I don’t talk, the time for that has passed.
“So that feral little wolf is yours?” She chuckles and looks over at him. “Maybe I will keep him alive after I’m done with you. I might even test out whatever has put you under his spell.” She grins at me. “Is he good in bed?”
I flinch but try not to react, even as my magic flows under my skin, ready to defend myself. But this is more than defence…I need to attack. I need to win. She goes to look back at Slate, and I spot the brothers moving through the crowd to free him. I need to make sure her attention is on me, not him.
“I wonder what your son would say if he could see you now,” I muse, and her head whips around, her eyes wild with anger. “Did you know he wanted to marry me?” I query, stepping closer. “He asked me when I was younger. He was not even going to ask for your permission before he made me queen.”
She shrieks and flings her magic at me, but with a flick of my hand, I block it, and it melts into the ground between us. She watches it and then gapes at me in fear, realising just how much power I have been hiding.
“I do not feel the need to show my magic to everyone. I don’t want people to fear me. All I ever wanted was happiness, but that doesn’t mean I am not powerful. You didn’t even notice, too blinded by your own greed, rage, and hate,” I snap, and toss my magic back at her. She staggers under it, but she doesn’t fall. With a snarl from her, the challenge begins for real.
I have no choice but to defend myself, stumbling under the onslaught. She throws her magic at me, and the ground rolls from the force. Ice stabs into me, fire catches near my feet, and her ghosts slide through the circle, cutting through me and almost making me fall with a scream as they steal pieces of my power and soul.
I’m losing, being pushed back with each attack. My feet slip from under me, and I know that this will be the end. At least I gave them the chance to get Slate out, but when I glance over, he’s still here, fighting his brothers. He turns and meets my gaze.
Alejandra! he yells in my mind.
“Go!” I shout at him.
But he refuses to leave me.
Slate throws himself at the barrier, trying to get to me. It flings him back, and he lands hard, lying motionless in his wolf form. I scream, and my power blasts from me. It hits him, stronger than even the barrier which is unable to stop it, and I see his fur melting to skin, but the queen screams. I turn to her to see her falling to her knees with a dagger in her heart—a silver dagger glowing with the runes from my skin, a dagger made of power.
My power.
I watch in horror as she crumples to the floor. I hear the court’s reaction, but I ignore them as I rush to her side and roll her to her back as the dagger dissolves into the air, the magic returning to me. She blinks in shock, her own magic dissipating as blood pumps from the wound. It’s a magically inflicted challenge wound…which means no healing.
I look her over, instantly regretting it. Killing is not something to be done lightly…it takes a piece of you. I feel it cracking now, my soft heart withering under what I’ve done. It was her or me, my mate or her, but that doesn’t mean I won’t hate the fact that this was my only choice.
I hold her hand as she bleeds, looking her over again. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, and I am, she doesn’t deserve to die like this. No one does. There has been so much death, pain, and agony in this court.
“At least I will be with my son again,” she murmurs.
I hold her hand, watching the blood flow from her lips.
“Let me try to heal you,” I implore quietly. She might be the villain in my story, but she isn’t evil. I can see now that she’s broken, damaged by the death of her son. It made her cruel and uncaring, and she has done bad things. She has committed crimes and been a terrible queen, but I do not choose who lives or dies. Everybody deserves a second chance.
“No, please, let me go, let me be with him again.” Tears drip from her eyes, and I hide it from the crowd, not wanting them to see this weakness in her, she deserves that. “Do better than I did… I’m sorry I was so cold. When it chose you to replace me, I was relieved. They stand a chance now.” She coughs deeply, and I ease it but don’t heal it with my powers, and she sighs. “You offer me more kindness than I ever offered you.”
“An eye for an eye does not work, my queen. To forgive and to help those who hurt you in the first place is true growth… As is understanding why and not hating them for it, but forgiving them. That’s who I want to be, that is what a great woman should be. I’m not there yet, but I will be…” I lean down and press my forehead to hers. “Say hello to him for me,” I beg.
“I will, listen—” Her eyes close for a second before reopening. “Listen to your heart. I didn’t, and I regret it,” she wheezes.
Her death is horrible and slow. She chokes on her blood. I help her as much as I can, and when she finally passes, there is a giant blow back of power. A great entity was killed here tonight. It doesn’t matter what that person chose to do with the magic and opportunities they were given, because when it comes down to it, all that matters is that a person died. A life was lost and every life, every single life is precious.
I close her eyes and place her hands on her chest, whispering a prayer to help her move on to the next life before I sit back on my heels. There, at the balcony doors, is my family—my mate, his brothers, and the women bonded to me through time.
They didn’t leave, and they watch me now, their arms held open as they wait to welcome me. I look to Slate, and he steps forward, his hand outstretched. I look back at the gathered fae, all lost, all unsure what is to happen to them.
I chose him, and I choose him again.
She was wrong. I won’t make a good queen, because a queen needs to be able to kill as well as she is able to heal. I am not to be queen, I was simply here to clear the way for the true sovereign. When I feel the rush of power through me, followed by love, I know it’s true.
I stand and turn to them. “The queen is dead,” I announce. “We will mourn her, and she will be buried with the dignity she deserves. Our land has chosen a new queen.” I scan the room. “But it is not me. Can you feel her? On the night air, she calls to us, to this land and our beating heart. She is coming, and with her comes change. Accept it and thrive, or reject it and our ways and life will all die.” I step back and look to Dagero. It is my turn to impart my own goddess given knowledge.
“Do not shut her out. She will be your salvation or your damning. Remember, my child, love is love in every form it comes in, whether it be between one or many.” He blinks, and I smile, the goddess leaving me. “Until then, make sure they stay in line for her.” I wink.
I turn to my family with a wide, relieved smile. A lot stands before us—
“Traitor!” comes a hiss, and I feel the air move behind me. I turn, but Slate is already there. I’m flung backwards by power, watching as my mate faces the threat. His hand wraps around Theo’s throat as he tries to leap at me with a blade. Slate easily snaps his neck. “That was too quick for what you deserve,” he snarls as he tosses him away.
I rush across the distance and take Slate’s hand, and a sense of rightness fills me. This is where I should always be—at his side, together. He draws me closer and lifts me into the air, and I wrap my legs around his waist as our lips meet in a desperate kiss.