Shades of Doon (33 page)
“Ready?” she asked softly.
I nodded and then spoke the words that Duncan had helped me rehearse. “I, Mackenna Louise Reid, promise on my faith that I will, now and always, remain loyal to my queen. Will never cause her harm, and will, in all things, observe my homage to the kingdom o’ Doon. I pledge my devoted counsel in all situations and vow to protect the queen with my life, against all persons and in all circumstances, in loyalty and without deceit.”
The little charm tinkled as I reached for her hand and kissed the Ring of Aontacht. She helped me rise and then crushed me in one of her bear hugs. For only me to hear, she said, “I couldn’t do this without you. I love you.”
I left the dais feeling vaguely lightheaded when Analisa’s voice shattered the reverence of the room. “Sorry, Veronica. I just can’t.”
I whirled around to see Analisa towering over Vee directly in the center of the altar. “I’ve been tryin’ to justify kneeling down to you, but it goes against my grain. It’s not in my nature to follow blindly.”
My heart lodged in my throat, cutting off my air. I glanced toward Duncan, who had his hand out, preventing the guard from moving in. “Ana,” he cautioned. “Think carefully. Not pledging fealty to the queen is an act of treason. You could be imprisoned.”
“That’s tyranny, innit? Forcing me to pledge obedience. I won’t do it.” Analisa whirled to face the crowd. “I’ve been Called to Doon, same as many of you. Maybe it’s time for modern government — a democracy. Maybe that’s why we were Called here, to change the way things work.”
With a pained expression, Duncan dropped his hand. He shared a look with Jamie, who ordered, “Arrest her.”
The guards rushed toward the dais as the crowd erupted in chaos. Seeing that she was trapped, Ana grabbed Vee’s arm. “You don’t have to do this, Vee. We can agree to disagree and live peaceably.”
As the initial wave of soldiers reached Analisa, Giancarlo Rosetti jumped to his feet, pleading with Vee to let Ana go. The guards tackled Analisa, who still had a grip on Vee. Suddenly Giancarlo and the rest of the Rosetti boys were flinging themselves into the middle of the guard. With a growl, Fergus joined the scuffle. From the outside, it looked like a single organism of arms and legs and teeth.
Somewhere in the middle of the chaos were Doon’s queen and Analisa. And any minute now Ana could go full-on big-bad. “Hurry!” I yelled.
I could see Jamie and Duncan on the opposite side of the fighting mass, ineffectively trying to reach Vee. Suddenly the fighting shifted, and Vee was thrust away from the rabble. Unable to get to her across the bodies, I could only watch as she flailed backward and crashed into the unforgiving stone floor. Her crown toppled from her head and clattered down the steps, sliding to a stop in the middle of the aisle.
After the sudden burst of commotion, the room became still. All eyes turned to the queen, and she picked herself up from the floor. Her elaborate hairdo now hung in haphazard wisps around her head as she raised herself to her full height.
With an unwavering gaze, she addressed her guard. “Fergus, take half your men and please escort Analisa and the Rosettis to the dungeon. Make sure you isolate them. I’ll send word when the fealty ceremony is over.”
Mario Rosetti stepped into the aisle flanked by his wife. “Your Majesty, Giani did not mean any harm. He was defending his
amore
— his love, and his
fratelli
were defending him.
Per piacere
, be lenient with my
ragazzi
.”
Queen Veronica listened imperiously. “Right now they are only charged with disrupting the ceremony, which must be finished. I will be willing to discuss leniency after. Fergus, take them to the dungeon.”
As half the royal guard escorted Analisa and the Rosetti boys out of the throne room, something niggled inside my brain. If Analisa was the witch, why hadn’t she revealed herself . . . or zapped the guard with her magic? Surely there wasn’t an advantage to continuing to keep secret who and what she was.
Vee walked back to the center of the dais and smoothed out her gown. In a calm, authoritative voice she said, “Let’s continue with the ceremony. My crown, please.”
I moved toward the aisle to retrieve Vee’s crown, but Emily beat me. Holding the circlet in her hands, she offered me a sweet smile. “I’ve got this.”
The girl climbed the steps and crossed to face Vee on the sacred stone. “Did ye know, Veronica, that you’re standing on the true Liath Fàil, the Stone of Scone? The one sent to Westminster Abbey in 1296 was a fake. The real coronation stone has been hidden in Doon this whole time. This stone is
able to turn peasants into rulers. And unlike a glass slipper or a sword encased in rock, its power is real.”
Emily’s words were pleasant, but as she spoke, Vee’s face turned pale, her eyes growing wide and alarmed. The remaining guards, along with Eòran, Jamie, and Duncan, were still toward the back of the room as Emily turned to face the crowd. While holding Vee’s crown, her free hand slipped into the bodice of her dress to reveal Queen Lynnette’s charred luckenbooth pendant. Then, with a smile that chilled my blood, she grasped the crown with both hands and held it up over her head.
“My fellow Doonians, I am Adelaide Blackmore Cadell, rightful queen o’ Doon — come to claim my throne.” Emily placed the diadem on her head. “Wee Veronica is right. The fealty ceremony must continue. Only now, you will pledge your undying allegiance to me.”
T
he soft curves of Emily’s face began to morph before my eyes. In a flash of nightmarish déjà vu, I watched as her hair lightened to a golden blonde and grew like Play-Doh out of her skull and down her back. My assistant’s rounded cheeks sharpened, and the skin of her face pulled tight over high cheekbones, her nose thinning and elongating. She arched her back and the extra weight Emily carried disappeared like an illusion, to reveal the tall, athletic frame of a twenty-something woman.
Not a woman, a witch.
With a quick flick of her wrist, the drab gray dress Emily had worn transformed into a blood-red silk gown, the exact shade of the jewels in my crown — the one
she
now wore. The very crown she’d designed for me.
No. Not for me, for her. I’d counted Emily among my friends. I clenched my hands into fists as the betrayal washed over me.
Addie ran her hands down the smooth material hugging her hips. “Ah, much better.”
Her brilliant violet eyes focused on me, and the unnatural light there dropped my stomach to the floor. Her lips tilted as she touched the damaged luckenbooth hanging around her neck. “This little bauble no longer holds any power, thanks to you, my dear.” Her voice slithered around me like a python squeezing my chest. I sucked in a deep breath as she went on. “But I’m nothing if not sentimental, and this piece represents a promise. A promise Queen Lynnette made to my family long ago. Do you know what that was?”
Unwilling to give her the smallest concession, I lifted my chin and replied, “No.”
“Liar! You know your throne is rightfully mine!” She took a step toward me, her hand reaching out as a ball of light formed in her palm. “But we canna have two queens, now can we?”
“Stand down, witch!” Jamie leapt onto the stage, followed by Duncan, Eòran, and several of the royal guard. Jamie, sword raised, pressed forward cautiously. “Surrender and I will no’ run ye through.”
Addie froze, the magic in her palm retreating as the guards circled her, their swords raised. “Why, Prince Jamie,” she cooed, her words taking on an almost physical quality. “I thought we had an understanding.”
My gaze darted to her hand, her fingers twisting in a circular motion as she worked to enthrall him. To steal his will. I searched Jamie’s face, his expression hadn’t changed, but he couldn’t get close enough to Addie to do any damage.
Jamie’s eyes darted to Duncan, who gave a slight nod before he leapt forward, but it was as if he’d hit a wall, and stumbled back.
My turn. There was authority in the royal monarch of Doon, a link to the covenant that gave the chosen ruler’s words a weight that a subject of Doon could not resist. With no
idea whether or not Addie still qualified under that heading, I stepped forward on shaky legs and raised my voice so the entire throne room could hear. “Adelaide Blackmore Cadell, by the authority of the crown, you are under arrest for high treason — ”
Addie turned, her eyes narrowed, but before she could lift her hands in my direction, Duncan tried again, his dirk aimed at her throat. A shriek split the air, and both Addie’s arms flew out. Violet light flashed from her hands, blasting everyone around her off their feet. I staggered back, but didn’t fall. Not so for Jamie, Duncan, and the entire royal guard, who flew through the air, landing hard.
“Enough!” Addie screamed as she swiped the blood from her neck and stared at the red streaks on her hand. She leveled murderous eyes on Duncan’s sprawled form. “You, young prince, will die for this!”
She raised her palm, and black fire arched toward him.
I heard Kenna shriek as the magic hit Duncan. He writhed, his limbs convulsing, but after a few seconds, he fought through it and staggered to his feet. Sword in hand, eyes blazing, Duncan advanced.
I searched for Jamie and found him dazedly rising from where he’d landed on the other side of the stage.
Addie’s brow furrowed. She took a powerful breath, and then threw out both her hands, delivering double streams of fire. “I said,
die
!”
“NO!” I screamed.
The magic slammed into Duncan and he stumbled back, his face contorting in agony. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blur of red and aqua as Kenna raced past. Jamie rushed in from the other direction, both of them headed into the line of fire. Without further thought, I ran, ducked my head, and tackled
Addie to the ground. The black flames flashed harmlessly over the crowd before going out.
Stunned, Addie lay still. As I heard feet pounding toward us, the words
stop her
repeated in my head. I rolled to the side and grabbed Duncan’s abandoned knife. Addie, coming out of her daze, sat up and shot flames in my direction just as I slammed the blade into her other hand, pinning it to the stage. Her screech of pain seemed to channel into the magic she flung at me. I braced for the blow. But nothing happened.
A white glow had sprung up from my ring like a shield, glowing all around me, just like the limbus when Kenna and I had ventured inside. Glancing up at the crowd that had gathered around us, I registered the shock and awe on each of their faces. I met Jamie’s fierce stare, and he stepped forward, but I shook my head, willing him to stay put. He paused, tension coiled in every muscle. Carefully, I rose to my feet.
Addie closed her fist, cutting off the spell. “So you’re somehow protecting yourself and your inner circle. But what happens when I do this?” Her eyes narrowed just before she pulled the knife out of her hand and flung it with perfect precision into the chest of one of my royal guardsmen. The man toppled over, eyes wide.
“Ah . . . so they can be killed.” Addie stood, healing the wound in her hand with one zap.
Jamie and several others sprang forward, but the witch was ready. With a broad sweep of her arm, a charcoal cloud enveloped them, petrifying every one of those who’d sworn fealty to me like statues in Medusa’s garden. “I may no’ be able to hurt your minions, but I can stop them.”
“They’re
not
my minions!” I raised my ring and focused all my energy into some kind of unfreezing spell. When nothing happened, Addie threw back her head and cackled. A rumble cut her laughter short.
Chaos erupted from the crowd, followed by shouts as the Doonians rallied.
“Let’s get her, mates!” Oliver’s voice was unmistakable.
“Aye!”
“She canna stop us all!”
Addie lifted her wrist in an inpatient flick, and sent a wave of smoke rolling through the rest of the Doonians, solidifying them as well.
With a snap of her fingers, Adam and Sean MacNally pushed through the frozen bodies, their enthrallment clear in the vacant look in both their eyes. They each grabbed one of my arms, pinning them to my sides. I jerked against their iron grips, but they only tightened their hold.
Addie glided forward, her vivid gaze burning into me like a laser beam. “I may not be able to hurt you,
wee queen
, but I will have my way yet. Wait and see.”
I wanted to spit in her smug face, scream insults that would scorch her ears for centuries. But I was terrified she would plunge a knife into someone else’s heart. I needed to keep her talking. “You know killing me won’t work. The throne would only pass down to Jamie, and if you kill him, to Duncan, and so on until you’ve killed every last Doonian. Then who would you rule?”
Her contemplative gaze swept me from head to toe. “I had hoped, since ye are not Doon-born, that I could kill ye, and then your pretty prince would be so heartbroken he would be putty in my hands. I see my mistake now. The Covenant is linked to the ruler. The Protection of Doon resides inside o’ you.” She drew a circle with her finger in front of my chest, purple light hanging in the air like the aftermath of a sparkler. “But I can destroy you in a thousand little ways, and in the end I
will
take your precious kingdom.”
I swallowed hard, and forced myself to stare into her evil gaze. “The Protector gave me a vision.” Straining toward her, I growled, “You. Will. Lose.”
“Ah, your precious Protector.” Addie stretched the word out. “Means nothing to me.”
Turning her back, she began to pace. “For the next portion of our entertainment, you will be my silent captive. If you interrupt me in any way . . .” She gave a sharp nod as another one of her mindless slaves came forward. The bald head and disfigurement of his face were unmistakable. Gideon. As I noted the alertness of his expression, I realized he wasn’t enchanted, but serving the witch of his own free will. My heart gave a squeeze. He’d fooled us all.
A grin split Gideon’s face, and he pulled a young teen up the stairs of the platform. A bob of bronze waves framed wide-brown eyes — Greta, one of the kids in the Crew.
