Page 100 of The Demon Tide

Fallon sets her frigid green gaze on the queen. “I command you, Queen Alkaia, to surrender both yourself and these lands to the Holy Magedom of Gardneria.”

Queen Alkaia’s shrewd eyes flick over the Amaz crammed into the Shadow nets, then toward the crowd of her people bottlenecked at the Queenhall’s subland entrance. Wynter’s heart patters against her ribs, fast as hummingbird wings.

Queen Alkaia lifts her chin, facing Fallon down. “Unbind my people and allow them to leave for the East and I will surrender both myself and our land to you.”

“No, my queen!No!” Valasca cries from her branch cage as a collective shock wave blasts through the assembled Amaz. Imploring, defiant calls rise in a multitude of languages from civilians and soldiers alike, including the netted Amaz.

“Blessed Mother,no!”

“Do not surrender to them!”

“We’ll die for you!”

Fallon’s lips twitch as she looks Queen Alkaia over, as if sizing up insignificant prey. The Queen’s Guard soldiers surge toward their queen, weapons raised, Amaz civilians hurling out defiant curses toward the Mage and Marfoir forces.

Queen Alkaia raises a silencing palm and the vengeful cries die down, though Amaz fury burns like incandescent fire on the air. The queen surveys her people, adoration filling her eyes.

“Daughters of the Goddess,” she says. “My beloved ones. I command you to leave for the East. And to establish a new homeland there.” She turns, her fierce grayed eyes locking on to Fallon’s vicious green stare. “And to rise there, in fury and in thunder.” Her head pivots toward her guard, her eyes zeroing in on Freyja. “Freyja Zyrr,” she states. “I name you queen of the Amaz.”

Stunned cries rise and shock ignites in Wynter, racing down her spine. She knows this is a revolutionary moment. Never has a young woman been chosen as queen of the Amaz. And everyone knows of Freyja’s secret relationship with Clive Soren.

“My queen—” Freyja begins in vehement protest.

“Icommand it, Freyja.” Queen Alkaia cuts her off, hard as stone.

Freyja stills, her grayed face tensing with grief. Her gaze darts toward the Mages, rage burning the silvered depths of her eyes, before she turns back to Queen Alkaia and nods.

Aided by her guard, Queen Alkaia dismounts from her horse to stand before Freyja as one of the Queen’s Guard hands the monarch her wooden cane, carved into the Goddess’s serpent form. Leaning heavily on her cane, Queen Alkaia removes the ivory bird pin from her tunic and holds it out to Freyja.

“Freyja Zyrr,” Queen Alkaia says, an air of the momentous circling down, “lead our people into the future.”

“Don’t do this!” Valasca cries. “My queen! Don’t surrender yourself to these beasts!”

Freyja accepts the pin, affixes it to her military tunic, then drops to her knee before the queen. She slams her fist over her heart as she grips her axe. “I will serve your people, my beloved queen. I will die for your people, my forever queen.”

Devastated tears pool in Wynter’s eyes as she looks toward the monster at the gates, to find Fallon’s gaze suddenly pinned onher.

“We want the Icaral, as well,” Fallon states coldly.

The world tilts as Valasca snarls out her response. “Wynter, don’t take one step out of that shield!”

A rancid dizziness overtakes Wynter as she turns and takes in the crowd of families behind her. The little girls crying as they clutch toys and pets. Their loving mothers and aunts and grandmothers. Brave, beloved Freyja and Ysilldir. Alcippe and Pyrgo and Alder and so many others. These people that she has grown to love deeply in such a short period of time.

Her body trembling, her threadbare wings tight around her frail, slender frame, Wynter rises from her knees and takes a faltering step toward Fallon Bane.

“If you let the Amaz leave,” Wynter says, voice tight with fear, “I will surrender myself to you.”

Valasca explodes into fiercer protest. “No, Wynter,NO! Get to the portals and go Eastnow!”

Fallon laughs and eyes Valasca with open incredulity.

“Valasca, stand down,” Queen Alkaia orders, her keen gaze darting from the Mages toward her netted people and back to the Mages again.

Fallon’s focus sharpens on Valasca as she shoots her a belligerent smile. “Valasca Xanthrir. I was hoping we’d meet, you heathen bitch.” She loses the smile, the air taking on a more frigid chill. “You saved Elloren Gardner.”

Valasca grins threateningly back at Fallon. “Oh, I did. So she can come back here and beat your arrogant ass.”

Rage overtakes Fallon’s expression. Lightning fast, she flicks out her wand and a streak of ice blasts toward Valasca. Valasca falls backward to the ground, a cage of ice rapidly forming around her body.

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