The Unwilling Queen

Out of my mind

"Just back off!" Roedin shouted. "Give her some space!" He yanked a soldier away and reached for Avery's shoulder. She ducked under and lunged, slashing at Hazel's front. The warrior easily parried the strike and countered it with a swing of her own but Arctos intercepted the blade. Avery tried to sneak under Roedin's wing to jab at Hazel again but he grabbed her in a bear hug and lifted her off her feet.

"Cut off the snakes!" Avery screamed, waving the hemlock dagger in one hand and sword in the other. She struggled in Roedin's grip and kicked at the air, trying to break free.

Hazel and Arctos exchanged a few strikes before the Ursid landed a punch to her gut, winding the human and pausing the fight long enough for Pike to rip the sword from her hand. Birch grabbed Hazel from behind and pinned her arms to her body. Both women screamed and struggled, desperately trying to resume a battle only they could see.

"The prime is gone; why isn't the spell fading?" Pike shouted.

"Avery took some of the magic. She can't control it and is throwing the hallucinations into Hazel!" Niamh answered, dodging a flick of Avery's wrist before knocking the sword away. She grabbed at the hand with the dagger but hissed when she touched the hemlock handled and withdrew.

"Here, I'll get it," Pike offered. He reached for the weapon but stopped short, his eyes wide in surprise. "What are you doing? Let her go, savage!" he yelled as he lunged for Roedin's throat.

Avery lifted her legs and kicked Pike in the stomach, pushing the tracker back but also knocking Roedin off balance. The Pike hesitated, gaping down at his hands. "So much blood," he whispered as he studied his clean skin.

"Shit. She got him," Roedin called. "We need a mind-prime!"

Skye approached with a mask in his hand, one eye on Avery and one eye on the faunid mate restraining her. Roedin groaned. They needed to stop her from creating the hallucinations but he hated the idea of drugging her.

Before he could decide Sari rushed into the medical tent. "Don't, you'll just trap her in the nightmare."

"At least she'll be unconscious and you can go in and help," Skye countered.

Sari grimaced. "I'm going to try while she's awake."

"Sari..." Hayden cautioned in a low voice.

"If I can't break it then put her out." She glanced over to where Hazel struggled in Birch's iron grip and at Pike who continued to try to wipe non-existent blood from his hands. "Put them all out."

Hayden kept a wary eye on Roedin but nodded to the dagger. "Get rid of that first."

Skye grabbed Avery's wrist and squeezed until she loosened her grip and he pulled the hemlock blade free. "Cut off the snakes! They're poisonous!" Avery cried.

Roedin widened his stance so that Avery couldn't find any leverage to break free. He tucked his chin down to whisper calming words into her ear. She shook her head angrily and cracked his nose making his eyes water.

Sari pressed her palms to Avery's face to hold it still while they locked eyes. Every muscle in Avery's body clenched, vibrating with strain. But the trance was enough to keep her from kicking Sari away.

Behind them Hazel continued to fight Birch's restraining arms. "The lightning! The lightning is coming for us! We have to run!" She grabbed a small knife from Birch's belt and stabbed him in the thigh but the big man barely flinched.

"Don't let go! I've almost got her," Sari ordered. Her eyes were bright red, an angry light piercing into his mate's soul. Roedin gasped in shock but everyone's eyes were red, monsters watching the scene unfold right there in the medical tent. He adjusted his grip and squeezed his own eyes shut to block out the hallucination.