My eyes are drawn to her, and my breath catches in my throat. The queen is beautiful, her long black hair in an elaborate updo, and she has the same eyes as Maxon, the deep violet with a silver ring around the iris. She stands in the middle of a large living area, with walls of smooth, gray stone. The only color in the room comes from the vibrant rugs and tapestries that are draped across the floor and walls. There are many decorative touches throughout the room, giving it a distinctly feminine feel. The queen is wearing a long purple gown that trails the floor, white lace trimmings on the sleeve. Unlike me, she looks well rested and fresh. She gestures to the chairs around where she’s standing,and I slowly make my way over to her, tucking some wayward hair behind my ear.
“So you’re the human girl. Everly was it?”
I nod cautiously, unsure if I’m allowed to speak.
"I'm Queen Lavina."
"It's nice to meet you," my word trail off uncomfortably.
The queen hums sweetly and sits down. I mimic her actions, sinking into the chair’s soft cushions. I let my fingers drift over the material, feeling its plush, velvety texture. The chair creaks under my weight, my hands drifting to the wooden hand rest, the smoothness of the wood gliding under my fingertips. A small, gentle sensation stirs within me, bringing a sense of peace.
“Drink?” the queen asks, surprising me.
The queen rises gracefully and moves to the side table to pour herself a drink, some kind of nectar from what I can tell. I frown and meet her gaze, my cheeks turning red in embarrassment when I realize I still haven’t answered her.
I clear my throat and shake my head no. I really have to snap out of my daydreaming. It’s a problem I’ve had since I was a child. As soon as I touch an object of my focus, I can feel the weight of the world slip away. So immersed in whatever I’m doing, everything else becomes background noise. The door on the other side of the room opens and a tall, skinny looking Fae man appears. His dark hair on the side of his head fades to silver to match his neatly trimmed beard. He approaches us and bows to the queen before his attention focuses on me.
“Everly, this is Nolan, my royal advisor. Nolan, Everly.”
I swallow over the lump in my throat and drop my gaze, unable to stand the glare focused on me.
“Let’s skip the small talk and get straight to the point. There is only one way a human can enter this realm.” The queen turns her sharp eyes my way.
I stare at her blankly, waiting. When she doesn’t continue, I frown. “Okay, what would that be?”
The fire in her violet eyes is unmistakable. I really need to think before I speak, but it’s not like I’ve spoken to a queen before. The silence in the room is deafening as I realize I am way out of my depth. I hear the Queen of Hearts’ words—Off with her head!—from Alice in Wonderland echoing in my head.
The queen moves closer to me, taking a sip from her glass, her eyes assessing me like a predator would its prey. It is at this moment I feel the full impact of her power. An involuntary tremor racks my body, her watchful gaze catching the movement.
“A high fae must have brought you here.”
I shake my head, fingers pressing into the wood. “I can assure you, no one brought me here.”
“Then explain to me how it is that you made it through the gate? A gate which has been closed for centuries.”
“I was hiking the mountain with some friends and suddenly I was here. That’s all I know. Maybe someone reopened it.”
“Don’t be absurd,” the queen scoffs.
“I’m not. It was just a thought.”
I turn my focus back to the window, and take in a deep breath of the sweet smell of roses and other wildflowers. I can almost feel the sensation of running my fingers over the petals of the flowers and my toes curling into the grass. A slight smile adorns my lips.
“Who are you protecting?”
My gaze swings back to her in alarm. “No one.”
I can see it in her eyes, in the way they’ve hardened. She doesn’t believe me.
My heart flutters, and dread curls in my stomach, making me nauseous.
The queen’s smile is anything but warm and comforting. It is cruel and harsh, and makes my skin crawl. I don’t like this woman. There is something lurking in the depths of her eyes, something that only time will reveal.
“I will find out one way or another, so you should spare yourself the pain and tell me now.” She speaks as if speaking to a child, and maybe to her I am, but it doesn’t stop my anger from surfacing at that moment.
“I am telling the truth. I don’t know how I got here. I didn’t even knowhereexisted until two days ago!” I exclaim.
“Humans lie. It’s all they do,” she brushes off my comment with a wave of her hand.
