Page 89 of Riot of Autumn

The color of his skin slowly changes from its pale color to the darkest black of night. No, that’s not right. It’s not skin, it’s scales. The Duke disappears and in his place is an enormous coiled snake.

Zara’s robotic premonition comes back to me right then.When the snake strikes, the dragon’s jewel will fall.

“Oh, shit. Okay.” I swallow audibly. “It looks like old Dukie doesn’t appreciate us sealing the deal without him.” I stare, wide-eyed, at the huge fucking snake not fifteen feet away from us.

“I’ll worry about him.” Ezra’s hand is at the nape of my neck, and he squeezes gently. “You worry about your part.”

For once in my life, I’m regretting my outfit choice. That’s saying a lot because I once wore garters on the outside of a neon yellow mini skirt, paired with a Bart Simpson shirt. If I die in a sparkly beige unitard, I am going to be pissed from the fucking other side.

Ezra drops his hand from my neck and steps away from me. With one swift jerk, he rips his pants off like a goddamn stripper. I had no clue those suckers were tearaways. If we survive all this, I will absolutely make him wear those for me around the house. My dirty thoughts are interrupted when Ezra tips his head back and a roar rips from his throat, seconds before he shifts into a dragon.

A mother fucking dragon.

He did it one other time with just the two of us, but the others haven’t seen it yet. Their gasps and a“fuck me,” float from behind me and I can’t help but grin. Ezra’s dragon is magnificent. It’s purple–mother fucking purple–with shimmery scales and a long, spiked tail. He’s almost as big as a bus and fills up the clearing with his massive body. Ezra already warned us to watch out because he’s not used to swatting a tail around. His focus is on the Fae in front of him, more specifically, the black snake that is growing larger by the second. None of us want to get taken out by friendly fire.

“Ruby, it’s time,” Davis barks out behind me. I fall back, the rest of my friends surrounding me.

“Let’s do this,” Miri shouts over the roar of Ezra’s dragon, just as a plume of fire releases into the sky.

“Jesus. Remind me to never piss him off again,” Archer says with wide eyes.

“Hands out,” Davis commands and we all obey. “Do it, now.”

All of us are holding a small vial of blood. I have two in my hand, containing my blood and Ezra’s. They’d been shoved in my bra since we got to the clearing. I’m grateful they didn’t break in there. As we pour the blood on the ground the air thickens with magic. The gathering power presses on my chest and invades my senses.

“We call upon the four pillars of magic: winter, spring, summer, and autumn. Born of element and alchemy, master of life and shadow, cast in dreams and enchantment, and forged in fang and spirit. Bring down this veil, erase the borders between our two worlds.” Lena speaks the words she crafted based on all her research. She and Zara studied the page Zara tore from the Duke’s book when she escaped Fairy, and they created a spell. It’s kind of incredible, but also really fucking scary. This has to work.

Part two of our plan is now in motion. What happens next is left up to fate.

The ground shakes, rumbling like thunder has fallen from the sky and roosted under our feet. Ezra and the Duke are thrashing around, the snake striking and retreating while Ezra’s dragon swipes his lethal claws and snaps his massive jaws. I can’t tell who’s winning, but the burning heat of my magic and Ezra’s is a flame in my chest that’s reassuring. Emric is standing between the beasts and our circle, adding one more protective barrier. He can’t exactly take part in the Axis’s magic.

The air around us shimmers, and we collectively take a few steps back. I haven’t forgotten how Zara’s ankle was burned when she came through the veil. I don’t want any part of it touching me.

“It’s officially midnight,” Davis calls out, and my heart thumps an extra beat.

We lined up the timing perfectly. Granted, Lena had a list of contingency situations outlined. Although we didn’t expect a giant snake. I’m sure that will piss her off if we all live through this night.

The opening between our world and Fairy grows until it’s wide enough for a car to drive through. Standing on the other side, an evil grin on her face, is a woman with flowing red hair.

“It’s her,” Zara says, loud enough for me to hear, but I doubt anyone across the veil can hear.

The Queen of Fairy, the scheming, devious bitch who plotted for the crown hundreds of years ago and has kept it ever since by stealing others’ magic, walks through the veil and into our world like a bride walking down the aisle. She’s wearing a deep red gown straight out of the Victorian era. Rubies are strung around her neck and drip down her chest, reminding me of blood. Her flaming red hair is done up in a fancy hairdo, and frankly, she looks like she’s ready to enter the costume contest down at the Samhain festival. There’s a wide smile stretched over her face, and an air of superiority that grates like nails on a chalkboard.

A dozen soldiers follow behind her and I’m relieved it isn’t more. I’m sure she had no idea if the Duke would get the veil down tonight when they’ve been failing for hundreds of years. She probably thought a dozen Fae would be plenty. Maybe it will be, but they don’t know what they’re up against with us. Because here’s the thing, when we brought down the veil, we were hoping the Queen would show up.

“Your turn, Ruby,” Rhys says, nodding his head at me as the others once again form a circle.

Fear of failure makes my heart take off in my chest. Sure, this whole situation is fucked up, but my friends, our town, everyone, are relying on me. That’s a hell of a lot of pressure, and I am not a fan. I can’t even show people my art. I’m generally seen as a fuck up who hasn’t amounted to much in life. How stupid are my friends–how stupid am I–for thinking I can do this?

Zara slides her hand into mine. Davis claps his hand on my shoulder and Archer ruffles my hair like an asshole. Lena, Miri, and Rhys are all standing in front of me, not a shred of doubt in their eyes. That warm ball of magic that I know belongs to Ezra flares in my chest, as if he can sense I need the reassurance too. It doesn’t matter that he’s single-handedly holding off the other Fae right now. He’s still taking the time to let me know he’s got my back. That, more than anything, gives me the courage to see this through.

I blow out a breath and drop to my knees. The doubts are never going to disappear, so I’m going with the classicfake it until you make it, mindset. “Let’s get this shit done.”

It takes a few moments for the Queen to assess the situation, her lips parting when she spots the dragon. I know we have limited time, but it’s hard not to freeze up when I feel the power emanating from her.

Ezra’s been saying he can smell their magic, and it’s wrong. It’s not that I didn’t believe him, I just couldn’t relate. I get it now. The Queen’s magic is so strong it’s like having a shit-faced, close-talking tourist breathe their alcohol breath in your face at one of the town festivals. Except it doesn’t smell like Fireball and bad decisions. It smells like decay and rot. It’s fucking terrifying.

The smile falls from the Queen’s face as she takes in the fighting. It’s quickly replaced by a vicious snarl that stretches her mouth until it’s too large for her face. Her eyes go black as she lifts her hands, and a blast of shadows pours from her palms.

---