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“If she passes, Laelia is going to be put in a position of great power, not to mention that when she reaches the full potential of her magic, she’s going to be unbelievably strong. We need to know that she’s able to handle that and is trustworthy.”
Looking away from Joel, she smiles at me, and I want to snort.Trustworthy.This is ironic coming from her when I know she’s hiding something from me. Not to mention she didn’t actually answer the question. I know her excuse for putting me through them, but not what they’ll consist of or what I’ll be expected to do.
Kano shifts from his position against the back wall and decides to put me out of my misery. “The challenges are designed to determine if she is the person from the prophecy and will reflect some of the skills she will need going forward.”
I still don’t know what I’m going to be doing, and the explanation is frustratingly basic and unhelpful, but from the scowl that the queen levels at Kano, I’m guessing he was ordered not to share any information about the challenges. Unease makes me feel nauseous at the idea that he might get punished for his slip, but he’s a grown adult and knows how to handle himself.
When it seems clear that no other information is going to be given, I raise my brows in surprise. “And if I fail?”
All three of my mates shift or make noises of discomfort behind me, but I don’t look back, instead locking my eyes on the queen. Thanks to this, I don’t miss the pure glee that shines in her eyes at the thought of me failing.
“Some of the challenges are very dangerous,” she admits, her voice sickly sweet as she gives me an innocent smile. “But you don’t have anything to worry about, as you have the blessing of the goddess, correct?”
She wants me to fail, and it’s clear that my failure would end in death. This way, I’d die spectacularly in front of everyone, and she wouldn’t have to get her hands dirty. It’s the perfect ending for her. I can see it now in my mind’s eye. She would mourn my death and preach that I wasn’t ready. Everyone would be charmed by how much she cared, and all support her continued reign. At least, that’s what she’s got in mind. Personally, I don’t think it will be as easy for her as that. I’m certainly not going to die without putting up a fight.
Ignoring her insinuation about the goddess, I huff out a breath and glance over my shoulder at the three males standing with me, my mind going to my other two mates locked away somewhere within Haven. I need to make this work to my advantage. Pursing my lips, I make my decision and turn back to face the queen. “I will compete in your challenges, but only if you allow me full access to my mates at all times. They stay with me.”
She laughs without any humour, and her expression turns dark as her patience with me thins, showing me the true person beneath her beautiful exterior. “And why would I agree to that?”
She stands, her anger surrounding her like a physical cloud as her magic seems to seep from her body and fill the room. Stepping away from the couch menacingly, she sneers as though she can hear my heart speeding like a galloping horse in my chest. Star snarls and tries to get between us, but the queen doesn’t seem to notice or care. She reaches out as if to touch me, and I don’t think, I just react. My magic shoves out of me right at the moment the queen’s hand lands on the bare skin of my arm. Power like nothing I’ve ever felt fills my body and time seems to freeze. From the corner of my eye, I can see all three of my mates moving forward as if to help, but it’s like looking at a photograph, their actions frozen. Another wave of power rushes through me, causing me to gasp as my back arches and eyes roll back, the world spinning around me.
* * *
Peeling open my eyes, I press a hand to my pounding head, groaning quietly. It feels like I’ve got the mother of all hangovers, but I don’t remember drinking last night. In fact, my memories are a little fuzzy. From the heat of the room and the plush carpet beneath me, I know I’m in the queen’s chamber, which only makes my head hurt more. Why in the underworld am I here?
As I sit up, I’m suddenly hit by my memories. I was with the queen and my mates. She wanted to separate us before the challenges, and I refused. She was angry and went to touch me, then something happened with my magic, and I woke up here. I get the feeling that some time has passed, and the connection with my mates is distant. Panic flares in my chest. Where are they? What did the queen do to them, and why was I knocked out?
“Paige, I need the support of your family. You can’t do this.”
My whole body stiffens at the sound of the queen’s voice, but I quickly realise that she’s not talking to me. Paige is my mother. Turning with trepidation, I see the room looks just the same as the last time I was here, only the people are different. There are two of them. The queen looks just the same, if not a little younger, dressed in a long, dark green gown, and there’s another woman in a pale pink dress with lilac eyes.
It’s clear that I’m either somehow back in the past or watching a memory, as these women in front of me are young, possibly only a little older than I am right now, and the queen as I know her now is far older than me—not to mention my mother is dead. It’s also becoming evident that neither of them can see or hear me, making me suspect that it’s more likely that I’m stuck in a memory.
If I was hoping for a spark of instant recognition, then I’d be disappointed, because if it wasn’t for the colour of her eyes, she could have been anyone. She’s pretty and dressed immaculately, as I would expect from a friend of the queen. Her dusky pink dress compliments her pale skin and curly brown hair, and she has a smattering of freckles across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. A part of me acknowledges who she is to me, but I just don’t feel the familial pull or recognition I thought I would have.
My emotions are all mixed up, and I’m not quite sure how I feel about seeing her, so I turn my attention back to the queen. At closer inspection, I see that the queen’s usually perfect image is not as perfect as it first seemed. Her dress is torn around the hem, as if she was in a hurry and stepped on it, the fabric scuffed and stained around the bottom. What has she been doing to muddy up her dress like that? She’s without her crown, and her pristine hair is falling from the updo it’s been pinned into. While she may be younger, her face is lined with worry, and she gives off a manic energy as she moves over to my mother.
My mother clutches her hands in front of her as if to stop herself from reaching out to the queen, her expression sombre and eyes full of regret, but her shoulders are back and her head is held high. “I can’t support what you’re doing, Mae. It’s wrong, and you have to see that.” Her voice is full of reproach as she tries to convince her friend.
The queen makes a noise of desperation and is on the move again, pacing in front of the fire, her hands wringing together. “If you leave, everything will fall apart.” Her words end on a sob, and for half a second, I feel for her, and then I remind myself whom I’m watching. She’s obviously been caught doing something she shouldn’t and is probably only upset because she knows what the repercussions will be. I doubt she actually feels any remorse for what she’s done. I can see the tear tracks glistening on her face, illuminated by the fire, and she hurries over to my mother and takes her hands.
“Paige, without your backing, no one will support my rule. Ineedyou.” True emotion rings in the queen’s voice, her words breaking as she pleads with her friend. My mother must feel it too, because pain flashes across her face as she squeezes her eyes closed.
I watch the two of them stand together in silence like that for several minutes, and it feels like I’m intruding on an incredibly intimate moment. However, even if I wanted to, I have no way of exiting this memory. I’m held captive until it releases me. That in itself is a terrifying thought, What if I’m stuck inside the queen’s head forever? Telling myself to relax, I focus on the ladies before me and see that my mother’s eyes are beginning to open.
My mother says nothing, and I don’t know what the queen sees in her expression, but as soon as their eyes meet, the monarch pulls her hands away as if burnt.
“You’re supposed to be my friend.” Hurt and accusation fill the room, and it’s clear she believes my mother has betrayed her.
Pain flashes over Paige’s face again, and she reaches out to grab her friend’s hand. The queen tries to pull away, but my mother holds strong. “I’m telling you this as your friend, but you can’t do this,” she urges. “You can still stop this before it goes too far.”
There’s a beat of silence, and even though I don’t really know what’s happening, a glimmer of hope builds in my chest as I watch the two of them. Unfortunately, that hope is quickly extinguished as her face hardens and she yanks her hand away.
“Then don’t consider me your friend, but as your queen.”
Although there’s not much of a physical distance separating the two women, there’s a rift between them that grows by the second, and despite the roaring fire in the corner of the room, a frosty atmosphere fills the gap between them. My mother’s face drops as she realises that she’s not going to be able to talk her friend around, and that her next action could destroy their relationship forever.
“Do you feel any remorse for what you’ve done?” Her pain is evident as her voice cracks, pressing her hand against her chest. “You know what I have to do now.”
