The Unwilling Queen

The last battle

Sari screamed as her eyes shot open. It was a dream, she knew this, but she still clutched her heart where the dagger had gone in. Strong arms pulled her up and tried to lift her away but she pushed them off.

"No! She can hear us!" She picked up Avery's hand again and squeezed it tightly. "Avery! Avery, we're here. Fight this. Come back!"

Ming-na lifted Avery's eyelid and shone a light into it. "Pupils are responsive!"

Hayden wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back again. "No Hayden, trust me! I can do this!"

"Sari, please let Petra give you something. You need strength," Hayden pleaded.

"I'm fine, I only went in last night! But she's giving up--"

"Sari, you've been in there for a week!"

Sari finally paused and looked around the room at the audience. Roedin was on his knees by the bed, resting his elbows on the mattress and holding Avery's hand to his cheek. At the back of the room Hazel sat in an armchair with Pike at her side. A dark-skinned woman perched on the armrest, holding Hazel's hand in her lap.

Pike gripped the back of the chair as though he were holding it down. Or maybe it was keeping him up as his eyes drooped with fatigue and his hair stuck out wildly. Skye shuffled over to the table where a collection of crystals and vials and books sat. Ming-na left the bed and joined him, reaching for his back to steady the big man in case he lost his balance. He was thin, and shaky, but awake. Alive.

A week?

Sari swallowed whatever potion Petra gave her and felt its warmth spread across her body, loosening knots and making her head swim. Hayden rocked her in his arms muttering relieved reprimands over and over. "Oh Sari what did you do? What did you do?" She inhaled his comforting scent laced with sweat from his panic.

At the foot of the bed the little fox kit barked and tugged on the bedsheets.

"Get the animal out of here," Ming-na ordered as she came around the bed with a mask of whatever Skye had prepared.

"No, wait!" Sari said. She pushed out of Hayden's arms and reached for Avery's hand again. The stone had fallen to the bed but she placed it back between their palms and held tight. If Avery could borrow the magic she needed Sari's dreamwalking could fight the demon that was holding her captive.

"Help the fox onto the bed." She looked around and found Arctos hovering by the door with Arnica on his hip. "Come here, sweetheart and talk to your mom. She needs to hear your voice so she can find her way home."

Arctos looked just as uncertain as Arnica but he followed the order and approached the bed, setting Arnica on her feet. The child wrapped her arms around Roedin's neck and he held her with one arm while the other still clutched Avery's hand.

Then Sari lay back on the pillow and brushed one hand across Avery's sweat soaked temple. "Avery, we're here. We're all waiting for you to come back. You can do this." She closed her eyes and focused her magic into the stone.

"Please Sari, don't--"

"I will not abandon her, Hayden, just as you would not leave her in the lab."

Hayden groaned but rubbed a hand along Sari's back, lending her some of his strength.

"Her temperature is dropping," Ming-na said.

Niamh stepped up and touched a hand to Avery's ankle. "Use the fire, Avery. You are strong enough to have it."

Sari felt the warm spread to Avery's hand and warm the stone.