The Curse of Thorns

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

"Your reign has started," said Evalina, her voice brimming with excitement as both sisters reached the sacred circle. "Mowena, I can't tell you how happy I am. Years of waiting, of planning, are finally over."

The Wicked Fairy's eyes gleamed with a dark light as she advanced toward the wand.

"You will never be the fairy queen!" Briar yelled. She clutched the vial tightly, feeling its cool glass against her palm. The sisters turned to her.

The Wicked Fairy rolled her eyes. "Don't waste my time, girl," she spat.

Briar's heart pounded in her chest as she slowly made her way toward the sacred circle. "And I'm not your servant," she declared, her voice growing stronger with each step.

Without warning, Briar leaped at the fairies, her body propelled by a surge of determination. Time seemed to slow as she flung the vial's contents at the evil sisters. The liquid arced through the air, catching the light as it splashed over the Wicked Fairy and Evalina.

The moment the liquid touched them, the fairies froze. Their eyes widened in horror, their mouths open in a silent scream of agony. For a brief, surreal moment, they stood like statues, their bodies rigid and unmoving. Then, as if in slow motion, they toppled to the ground, their limbs sprawled awkwardly.

Briar sprang forward, her heart racing, and grabbed the Wand of Elements. As soon as her fingers closed around it, a torrent of power surged through her, making her gasp. It was as if she had been struck by lightning, her veins buzzing with golden energy that crackled and sizzled under her skin. She felt her muscles tighten, and her senses sharpen. She felt invincible.

She felt dangerous. She felt fearless. She felt supreme.

The wand's energy coursed through her, filling her with a sense of purpose and strength she had never known. And now Briar understood why the Wicked Fairy wanted this power so desperately.

"Sleeping Beauty," the Wicked Fairy's voice thundered. Briar turned to see the fairy pushing herself to her feet, her eyes blazing with fury. The liquid's effect had worn off. "Give me the wand!" she demanded.

Briar faced the fairy who had destroyed her kingdom and cursed her twice, her heart hardened by the memory of her father's monstrous transformation. Hate filled her veins, mingling with the wand's power. "The wand is mine," Briar said, her voice steady and unwavering. For the first time, she stood before the Wicket Fairy without trembling, without fear.

A flicker of fear flashed in the Wicked Fairy's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by anger. "It's not yours!" she yelled. "It belongs to me! I've waited years, centuries, to get it."

"And you will never get it," Briar said confidently, her grip on the wand tightening.

Evalina staggered to her feet. She advanced a step toward Briar, but when she saw the Wand of Elements in Briar's hand, she hesitated.

The Wicked Fairy's face turned a deep shade of red, her nostrils flaring with anger. Briar wouldn't have been surprised if flames had burst from her nose. "I'm asking you one last time," she bellowed, her voice echoing through the shrine. "GIVE ME THE WAND!"

"Never," Briar replied, her eyes locking with the fairy's blazing gaze. "The sooner you accept it, the easier it will be for you."

The Wicked Fairy's face twisted with rage, and she screamed, "Then I have no choice but to kill you!" She raised her wand and sent a lightning bolt streaking toward Briar, its electric tendrils snapping through the air.

But somehow, Briar knew what to do. It was as if the wand guided her. She lifted the Wand of Elements, and it sent out a jet of golden light that met the Wicked Fairy's lightning bolt in mid-air. The two forces collided with a deafening boom like thunder clapping in the sky. The shockwave rippled through the shrine, sending dust and debris flying.