“Oh, but it doesn’t matter now, does it?” She giggled, and then her voice became flat. Cold. “Because none of you are going to rememberanyof this, anyway.”
“Spare them, Your Majesty,” Master Talik then said. “You’re right—I am to blame. It wasmewho forced them?—”
“No,”Silas said. “It wasme.If anyone deserves punishment, it should beme.I cast the curse, remember? I did all of this. They’re not to blame.”
More laughter, and I almost shouted at both of them toshut up-shut up-shut up-she doesn’t care!Were they really that delusional that they thought this woman cared aboutanythingother than herself?
She didn’t, and even if she didn’t know the truth, she wouldn’t risk it. She’d kill all of us—and I was fine with it. I was among people I loved, even if I didn’t remember how I’d fallen in love with them. I was among people who’d tried, even if it had been useless all along.
I was with March, and his hand was in mine. I leaned inand kissed his shoulder just for a second, just to remind myself of the fact.
When I looked up again, the eyes of the Red Queen poured fire at me, but I held myself and stared back. They could have our lives—we could do nothing to stop them, but at least I had my dignity.
“Oh, you silly, silly rustbloods.” The White Queen wrinkles her nose like she suddenly smelled something awful. Of course, she wasn’t going to take Master Talik or Silas into account—she knew. She’d been watching. Most importantly, shedidn’t care.
So, she stepped back, her hands folded in front of her, and the soldiers stayed right where they were.
“Sister, dearest—finish it, pretty please. Wipe their mindscompletely.All the way…”
I swallowed hard.
The Red Queen stepped forward.
“Kneel,” the White ordered, and it was like she’d slapped me across the face.
Behind me, someone cried. Someone sobbed. Someone cursed under their breath.
March had his eyes closed as he breathed, as he squeezed my hand.
“Kneel,I say!”
The shout made my heart shake. None of us moved, but the soldiers did.
All of a sudden they were everywhere, the sound of metal on metal when they unsheathed their swords filling my ears, and there were hands on my shoulders, pushing me down, kicks on the backs of my legs to make me obey.
Screams and shouts around us, and before the minute was over, we were all kneeling. The soldiers stepped back, swords in hand, watching.
The queens were right in front of us.
Tears slid down my cheeks.
“I’m sorry, children,” Master Talik whispered. “I knew better. I-I’m sorry.”
I looked at him where he stood behind me to the left. “It’s not your fault.” It wasn’t anybody’s fault. Justtheirs.
“C’mon, do it.” The sound of the White Queen’s voice made me look at her, but she had her eyes on her sister. “Finish it. All their minds—wipe them clean.”
My blood had long turned to ice. Becausewipe them cleanmeant not a veil this time, but actual erasure—through extraction or other forms, it didn’t really matter. Our memories would begone. Not just of two weeks or a month—butall.Everything, everyone I knew. All my memories. Jinx. March. My parents and my friends…
Me.
“You c-c-can’t do that,” Mimi said from my side. “You can’t just wipe our minds?—”
“Oh, but I can do whatever I please!” The White Queen turned to her with a bright smile on her sharp face. “Don’t you know? That’s what being queen means!”
“Please,” Anika whispered, and she was crying, too. “Please, we won’t-we won’t tell anyone. We’ll go home. We’ll forget all of this on our own, just please don’t?—”
“You had your chance to stay home. You chosethisinstead. Now you live with the consequences.” She felt mighty proud of her words if the way she crossed her arms and raised her chin was anything to go by.
