Tiernan raced toward the village, dragging the soldier with him. I watched for a second, noting where our possessed soldiers stood on the field. A few had been knocked unconscious and were being carried back to the village, but the others had turned on their comrades and were chasing them.
I withdrew the Light from my sword, sheathed it, and removed my sword belt. Tossing it aside, I cracked my neck. I was done playing.
Tiernan reached the village, and only then did he notice I wasn't with him. He set the knight down and headed back for me. A glance told me I had a narrow window of time between the free soldiers making it to the village and the possessed getting there with the briar warriors. But I was a Twilight fairy, and I understood the in-between better than others. I flung out my hand, projecting a wall of Light between the two forces. As it swept out, I saw movement through the haze.
After it settled, Tiernan stood on the wrong side—with me.
“Damn it, Tiernan!” I shouted. “You were supposed to be behind the ward!”
Luckily, I hadn't sealed the ward yet. It was only a wall.
“No! Not yet, Seren!” Tiernan shouted and ran for a possessed Seelie soldier.
With a grimace, I pushed the Light into a sphere, protecting the soldiers within the village. Tiernan thought I was going to blast the battlefield with some of our soldiers still on it. But I would never sacrifice innocent people just to win a war. I know. That's what rulers do. It's part of commanding. But there was a difference between sending soldiers to fight and murdering them because they were in your way.
He'd figure out my plan soon enough.
I didn't have time to get undressed. What a shame. I really liked my pants. Oh, well. Picturing the form I wanted to take, I summoned my Demon magic. My poor clothing burst apart as my body grew—horns spearing up from my elongating head, claws spearing out of my broadening hands, scales lifting from my hardening skin, wings sprouting from my lengthening back, and an enormous tail extending from my spine. Lifting my crystalline head, I roared.
The Bramble Legion and its new stolen soldiers went still. Tiernan backed away, finally comprehending. Sunlight glinting off my opalescent scales, I rushed through the mass of briar warriors, knocking aside the Seelie soldiers to send them crashing into my ward. Most of the stolen Seelie passed out, some just sprawled against the ward and groaned, but they all got taken out of the equation.
With them out of the way, I could focus on the Bramble Legion. I took a deep breath, my magic shifting to accommodate my new form. The briar warriors rushed me. Spreading my wings, I angled my dragon head down and breathed Light over them.
Gone. In an instant. No silver clouds, no sparks. Nothing. Raza was right—when in doubt, go dragon.
But when I looked up, I found the King of the Garden standing at the edge of the forest, calmly watching me. I had obliterated his forces, but it meant nothing. Because they were nothing but extensions of the Garden. Roots sent forth to find sustenance. Cut too many roots, and the plant will sicken. But this was an entire garden. It could spare a lot of roots.
I stepped toward the forest, the ground trembling beneath my talons and my tail swishing in anticipation.
“Where do you think you're going, my Dragon Queen?” Tiernan stepped up beside me.
“To finish this.”
“Not without me, you're not.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
The King vanished as we reached the forest. I wasn't worried. I knew where he was going. But I couldn't go further as I was. Not if I didn't want to damage the forest.
My Demon magic gave me Djinn-level shapeshifting. I could be anything. Only my imagination limited me. But only I transformed, not my clothing. So, when I shifted back to myself, I had to add clothing and armor formed of Light. I wasn't about to face King Crybaby naked.
Holding his Light-coated sword aloft, Tiernan moved up beside me, and we entered the forest. I was a mini-sun in that leaf-dimmed world, shining on things that had never seen so much light. Insects and small animals scurried off while birds took flight. The scent of green things—both growing and decaying—filled my nose. It calmed me. Without Danu, this was the closest I could get to her. Real plant life, not darkness given form.
The King waited for us at the tunnel entrance, on the other side of my barrier.
Tiernan gave me a look.
“Yeah, I see it.” I motioned and released the magic. “At least I know it will stand for as long as I need it to.”
“Yes, it stood. It was just useless.”
I stuck my tongue out at him.
Tiernan's shocked and joyful expression made my chest twinge. Why was he so happy? Ah, yes. It was something I'd do when not numbed by the Garden. I grinned at him, but it felt forced, and his smile faded.
As did the King.
I looked from Tiernan to the empty cave and stepped forward. “All right, my King of Hearts, let's follow the White Rabbit.”
