A Brother's Love

 Quentin traced the lettering on the cover of his beloved first edition book. "At least I get to see Fillory before I die," he tried to joke, his voice cracking on the last word.

"We still have time. You aren't going to be a martyr," Julia snapped and slammed another textbook closed. "Centuries of information hoarded by all manner of magical beings, and nothing that's actually useful."

"You should be practicing your spell," Alice said, peering over the top of her glasses.

Julia's face twisted with disgust. "Excuse me for not rolling over and accepting the only way we can win is if Quentin sacrifices himself."

"There's no guarantee it will kill me," Quentin intervened. "I mean...probably, but it's not a hundred percent."

"Spoken like a true warrior." Elliot raised his flask in salute then leaned toward Margo and asked in a not so subtle volume, "Shouldn't sacrificial virgins have a crown of flowers? Or at least wear something that isn't a poly blend?"

"Maybe just an apple in his mouth," Margo countered.

"Thanks, guys. That's really helping." Quentin stuffed "Fillory and Further" into his bag and ignored the fit of giggles behind him. It was how they dealt with the darker bits of life, with jokes and feigned apathy to ward off the nuisance of emotional investment. He couldn't blame them now for wearing their armor when they needed it most.

A commotion of howling erupted in the hall. Penny flung the door open and stomped into the room, his typical stormy demeanor cranked up to eleven. "You had all be ready to do this because I don't want to spend a minute more with that thing than I have to."

A willowy man with exaggerated limbs stumbled through the doorway. "Stop touching me!" he screamed over his shoulder.

Kady followed close behind, brandishing a gauntlet on her right hand. "Start cooperating and I'll consider it." She lunged for the man again and he scrambled away from her, terror on his face.

"This is your secret weapon?" Julia asked.

Kady smirked. "He's fae. He has more juice than any of us." She wiggled her fingers in the gauntlet. "He just needs a little persuasion."

The fae threw his hands up in defense. "I owe you a blood debt! I already agreed to do your bidding!"

"Can we move this along?" Penny snapped.

They each collected a few necessities and gathered in a circle.

"Everyone join hands. You all have to stay connected," Penny instructed.

Elliot raised his hand. "Uh, what happens if someone lets go?"

Penny rolled his eyes. "Then your left nut and your right nut end up in different dimensions."

"Good to know." Elliot gripped Margo and Alice's hands. "Hold on to me like I'm couture Armani and we're going to the Met Gala. My balls belong together."

Before Quentin could worry about the security of his own testicles, the light snapped out of him and flooded back in. He squinted against the bright sunlight glinting off the glossy leaves of the forest and the shiny blades of grass at their feet.

"We're here," he whispered, in awe of his childhood fantasy morphed to tangible reality.

"I thought this was someplace remote?" Alice asked.

"It is," Penny defended.

Julia pointed at something over his shoulder. "Then who is that?"

They collectively turned to view what Julia noticed. A rough shack squatted in front of the tree line. The crooked door sagged on its hinges as a man held it open and stared at them from the doorway. He looked just a shocked to see a group of Earth Children on his front lawn as they were to see him. "No!" he shouted. "You have to leave! You'll bring him here!"

Confirming his worst fear, a luminescent moth fluttered past.

Quentin's heart began to hammer. "Go back inside!" he yelled to the Fillorian.

The group did their best to feign bravery, but fear shuffled their feet and twisted hands and fingers with frantic last moments of practice.

More moths fluttered toward them, surrounding their circle while the fae creature began to wail.

Quentin turned to order the Fillorian to run for his life, but it was too late. The Beast stood before the man with his hand wrapped around his throat.

"Quentin Coldwater!" the Beast called out in a greeting. "How generous of you to reacquaint me with my dearly not so departed sibling, Rupert."

Shocked at the reveal of the Fillorian's identity, Quentin sputtered out, "But Rupert is dead."

The Beast gaped at his brother in mock horror. "Gracious this corpse has life in it." He held fast to Rupert's throat. "Not sure it will stay that way for long."

"Quentin!" Penny shouted, snapping him back to his senses.

Quentin fumbled in his bag for the glass orb Alice helped him create. He could feel the trapped spell inside pulse against his fingers. He mumbled an ancient incantation, tripping over the words the first time and having to start over.

The Beast took his attention off his chew toy for a moment, intrigued by the various battle stances and Quentin's odd behavior. "You all look like you really mean to try and kill me. It's adorable."

Quentin completed the spell and smashed the orb between his hands. His spine steeled straight and his arms extended wide. He was grounded to the earth in his martyr pose, unable to move.

Margo's cold magic hit first. It seared through him as only ice can burn. Elliot's followed, latent rage with a clear purpose cutting into his veins. Alice, Kady and the fae all followed while Julia worked a binding spell on the Beast.

When Quentin thought he might burst from the magic, his hands clapped together and the combined sources amplified and struck the Beast.

He lost his hold on Rupert and stumbled back. Fear passed over his face and Quentin felt exhilarated. He coaxed the magic even higher, feeling it burn through his core. He wouldn't last much longer.

"Stop! You'll kill him!" Rupert screamed.

The others were too focused. They didn't see Rupert barreling toward them. Locked in his body by the amplifying spell, Quentin couldn't speak or move to warn them.

Rupert tackled Elliot, knocking him into Margo. Quentin felt their magic cut short and Alice's flicker from distraction.

It was all the Beast needed.

Julia screamed as her fingers twisted and snapped in grotesque directions.

Unbound, the Beast snapped Penny's neck with the flick of his wrist before he could vanish. "Thank you for the assistance, Rupert." Another flick bisected Rupert into two halves which peeled away from each other and slapped on the ground.

The Beast turned his cold eyes on Quentin. "This almost hurts," he gestured to the stream of magic directed at him and stuck his hands into the beam. He wriggled and twisted his fingers, a freakish display of extra digits, and turned the beam back into Quentin.

The magic separated inside of him and returned to its creators with vengeance. The amplified spells meant for the Beast burned and tore their way through Quentin and he crumbled.

The world began to fall away. He caught glimpses and snapshots of the end: Julia wailing cradling her mangled hands, icy pieces of Margo scattered in the grass and the glittery ash of the decimated fae blowing away in the breeze.

The Beast leaned over Quentin and gave him an appreciative smile. "That was interesting. I appreciate a challenge. Thank you."

It didn't matter if they had been worthy adversaries. They had now failed twenty-six times.