Dark Realm, The (26 page)

Jennet’s attack slammed to a halt. Then the backlash hit, knocking her to her knees. Blue fire streamed past, dissipating into the night. The watching fey-folk cheered their queen, in syllables strange and strident.

Slowly, Jennet got to her feet. Her legs trembled beneath her and it was hard to catch her breath. That hadn’t gone well. She sent a glance at Tam, still trading blows with the Black Knight. His shield arm sagged and he wasn’t moving as fluidly as before. As she watched, the knight landed a blow to Tam’s shoulder that made her wince and sent him stumbling back.

The queen raised her hands again, and Jennet jerked her attention back to her own fight.

This time, skeins of darkness flew from the queen’s fingers, as though she were throwing black threads into the air. Jennet tried to knock them away, but they wrapped around her staff, then flowed to her hand and began twining up her arm. Sweet music and poignant regret filled her mind. She was weary. Better to lay down her staff and rest.

“You are too weak, mortals,” the queen said, her voice lilting with pleasure.

“Jennet!” Suddenly Tam was there. His bright blade sliced through the strands clinging to her staff.

She blinked as the Dark Queen’s magic slid away. Then, over Tam’s shoulder, she saw the Black Knight rushing forward, sword raised for a killing blow.

“Look out!” Jennet lifted her staff and sent a crackling bolt of blue-white fire at the knight.

It stopped him long enough for Tam to duck away and pull her with him. Together, they scrambled partway around the circle. When they had a little distance from their foes, they halted.

“Are you ok?” Tam asked. He sounded out of breath.

“Yes. You?” Could he hear the uncertainty in her voice?

He shrugged, keeping his face turned toward their enemy. “We’re not losing.”

“We’re not winning either. Tam - I think we should switch opponents.”

He looked at her then, a flash of stubbornness in his green eyes. “No way.”

“Yes way. As long as the queen holds my soul, I’m weaker than she is, don’t you see? You need to be the one to face her.”

“I don’t—”

“We have to try.” She put all her hope, all her trust, into the next word. “Please.”

He frowned at her, but she could see him hesitate. From the corner of her eye, she caught movement.

“Ha!” Whirling, she shot another bolt at the approaching knight, pushing him back a few paces. “Look Tam, I can handle him. Now go. Go.”

Tam shook his head. Then, giving her a look she couldn’t decipher, he turned and sprinted past the knight, his sword leveled at the Dark Queen.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

J
ennet didn’t know what she was asking - but she was right about one thing. They sure weren’t winning. Without giving himself time to think, Tam charged toward the Dark Queen.

Maybe if he were fast enough he wouldn’t get caught by her ethereal beauty, or fall into the starry pools of her eyes. He had to stay strong, be a champion. He was here to save Jennet.

Holding that thought like a weapon, he kept his sword pointed straight at the queen and kept going. Her lovely face stilled, her eyes widened, and Tam felt his heart rip. It was too late to turn aside. He waited in horror for his blade to pierce her beauty, for a shocked cry of pain to pass those perfect lips.

It didn’t happen.

One moment, the queen was before him, the next, his sword tip was jammed between the vines that made up her throne. He yanked at it, finally wresting it free. Smoky laughter sounded behind him. A touch, light as a whisper, on the back of his neck. He whirled, to find the queen standing there, unharmed.

“A bold champion,” she said. “I would give much to claim loyalty such as yours.”

Her words sparked pleasure through him. But he couldn’t give in. Squinting his eyes mostly closed, he swung at the queen again. This time, his blade passed through her as if she were made of fog. Her laugh chimed through the air.

“It is not so simple is it, brave knight? But look, see how your lady fares.” She gestured to the other side of the circle.

Jennet was illuminated by blue fire. She had etched a line of it in the ground between her and the Black Knight. He paced before it, unable to cross, while she sent flickering lightning bolts that burned and sizzled against his armor.

“You see?” the queen said, her voice a twilight caress. “They are well-matched. Just as you and I are, Tamlin.”

“No,” he managed to say, but somehow he was looking into the queen’s eyes.

They were fathomless, full of secrets he hadn’t even known existed. The scent of smoke and roses twisted around him, and his heart tightened. Dreams and longing pressed against his skin, against his soul.

The Dark Queen leaned forward. Her lips parted with promise, and for one fatal second he lowered his sword.

“Good,” she whispered, sending her breath into his mouth.

Then Jennet screamed.

Tam wrenched himself away from the queen. “Jennet!”

She was on her knees, the blue fire gone, her staff on the ground beside her, broken. Despair shone in her eyes. The Black Knight stood over her. Slowly, he lifted his sword.

“You have lost,” the queen said. She held up her right hand, showing Tam the sphere that held Jennet’s trapped soul. “Now I take what is rightfully mine.”

No! Defeat was bitter in his mouth, churned in his stomach. His fault. He had let the queen distract him, and she had done something to turn the battle – had used Jennet’s energy against her. But it wasn’t over yet.

“Wait,” he said. “I’ll offer you a bargain.”

“Yes?” The queen tilted her head and watched him, her expression knowing.

He felt as though his mind were moving at the speed of light. There had to be a solution here, a way to save Jennet. He couldn’t let her die.

“You’ve taken Jennet’s energy,” he said. “Practically drained her. There can’t be much left.”

The queen held the flickering sphere up and studied it a moment. The flames glinted in her eyes. “There is enough for my purposes.”

“But you could have more. You could have mine.”

“Tam, no!” Across the circle from him, Jennet gave him a wide-eyed look. “I’m the one who lost. You can’t do this.” Her voice hitched on a sob.

The queen smiled, as piercing as a shard of crystal. “You offer yourself instead? Bold, Tamlin.”

“Yes. Take me, and let Jennet go.” His mouth was dry. Still looking at Jennet, he scraped the words out. “Jen. Take care of my mom and brother. Tell them I love them. And I’m sorry.”

Tears glistened on Jennet’s face. “No. No. Tam, you can’t—”

“I accept your bargain.” The queen opened her hand, and the flames of Jennet’s soul flew free, streaming back to her. “Now, brave knight, you are mine.”

Tams’ senses whirled as the Dark Queen leaned forward. She placed her hands on his cheeks, her touch like cool starlight. He could see nothing but her terrible, lovely face. Hear nothing but the high skirling of pipes. Taste nothing but ashes.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

“N
o!” Jennet ripped the sim helmet off and lunged over to the other chair.

Tam lay there, still and pale. She put a hand to his cheek. His skin felt clammy, and he was barely breathing. Panic roared through her like fire, red flames nearly choking her, blinding her.

“Help!” she cried, running to the door and throwing it open. “HANA - Call an ambulance. Quick!”

“A medical team has just arrived.”
The cool mechanical tones sounded through the room.
“They will be with you immediately.”

Already? Jennet blinked. Before she could sort it out, two women in white medical gear rushed into the room.

“Miss Carter?” The taller one took her arm. “Let’s get you on a stretcher and down to the ambulance. We can—”

“What?” Jennet yanked her arm free. “It’s not me, it’s Tam. Over here. Help him!” She hurried to the sim chair where Tam was sprawled, unmoving.

The med techs exchanged a confused look, and then the first one joined Jennet. She took one look at Tam and sucked in her breath.

“Willis,” she said, “we need the full team up here. Stat!”

The second woman pulled out her cell, but HANA spoke first.
“I have already alerted the crew.”

“Good.” The tech gave Jennet a sharp look. “Move away, please. We need to get him on the floor and start CPR. Willis!”

Jennet edged back as the other med tech hurried up. A minute later there was a flurry of white-uniformed activity in the room. She couldn’t even see Tam any more, just hear some equipment beeping and the techs throwing around terms she didn’t understand. At least Tam was still breathing. He had to be.

“Miss? Are you all right?” George set a hand on her shoulder. She hadn’t seen him arrive, but she was glad he was there.

The rough sympathy in his voice was too much. Tears burst out of her, and she wrapped her arms around her stomach, trying to keep from falling completely apart.

She had failed. Failed and failed and now Tam…. Oh god, what was going to happen? What was she going to do?

George patted her back. “I’ve called your father. He’s on his way, and so is a heli from the hospital. We’ll get Mr. Linn the best possible care.” He gave her a curious look. “But you’re feeling well, yourself?”

Jennet took a deep, ragged breath. “Yes. I’m okay.”

She was surprised to find it was true. Tam had succeeded in that. Her soul was restored, while he….

The tears threatened to swamp her again. She had to hold it together and tell Dad what was going on. He would know what to do - he’d helped build the game, after all.

She wanted to go over and hold Tam’s hand, brush the hair out of his eyes, but the techs were busy putting him on a stretcher. They carried him out the door. Jennet followed, feeling useless.

The daylight outside came as a shock. The way she felt, she expected it to be night. Expected the whole world to be dark. It wasn’t right that the sun was shining while Tam could be…. She couldn’t even think the word.

Biting her lip, hard, she slipped forward until she could see him lying on the stretcher. There was an oxygen mask over his face, tubes hooked into his arms. His body was there. But his soul, his
self
, was not.

Was he sitting beside the Dark Queen in her court? Was Thomas offering advice and solace? Had Tam already forgotten about his life in the mortal world?

A sob choked her. Oh, Tam. It was all her fault.

A whooshing sound made her look up, to see that the med evac was starting to descend. Luckily the streets of the View were wide. Jennet edged over to the tall woman, who seemed to be in charge.

“Excuse me,” she said.

“Yes?” The tech looked at her with impatient sympathy.

“Can I go with him? In the evac?”

“Are you an immediate family member?”

“Um.” For a wild moment she wanted to claim she was. But they’d find out it was a lie soon enough. “No. I’m not.”

The tech shook her head. “Sorry.” She glanced around. “
Are
there any family members here?”

“No.”

“You’re a friend?” When Jennet nodded, the tech thrust a tablet at her. “Someone has to fill this out. If you don’t know all the answers, do the best you can.”

Of course - they needed to know who they were taking away. Pressing her lips together hard, Jennet filled out what she knew about Tam. There were a lot of blank spaces when she was finished. She didn’t even know how to contact his mom, or what her first name was, or their address. But she knew how to get there.

Would George take her into the Exe? She wished Dad were home. There were too many things falling on her, all at once. She could barely stand up under the weight.

“Here.” She handed the tablet back to the tech.

The woman hardly looked at it. “We’re taking him to Central Hospital.”

“Central? But that’s not nearby.”

“He needs more than the local facilities can provide.” She lifted her head and called out, “Willis? We ready to go?”

The other tech waved an affirmative.

“But…” Jennet couldn’t help the shaking in her voice, couldn’t help the fear that grabbed her by the back of the neck and wouldn’t let go.