Authors: Cassandra Gannon
Slade
gave an honest-to-God laugh at that boast. “If you believe that, then you have
not met my Eternal-One. There is
nothing
that will make her submit to
you.”
“What
about
me?
” A new voice demanded over the pounding rain. “Isn’t anyone
going to mention
me?
”
Jane
spun around and realized why the potent-y music had sounded. Behind her stood
a stunning and pissed off woman. Her long hair flowed down her back, her Bunny
Ranch body covered in a nearly transparent gown. Given the fact that she
looked a hell of a lot like the blonde Angelina Jolie in that centerfold
picture, she had to be Allandrina.
Princess.
Witch. Topless model.
Surprise
villain.
Crap.
Jane
totally should have seen this one coming. It was
such
a stupid plot
twist.
“You’re
fools. All of you.” Allandrina stepped forward, dragging Roland with her.
She held Slade’s long lost brother in front of her like a shield, the Sliver
Sword clutched in her manicured hand. The point of it was aimed right at his
jugular. “Do you think I’ll allow any of you steal my future?”
Jane
spared Slade a quick frown. “I told you the whole premise of this story was
sexist.” Not that Allandrina was doing so much to promote gender equality.
Jane turned back to the renegade lingerie ad and shook her head. “Look, this
is just bad film making. You were barely
in
this movie, so how can we
be invested in you suddenly going rouge? If you were supposed to be the secret
bad guy, you should have been in
way
more scenes before the big reveal.”
“I
was in plenty of scenes until
you
came along and stole them all.”
Allandrina hissed. “Nobody puts Allandrina in a corner.”
“Oh
for God’s sakes, you didn’t even have any lines, until now!”
“I
did, too! Ask Fang. He’s been my costar this whole time.”
“Costar?”
Fang scoffed. “Please. I don’t even remember your name, woman.”
“I
am
Allandrina
, Princess of Infinia and the strongest Dark Fairy who’s
ever existed!”
Jane’s
brows soared. “
You’re
the Dark Fairy?” She’d read some of the full
frontal encounters between Fang and the Fairy in that cave. The script hadn’t
included a lot of context, but it had stressed the nakedness and depravity. Jesus,
she could’ve gone forever without putting a face to the writhing. “I thought
you were a Witch.”
“That’s
what I
want
people to think. My kind are hunted here, while Witches are
adored.” She snored. “If I were really a Witch, I wouldn’t be stuck in this
shithole dimension. With their powers, I’d have fled to a better world long
ago. For years, I had to pretend to
care
about this dumpy kingdom.
When Fang arrived, I began to see there was another way.”
Slade
made a face. “I told you Dark Fairies were often the lackeys of Werewolves,
Jane. You see? They are powerful, but cannot think for themselves.”
Allandrina
pushed the Silver Sword against Roland’s neck and the kid gave a panicked
squeak. “Bro, can you not piss her off, please?” He begged.
“I
am no one’s lackey.” Allandrina snapped. “This is all
my
plan. I
helped the Werewolf gain power, so I could drive the Light Fairies from this
realm. Now their magicks are unprotected and I will harness them for my escape.
Finally
, I will flee Infinia and go someplace
worthy
of true
princess.” She smirked. “Can you guess where I’m going, Jane Squire?”
“Hell?”
Allandrina
pursed her lips at the snarking. “Close. To your very own Chicago.”
“Wait,
you want to go to
my
world?”
“Of
course. In a land without magicks I will have absolute power. Also, I believe
you have martinis there. That alone is enough to sway me.” She shrugged.
“Now, all I need is that script of yours. Witches created it, after all. With
those pages to guide the connection and the Light Fairies’ powers, I can leave
Infinia forever.”
…And
do her damnedest to ruin Earth once she got there.
Jane’s
jaw tightened.
“You’ll
never get away with this, Allandrina!” Roland squawked, trite to the end. “I’m
totally
not sleeping with you, either. You blew your chance with me,
babe. And that pinup shot was airbrushed. I can tell.”
“Shut-up,
Roland. In every version of the tale, you’re a moron.” Allandrina held out
her free hand to Jane and gave her fingers an impatient snap. “Hand over the
script.”
“No.”
Not the wittiest comeback for a heroine to use, but Jane wasn’t in the mood to
worry quotable rejoinders. “Why the hell would I do that? I’m betting Slade
and I can take you.”
“Not
before I kill Roland.”
“Did
you not get the pages where Roland tried to kill me? I’m not too worried about
you stabbing him in the head.”
“That
was an
accident
. I wouldn’t try to kill my long lost sister-in-law. I
was trying to kill
Slade
, because I didn’t know he was my long lost
brother!”
Allandrina
smirked, ignoring Roland’s indignant whining and Slade long suffering sigh. “I
will give you another reason then, Jane Squire. The portal I open will allow
you
to pass through it, as well. No one else in Infinia will be able to return you
to your world.” She shook her head. “Believe me, I’ve tried
everything
to find a way out of here. I am your only hope.”
Jane’s
jaw tightened.
Allandrina
arched a smug brow, sensing she’d scored a hit. “Isn’t that what you want? To
go home? Help me now and I can see it happen.”
Slade
slanted Jane a concerned glance. “Allandrina is probably telling the truth.” He
said softly. “I do not know how to get you back home if she isn’t a Witch.
Infinia has strong barriers. Even my grandmother could not stay in this realm
for long.”
“It
doesn’t matter. There is no
way
I’m going to let an evil sorceress
loose on Chicago. We have enough jackasses in the town.”
He
looked tortured. “But this could be your only chance, my One. We could both
go through the portal and…”
Fang
threw himself at Slade, interrupting the debate. No one had been paying
attention to the Werewolf and Fang used their distraction strike. He pulled
out a blue diamond blade, holding it up so Slade could see the ominous glow. “You
will not live to see any other worlds, Vampire!” He chortled.
The
knife slashed out, cutting Slade’s arm. Blue diamond blades really were the
one weapon that could harm Vampires. The small scratch wasn’t fatal, but it burned
Slade’s skin like acid. He automatically staggered backwards… straight off the
side of the roof.
“
NO!
”
Jane screamed as he disappeared into the darkness.
“Brother!”
Roland cried. Allandrina had to release her hold the kid, as he collapsed to
the rooftop in a pile of deadweight and sobs. “
Why?!
” He shouted
towards the heavens, throwing his head back and raising his arms in hammy
despair. “
WHY!?!
”
Fang
caught Jane around the waist, hauling her against him when she scrambled right
to the edge to scan for Slade. “Stay back. Do you want to die, too?”
“He’s
not dead! I’d know if he was dead.” She had to believe that. Jane’s eyes desperately
searched, but Slade had fallen through the thatched roof of some building
below. It looked like a stable. “We have to get down there. He could be
hurt.”
“I
want
him to be hurt, you stupid bitch.” Fang swung her around, leering
in victory. “I hope you’re right and he
is
still alive. I want him
suffering. I want his whole body broken into little pieces of pain.”
Jane’s
jaw clenched. “As long as he’s breathing, he’ll
still
beat you.”
“Actually,
I will beat
all
of you.” Allandrina corrected. “So unless you want to
join your Eternal-One, I suggest you hand over the script, Jane Squire.”
“I
suggest you bite me.” Jane shot back, struggling against Fang’s fierce grip.
“Fine.”
Allandrina shrugged. “We’ll do it the fun way.” She waved a hand towards the
fortress’ decorative gargoyles. Almost instantly, the stone monsters lumbered
to life. Their gruesome faces pulling back in cruel snarls, their lifeless
eyes glowing red, they sprang towards Jane.
Fuck.
How
was she supposed to fight a Witch, a Werewolf, and these rock-heads? She
didn’t have time for this. She needed to get to Slade.
“Call
them off!” Fang held tight to Jane, as the creatures advanced. “Allandrina, are
you out of your mind? Do you think I went through all this just to let you
kill my mate with those piles of rocks?”
“Oh,
so now you remember my name?” She snorted. “Don’t worry, Werewolf. You won’t
be around to mourn your precious Jane. I’m going to kill you, too. You’re the
worst lover I’ve ever had …and I once slept with three sewer trolls!”
“Hey!”
Jane
kept her eyes centered on the gargoyles. She had zero faith in Fang’s ability
to stop these freaks, so she was going to have to do it herself. There
had
to be a way. Getting through them was her only chance to help Slade, so she’d…
A
noise cut through the air. Huge wings flapping. Jane looked up, thinking the
giant butterflies had returned. Instead, she saw Slade, riding to her rescue
on a white horse. Well, actually it was that damn pegasus, but close enough.
The enchanted steed carried Slade back up to the rooftop, like something out of
a fairytale.
Despite
everything, Jane started to smile. Slade just
had
to dust off the
gallant steed trope, didn’t he? Goddamn, but made the classics look good.
“Jane,
are you alright?” He demanded, maneuvering the pegasus closer.
“He’s
alive.” She whispered in relief.
“He’s
alive!” Roland cheered.
“He
stole my pegasus.” Fang complained.
“Kill
him!” Allandrina screeched at the gargoyles. “Kill the Vampire!”
The
stone monsters’ extended their bat-like wings and launched themselves at
Slade. They swarmed him, trying to knock him from the sky. Slade beat them
back with his sword, his blade hacking through their stony skin. As they died,
they crumbled into pebbles, the tiny bits raining down in explosions of
gravel. Everyone gaped up at clash. Forget the dragon and the butterflies,
this was the
real
action scene. Slade was literally battling two dozen
monsters at once and he was
winning.
Still,
Jane wasn’t the kind of heroine who sat back and watched, no matter how
awesome the show. She drove her elbow in Fang’s midsection. If the Werewolf
could take advantage of distractions, then so could she.
Fang
cursed in surprise, his grip on the blue diamond blade loosening. Jane
snatched it out of his hand and whirred towards Allandrina. Dark Fairies were magickal
and
From Here to Infinia
had been
really
clear on the fact that
blue diamonds cut through magicks.
“Let’s
see what
this
will do.” She stepped forward and plunged the dagger into
Allandrina’s chest. The Dark Fairy let out a shriek of rage, failing
backwards.
Jane
followed her down, intent on getting the Silver Sword from her hand. She
slammed Allandrina’s wrist against the rooftop. “Just give it up!” She was so
frigging sick of all the mystical weapons in this place. They were going to finish
it once and for all.
“Never!”
The
woman was strong for a princess, especially one with a knife in her chest. She
wasn’t letting go of the blade. There was only one thing to do.
Jane
deliberately dropped the screenplay. She threw it directly into Allandrina’s
line of sight. Allandrina gasped and forget about Jane. She stopped fighting
and blindly scrambled towards the folder, everything else ceasing to matter.
All she cared about was reaching the sodden pages.
Jane
easily wrenched the silver blade free from her fingers and tossed it up Slade.
“Here, sweetie. Let’s end this stupid movie.”
Slade
gave her a slanting smile, his gaze fixing on Fang.
“This
isn’t over, Vampire.” He backed away, golden eyes glowing. “I’ll have my
revenge in our next tale. You’ll never be rid of…
shit!
”
His threat
was abruptly cut off as Slade seized him by the neck and dragged him into the
air
The
pegasus sailed upward, higher and higher, Fang’s legs desperately bicycling for
purchase. He tried to push Slade off the back of the stallion, but it was no
use. Slade easily kept his seat, directing the pegasus just where he wanted it
to go. Of
cours
e he was a wonderful horseman. It was all part and
parcel of being a storybook hero.