The ring’s symbols tumbled in my mind until they were one connected blur. Symbols became pictures, pictures became words, and then everything clicked into place.
Addie raised her fist, and the black stone on her ring glowed with an ethereal energy. I stepped toward her. With confidence born of a higher purpose, I lifted my hand, my own ring gleaming on my finger, and stared evil incarnate directly in her brilliant green eyes.
“No, but Doon has a queen.”
CHAPTER 37
Veronica
Adelaide Dell let loose an unearthly wail—like a banshee going through a wood chipper—and leveled her ring at my chest.
“Vee! What’ve ye done?” Jamie stepped closer, intending to shield me with his body.
With a shout of warning, I wrenched him back as white-hot light shot out of my ring, slamming into the violet power blasting toward me. I had no idea how, but the ring on my finger was neutralizing the witch’s spell. An explosion of white, purple, and fuchsia sparks filled the air, cascading around us like fireworks. I held my arm steady, spots dancing in front of my eyes as the embers of magic dissipated.
The fury in Addie’s now violet irises rivaled something out of a monster movie. Her voice filled the hollow space, low and lethal as she growled, “How did ye know?”
Neither one of us lowered our arms as I lifted my chin and forced myself to meet her turbulent stare. “I finally saw it. The symbols on the rings have individual meanings, but Aontacht means unity. They work together like a sentence.” I glanced at Jamie, who’d remained by my side despite my warning. “When I took Jamie’s place, I could complete the spell by declaring myself the new ruler. Now I’m the one who’s life is linked to the fate of Doon.”
Addie clasped her hands behind her back. “I gravely underestimated you, Veronica.”
Her relaxed posture tempted me to let down my guard, but I couldn’t allow myself any weakness. This was no time for gloating. We still had to find a way to get out of here and back to the bridge in less than twenty minutes. Now that Jamie was free, all we had to do was get past one very angry witch.
“Yer a clever one, but you’re still going ta die,” Addie continued as I caught Jamie’s eye and tilted my head toward the exit. He nodded once.
“Vee, watch out!” I turned toward Kenna’s voice as she ran into the room, Duncan and Fergus barreling in behind her. Ken pointed over my shoulder at the witch and I spun toward the threat. Addie stared rapturously at her ring, watching it ooze black goo that coalesced on the floor like nightmarish Jell-O molds.
“Serpents!” Fergus shouted as he drew a large two-handed sword and charged. “Three o’ them.”
Duncan rushed into the fray, tossing Jamie his spare sword before unsheathing his own weapon.
Addie’s serpents bore little resemblance to snakes or dragons; they were more like wriggling, ashy slugs. I stumbled backward as their gaping maws hissed, permeating the air with the stench of rotten meat. Black ooze dripped from between their rows of sharp teeth. In mere seconds, they quadrupled in size. Their ravenous mouths snapped hungrily as they writhed back and forth.
Jamie grabbed my arm and hauled me behind him. With a glance toward his fellow swordsmen, he yelled, “Now!”
Fergus, Jamie, and Duncan slashed at the serpents. They deftly sliced their way down the length of the creatures, but by the time they hacked the serpents’ tails off the severed heads had begun to shimmy. Other disembodied pieces followed and grew like something from a science-fiction experiment gone wrong.
“They’re like giant worms!” I exclaimed, grateful I’d paid attention in Honors Biology. “Every piece will grow into a new monster.”
Kenna clutched my arm in a death grip. “We have to help them!”