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“Oh, but we do. If your friends stay out of this, I promise, they’ll remain unharmed.”
“You’re a liar. Why should I believe a word you say?”
“I have not lied to you once. You, on the other hand, have lied many times. Though, I suppose you can’t be blamed. That’s a trait that runs in your family.”
I gave Valerian my attention again. He had his hands splayed on the ground, and he was breathing, but he could do little else. Standing up, I turned to face Malys who stood not fifteen feet away from me. I was done showing her how scared I was, how out of my depth I was. I wanted to show her who Ireallywas; someone not to befuckedwith.
“You made a mistake coming out here,” I said.
Malys shook her head. “You are mistaken,” she said. “Unless you haven’t noticed, this ismydomain. Nothing happens in Windhelm without my knowing about it. Did you really think you could sneak into my home and I wouldn’t find you out?”
“This is not your home.”
“Oh, but it is. I have known about your return to Arcadia ever since you set foot on the snow. I knew you were at my bridge before you had hatched your foolish plan and sentenced that poor man to death. I know all, I hear all, and I see all, for this is my house. That’s another thing you should accept quickly—it will make this whole process much quicker, and far less bloody.”
“You already killed that man,” I snapped. “How many others have you killed?”
“Though we Fae have long lives, we die. Some of us die quickly and bloodily if we disrespect those with higher power than we have. That Fae chose to go against his Queen. There was to be no other consequence.”
“You are Queen of nothing!” I yelled, my voice shooting out of me like gunshot that echoed into the distance.
She shook her head, as if disappointed. “Amara, could we start over? I feel like, perhaps, we misunderstand each other.”
With a deep breath held in my lungs, I took a step toward her. “I think we understand each other just fine,” I said.
“Oh, really? Enlighten me. Who do you think I am?”
“I think you’re a snake. You manipulated me and twisted Fate itself to get something you could never have.”
“And why did I do that?”
“Because you’re evil and twisted yourself.”
“It’s that black and white, is it?”
“It is. You’ve lied, cheated, and killed to get where you are… but it’s not going to work, in the end, because your spell is failing.”
“It was not a perfect spell, I will admit. There were certain factors I hadn’t anticipated,” her eyes darted quickly to Valerian, then came back to me. “And I will confess, my hold on this reality is slipping… but it will hold long enough.”
“Long enough?”
“You still haven’t figured it out?”
“How about youenlightenme, now?”
Malys smiled, her purple lips parting to reveal her sharp canines once more. “Fate has rules even I can’t break. I am forbidden from killing you, your family, and yourbelore. Killing you, of course, would solve all of my problems. Fate as I have written it would assert itself, this reality would prevail over the other, and I will remain Queen of Windhelm and all its people… forever.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“Because the fact that you are here tells me you have struck a bargain with Fate’s relentless hunter. You have perhaps been given some time to… deal with me. Am I wrong?”
“You already know the answer.”
“Which means I also know the outcome. I cannot kill you, but Fate’s hunter will. And when you and your belore are dead, all will be right in the world again. My spell will become perfect, and you will be forgotten.” She paused. “I will have my life back; a life your family stole from me.”
My blood boiled, my jaw clenched. “I didn’t take anything from you.”
“You didn’t, but your mother did. Or didn’t she tell you?”
