The Glass Queen (The Forest of Good and Evil #2) - Gena Showalter Page 0,158

I wanted a ride on you, not in you. I had to use up the protective magic Ophelia bottled for me, even though I was saving it for a special occasion.” In the midst of her tirade, she spotted me and reared back.

Good. She should fear me. They all should.

“Uh, pay no attention to what I just said. I’m super protected right now. In other ways. Yes, yes. Other ways. And, um, you don’t know it yet, but you need me to save Ashleigh’s life. So go kill Leonora before all our hard work is wasted.”

Truth or a desperate lie? We would find out. “I will let you live—for now—because Ophelia did aid us. If you are lying, I will make your death a thousand times worse.”

“I can’t lie, remember? And also, I know you’ll kill me if I manage to lie. Oracle.” She tapped her temple.

Someone ran into her, and she stumbled, not quite so invulnerable without her witch friend or the protective magic.

When someone else closed in at a rapid pace, she spun, avoiding contact this time, telling me, “We did what we did to set our only viable shot at victory into motion.” Spin. Spin. “Think about it. Everything we did and said elicited the necessary emotional responses to get you here, at this moment, with enemies and allies alike piled into one room, making the final battle unavoidable for any of you. You’re welcome, by the way.”

“Tell me where to find Ashleigh, oracle.”

“Oh. That’s easy. Just follow the yellow dust road.”

30

Misery or happiness, what you seek is what you find.

Always move forward, never look behind.

Ashleigh

Despite my weakness, I continued moving forward, plagued by urgency. I was leaving a trail of gold dust in my wake. The same gold dust that had been all over Saxon’s hands was now all over me, falling from my clothes as surely as the blood dripping from my wounds. With my physical weakness, I was losing ownership of my body. Bit by bit, Leonora was taking it from me.

She’d been shoring her strength, waiting.

The time had come to kill her—before she killed me. But how?

—Why don’t you use your magic to save yourself?—Leonora’s laughing voice filled my head. —I know why. Because you can’t. Your ability is pathetic.—

Hardly. I’d used the bonding to help me earlier. When I’d screamed, a force had come over me, melding my voice with currents in the air.

The only thing I knew to do now was leave the palace before Leonora buried me. I just needed a little more time to figure this out. I fell, one of my feet torn to shreds by glass. I crawled. Crawling, crawling. Faster and faster. Putting one hand in front of the other, one knee in front of the other. Moving forward...weakening...

—Just a matter of time now.—Laugh.

Pyre landed in front of me, shaking the floor, and picked me up with her mouth, careful not to cut me with her teeth. With a little toss, she maneuvered me onto her back. Then she leaped into the air, blowing fire across the room.

“Good girl.” I held tight to one of her horns. Fast as wind... “Put me down outside the room, baby, then go protect your father.”

—He doesn’t get to break my heart and live.—

Pyre busted through Everly’s vines. Cool, fresh air enveloped me. I breathed deep...except, Ophelia had erected magical doorways outside every exit, and those doorways led right back to the throne room. We couldn’t leave.

Tears welled, my options withering. I couldn’t risk Leonora taking me over in here. “Put me down in that corner,” I instructed, guiding Pyre toward a space clear of people.

The dragon landed where I’d requested, and I climbed down as smoothly as I was able. The more ground Leonora gained, the more my head throbbed. Any moment, I expected my temples to explode.

As Pyre flew off to help Saxon as requested, I fell to my knees, my legs unable to support my weight. Deep breath in. Out.

Leonora laughed. —So close to your defeat.—

“I would rather die than let you use my body again.” I lifted my crossbow and moved the right lever, causing the sides to flatten, revealing a center blade I then pressed to the hollow of my throat.

Was this the end for me? I’d fought to survive all my life, but I wondered if I’d always been building to this moment of sacrifice. Was my destiny to die while the phantom lived on?

How fitting that it should happen with one of my