She knew in the city people must be dying.
Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children.
And suddenly, she knew they couldn't wait. If they waited for Queen Daleina to wake, they'd all be dead. She'd rule an empty forest.
"Stop them!" she shouted to the candidates. "Make them freeze!"
"You mean-"
"Yes!"
"But Queen Daleina will wake!" Havtru cried.
"If we wait, she'll wake to our deaths!" To the candidates, she yelled, "Do it!"
As one, they began to cry, "Choose! Choose!" Piriandra felt the command, even though she had no power of her own. It swept like wind through the forest.
And the spirits drifted away.
All the spirits of Aratay simply retreated, slowly, distractedly-the air spirits floated into the air, the earth spirits sank into the earth, the tree spirits wandered vaguely away from the bodies they'd been savaging.
Unblocked, the spirits of Semo renewed their attack.
Leaping in front of one of the candidates, Piriandra blocked an air spirit, and then felt a sharp pain in her side. She looked down. An earth spirit had risen through the muck beside her and pierced her side. She felt another sharp pain in her arm. She swung her sword and kept fighting even as the blood flowed from her.
With only the swords of the champions and the spears and swords of the soldiers to stop them, the army of Semo swept past the border and into the city of Mittriel.
As they rushed by Piriandra, she dropped to her knees. Her sword slipped from her fingers, and she spread her hands over the gash in her side. I failed, she thought.
The last thing she heard was screaming.
It could have been her own.
Naelin felt the command sweep through the spirits: Choose!
No! she thought. Queen Daleina will wake! Wait for her to wake! But the spirits were already caught in the ancient command. She felt them detach and then drift. Their emotions fragmented. They'd drift until the next coronation ceremony.
"She's coming," Ven shouted. "And she's bringing her spirits!"
Naelin grasped for the spirits. Help me! Fight! But they only milled listlessly around her. She had no defenses, only Ven's sword. And if she had no defenses . . . neither did the city. Neither did the palace. Neither did Erian and Llor.
Queen Merecot was coming to the Queen's Grove.
And Naelin knew what she had to do, what Queen Daleina wanted her to do.
She reached out to the spirits, touching them with her mind as far as she could. She brushed against them and focused her thoughts. Choose me.
Make me queen.
Chapter 34
Erian crouched under the table with her arms wrapped around Llor. Their father was huddled beside them. "If we're quiet, they won't know we're here," Father whispered. He flinched as something heavy crashed against the door. There was screaming out in the hall. Lots of crashes and the tinkle of shattering glass.
"I want Mama," Llor whimpered.
"Shh," Erian told him.
"Your mama is out there, helping keep us safe," Father said.
"She's doing it wrong," Llor said. "She should be in here, keeping us safe. You shouldn't have made her so mad. Then we'd all be together. It's your fault!" His voice was rising with each word.
Erian clapped her hand over Llor's mouth. "Shh! Spirits will hear you!"
He bit her hand.
"I'm going to find Mama!" He dove forward, out from under the table, and both Father and Erian scrambled after him. He was as quick as a squirrel, darting across the room, over the couch and under a table to the door. Throwing back the lock, he threw it open just as Father reached him-and a young woman rushed inside.
She slammed the door shut and locked it. Then she sank down, hugging a glass bottle to her chest. Her hair was singed and dirt streaked her cheek, and she looked a little familiar.
"Are you all right?" Father asked her.
"It worked," the woman said. Girl, really. She looked maybe fourteen. Older than Erian, but not as old as Mama and Father. "I'm not dead. Not temporarily. Not permanently. It worked, and I have to get it to her." Her voice became more and more shrill.
"Slow down," Father said. "It's not safe to go anywhere. There are spirits out there. You can hide with us." Father saying "hide"-that scared Erian more than all the screaming. He was the one who waltzed out of the house forgetting his ax. He was the one who forgot to stuff charms in their school bags. He was the one who said everything would work out fine, as long as they were cheerful and positive. Mother used to get so angry when he'd say that.