Between Dimensions- Chapter 16

“You brought us to the wrong place!” The Queen snarls, and Becca flinches away from the poison in her words.

“I didn’t!” she replies in her defense, “This is definitely the place. I don’t know what happened to the damn portal but you promised that you would send me back once I showed you the place! You can’t go back on your word!”

“I had said that I will send you back once I find the portal. I have not; at least not yet, so will not go anywhere. And anyway, you can’t go back unless we find the portal. That is your way out of here.”

“So what you’re saying is,” Becca begins, “That I cannot return before you find Doerian,” She keeps talking, buying Logan time, “So maybe I can help you in some way. Two people working together can get more work done. Is there any way in which I can help you find the opening?”

“Yes you can,’ The Queen answers, “By shutting up!”

“Hey no need to take it all out on me!”

“Just shut up.” She replies, sighing, “I’ll look once more.”

Becca frowns and crosses her arms, looks away from the Queen into the dense forest. While she looks angry and hurt on her face, she curses Logan in her head. That is all she can do.

Back at the palace, Logan tries hard to execute the plan which he and Becca formulated two days ago. Everything was simple and clear, the Queen had left a lot of clues behind, probably because of her over confidence and sense of superiority. Even though Logan knows where the weapon is, he has no clue as to how take it out. On top of all this, Adrian is still in that stance the Queen put her in. Logan, being a healer knows that it can be only brought down if the Queen wants so, or if she dies. The first one is not possible, and only he can make sure that the latter takes place. He knows he does not have any more time. Becca would not be able to hold out any longer. The Queen is no fool; she will know she has been deceived, and then they all will die, starting with Becca.

Maybe it was because of all that pressure on top of him that he could not see the most obvious signs. He does see them, when Becca looses all hope. He sees the plant, which is not found so easily, not even in the forest. There is only one of its kind in the royal garden. Logan crouches in the foliage, gazing upon the alogkre, the lock. He never though he would be lucky enough to look at it. Without any further ado, he rips out the exotic plant, making sure the roots come out as well. As the roots come out of the earth, so does the bell which is fated to kill the Queen.

It is covered with dirt, not matching any of the grandeur it once had. But it was the bell nonetheless. He carefully picks up the small hammer by its delicate handle and taps the bell, lightly.

Becca looks at the Queen without fear as she rambles on, using words Becca has never heard of before. When she is done, the Queen breathes heavily and says,

“You betrayed me when I gave you a chance to live. Now you will to die.”

“I knew you’d say that. But who knows, maybe you’re the one who will die.”

“Me? Die?” The Royal Bitch laughs, “I was wrong about you. You are such a fool! I cannot die. No one can kill me.”

“Oh really?”

The Queen opens up her mouth, probably to curse Becca, but no sound comes out of her throat. And that is how, the great and powerful Queen who was feared by all dies. The sound of that petite bell cannot be heard by anyone but the Queen. The sound, when reaches her takes the life out of her and she withers, like a beautiful flower turning into dust. The dust which had once been a witch mixes with the air and disappears, leaving Becca and all the soldiers openmouthed.

Becca recovers first and bring out a small dagger from the folds of her much detested dress.

“Any of you want to challenge me?” She asks from the soldiers, who are still staring at the place where their Queen stood.

They slowly recover and one of them says, “Challenge you? Are you the one who killed her?”

Becca nods her head in answer.

“Really?” Another one speaks up, “Thank you! We all are finally free! We’ll take you back to the castle, come on!”

Becca smiles and mounts a horse like the rest. They all make their horses run like they were actually being followed by the Queen. Once they get out of the forest, which takes only a few hours, they split up. Half of them go to the city, spreading the news about the Queen’s demise. The rest turn toward the castle.

When Becca finally reaches her destination, she is not surprised to be greeted by the smiling faces of Logan, Adrian and Doerian. Logan is the first one to leap up to catch her when she falls off the horse. He takes her in his arms and to his surprise, instead of pulling away, she does the same. Adrian laughs at them and says,

“I knew you two had something going on! Come here!”

They all embrace each other, and when Doerian doesn’t join in, Adrian pulls him in the circle. The celebrations last for a month, but Becca know she can’t stay for that long. At the end of the day, she tells them that she wants to go back. They understand, and when Doerian opens up the portal for her, Logan comes up from behind with his bags and surprises them all.

“What?” He asks, “I want to go to. I have had enough of this world. I want to try a new one.”

“Go, my friend, but do not forget us and this world. The portal will open every day at 12. You can come anytime.” Doerian says, probably for the first time in the whole day.

“Sure, even you are welcome anytime.” Becca says to Adrian.

“I’ll miss you.” Adrian says and embraces Becca.

“But hey, what will I tell my parents?” Becca asks Logan once they reach her room.

“Nothing. I won’t live with you, but I will not stop annoying you for a long time.” Logan replies with a smile.

“I know.” Becca replies and kisses Logan, for the first time. But not the last.

Becca was happy. Not the kind of happy you get when you go to an amusement park. The kind that she knows will last. She has Logan. She has a portal to other worlds. She has adventures. She has friends in both worlds. And most of all, she has a story to tell.