When Stars Fall(The Last Star trilogy #3)

McKenna Scorpio

I cursed in Greek. Watching Jaxon undress, revealing his wrinkled skin now turn to scales was disturbing and made a shiver run up my spine. His four heads dangled in the air, hissing in unison. Belle, Alec and Lydia were talking with that old woman whose name I had learned was Hellen.

“That’s his mother?” I snorted. She was wrinkled and her grey hair was a joke to me. Unlike Mom who still managed to look twenty years younger. She could easily be mistaken as my older sister and not my mother. It had killed me on the inside to keep Mom’s plan secret all these years. Father had explained to me when I was nine years old that Elliot and Kyle’ mother wasn’t mine. A few days later Queen Sophie Serpens showed up at Eurice’s Manor and told me she was my mother. I had known all this time and had to pretend otherwise. Technically, Elliot and Kyle were my half brothers, though one of them was now dead.

“I know,” Mom said. “Remind me, what’s the next step?”

“Cutting up Jaxon wasn’t part of the plan,” I pointed out.

“Yes but we had to slaughter him eventually.”

“If we would have, he would still be like this,” I said. Jaxon roared. Hydra flickered the image of it’s representer. Jaxon gew another leg-looking like a reptile’s-his skin were now complete scales and his necks had his head on it but his body wasn’t human.

“He’s making me sick,” I said. “Sicker than that dungeon.” I guess Mom didn’t know that any heir of Hydra would turn into an actual hydra if one cut off their head.

Mother smiled wickedly. “It was worth it, though.”

I smirked. “Yes.” Her tiara was heavy on my head but I carried it proudly. We had planned that when I got the letter from Mother saying that I had to be blessed by Serpens. I had kept Scorpio’s Sign covered with paste. Mom didn’t like seeing it but I had to rub off the paste to show the proof.

“We had to take out Jaxon, the two princes and their feeble sister,” I reminded. My scorpions fought with the snake, losing. They had bothered me in the dungeons, I had been living there for weeks. I had snuck down there after I left Scorpius. Mom had given me a map of the palace, it’s secret passageways and informed a few servants and guards about me so they helped me get to the dungeons.

I remembered when she first came to visit me down there.

“I can’t stay down here!” I screamed. Mom tightened her expression, I lowered my voice. “I’m the next ruler not a slave.”

“It’s the only place in the whole palace where you can stay concealed for the next few weeks.”

“Few weeks?” I shrieked. “I can’t stay here.”

“It will be worth it,” Mom promised.

“Mom, I can’t-”

She held up a hand. “Enough,” she said. “Get out your arachnids before they suffocate in that bag.”

Before leaving she added, “Don’t make noise or complain about the conditions. It will be over soon.”

I hadn’t showered for weeks and ate chowder everyday or undercooked fish. Mom had gotten me out of the dungeons today. I had insisted on taking a shower and properly dressing before we revealed our true selves. I wanted my face painted and hair braided around my tiara. I had incorporated the scorpions into my cloak to look intimidating, though neither Mom or I was fond of them.

Days after my arrival she came down and told me about Annabelle was expecting.

“She’s always fighting with Alec and he can’t keep from hitting her so I doubt the child will even see the Starlight.” We both cackled together.

She came to the dungeons and was furious with Annabelle’s escape. She smelled of alcohol, I was craving some at that time.

“Why do you care so much?” I spat.

“I care because now Jaxon is going to take more Constellations and is going to take out more of the population,” she raged. “There will be no subjects for us to rule!”

“Relax. How much could he take?” I said. “The only good thing is we don’t have to worry about a mini red headed Hydra-Ophiuchus running around.”

She laughed and I joined in. “That’s true.”

“I’ll visit in a few days,” she said before disappearing.

“Can I stab her?” I asked.

“They’re my blood too,” she said through her teeth, taking me by surprise.

“Keegan and Lydia, I meant,” she corrected. She said their names as though they were a burden. “I think we should give Keegan over to your father and keep Lydia.”

“What?” I screeched. Everyone snapped in my direction. “Dad won’t keep Keegan and we aren’t sparing anyone.”

“Alright, alright.” She sighed. “I just had a thought.” She leaned in and whispered. “I thought you might want to keep Alec for yourself.”

I snickered. “I’m done with him. I don’t want Virgo’s leftovers.” I tried not to look at Jaxon who was standing in the Starlight of his Constellations with all of his eyes closed. His skin was growing something long from his back and I tried to shake the image out of my head.

“You can have him one last time and I’ll take Lydia,” she told. I nodded and got out my dagger. Mom already had hers. I walked over to them but Annabelle must have noticed since she got out her gun and fired. The bullet got me in my shoulder. My knees buckled, I screamed and cursed at her.

Mom threw her dagger but she dodged it. My scorpions rushed to me, crawling all over me. I wanted to swat them away. The spoke simultaneously in my head.

“Tell them to shut up!” I spoke through my teeth. Mom grabbed the scorpions and threw them to the side. the snake slithered to Annabelle.

“Don’t harm us,” Hellen begged, standing in front of Alec.

“I’ll harm all of you!” Jaxon said, all of his heads moving and his mouths speaking at the same time. He was done with his transformation. He had a tail as well.

He turned to Mom. “You betrayed me,” he hissed.

“I had to,” Mom said, as if all this was tedious.

He turned towards Hellen. “You left me for a rebellion, you left our son.”

“I had no choice,” she spat.

Jaxon roared and swung his tail at us. He tried to bite us, with his multiple faces it wasn’t hard to get all of us at the same time. We were fighting him back, shielding ourselves but Jaxon was way too fast.

“We need to get out of here,” I said.

“Thank you for giving us that useful piece of information,” Annabelle retorted. Her snake hissed at her side.

“Let’s just leave while our moms have him busy,” Lydia added. Hellen and Mom were battling Jaxon. It felt absurd to call a Celestial Creature with the name of an idiot king who wiped out half his subjects.

“I can’t leave my mom,” I said.

“Never thought you were the one to care about people,” Annabelle snapped.

“Shut up.” I cursed and hissed back at the snake.

Alec’s hand was on the door knob, Lydia behind him.

“Mom!” I called. She glared at me. I pointed to the door and she slashed her dagger at Jaxon one more time, one of his heads came off.

“Oh great, now two more are going to come out of him.” I crossed my arms. Lydia sniffed, I didn’t realize she had been crying. Alec seemed annoyed and confused and Annabelle was staring at her snake.

Mom rushed to my side, followed by Hellen and before Jaxon could eat one of us we were out of the door, off the roof. Alec slammed the door shut and we raced down the steps. I jabbed my dagger in Alec’s shoulder blade as he jumped down the last step. He fell on the carpet, blood oozing out of him. Hellen cried and sat beside him.

“Why would you do that?” she yelled, trying to get the dagger out. “He was going to fix everything. He was going to end this war!”

“Yeah, well, now I’m going to end it and start a new era.” I walked over Alec. “Good thing the carpet is red.” His blood soaked into his shirt and the floor.

“You’re crazy!” Lydia screamed. She fell to her knees and sobbed beside her brother. I huffed. Annabelle watched Alec in pain as if she felt sorry for him but at the same time she seemed satisfied by it. I wasn’t the only one.

“You’re supposed to get the princess,” I whispered to Mom.

She rolled her eyes. “We’ll deal with her later,” she said. “Right now, let’s go and end this war.”

She lead me down hallways and staircases. First we got out her youngest child, Keegan Hydra from the bunker and sent him to his room with a nurse to look after him.

“Keep the doors and windows locked,” Mom told her strictly.

“So you’ll just announce that the war is over and the rebels will stop fighting your guards?”

“They have to.”

We climbed down the steps of the palace and two guards leaded Mom, protecting her. The fighting stopped as people noticed we were approaching.

“The Queen has an announcement to make,” the guard yelled.

Mom stepped forward. “People of Stellaregno,” she started. “I am devastated to say that our king, Jaxon Hydra has...” She tried to looked for the right words. Though if she asked me I would’ve said died since the creature on the roof wasn’t really king anymore. Celestial Creatures couldn’t rule kingdoms. Besides, it’s about time that queens and princesses, women be given the chance to rule on their own. Maybe that’s why Mom wanted to keep Lydia. I might even be okay with it since I would be first in line because I’m older. I’ll have to get rid of Annabelle since the rebels want her on the throne at the end.

“Jaxon Hydra has passed away,” she finished. No one was really bothered by this news. A few of the guards gasped or were taken aback. “Unfortunately, all the Celestial Energy overpowered him when he was Stargazing a few hours ago. I found him in a pool of blood and stardust minutes ago.”

“The war must end. You king is dead and now it is your queen’s turn to rule!” Mom smiled. “I know that Alec is the rightful heir to the throne but I have given up the crown and his title of prince so I crown my eldest daughter McKenna Scorpio Serpens as queen!”

Everyone gasped and murmured to each other. They cursed Mom’s name and roared. Alec would be dead by now or at least I;m going to finish him off after this so there was really no point in lying.

“That’s not going to happen.”

I turned to find Annabelle and Lydia standing a few steps above us. Lydia’s blue gown was ripped in places, blood crusted on her hands and tears streaming down her face. Her bleached blonde hair had come loose and flowed to her hips. Her jewelry flashed on her ears and neck.

“Why is that?” Mom added.

“Because, you’re going to be just like him.” She stepped forward. Her face almost touched Mom’s. “She doesn’t have any royal blood and neither do you. You were married into this family, don’t forget that.”

Mom’s palm collided with her face. “Did that knock some sense into you?”

“Yes,” she said, to our surprise. She pulled out a gun and pressed it against Mom’s forehead. My insides twisted and turned.

“Put that down,” I demanded.

Mom laughed. “Don’t worry,” she reassured. “She can’t even look at a gun, much less fire one.” Mom laughed and laughed.

“Even if you do kill me, McKenna will still have the crown still.” She faced me. “If something happens to me you have to be on the throne at the end.”

I nodded and pursed my lips.

“Yes,” Lydia spoke as if she just realized something. “She will be on the throne.”

“So you won’t even fight me for it?” I challenged. “You’re too afraid I’ll hurt you.”

I turned to face Annabelle. “And you, you’re just here to watch a princess lose everything. Just like you lost everything.”

Annabelle snarled, her sword was strapped to her belt and she had a hand over it. I couldn’t control my laughter. I cackled for some reason. I had everything I wanted and everyone else had to do what I wanted. It was my victory.

I heard roaring from the palace rooftops. Everyone turned towards the palace.

“It’s the Hydra,” Annabelle announced. The ground shook. Large feet stomped on the ground and a creature hissed in the shadows. Someone screamed.

“It’s a monster! It’s hideous!” they yelled. “It’s in the Lawn!”

The Hydra came roaring onto the battlefield. It’s multiple heads did different things: swallowed people, hissed or demolished. It’s tail snapped at everyone. It’s fangs threatened to bite.

I tried not to look afraid. It towered over everyone, I remembered how it nearly broke the roof with its weight. Now it had grown to the size of the hundred story Tower in downtown Hydrus.

Lydia was quick to act. She lowered her gun and pushed Mom, she fell into the guard and they toppled down the steps.

“I hope she’s alright,” I said in between giggles.

“You’re a monster.” Lydia cursed. She didn’t look like the type of person who would have any vices or even cursed so I was surprised.

“I hope the Stars forgive me for this,” she prayed. Her eyes bloodshot and swollen, making her look lethal even with that prissy dress.

“For what?”

She pointed the gun at me and before I could run she fired once, twice and then emptied the bullets. A bullet in my head, gut, both legs and in my chest where my heart was supposed to be. My eyes were open and Serpens twinkled above me, as though it was calling me. Blood pooled in my mouth and the bullets made it hard for me to move.

Mom hovered over me. her tears fell on my face. She cursed and spat at Lydia.

The time has come.

Serpens’ Sign glowed on my forehead, Scopio’s burned on my wrist. I heard my scorpions talking in my head but as usual I ignored them.

I wasted all of my time on this.

I would have never done it if I had known this would be my end.