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I was prepared to face her ire, and even the shock that still widens her unearthly eyes. My body was braced for her wrath before I even decided to open that panel.
What shakes me to my core is the relieved sigh that escapes her lips.
“Zaina,” she breathes, getting to her feet.
She takes in the rest of the scene before her, and her expression hardens, but not before I see a shadow of betrayal flicker through her elegant features.
Her eyes meet mine again, eyes I have seen wear cruelty and pride and malice and triumph. Never pain. Never grief. Not until now.
This woman, thisthing, has wrought more destruction and suffering than any single person I know.
And still, something inside of me crumbles.
“Go quietly,” I find myself all but pleading. “Let them take you and show you more mercy than you ever would have given any of us.”
She lets out a disbelieving scoff.
“You wish to discuss what I would have given you? I gave youeverything. You were just too weak to take it.” She shakes her head. “Such a disappointment, Zaina, even now.”
The last thing I want to do is make this monster proud, but the words manage to dig at wounds that have never fully closed. She smiles like she knows exactly the effect they had.
Of course she does.
“You’ve lost,” I say with more steel this time. “Your network is destroyed. Your life at court is ruined.”
“So that was your doing.” She tilts her head, like a predator surveying its prey. “Both of yours,” she amends, looking to Einar.
I don’t turn to see his expression, but his voice is tight when he says, “Indeed, Ulla.”
“Well, that makes far more sense than your sister orchestrating it.” Leave it to her to use this opportunity to get in an insult to Aika, another weakness of mine she lives to exploit.
I don’t respond, and she goes on.
“It seems you’ve thought of nearly everything, my daughter,” she says airily, turning back to me. “Then again, you always were brilliant.”
I shy away from the pride in her gaze, knowing the glass is about to shatter and reveal every one of its jagged edges. She saidnearly.
I’ve missed something. Something important. And we’re all about to pay for it. Aika probably already has.
There’s a scuffle outside the door, but Madame doesn’t even bother to look. No, her gaze is locked firmly on mine, her features carved into a condescending expression I know well.
It’s the one that says she’s about to teach us the error of our ways, like the naive, errant children that we are to her.
“The problem,” she begins slowly, carefully drawing out each syllable, “is that you never could muster the strength to do what needs to be done.”
In a blindingly fast motion, she stretches her arm across the table and wraps her fingers around the queen’s neck. Before any of us can move or even cry out in protest, she has lifted the woman up like she weighs no more than a cup of tea.
“Maman!” Remy shouts, getting to his feet.
Einar unbuckles his axe from the holster on his back while Remy unsheathes the sword at his hip, but it isn’t fast enough.
“I wouldn’t,” Madame bites out, shaking the queen in a clear threat while the woman scrabbles at the hand around her throat, her face already turning blue.
They both freeze.
I want to tell them there’s no use in heeding her threat now. The queen was as good as dead when Madame plucked her out of her chair. Nothing they do matters now.
But some traitorous part of me holds onto hope that this is just another display of power for her.
