“I don’t know how she hid it, but she did. I’ve long suspected something of the sort.” She sneered as she glared down at me. “You see, I made a mistake the first time around. The Dark Fae said they required a sacrifice to release the power of the realm into my hands. When I killed Marin, I thought that was what they meant, but I was wrong. They never wanted me to kill her. They wanted me to give her to them. They wanted a Greater Fae to be sacrificed to Underworld.”
My heartbeat roared in my ears, and I tried to take a step back, only to slam right into one of the Hunters behind me. He grunted and shoved me forward again, knocking me onto the ground. My knees slammed hard on the marble floor, and my teeth knocked into my skull.
“The Dark Fae,” she continued, “said the time would come again. Another chance at the crown. Another chance at the realm. For the longest time, I didn’t understand what they meant. Marin and the other Greater Fae were gone forever. Until you came along. You with your infuriating powers and those eyes that look so much like hers. So, you see, my time has come again to claim the crown and to take back control from the Dark Fae. One ruler, one realm. No more changelings or tithes or Redcaps. The realm will be mine.”
Swallowing hard, I glanced at Rourke, Liam, Kael, and Finn. They all wore the same expression. One of defeat. Just behind them, Alwyn stood chained to the wall. Only she looked defiant, her golden eyes flickering with hate as she stared at the Queen. She must have sensed my gaze because she twisted her head to face me. Something strange passed between us then. A kind of understanding. And that was when it hit me. Alwyn…she had known.
All this time, she’d been protecting me. She’d been keeping Marin’s secret: me.
I was the daughter of a Queen, but not just any Queen: the Queen.
And yet, here I was. Trapped and confused and lost. Viola had won. She had led me here, as easily as a dog after a juicy bone. She’d outsmarted me. She’d outmatched me. She was going to destroy those crowns, take the realm, and send me to the land of the Dark Fae. I’d never again get to see the gorgeous skies of Otherworld. I’d never again get to walk the halls of the Academy. And I’d never again get to embrace Liam or Kael, or Rourke or Finn. They’d be gone from my life forever.
Viola snapped her fingers at her guards, and Alastar dragged me over to the far corner and shoved me back onto the ground. I glared up at him, tearing at the bonds that held my wrists in place.
“Good. Keep an eye on her, Alastar. Once the ceremony is over, the Dark Fae will come for her.” Her teeth glistened when she smiled. “She will be taking a one-way trip to Underworld, and the realm will finally be mine.”
Sorrow opened like a chasm in my gut. There was nothing I could do. No way to stop her. Even if I used all the powers within me, I couldn’t change anything, not with my wrists trapped behind my back. And even then, I had no idea how I could ever win against her.
“Oh, there’s just one more thing I need to share with the changeling before I get started on destroying the crowns.” She snapped her fingers, and one of her guards lifted Finn from the floor and dragged him over to the Queen’s feet. Another snap, and another drag. This time, they moved Kael over, followed by Rourke and Liam, though Liam put up a hell of a fight along the way, his limbs twisting and kicking.
“Leave them alone, Viola,” I said in a voice that came out much calmer and cooler than the emotions I felt inside my heart. “You’ve got me. I’m going to Underworld, and you’re going to get your realm. There’s no need to involve them anymore.”
“Oh, but there you are wrong. You see, a Greater Fae is not a Queen without her harem. To truly become the ruler of this realm, I need four mates, one from each Court. Lucky for me, you’ve put one together for me. I’ll be taking them as mine.”
Chapter Nineteen
Queen Viola’s grin looked maniacal as she twisted and turned the crowns in her hands. She now had everything she needed to harness the powers of all four Courts. She had a Greater Fae to sacrifice to Underworld, and she had four mates. There was nothing in the world that could stop her now.
Nothing but me.
Because, you see, Queen Viola had made a fatal error. She’d gone after not only me but the most important males in my life. She’d taunted me, thinking it was a great game, when really she had only strengthened the resolve in my spine. She had stolen my mates from me, and the anger I felt boiling in my stomach was enough to burn the entire place down.
I watched her through narrowed eyes as she played with her little trinkets. She might have the crowns, but she’d never have the realm, because I was going to stop her if it was the last thing I did.
She’d underestimated me, just like everyone else. I was Marin’s daughter. I had her blood running through my veins, and her power sang in my mind. All this time I hadn’t thought I was enough, and I’d encountered doubter after doubter along the way. But no more.
My stone was gone. So was my sword and my daggers and everything else that belonged to me. But I was going to show Queen Viola and everyone else that I wasn’t backing down without a fight.
My eyes zeroed in on the shadows that plagued the hall. With winter came darkness, and the sun had set hours ago. Firelight flickered in the throne room, and the orange flames only highlighted the varying shades of gray. I called to that darkness and pulled the shadows away from the corners, away from the walls, and away from the hidden places. With a smile, I closed my eyes and pushed the shadows onto my mates.
For a moment, no one noticed, which was a good sign. I didn’t want anyone to realize what I’d done just yet. But slowly, voices began to murmur down the corridor, and the Queen glanced up from her crowns. She frowned at where my mates had just been, clustered together to the right of the throne.
And then she glanced at me, frowning. I merely gave her the sweetest smile I could muster.
“What have you done?” she demanded. “What did you do to them?”
I lifted my shoulder in a shrug. “How could I have done anything? I’m over here chained up in the corner. I’m just as confused as you are.”
Confusion rippled across her face, and then realization dawned. “Somehow, the changeling has shadowed them. Go find them. They’ll be over there somewhere.”
Three of her Hunters strode over to the right side of her throne where my mates were chained. I watched, eyebrows furrowed as the Hunters grew closer and closer. I hoped one of my mates would understand what I’d done and what I wanted them to do next.
When the Hunters got near the hidden group of males, chaos exploded. Hunters were knocked sideways, and their faces crunched as invisible fists slammed into their cheeks. I twisted my lips into a smile and narrowed my eyes, letting my volatile power build within me.
Queen Viola jumped to her feet, shouting at her Hunters as they failed to take down my mates. My hands curled into fists, and I yanked hard against the rope keeping my wrists tight together. But it was no match for me. It exploded from my skin, melting into nothing but charred remains on the floor.
Alastar saw and whirled toward me. I snatched the dagger from the nearest guard and ducked beneath Alastar’s first blow. I jumped up and danced back, flipping the dagger from one hand to the next. The fae male narrowed his eyes and swung again, but the furious power singing in my veins made my movements faster, stronger, smoother.
I gripped the dagger tight in my hand and threw. It soared across the room, straight at Alastar’s head. His eyes widened a split second too late, and then the blade sunk into his head.
He fell with a crash.
When I spun to face the Queen, she was waiting. She held a long curved blade in her hands, swinging it from left to right. The weapon whistled as it soared through the air, a warning sign to come no nearer. I knelt down and ripped my dagger from the fallen fae and wiped the blood from the blade. Viola watched my every movement, her eyes calculating what I might do next.