“You are blackmailing me.”
“I wouldn’t call it that. Think of it as a small employee in a large company asking for a raise in exchange for the things they do and never take credit for.”
“It’s still blackmail.” The Queen chewed on a nut. “So you want a raise?”
I want to be the queen, but it’s too soon to bring that to the table. “No. I don’t want a raise.”
“It’s Mary Go Round all over again. You’re blackmailing me, but you’re not blackmailing me. You want a raise but you don’t want a raise. A puzzle?”
“Not at all.” Margaret took a single step forward. “I will give you the keys if you give me what I want.”
“Which is?”
“You know what I want.”
The Queen dropped her nut. She finally got it.
“I want what you have taken from me.” Margaret’s eyes moistened, although she’d sworn to hold back her emotions. “I want what made me become your tool for so many years. It’s time you bring it back.”
“You know I don’t want to give that back to you.” The Queen stared at her from top to bottom.
“But it’s mine. Not yours.”
“I believe things are only yours if you have them.” The Queen smiled flatly. “How can they be yours if you don’t?”
“They were mine once.”
“But they aren’t now. See the logic?”
“Then you get no keys.” Margaret collected herself and took a step back. “And you know what I can do with them.”
“I don’t think you know what the keys are for, Margaret,” the Queen said. “And you know I can chop your head off right now.” She glanced at her bowl of bone broth on the table. “How I’d love to drink your brain in that bowl.”
“Suit yourself.” Margaret turned and walked to the door.
“Wait.” Margaret didn’t turn and face the Queen so she’d keep up the tension. “I will give you what you want, but you must know you will be my enemy then.”
“I understand.”
“I hurt my enemies bad, Margaret.”
“I’ve witnessed that.”
“As you wish,” the Queen chirped. “What’s wrong with getting the keys in exchange for this stupid thing you want from me?” she mumbled. “Bring me the keys. You get what you want.”
“Thank you,” Margaret said, and walked out to the hallway, her chin up. She mustered her Duchess face as she dealt with all kinds of businesses.
A few moments later, she took the elevator, waited until she was alone, and began crying her heart out.
Chapter 9
SOMEWHERE IN THE FUTURE
I am standing clueless in the most surreal situation you can imagine, trapped in my future self, and staring at my future daughter. Oh my God, I just noticed her hair is a replica of mine. And her walk reminds of myself. I’m going to cry bubblegum tears right now.
“Mummy, we’re late,” she says. “Have you slept in again?”
I kneel to the floor and open my arms, wanting her to jump into them. Instead, she stares at me, as if I am a loon. Then I realize I don’t even know her name.
“What’s wrong with you, Mummy?” she says. “Did you take your pills?”
“Pills? Huh,” I say, not caring about pills. “How about you come into Mummy’s arms?”
“Ooofff.” She stomps her feet and blows out a long sigh, showing her bubbly cheeks. “All right.”
She approaches me, and my heartbeat is like a freight train. Then she slowly throws herself into my arms. I squeeze her so tight. I can’t help it. Tears squeeze out of my eyes. This feels so good. So illegally good.
“Mummy, you’re choking me,” she says. “What’s wrong with you today?” She slides herself away and stares into my eyes. “Do you want me to tell Dad to drive me to school?”
“Dad?” I raise an eyebrow. Is it Jack? Really? It must be Jack. She has those light dimples in her cheeks. It must be Jack.
Then another voice calls from the hallway. Not that of an adult. Another kid. A boy.
“Lily!” the boy calls. “Where are you? I need to go.”
“Lily?” I stare at my daughter.
“Yes, Lily, Mum. It’s not like I chose the name.”
“Lily is a nice name,” I say. I love it, actually.
“Yeah, so you say.” She rolls her eyes. “At least it’s a better than Tiger.” She points at the boy, a little older, standing by the door.
“Tiger?” I stare at him.
“Yes, Tiger,” she mumbles. “Hey, Tiger. Come meet Mum.”
“Thanks, I’ve seen her before.” Tiger giggles.
“Because she acts like she hasn’t seen us before.”
“Then she didn’t take her meds,” Tiger says.
I am at a loss for words, staring at my cute kids and experiencing something I’ve never thought of before. Hell, I haven’t even experienced being married. And frankly, I thought a girl who was out there to save the world wasn’t going to fall in love and have kids, ever.
But wait. Tiger and Lily? Is that why my plant in my cell means so much to me? Does this mean I have been into the future before?