Ruler of Beasts (Dorothy Must Die, #0.6)(20)

The air around Glinda was glowing pink and turquoise. She raised her hands, crackling bolts of energy forming between her fingers.

“Do you really want to do this, Glinda?” Ozma said grimly. “Battle me in my own palace? Declare war on the Queen of Oz?”

“It’s only your palace because I put you in it,” Glinda snarled, hurling a bolt of energy at Ozma’s head. “I can take you out of it just as easily.”

Ozma flicked her fingers, and Glinda’s magic crashed into the wall behind her, leaving a smoking crater. “I’m giving you one last chance, Glinda,” she said. “Leave now, and we can forget about this.”

In response, Glinda threw another bolt of magic at Ozma. Ozma dodged it neatly, rolling her eyes. “Fine,” she said in exasperation. “You know, I’ve had a really long day. All I want is to go to bed. But apparently a queen’s work is never done.”

“There’s no rest for the Wicked,” Glinda snapped. Ozma threw up another shield just in time as Glinda sent more magic at her. The Lion was torn, unsure of what to do or who to fight for, but feeling ready to pounce. He had never had much use for magic, but watching them fight he wished he had some of his own. “You were supposed to be the good witch,” Ozma said, returning Glinda’s fire. Glinda ducked and flew out of range.

“You were supposed to be a good investment,” she snapped. “You don’t know the first thing about ruling a country. You should have listened to me.”

“Since you’re such an expert?” Ozma flicked her fingers, and green lightning crackled toward Glinda. Glinda waved one hand, and the energy fizzled into tiny sparks. The Lion took a step toward the door, and then another. Self-preservation had kicked in, finally ruling out over his desire to know who would win this fight. He was almost clear of the throne room.

“I know a lot more than you do, child,” Glinda hissed.

“I’m not a child!” Ozma yelled. “I’m the last of the line of Lurline and the rightful ruler of Oz!”

“Oh, Lurline,” Glinda simpered mockingly. “Nobody even cares about that old story. Next you’re going to try and sell me on some bogus hooey about tapping into the Deep Magic of Oz in order to be a better queen. Face it, honey: you like that throne, but that doesn’t mean you’re qualified for it. If you’d listened to me from the beginning, none of this would have happened. You’d still be in power, and I’d be right behind you.”

“I am still in power,” Ozma said. “And I’m enjoying it a lot more without you breathing down my neck.” She whipped a fireball at Glinda so quickly that the witch didn’t have time to get out of the way. It hit her solidly in the chest, and she shrieked in rage as her dress began to blacken and burn. Glinda slapped at her chest with one hand, pink spreading outward again to replace the blackened burned sections.

“Don’t you dare ruin my dress!” Glinda screamed, hurtling toward Ozma with her fingers outstretched. The Lion saw his chance. He turned around and bolted for the door—and slammed into an invisible wall.

“Not so fast, dear Lion,” Glinda said from directly behind him. “I think I know where my necklace is.” An invisible hand gripped his tail, dragging him backward. He tried to sink his claws in the stone floor, but Glinda’s magic pulled him toward the center of the room.

“Leave him out of this,” Ozma growled. “You’ve done enough damage to my friends.”

“Oh, but the Lion was my friend first. Isn’t that true, Lion?”

The Lion looked miserably toward Ozma as Glinda reached for his neck. But Ozma’s eyes were closed, and she was mumbling to herself. This was it, then. She’d lost the rest of what little strength she’d had left after defeating the Nome King. Glinda was going to win, and there was no use resisting her. Would Glinda banish Ozma from the throne, or continue trying to rule through her? “It’s time for a new queen in town,” Glinda snarled, answering his unspoken question. He felt the necklace loosen itself from around his neck and float upward as he watched it helplessly. At least his part in this was almost over.

“Encomiendum absolum!” Ozma cried, opening her eyes wide and flinging her arms out. An explosion of green light rocked the throne room. Tiles crumbled from the walls, narrowly missing the three figures that stood frozen in the shock wave from Ozma’s spell. Glinda’s jaw hung open, one hand still outstretched toward the Wizard’s ruby necklace. “Verteum clausus!” A green portal opened next to her, revealing a desolate, barren landscape on the other side.

“No!” Glinda screamed as a huge green hand reached out from Ozma’s portal and wrapped its fingers around her. “You can’t do this!”

“Oh, but I can,” Ozma said, her wings unfurling and her entire body outlined in a haze of green light. “It’s a last resort, but you’re the one who pushed me to it.” Glinda kicked and struggled, but Ozma’s spell dragged her slowly, inexorably, toward the portal. At the very last second, Glinda lunged through the air, snatching the ruby necklace where it drifted in the air.

“You just wait, little queen,” she hissed. “I’m going to use this necklace to make a very special present for a very special person. You’ll regret the day you did this to me, mark my words.”

“Whatever you say, Glinda,” Ozma said tiredly. The green hand heaved Glinda through the portal and the doorway snapped shut on her furious screams. Ozma collapsed to the floor as the entire throne room shuddered.