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"They never belonged to you. None of this has ever belonged to us. Let us leave it all and go home, together. "
The Dark Queen tilted her head to the side, a smile pulling at her violet lips. "None of this belongs to us? Have you not brought your own whelp along?" She trained her black eyes on me and I cringed, then tried to stand as straight as possible.
"I don't belong to her. " I wished my voice carried power like theirs instead of sounding like a seriously scared seventeen-year-old girl.
The Dark Queen didn't respond to me, instead looking back to the Light Queen. "Do not pretend at superiority. All this was for you; I have not forgotten. If I want to go home with a prize for my ages of suffering on your behalf, it is my right. "
"It is wrong. "
The Dark Queen laughed, a sound so heart-shatteringly cold and beautiful I didn't realize I'd fallen to the ground and curled into a ball until Reth was kneeling beside me, again whispering my name. I stood, helping him up.
"You speak to me of wrongness when you have committed the same sins? You would control me, your other half, your equal in the eternities. You stand here with your very own Empty One after having the gall to take mine away from me? How is this any different, Sister?" She hissed the last word like a knife drawn across skin.
"Because I choose to be here. " I narrowed my eyes and clenched my fists. "My life, my choice. You didn't give that to Vivian or to any of the new Empty Ones. But they're all lost to you now. You don't have any other options! It's now or never!"
She smiled at me, her teeth a straight, sharp white line. "And does the Empty One think it has a will of its own? How precious. " I flipped her off. The gesture was meaningless here, but it sure as heck was my decision to do it.
The Dark Queen ignored it, turning back to her sister.
"Do what you think best; your court will do well to pray it does not destroy them like your last whim that brought us here did. But return to me what is mine first and let me do as I desire. "
"It's too late for that," I said. "If you'd ever stuck around on Earth like the other paranormals, you'd be able to feel that our worlds have moved too far apart, and whoever doesn't leave now doesn't leave ever, no matter how many Empty Ones you make. They won't be able to find the gate. "
"Come with me," the Light Queen said, her voice filled with such sorrow and pleading I was ready to throw myself at her and beg her to take me and let me spend the rest of eternity trying to make her happy.
LEND LEND LEND EVIE EVIE EVIE.
"I will not," the Dark Queen said.
"Even if it means dwelling in this hollow land of shadows and death forever?"
"Even then. " The Dark Queen's back was ramrod straight, her eyes depthless pools of rage.
"So be it. Children, did you hear? She would remain, dwindling and thinning forever, rather than give up this play at creation, and give you no choice in the matter. Will you remain also, or will you come with me?"
Out of the trees came faerie after faerie, the entirety of the Dark Court, who had apparently been listening to the whole exchange. I looked at Reth, shocked, but he just smiled. I clenched my jaw and shook my head, annoyed. They'd had a plan all along, and it hadn't involved me. I was here for show-Hey, look! Our pet Empty One! You can hitch a ride back if you join now! Limited time offer!
"I did warn her you were less likely to come if you thought you weren't in charge," Reth said, his voice cracked but his tone self-congratulatory.
"Did you warn her I'm highly likely to back out of the entire thing if you piss me off?"
"Perhaps you had better pay attention to what is happening. "
"Perhaps you had better watch your back, stupid glowy golden faerie man whore. "
He frowned at me. "That made no sense. "
"Good! Now maybe I can join your club. " I took a step away from him but immediately felt terrible when he swayed and looked like he was going to fall. Moving back and putting my arm around him, I saw that, sure enough, all the faeries had mixed together, slowly joining hands, leaving everyone flanking the Light Queen and no one with the Dark Queen. The Light Queen held out both hands beseechingly toward her sister.
"Please," she said.
"No. " The Dark Queen smiled triumphantly at me. "She is not even filled, and I know enough of this Empty One to know she will never do what is necessary to gain enough souls. "
"No," the Light Queen said. Her voice was heavy with the weight of more time and years than I could begin to imagine, and I felt my shoulders sag. "She is not filled. And this is where I will ask you, once again, to be my sister, my opposite, my equal. To join me in fixing our great and terrible wrong. " She stepped forward, hands still outstretched. "Only a power as endless as the one that formed the original gate can open the new one. Neither of us is what we once were, but together we can give her the strength she will need. "
The Dark Queen's eyes widened, then narrowed to glittering points. "You would have me sacrifice myself?"
"We will both be lost forever. But we will be lost together and set the eternities back in order. " Her voice was soft and sweet, and I was sure the Dark Queen would agree. She had to. No one could resist that much love and pain and desire.
