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“Never, your majesty, but from your comments in the throne room, I thought it would be prudent if I followed your lead.”
The queen’s eyes glowed white. “Is that what you were doing when you slaughtered my daughter’s husband on their wedding night?”
“That fae was a monster. I saved her.”
With a growl, the queen gripped the wooden table, crushing the edge into splinters. I stepped back, thinking I may have gone too far. “You risked an alliance I had spent years building and put my daughter at risk.”
I held my hands up. “I never meant to disrespect you or put her in danger. Is she okay?”
“Lara is dead.”
The sudden news caught me off guard and I had no time to react to the queen’s movements. In a flash, Queen Merelda had her hand on my throat, holding me off the ground as if I weighed no more than a feather. Her snake hissed an unnatural sound, reminding me that this magical familiar was more than just a dangerous pet. It had an intelligence and would strike any who posed a threat to its master.
I gripped the queen’s arms, knowing my magic might save me from the queen’s wrath, but Kelia would be killed before I reached her. I needed to use reason here.
“You know how important the royal children were to me. They were my students, and I had trained them since they were babes,” I croaked, grabbing the arms that held me in place. “I couldn’t bear to let her go to Prince Anis knowing he would rape and beat her until his sick mind had his fill.”
The queen’s hold on me loosened, though the black mamba slithered across my arm, ready to strike. “Do you think my decision was easy? That I don’t care about my daughters?”
“No. I know you do, but you were honor bound. I had to be the one who stopped it.” I didn’t want to ask the next question, but I needed to know if my actions killed Lara. “Did they kill her because of me?”
“No,” the queen said, her grip lessening slightly. “She married the younger brother then died during childbirth.”
“Your majesty,” Alisha said, breaking the tension. “Your son will not stay in this location long. We should discuss the plan.”
Releasing me, I fell to the ground, the snake falling with me. I shoved the thing off and scrambled away before it came any closer. I rubbed my neck, thankful the queen decided to let me live.
“We will continue this discussion another time.” Returning to the war map, Queen Merelda picked up an onyx stone. “One of the scouts found my son held up in this eastern area which is impossible to navigate with a large force. The ruins separate us and him.”
“Then we’ll go with a small party,” I said.
“If it were that simple, we would have, except that my son in his infinite wisdom has trapped a beast infected from a darkthing in the ruins. One that is quite large.”
“Wait.” I stood back from the table, glancing at Alisha then the queen. “You’re not suggesting what I think you are.”
This time, Alisha responded. “If Mab cannot kill one creature infected with the darkness then she will never survive the Rift. The moment Mab destroys it, you may use this portal rod to bring her back to the palace.”
“This is a test . . .” I took the crystal cylinder, hesitation pounding on my thoughts. “Are you not coming?”
“Alisha and the rest of our force will attack their forward camps to give your team a chance to slip away.” The queen moved two more pieces on the board, her pet slithering across the table toward her hand. “If you succeed, return the child back and then move forward. I want my son captured alive.”
“And this team is who, exactly?”
“You, the human, and Mab, and if you should return with one less, you will not be blamed, your past transgressions will be forgiven, and you can once again sleep where you belong.”
I ran my hands through my hair, not missing the hidden meaning. The queen would claim Kelia fell during battle and send the child. The magi would be angered, but not cut off trade. I tried not to rip out the strands of my hair, panicking about what the queen suggested and what she would do if I didn’t agree. “When do we leave?”
“You may rest for a few hours. Alisha will wake you when it’s time to go.” With that the queen dismissed me and my concerns.
At this rate, gaining my freedom might cost me my life.
And I still had to tell Kelia.
