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The queen hasn’t thought this through properly. I don’t think the queen truly believes that I would go against her, nor how much support I have from witches within Haven. She certainly hasn’t contemplated how all of this could make her look if she tried to harm me or force me to comply.
“He tried to kill you,” the queen calls out, clearly confused with how long I’m taking to decide. Those watching are getting restless, and she needs to give them action before a riot begins. “He hates you and will try again. If he succeeds, you doom us all. Protect us by killing him.”
The pressure is mounting, and I have to make my decision. I consider my options once more, but I keep coming back to the same point. Ultimately, I don’t believe that killing Maliki is going to help me bring about peace to both werewolves and witches. The familiar presence of the goddess touches me gently, and I know I’m making the right decision.
“Laelia,” the queen begins, losing patience, but I cut her off before she can continue.
“No.” There’s a gasp from behind me that’s quickly echoed around the room. “I won’t kill him.”
I won’t be like you. I direct the thought straight at her, and her brows shoot up as if I just spoke the words into her ear. Did I just use magic? I don’t think so, but she looks shaken by what just happened.
For a moment, everyone in the room falls away, including my mates, as the queen and I lock eyes in a battle of wills. There is just her and me, no other noises or distractions despite the fact that I can still feel my mates are close.
She finally drops her practiced smile and narrows her eyes on me, her frustration manifesting in her magic as she calls it to her. She’s not going to use it on me, I’m not sure she even realises she’s wielding it, but she’s attempting to appear powerful, and that’s one of the ways she knows how.
“If you fail this challenge, there will be consequences.”
The threat is clear, and the situation is rapidly declining. Needing her to hear me out, I attempt to convince her of another way. I step back when the bubble of silence surrounding us disappears as quickly as it came.
“What I am trying to say is that we can still have our justice in the name of peace without taking a life!” I plead.
No, the queen has already made up her mind, and no matter what I say, she’s not going to stray from her decision. Maliki is going to die today. What is still unclear is who will take his life. An idea comes to me, and I turn to address the waiting witches. Clearing my throat, I push aside my doubts and pray to the goddess to give me the right words.
“The prophecy says I’ll bring the two races together. There was no mention of taking lives. I won’t kill someone, not like this. Yes, he tried to murder me, but taking his life in revenge or anger is not the way to bring about peace. What is the justice for slaughtering an old man?” Glancing around, I notice some of the witches nodding and Atlas looking on with a proud expression. Pulling my eyes from him, I continue. “I would be just as bad as Maliki, killing out of hatred. I am a peaceful soul at heart, and doing this would change who I am at my core. If I had to choose a chosen one, I would prefer someone who doesn’t use violence to reach peace.”
Speaking from my heart, I hope they hear the truth of my words. This is where I should stop, but there is something else I need to say. My gut clenches with nerves, as I know I’ll be drawing a line in the sand between myself and the queen, putting us on separate sides, which could work disastrously for me.
“This is merely a power play to shift your loyalties back to the queen and make me look weak or heartless. I won’t do it.”
My words are close to treason, and the shocked murmurs represent the tension in the room. The room seems to be divided—those who support and agree with me, and those who firmly follow their queen. It’s the latter group that I pay the most attention to. Those witches seem to be an older demographic, and interestingly, I see the confusion on their faces, as though my words have moved them but talking out against the queen has made them uncomfortable.
I’ve not asked them to rise up or to do anything, I’ve merely challenged this one move by the queen. However, it cracks the fragile control she’s had over them, and once there is a crack in the foundation, things start to leak through.
While most leaders would work on securing that crack, the queen is incapable of allowing any control to slip through, and as I turn my attention back to her, I can see the evidence of that.
She looks livid, not bothering to hide her fury. Desperate to pull back any form of control, her head snaps to her general.
“Kano, do it.”
Guards who were previously pressed against the walls to make themselves as unintrusive as possible now step forward at her command, surrounding us in a circle. They do nothing else, waiting for further instruction, but the threat is clear. If Kano doesn’t go through with the execution, the guards will.
“I said, no.” My power takes over me in a rush, bursting out of me in a wave of sparkling lights until Kano, Maliki, and I are surrounded in a transparent shield of stars. The guards jump back in fear, not wanting to be touched by the magic. They needn’t worry, because now that it’s surrounding us, it hardens and freezes in place. No one can pass, and as I pour more power into the dome, the stars shine even brighter until it’s a dazzling display.
I should feel drained, because maintaining something of this scale takes a tremendous amount of power, yet I feel… alive. The magic I’m using now is from the deep place within me where the dark presence used to reside. However, she has slowly been fading away and seems to have disappeared completely, leaving a part of my power that is often untouched. I’ve always been afraid to use it, relying on the darkness to wield it for me in desperate situations. Now that she’s gone, I’m reaching into it and wondering why I was ever afraid.
This has gone way beyond saving the life of one male who may or may not deserve it. I’m not necessarily standing firm to protect Maliki, but the principle that public executions are not right, nor is forcing someone to take that life as a form of challenge, punishment, or entertainment.
What I’m doing is dangerous, and there will be serious consequences. Before, I was just refusing to take a life, but now, I’m outwardly defying the queen. As power courses through my veins, I can’t find it in myself to be sorry. I feel strong, powerful… unbeatable. The blood of the goddess flows through me, and for the first time, I can feel it.
“Laelia, your eyes are glowing.”
Kano’s hushed words snap me out of my daze. I don’t like how cautious he sounds, and I glance over my shoulder to see his expression matches his tone. A sparkle catches my eye, and I glance down to see that even my skin glows, as though I am made of diamonds. A familiar, gentle brush against my thigh tells me that Star has manifested beside me, and I automatically thread my fingers through her fur. Her comforting presence helps ground me and remind me why we’re here. I’ll speak with Kano later, but for now, I have more pressing matters to deal with. Standing strong, I face forward and stare down the queen.
The witches watch on in awe. I can feel their eyes on me, taking in every glowing part of me and my magic. I hear many whispers calling out to the goddess and thanking her for my presence. From the tightness in the queen’s face as she looks around the room, she hears it too. Any attempt she makes to harm me now could backfire on her pretty spectacularly.
Settling back in her throne and attempting to appear unruffled, she raises a hand to command silence once more and clears her throat. “This challenge has been postponed. Laelia was gravely injured in the attempt on her life and clearly hasn’t fully recovered from her ordeal.”
So that’s how she’s going to manage this, I ponder with a smile. Honestly, it’s smart to play it off this way. She’s conceding that it was not a good idea to try and force me to execute someone, while managing to make it look like she’s considering my health. By shifting the blame onto me, she can write off my behaviour and attempt to rewrite the narrative—that I wasn’t challenging her authority, but am struggling mentally from my ordeal. Punishing me outright with this audience watching would cause a rift that she can’t afford.
