Long Live the Queen (The Immortal Empire) (34 page)

It was amazing, this rush of transformation. It wasn’t easy, but once it started, it came quickly and painfully. Bones separated and repositioned themselves, muscles lengthened. Everything became more – more claw, more fang. It was bloody amazing.

Ali stared at me. “How did you do that?”

I grinned. “Where do you think you got it?” Oh, why had I fought this for so long? I could feel the blood of my pack racing through me, giving me strength and speed. I felt strong. Powerful.
Whole
.

This time I was the one on the offensive. I leapt at her, claws out, swiping her cheek and laying open the skin to a torrent of
blood. She screamed, and for a moment I saw that formerly scared creature in her eyes – the one that had jumped on me in joy and wanted me to be her mother. But then it was gone as she snarled and started swinging her own terrible claws.

She tore open my arm, but I twisted out of the way before she could dig in. As I did so, I whipped my leg up and gave her a boot to the frontal lobe. She staggered and came back with a kick of her own that should have knocked my jaw loose but didn’t. This new form – this
true
form – was stronger than my usual self.

Fighting is a bit like dancing – it’s all about following your partner’s lead. Ali and I could probably do this all night if we both weren’t in such a hurry to end it.

“I really don’t want to kill you,” she lied. How easily it rolled off her tongue. She learned fast. “Why don’t you just step aside and let me go after the old woman?”

I punched her in the mouth. “Because five minutes ago you told me just how much you were going to enjoy killing me, and because I’ve become rather partial to that old woman.”

Another shot aimed at my solar plexus. I blocked and sliced the inside of her wrist. Cheap shot? Yes. I was not, however, going to feel badly for it when she’d be healed in a short time.

“Why won’t you just die?” she screamed swinging wildly and missing. “You were so easy to tear apart four days ago!”

I grinned. “I wasn’t myself then.” My elbow slammed into her face. I felt her nose break before I danced just out of her reach.

The noises she made had more to do with rage than pain. I knew this because they were the same grunts I made when I felt that way. We were both sticky with each other’s blood – gory little dancing dolls.

I saw her glance over my shoulder and smile. I didn’t have to look to understand her. Vex had returned – I felt his presence. He was fighting her friends alongside William. She was going to go for him.

And she did. She jumped right over my head and ran for him. I gave chase. I was faster in this form as well, but she still managed to give him a good swipe before I reached her. Nothing serious, just enough to piss me off. I grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head back so that her neck was exposed.

“You know I can’t let you live,” I said to her.

“I know,” she whispered. For a moment I thought for certain that she wanted me to kill her. Then she jobbed me in the face – just missing my eye.

“Fucking cow!” I still had her hair, and I pulled hard on it now. I didn’t think; I simply acted. Fangs grew even longer in my mouth, and saliva started to flow.

I latched on to her hard, pulling on the surge of her blood until I felt her weaken in my arms. Only then did I lift my head. Our gazes met. Hers was dim and narrow.

“Do it,” she whispered. “Please?”

How could I deny her? I stared at her a moment, seeing myself and Dede, and everyone else whose face she’d worn.

I grabbed her neck with my teeth and ripped. Blood flooded my mouth, ran down my chin and front. I ignored it as I gently guided her to the floor. Glassy eyes looked up at me as her fingers stroked my cheek, the strong line of my jaw and the velvety fur that was so like her own.

“Found you,” she whispered, a bloody smile curving her lips.

And then she died.

It was Avery and Val who caught Bertie when he came to finish his mother. Too bad she’d already signed the papers changing the future of England and had them witnessed by the PM.

Bruised and winded, with dried blood on my face and in my hair, I let Vex and William escort me to the parlour where Victoria, her son and my siblings waited. The Prince of Wales was bound to a very sturdy chair.

Bertie stared at me when I walked in. I was still in my new form, holding it without the rage. He must have thought I was Ali. I willed myself to change back to my normal appearance, if for no other reason than to see the look on his face.

His disappointment was delicious.

“She’s dead,” I told him. “She asked me to kill her so she didn’t have to be your puppet any more.”

The prince shrugged. “She filled her purpose.”

“You cunt,” I sneered. “Everyone was put on this earth to be your plaything.”

He met my gaze without a hint of expression. “That’s one of the perks of being royalty. Surely you know that, Alexandra.”

“No,” I answered. “I really don’t.”

“Where’s Argyle?” Vex demanded.

Bertie laughed at him, bright blue eyes twinkling. I wanted to dig my thumbs into them and pop them like bubble-wrap. “Your little traitor? He was so very easy to seduce, Lord Alpha. A promise of a little power and he did whatever I asked of him. He’s in my apartments.” He looked past Vex to me. “So sorry about your father, Alexandra. Did you get the package I sent?”

Vex left the room. I wanted to go with him, but it wasn’t my place. Instead, I kept my face blank and tucked my fists behind my back so I couldn’t use them. I took a calming breath. “You’re being awfully conversational, Bertie. I almost feel like a priest in a confessional. Aren’t you worried about incriminating yourself?” Oh, it would be lovely to pound that smug smile off his face.

With Vex gone, Bertie reverted to his obnoxious self. “I don’t know what you’re all upset about. I’m bringing about a new dusk for this country – a world where the British Empire will be great and glorious once more. Mother, you know I’m right. Release me.”

Victoria walked around the desk to stand in front of her son. She drew back her arm and slapped him so hard the chair tipped over backwards and fell to the floor.

“You do not speak to me,” she told him. “And you most certainly do
not
call me mother.”

We let him squirm like an overturned beetle for a moment, and then Val pushed the chair and prince upright once more. “We need to take him into custody, Your Majesty.”

Victoria nodded. “Of course. Do what you must.”

As Val placed special aristo-strong shackles on Bertie’s ankles, I asked what no one else had. “What about a cure?”

Everyone looked at me, but I kept my attention on Bertie. “Every human and half-blood in this palace has been exposed to the new plague. The majority of them will die if they don’t mutate. There must be a treatment, right? Just in case it didn’t go as planned?”

Bertie grinned as Val applied shackles to his wrists as well. “I’ll tell you what won’t work – tetracycline. You’ll find my lovely creation terribly resistant to all forms of antibiotics. It’s a persistent little beauty.”

I couldn’t believe it. “There’s no cure?”

The grin widened. “Now you understand. No, my dear freak, there is no cure. There’s no treatment. No hope.” This last word came out almost like a kiss. “There’s absolutely nothing you can do now that I’ve set my lovely free.”

Cold spiked through my core, down into my feet. “What have you done?” And what was taking Vex so long? It felt like he’d been gone for hours.

Bertie glanced towards the clock on the mantle. “One hour ago the airborne plague I’ve named
Pestis albia
was released in underground stations in London, Hong Kong and Paris. It was also released in hospitals across Europe and Asia, in schools, universities and prisons. I believe that at this moment it’s being discharged into the air at a celebrity gathering in Los Angeles in America, as well as the New York subway and a hockey game in Toronto.”

Victoria staggered backwards. I admit I almost did the same. Oh my God.

“How could you do such a thing?” his mother asked.

He shrugged, fixing her with a gaze of pure hate. Freed from the chair, he stood, silver-treated restraints jangling discordantly. “I did what you and my father could not. In a few days’ time, much of the world’s human population will begin to die very painful deaths, or they will transcend. A few will survive, as they always do, and they will go on to feed the rest of us. But we will be the dominant species. Why so shocked, Mother? Haven’t you always talked of uniting humans and the aristocracy? Well, they’re united now, or they soon will be.”

The rest of us shared astonished and horrified glances as Bertie laughed at us.

“Not quite,” came Vex’s voice from the door.

My shoulders sagged when I looked and saw him standing there with Argyle. I had a little business to finish with the traitorous halfie when this was over, but for now, seeing him was a good thing.

Bertie turned, and regarded the arrivals with that smug smile. “Ah, Argyle. No hard feelings, dear boy, but I think you know that a man who would betray his own so easily is also very easy to betray.”

“Well said,” Vex replied. “So it won’t surprise you to know that a little over an hour ago, one of your little cabals was prevented from carrying through your plans by their local aristo law enforcement, thanks to Stephen’s realisation that it was easier to betray you than face me.”

Bertie’s smile melted away, like blood down a drain. “What?”

I walked up behind him and clapped him on the shoulder.
“All halfies have trackers in them, Bertie. The pack found Stephen not long after he left us.” I didn’t add how tense the last few hours had been, not knowing if all the agencies would comply, if Argyle had given us the right information. Vex had kept me practically in the dark about the whole thing so that all I needed to worry about was Ali.

“All that work,” I whispered in the prince’s ear. “All that planning. For nothing. You failed, Bertie.”

I stepped back with a smile, enjoying his stunned silence. Then he lifted his chin defiantly, a little of the old arrogance returning. “You haven’t stopped me. Lock me up and I’ll start again. I have contacts all over the continent. You will not sto—”

His words died abruptly, turning into a terrible gurgle as Queen V ripped out her son’s throat.

We all watched his blood drain out in satisfied silence.

“Is it done?” Avery finally asked. “Is it over?”

“Yes,” Vex answered, shoving Argyle at Val to be taken into custody. “Some of the gas did escape into the palace, but so far none of the humans are exhibiting any symptoms.”

My knees trembled. I wanted to sit down, but I didn’t know if I’d ever get back up. And I was terribly concerned about getting blood on Victoria’s furniture. I stared at Bertie’s corpse, then lifted my gaze to meet Victoria’s. For a second, I saw a mother’s sorrow in her eyes, and while I hadn’t been a mother long, I knew a little bit about having no choice but to destroy your own child.

“We’d better call a press conference,” she announced, all emotion vanishing as she slipped back into monarch mode. I had to admit, I admired her for it. “Xandra, Vex, Uncle William – you will join me. As will Madame Prime Minister.”

My eyebrows lifted of their own accord. “Now?” I was covered in blood – and she was still holding on to part of her son’s trachea.

“Now.” She tossed the lump of meat at William, who caught it and practically swallowed it whole. “We do this now. No more hiding. No more fighting. My son was right about one thing – this empire was great once upon a time. And it will be great again, with all of its peoples united. I will see this happen if it is the last thing I do.”

Oh, she was good. I felt a little thrill at her words. Inspired.

There was a knock on the door. It opened to reveal the prime minister. Poor woman looked nervous. I didn’t blame her. Here we were, all bloody messes. She must have felt like a mouse entering a hawk house.

“You wanted to see me, Your Majesty?” Her voice cracked slightly.

“Yes,” Victoria said. “Join us, please.”

The woman did, putting herself closer to Avery and Val – the safest-looking of the lot.

Victoria held out her hand to me – the bloody one, of course – and I took it without hesitation. Her other reached for William, while I reached for Vex. He gestured for Avery and Val to join – but not Argyle, who was trussed up behind us – and offered his other hand to the PM. She hesitated only a second before taking it.

“No more hiding in the dark,” Victoria said, her gaze meeting each of ours. “No more lording it from behind armed guards and fortified walls. As of tonight, we reclaim our own place in this city – in the world.” She glanced at William and gave him a small smile. “Tonight is a new beginning for the British Empire, with all of us going forward as equals. What say you?”

Starting with William, she looked to each person in the circle. Every one of them said “aye”, even the PM, who still looked a little confused. However, she was a smart, strong woman who had no problem ignoring the corpse of the Prince of Wales at her feet.

Vex gave his agreement next, and then all eyes were on me. Vex gave my fingers a little squeeze. I smiled at him before turning to Victoria, the woman I had thought was my enemy, who was now turning into something more, though I didn’t imagine we’d be going for pedicures any time soon.

The little woman looked at me expectantly. “Xandra? What do you say?”

I gazed around at all my friends and family. I would do anything for any of them.

“I say…” I lifted the small, bloody hand that stuck to mine, “long live the Queen.”

I want to take a minute to thank the fans of this series. You are all so unbelievably cool! Thank you for letting me know you’ve enjoyed the books.

Thank you to Miriam Kriss for hand-holding, lunching, butt-kicking and just being the best agent ever.

Thank you to Devi Pillai for knowing exactly how to deal with me, and for being understanding when disaster strikes! Oh, and for being the most evil editor I’ve ever worked with.