Feyland: The Dark Realm

Chapter Thirty-Four

Something was wrong. Jennet felt it in the stares of the watching creatures, in the way her soul flickered within its imprisoning sphere. But most of all, she felt it when she looked at Tam.

He watched the queen with a determined expression, but underneath that was a yearning that scared her. They couldn’t win if Jennet’s champion was only halfway on her side. Ok, yes, the Dark Queen was gorgeous and magical, but she was the enemy!

Even as fear washed through her, the Dark Queen was casting a spell, the Black Knight drawing his sword. It was too late to do anything but fight. She only hoped, to the depths of her trapped soul, that Tam wouldn’t fail her.

A wave of shadows pushed forward from where the queen stood. Jennet raised her staff and sent a bolt of light into it, and another, another. The shadows danced back, temporarily at bay.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Tam and the Black Knight raise their swords and clash together. Tam twisted and jabbed, his armor contrasting brightly with the flat black of his opponent.

“Ow!” A sharp sting lanced her ankle, followed by numbing cold.

Her moment’s inattention had brought the shadows creeping back, to twine, frigid, about her feet. The Dark Queen laughed, the sound like velvet with pins sticking out of it.

Pointing her staff downward, Jennet let out another blast of energy. With a hiss, the shadows receded again. Enough of this. She leveled her staff at the queen and summoned all her fear and anger. Whoosh! A sheet of blue fire sped toward the queen. The queen’s pale face glowed and her hair shimmered with sparks. She threw up her hands and shouted a command.

Jennet’s attack slammed to a halt. Then the backlash hit, knocking her to her knees. Blue fire streamed past, dissipating into the night. The watching fey-folk cheered their queen, in syllables strange and strident.

Slowly, Jennet got to her feet. Her legs trembled beneath her and it was hard to catch her breath. That hadn’t gone well. She sent a glance at Tam, still trading blows with the Black Knight. His shield arm sagged and he wasn’t moving as fluidly as before. As she watched, the knight landed a blow to Tam’s shoulder that made her wince and sent him stumbling back.

The queen raised her hands again, and Jennet jerked her attention back to her own fight.

This time, skeins of darkness flew from the queen’s fingers, as though she were throwing black threads into the air. Jennet tried to knock them away, but they wrapped around her staff, then flowed to her hand and began twining up her arm. Sweet music and poignant regret filled her mind. She was weary. Better to lay down her staff and rest.

“You are too weak, mortals,” the queen said, her voice lilting with pleasure.

“Jennet!” Suddenly Tam was there. His bright blade sliced through the strands clinging to her staff.

She blinked as the Dark Queen’s magic slid away. Then, over Tam’s shoulder, she saw the Black Knight rushing forward, sword raised for a killing blow.

“Look out!” Jennet lifted her staff and sent a crackling bolt of blue-white fire at the knight.

It stopped him long enough for Tam to duck away and pull her with him. Together, they scrambled partway around the circle. When they had a little distance from their foes, they halted.

“Are you ok?” Tam asked. He sounded out of breath.

“Yes. You?” Could he hear the uncertainty in her voice?

He shrugged, keeping his face turned toward their enemy. “We’re not losing.”

“We’re not winning either. Tam - I think we should switch opponents.”

He looked at her then, a flash of stubbornness in his green eyes. “No way.”

“Yes way. As long as the queen holds my soul, I’m weaker than she is, don’t you see? You need to be the one to face her.”

“I don’t—”

“We have to try.” She put all her hope, all her trust, into the next word. “Please.”

He frowned at her, but she could see him hesitate. From the corner of her eye, she caught movement.

“Ha!” Whirling, she shot another bolt at the approaching knight, pushing him back a few paces. “Look Tam, I can handle him. Now go. Go.”

Tam shook his head. Then, giving her a look she couldn’t decipher, he turned and sprinted past the knight, his sword leveled at the Dark Queen.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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