is surprise, but we are the voices of the people. Hell! We are the people of Otherside. This is a war of people versus the government. My mother did the same, with the same odds and look what happened? The people of Otherside were heard and a new reign came. We can do the same with hope, and drive to be heard! Let us push forward and fight! Let us get us our freedom, or die trying!”

After that we all began to march towards the castle. Faries, Orcs, Ogres, Elves, Vampires, Werewolves, Shapeshifters, Wizards and many other creatures walking together and about to fight together. A lot of progress has been made since my mother took reign, but it is not enough. The people are not being heard anymore and it has to change.

Once we got to the castle the battle promptly started. Most of the troops stayed and fought outside the castle. They cleared a path for Ace, Trey and his troops and I to get in. When we got in the castle there were more troops waiting for us. We all began to fight. Trying to get a path to the throne room, where my mother was. I was sticking close to Trey and Ace. They were helping me fight off all the people coming our way. Two swords came at me on my left and right. I shifted my hands to metal, caught the swords and shifted them into water. I shifted my hands back to normal, bended the water more into my hands and let them shift back to normal in my hands with the hilt of the swords in my hands. They were a little freaked out.

“Alice, save you magic for your mom!” Trey barked at me.

I started defending the best I could with the swords I acquired, but sadly my swordsman ship has not improved since the ship. I kept it up pretty long. Deflecting magic and weapons alike but I am not very good at it still. A fireball came from the right as a sword came from the left, but I missed the sword from behind. Trey managed to block it from me, but it went through his stomach.

I was freaking out in my head, but I couldn’t say a word. “This wouldn’t have happened if you would just let me help you.” I shook her voice out of my head as I focused my surroundings. Trey’s men circled in around us to defend. I bent down and began to heal his stomach. I didn’t realize I was crying until Trey reached his arm up while I was healing him and he wiped away some tears.

“I will be fine. Don’t worry, I have been through worse.” He said with a slight smile as he caressed my cheek with his hand. He started to sit up after he was healed and pulled me into a kiss. “Take Ace and go on without me. My troops and I will clear a path.”

“But...” I tried to protest.

He quickly put a finger to my lips. “No, I am injured. I will just get in your way if I went with. I will be fine.” he moved his finger off my lips.

I was pulled into one more kiss. He was safer with them than with me so I did not continue to argue. I got up and went to Ace and we pushed on through the doors to the throne room.

The moment we walked in, my mother turned around and the doors shut behind us (My mother was staring at a mirror). Right when I saw her face, I realized just how hard this is going to be. She looks just like my mother and yet her actions and words are not her. How was I supposed to kill the woman who is my mother. I realized I had a mental roadblock of trying to convince myself that she is not my mother anymore. Trying to grasp the truth that she never really was.

“Look who is finally here. It took you awhile to get a pathway through the guards.” she said with a genuine looking smile.

“Mother, just resign your position. That is all the rebellion wants. I really rather not have to fight you.”

“Why don’t you want to fight me? Are you scared you are going to lose?” her smile dropped and she walked closer to us.

“No, I don’t want to hurt you. You are my mother.” I could hear the sadness radiating from my voice.

“Aww... so sweet, but you will have to do more than hurt me to get my throne.” She replied as she drew up a fireball in one hand. “I see you brought Ace with you.” with her other hand she levitated Ace into a wall. “I would prefer that you and I settle this on our own though.” She shot a fireball my way and I quickly moved out of the way. I shot a fireball of my own back at her.

“Loveless told you how this fight would end between us. Why don’t you just resign?” I pleaded.

She caught my fireball in her hands and extinguished it. “Because I know the future has yet to be written.” Her eyes turned golden and I realized I lost her, there was no use trying to talk sense to her.

She levitated a stick she had laying on the table by her throne and shifted it into a pitch black sword. I shifted my arms into blades and we began to fight. She was on the offensive and I was more on the defensive, desperately trying to block her fury driven moves. I kept looking for openings and each time I hesitated too long.

“Let me help you.” My demon started up again. “No.” I said back to her in my mind. “You need a demon to defeat a demon.” “She is not a demon, she is my mother.” “I hate to break it to you, but she is not your mother anymore. She is Jay McClayn Hex’s Demon. She has wavering between herself and her demon for quite some time now and they have pretty much merged.” “That is why I will not let you help me. I will not let that happen to me.” “We will see...” I began to ignore my demon. She was distracting me from accurately defending.

“Hmm... pain in my arm. Looks like either your Aunt or Trey lost an arm.” my mother said with a smile as her sword was pressed up against my arms.

“What?” I asked confused.

“Did you not learn your history? I am connected with my family’s blood.” She said frustrated.

“I know that? I am just shocked you told me.”

“Don’t be, it’s a distraction.” She quickly backed her sword away from me, turned and nicked my right side with her sword.

I shifted my left arm back to normal and held it. Ace who was free for some reason ran over to me pulled a sword out from a portal. Did she lose use of her left arm? I began to question as I backed away. I shifted my other arm back to normal as Ace took over the fighting. I quickly tried to think of the best strategy. I couldn’t think of one so I thought I would wing it. I quickly made a fireball and shot it at her. Her attention moved from Ace, straight back to me. She sent Ace flying into the wall with a flick of her hand and she began running my way. When she got a few feet away, she fell to her knees. I looked over to Ace and notice he had cut deep into his legs. A tear rolled down his cheek. The look in his eyes screamed finish this. My mother threw a fireball as I was walking closer to her. I deflected it with wind from my hands. Once I got to her I shifted my right arm into a blade.

“It didn’t have to be like this.” I said detaching my heart from this situation. Trying to remember this woman never really loved me.

“Yes, it did.” she replied right as I sent my arm straight through her heart. “Thank you...” gasped out of her lips as her last words. Her eyes slowly faded to blue. I slid her off my arm and laid her flat on the ground. I shifted my arm back to normal, and closed her eyelids.

I began to run to Ace, but he yelled at me. “Don’t worry about me. Call out the window! Tell them it is over.”

I ran to the window and opened it. “The queen is dead!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. I then ran to the throne room doors and yelled out there the same. Word spread from there. The battle was over. While holding my side I grabbed help for Ace and then looked for Trey. He did lose his arm, but thankfully he knew where it was and it was going to be reattached. The rest of the day was the immediate aftermath of war, healing and getting things cleaned up.