The Fiend Queen by Barbara Ann Wright

came unbidden to Katya’s eyes. In sleep, Averie was still the lady-in-waiting who’d served her faithfully for many years, the hunter who’d supplied game for her hunting princess persona, and the dear friend and confidante who’d helped her through her darkest, loneliest moments. Katya couldn’t hold in a sob as she sank down at Averie’s side.
    “Jewel of my heart,” she said, the absurd nickname she’d given Averie so long ago. They’d never been lovers, never would have been, but Averie had been so constant and loving yet respectful of the distance that had to remain between them.
    Lost in desperation, Katya looked to Redtrue. “Can you do anything for her?”
    “Not unless she needs a bandage,” Redtrue said as she tied a cloth around Castelle’s head. “And I know she was once your friend, but should we even think of healing her now that she is your enemy?”
    “Roland poisoned her mind. Can you cleanse her?”
    “There is no pyramid to cleanse.”
    Katya was tempted to ask if Redtrue could undo the mind magic, but of course she couldn’t; she wouldn’t even if she were able. And Starbride had already told them that there was nothing of Averie to reclaim. Roland hollowed out some of his puppets, those he found most useful, and left nothing but what he wanted in their places. Averie hadn’t been hypnotized; she’d been remade.
    “Katya, we have to go,” Castelle said.
    Given time, Averie would recover and dog their steps again. She wouldn’t stop until she was killed. Katya pictured the pained expression of shock on Averie’s face as Katya’s blade sank into her heart. A look like that would live with her forever. But if they captured her, she’d be executed eventually, and Katya bet that however she went to her grave—stoically quiet or cursing their names—she wouldn’t bear the peaceful expression she wore in sleep.
    Katya kissed Averie’s soot-stained forehead. “You died long ago, jewel of my heart, in a battle bravely fought. Whatever awaits us after death, I hope you find peace, with no ungrateful royalty bossing you about.” Katya smoothed the hair from Averie’s cheeks, curled a hand around her chin, and pinched her nose and mouth shut.
    Ma gasped, but no one spoke. There were faster ways to kill someone, but Katya couldn’t bear the thought of slitting Averie’s throat. She remembered Crowe telling her that he had killed Roland in nearly this same fashion. Of course, if Crowe had slit Roland’s throat, Katya suspected that even the Fiend couldn’t have saved him.
    Crowe would have agreed, but he still would have said something like, “If we must kill those we love, best we do it softly.”
    Averie shuddered once, and then she was gone, her eyes not even opening before the end.

Chapter Six
    Starbride

    Hugo lay unconscious at Starbride’s feet. It had taken Scarra, Freddie, and Starbride’s Fiend suppression pyramid to subdue him, and even then he’d managed to claw Scarra’s arm. One of Ursula’s men gave her a bandage as Starbride tried to field a hundred questions at once.
    Luckily, the pack of Docklanders who’d charged their position included Prince Reinholt and Maia, two people well versed in keeping Fiendish natures secret.
    “Did the Fiend king do that to him?” one of the Docklanders asked, gesturing toward Hugo.
    “No doubt,” Reinholt said in a drawl eerily reminiscent of Katya. Either he’d been taking lessons from his sister, or she’d based some of her court persona on him. He made some joke about Hugo’s Fiendish nature not helping with the ladies, and a few of his followers laughed.
    Those who didn’t looked to Maia, but she waved their questions away as, “Something to worry about later.”
    “Let’s hope none of these people have long memories,” Ursula said in Starbride’s ear. “Pretty soon there won’t be a war to put off their questions.”
    “I like your confidence, Captain.”
    Ursula’s light touch on Starbride’s shoulder