I shake my head at him. “And for what? It was a pointless murder and I will never forgive you for that,” I spit out. “I will not be returning here as your so-called daughter, and Delinda will remain on Earth. We are surplus to requirements now anyway, as I understand it.”
“No!” he roars at me. “You are the one we have been waiting for, as is Delinda. You belong here.”
“No, I don’t. I am not like you. I never will be. And will never want to be. I am done. I am going to see Anders and rescue my friend and then I will never return here, and I expect that you will stay away from me. Raise your new daughter as the ‘one.’ I am OUT.” I give him a defiant glare and then stalk away, grabbing Vito’s hand, glad that he had the sense to keep quiet and let me speak.
“Aeval,” Drake bellows after me.
I ignore him and just keep walking. My heart is hammering in my chest and my knees feel like they are going to buckle, but I keep going. Vito’s strength keeps me on my feet and as soon as we are outside the palace grounds and heading back out onto the road, I stop.
Vito catches me as I fall to the ground and weep. For everything. The father that I loved and lost, my child that I loved and lost, my Fae husband that I once loved before he betrayed me and then lost. All this loss. I can’t take it anymore.
Vito picks me up in his arms and carries me all the way back to the forest and sits me on a large rock.
“I’m okay,” I sniffle. “That was just harder than I thought it would be.”
“You did great,” Vito says, stroking my arm.
“No, I didn’t. I walked out. He will take that as ‘this conversation isn’t over,’” I huff at myself.
“You said what you had to. That will suffice,” he says. “Something he said is bothering me, though.”
“What, about me not being above suspicion? Yeah, me too. But I am sure that Anders won’t shoot first and ask questions later,” I say. At least, I seriously hope so. I am banking a lot on the fact that he hasn’t changed in the last two months since becoming King.
“Do you want to rest a bit more, or should we get this over with?” Vito murmurs at me, interrupting my thoughts.
I heave a sigh and stand up. “I guess we should get this over with.”
Again, he takes my hand and leads me out of the forest, but this time onto the road that leads to the Light Fae Kingdom. The brightness is already getting to me, just by looking at the sun and blue sky. It’s different to Earth sunlight in its intensity, and the white-and-gold palace shines off it like a beacon in the distance.
Again, we make our way in silence and we both start when a voice booms out, “Halt! Who goes there?”
Vito and I exchange a wary glance. How can they not recognize me? I was imprisoned here for weeks, was I not?
“Queen Aeval,” I bark at them and I hear Vito protest with a low growl in his throat.
We wait a beat and then six of the Light Fae Army approaches with caution and weapons drawn.
“The King has been awaiting your arrival,” the first one says with scorn.
I get salaciously eyed up, but when Vito drags me closer to his large frame, they finally notice him.
“The King said she wasn’t to be harmed,” a quiet guard says from the back.
“He said to bring her in alive if we found her,” the first one sneers. “He didn’t say anything about a little harm.”
I bristle at the insinuation and, well, you know me, I just can’t help myself. I square off and spit at his feet. “Try it, arsehole!” I bellow at him.
He snickers at me and my tiny self. Obviously, he has no idea what a punch I can pack, not to mention the magick side of things.
“Helo, no!” the quiet one, suddenly not so quiet anymore, shouts at the first one, who is about to jump me and not in a sexual way. “The King wants her treated with respect. She is the Queen Reagent.”
I raise my eyebrow to Vito, who rolls his eyes at me. This is all so stupid. “I am here to see Anders. Take me to him,” I say wearily, standing down.
The shocked looks make me giggle. How dare I address their new King with his first name!
“You first,” Helo says nastily, shoving his pike at me.
We oblige and I do feel the sharp point in my back once or twice as we make our way to the palace. I grimace but keep my mouth shut. There is no point in aggravating them further and quite frankly, I have other things to think about. Anders knew I would come? Or did he just hope I would so he could behead me himself? I hope it is just to offer his condolences and to give me my stuff back in a box and send me on my way.