Tree of Life Book III

Part III - Chapter 05

TREE OF LIFE BOOK III – PART III

CHAPTER 05

The inside of Julian's mouth was the only place on his body that wasn’t on fire and deadly. It was safe there. And it was about as close as you could get to his brain without actually touching it. You were inches away and directly below.

The Queen knew this. And then Nicole.

And now the Queen was inside it.

Before Julian could bite down or swallow, the Queen was on her feet and ready. She raised her arms. Her palms were on his palate.

She cried out.

Julian grimaced. He cried out too.

The Queen scrunched her eyes up and focused again.

Julian crumpled to his knees. He was clutching his head.

He shrank.

He was at once half the size of what he just was. His fire was reduced by the same amount.

She struck him again with the mind blast.

He squealed. His eyes were round and he blinked and they were swirling white and yellow again, the fire in them ebbing out, dying.

He shrank some more.

His mouth was getting too small. The Queen slithered out of it like a salamander. She wriggled her way to the top of his head and plopped herself down, onto her knees. She plastered her hands onto his forehead.

She squeezed his mind.

He shrank some more. He was down by another half. His fire nearly went out.

Now, he was back again to the size that he had been when he was down below and soaking in the pit. His eyes were nearly all white. He was calm. Sedate. Like drugged out.

The Queen stepped off. Arcing through the air, she alighted nearby, the picture of grace and poise. She faced him.

Julian was once again the chained beast, fully on his knees, a tame giant, bowing before his master, with his eyes downcast and dribble by the side of his mouth.

The Queen approached him. "Perhaps it would be safer for everyone, if I ended it once and for all right now." She raised her hand up and aimed for his head.

"No!" Wendy rushed in from the side.

Nicole approached Julian to tend to him. The two had been watching close by as Julian shrank.

The Queen drew back. She sneered at Wendy. "What? Your turn, little one?"

Wendy twisted up her baby brows. She growled.

She had seen what the two adults had been doing, how they fought. She bent her head. She raised one hand.

She shot off a fireball at the Queen.

The Queen smiled. She dodged it. With ease.

Wendy sent off another one. Then another.

The Queen dodged these too. "Come now, child. Stop. This is foolish." She smiled at the baby. "Calm down. Like your father…" She raised her hand toward Wendy.

From behind, Julian cried out.

Wendy spun around. "Daddy!"

Julian was still on his knees, but he was straightened up and tall on them.

Nicole was by his side, fumbling. "Julian!"

Julian reached up. He dug his fingers, his nails into his chest.