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THEO PUSHED HIS HORSE to follow Rose through the throng of men and fairies fighting each other. He was glad that Bachas had come with them; while he had grumbled about being on the road again, he was proving himself a true ally against Magdalina and her forces. He used his magic to protect their small group from the fairies as they headed over the rickety bridge.
“Charlie doesn’t seem to like the bridge,” Bachas warned him as they quickly made their way over. “He thinks it’s going to collapse.”
“Charlie?” Theo briefly recalled his horse’s preferred name. “Oh, right.”
He quickly studied the drawbridge over the abyss, and realized his horse had it right; there was little hope that the bridge would survive if any of Derick’s legions stormed the castle.
“Ethan,” he called. His squire hurried beside him, while the others pressed on, clashing with the castle guards.
“What is it?” Ethan asked, gripping his sword with white knuckles.
“I’m going to need you to guard the bridge,” Theo told him. “It’s old and likely won’t hold up if there’s a charge against the castle.”
Ethan frowned. “I doubt the men would try, and there’s a reason the fairies are using their wings,” he said. “The castle itself will likely fall with any more people inside of it.” He gestured to the rocky ledge, from where Magdalina’s home jutted out at sharp angles.
“True. But for now, keep guard,” Theo said. “Send our men away, and keep Magdalina’s forces at bay.”
“I will,” Ethan promised. He tugged on his horse’s bridle, turning around sharply and heading back toward the battle. While Theo watched Ethan return, a rotten plank snapped under his horse’s hoof. Worry ran through him, but Ethan recovered. When Ethan was safe, Theo carefully made his way to Rose once more.
As he followed the rest of the soldiers through the castle keep’s doors, he glanced back at his squire, who took a firm position in front of the bridge’s crossing.
He seems so young all of a sudden. Theo knew there was no time to worry about that. As he came up beside Rose, he made a note to commend Ethan on his bravery later.
“I almost wish Mary was here,” Rose said. “She would be able to tell me which way.”
“Forward and up,” Bachas replied.
Rose laughed. “I guess I forgot I have a new friend to help with that,” she said.
“Thank you, Bachas.” Theo glanced back at Bachas, who was vigilantly perched on Charlie’s backside.
The pixie shrugged. “I’ll do my best to protect us,” he said. “But there’s only so much I can do about sorcery.”
Theo nodded as they hurried forward through the keep. When they came to an open atrium, they stopped. Several rows of steps, leading to different rooms and different levels, surrounded them.
“Which way?” Rose asked.
“She’s here,” Bachas said. “But I’m not sure where. She’s circling.”
Theo dismounted from his horse, while the others followed his lead. “Stand ready, together,” he ordered, but Rose was already running up a nearby stairway. “Rose!”
“I saw her,” Rose shouted back.
Before he could chastise her for leaving the small circle of protection that he, Bachas, Roderick, and the rest of their small group afforded her, Theo felt the burn of fire behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, watching as a ball of white fire ruptured over the soldiers, raining an inferno over them.
Several horses jumped, spooked, while the men all hurried to duck from the flames or smother them.
Before Theo could head down to help, Rose let out a loud cry.
“Rose,” he breathed. His decision was made for him, as he ran up rest of the stairs to find Rose. As soon as he reached the top, power blew past him, nearly throwing him down the stairwell. He fell to his knees and dropped, keeping his sword up to block any oncoming attack.
But the attack never came. When the attack resided, he blinked his eyes open to see Rose attack Magdalina ferociously. Magdalina shuffled out of her way, as she transformed her staff into a sword.
At the first sight of their enemy, Theo was immediately encouraged. The wicked ruler of the fairies seemed uncharacteristically flustered, despite her efforts to hide it. As she juggled her magic and continued sidestepping Rose, Theo saw their plan to catch her off guard certainly worked.
Seeing Rose had to be terrifying, he thought with a quick grin.
Theo stood up. As he ran over to help Rose, he could hear her taunting Rose. “I always wondered how Rhone trained its knights,” Magdalina said. “Especially since I’ve managed to kill so many over the years.”
Rose scowled. “You won’t kill me,” she declared, before thrusting her sword into one of Magdalina’s long sleeves. Magdalina balked, but rather than retaliate, she stepped back.
It’s the dragon situation all over again, Theo thought with a frown. Rose was too intent on winning to see she was losing. He watched, briefly terrified, as Rose stumbled.
Magdalina caught his eye and stepped back, preparing to launch another round of magic at him.
Theo reached into his pouch, grabbing the Rose Ruby. He felt the protective power of its barrier fan out as Magdalina’s power soared over him.
Rose managed to land a strike. There was a brutal hissing sound as Magdalina instantly retreated. Theo watched in amazement, as her arm began to smoke, and black blood began to ooze out of her arm.
Magdalina grasped at her arm, trying to heal it with her power.
“Today is the day,” Rose told her, “when you finally pay for all your cruelty against my kingdom and my family.”
“Now, that’s hardly the proper thing to say when you show up uninvited,” Magdalina seethed. She scowled and stepped back again, grabbing her arm while she clung to her sword, but Rose did not let her out of her reach.
Theo hurried forward, determined to help Rose. He held the Rose Ruby in his fist along with his sword, using both hands to fight.
A thousand things seemed to happen all at once; Theo could hear the men down in the atrium, dealing with Magdalina’s spell and other fairy fighters; he could hear Bachas cackling happily, which likely meant he had found someone to fight. Theo felt the heat of the battle, the sweat on his skin, as he advanced toward Magdalina alongside Rose, carefully maneuvering her into a corner.
“Rose,” he called, as it was a chance for them to end it.
She nodded, and Theo lunged forward.
Magdalina was ready for him. She was able to dodge his blow, and she grappled with his sword.
Theo glanced at her in surprise when she knocked it out of his hand.
“Ha!” Magdalina cheered and pressed forward.
But then Theo ducked down and grabbed onto her, the Rose Ruby still in his hand. All her magic around them instantly drained away from the room. The hot flames surrounding the men disappeared.
Down below, Theo could hear Roderick call out orders to fight, now that they were free of any magical entanglements.
“Theo, watch out!” Rose shouted, as Magdalina tried to strike him down once more.
Just as he had with the dragon, Theo prepared himself for another round of pain. But Rose stepped in between them, bringing her blade down on Magdalina in triumph.
Rose struck her in the back, and Magdalina’s cry carried throughout the castle. Red blood, the blood of her human self, dripped onto the floor.
“Now for the dragon’s blood,” Rose said quietly.
At her word, Theo let Magdalina go. He felt the Rose Ruby’s power contract around him once more, while the dragon’s blood from Rose’s sword leaked into Magdalina.
Magdalina gasped in pain, howling as the deadly power scorched through her. She fell to the floor, writhing in pain. She scowled up at Rose. “You won’t get away with this,” she hissed.
“If that is what you truly believe, then you know your time has come,” Theo told her quietly.
“You have killed many humans and fairies,” Rose said. “You have caused a lot of trouble for my kingdom, including me and my father, and you have shown no remorse. Your time has come to pay for what you have done.”
Theo held onto Rose’s shoulder, as Magdalina fell silent and stopped moving.
Her breathing grew labored. “You will still pay for this,” she warned. “Even if killing me frees you from your curse, you will pay. I will be avenged.”
“You no longer have any power over me,” Rose proclaimed.
Theo was just about to agree when Magdalina drew her last breath, and a tidal wave of power burst out from her body. Light and fire flooded the atrium in raging brightness.
Theo shielded his eyes as her power stormed around them, as the castle began shuddered. Beneath his feet, he felt the floor shook, and the castle walls creaked uncomfortably.
“We need to go,” he realized as the creaking turned into crumbling. “The castle is going to fall!”