Page 29 of Strongest Souls
Behind me he mutters a curse, but I don’t care if my wings are ugly, they will do the job of getting me home. They are what they need to be. And that is all that matters.
“What are they?” Mom steps back and points at me.
“I’m going home, Mom. And my friends…my lovers…are coming with me.” I could fly them up the spire, but I know in the same breath that isn’t what needs to happen. They need to free themselves from the thing that is keeping them here. Or in Michael’s case, all the things keeping him here. But I’m not going to abandon them on the spire. I will be there to catch them so they can keep going.
Her gaze skims over my monsters, my men. “Guards!”
Monsters appear out of the other tunnels connected to the throne room. They block all the exits. We are going to have to fight our way to the spire.
17
Joe
I’m trying to wrap my mind around the fact that the queen of this cursed place is Julie’s mother. That Julie thanked her, and grew a set of fucking wings. Wings.
It doesn’t matter how much I stare at them; they don’t seem real.
Then big, dangerous, center monsters fill the room. Six of them, plus the queen, who is the biggest one of all.
I’m not even half the monster I was, so will be shit in a fight. Theo is all teeth and talons, but fighting will take a toll on him. Michael is like the center monsters, a dickless overgrown, angry beast. And Gerrard? I don’t even know who’s fucking side he’s on.
We’re outnumbered, and out-monstered.
I never thought we’d reach the castle, and yet here we are. In the throne room. I take a breath and exhale. It’s been wild. It’s been fun. It’s been worth it to remember who I was, and to experience the changes. To feel something other than rage and hunger. And it’s because of Julie.
Holding her while she slept, curled up against Theo, I let myself imagine that it was possible to have that life. To be waking up and having coffee in the morning and to share a bed at night. Of course in that dream, Theo didn’t have quite so many teeth.
I can easily add Michael to that future. Maybe even Gerrard.
I don’t know if they can.
Gerrard glances around as if he’s suddenly realized he’s on the wrong side.
“Make your choice, Gerrard,” I mutter.
“You’ll all die,” he says, as though the idea is horrifying.
I shrug. “Maybe.”
But I don’t have any regrets. My future is wide open to be whatever I make it. I’m not even worried about the changes caused by the fight.
Theo stands next to me; his talons click together. “Thank you, for…for seeing me.”
“I did more than that.” I pull him close and hug him. He expertly moves his talons, so I’m not impaled. “It’s been a pleasure, King Theo.”
Michael headbutts us, his horns bracketing us. “Are we going to kill the queen?”
Julie turns, her wings folding as she does. “No. We leave the queen. She was once my mother.” Her gaze flicks to the wall, and the weapons hung there. “We came here to climb the spire, and that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to make it out of here.”
I want to believe her but…ah fuck it. I’ll just believe her. Why not?
“Yeah, we’re all going home.” I lift my fist. Theo lifts his talons.
Gerrard stares at me, then at Julie.
Julie grabs Gerrard’s hand. “Are you coming with us?”
He glances down at their linked hands. “Why do you care?”