I open the coat and my fist. “Here. She was knocked out of my control.”
“Ah.” Her hand lands on my arm, giving me a comforting squeeze. “You can tell me all about that in a minute, but for now, let’s focus on what you have, not what you don’t.”
“What I have?”
“The four most important heartstones: strength, heart, strategy, and immortality.”
Is she talking about the same stones? “You missed destruction.”
“Destruction? Which heart is that?”
I point to the Queen’s.
“What?” She is shocked, her mouth dropping open. “Incorruptible was strong, faithful, and wise. She sheltered her people when they needed courage.”
Gretel takes stock of me before she leans forward to peer into my eyes. She tilts so far forward I’m concerned she’s going to slide out of her chair. She clicks her tongue, exhaling a disappointed sigh. “I don’t need the power of a Sighted One to see that you are deeply fearful of the power you hold.”
“Of course I’m afraid. I have the power to destroy anything I want.”
“There it is again. That word: destruction. Destroy. Where did you get this from?”
“Well… the Priestess told me that all the good of our ancestors went into creating our world and all the bad was left in their hearts.”
“Pfft! That Priestess! She’s all goodness and light. All flowers and meadows; sunlight and twinkling stars. She doesn’t see the beauty in a raging thunderstorm or the value of a hot flame to keep us warm. She doesn’t understand that the heartstones are neither good nor evil. Their nature is determined purely by the choices of the one who controls them.”
Choose. Choose life or death.The memory of Incorruptible’s voice returns to me. She’d asked me to choose one or the other, but she hadn’t told me which. She left that choice up to me.
I say, “When I first touched Incorruptible’s heart, I needed her to kill Howl. Then when I held her heart in my hand… they said I could have killed everyone.” Even Baelen had risked his life to stop me.
Gretel nods. “It’s true. You could have. But only because you weren’t aware of what you were doing. That doesn’t mean you have to be afraid now.”
“But I am.” The admission leaves me relieved.
“Acknowledging fear is the first step to overcoming it.” She smiles. “Now, tell me, when you think of the stones, how do you describe them to yourself.”
“Well… That is Incorruptible’s heart. Her power—”
“No! Wrong!”
I blink at her. “What?”
“It isyourheart,yourpower. Each power is yours. But each one makes up a different part of you.” She points to the stones. “Incorruptible is your strength. Prime is the fire in your heart. Lightsworn is your battle strategy. Virtuous is your immortality.Yours.”
Bethany appears with cups of tea, handing one to me and then to Gretel. The scent of rose petals wafts up to me.Heavenly. I take a sip and the warmth eases all my tension.
Gretel’s hand flutters at Bethany. “Please, dearest, will you bring me my mother’s tiara?”
“But that’s your most precious possession—”
“And now it will be a gift for our new Queen.”
I place my cup on its saucer. “I don’t need anything.”
Gretel pierces me with a flinty glare. “But you do.”
I’m not going to argue with that face. I sit meekly while Bethany disappears and I drink the entire cup of tea.
When Bethany returns and solemnly hands Gretel the tiara, the old female turns it around in her hands. It is a simple piece of jewelry made up of two thick bands of gold joined at their ends and curved to sit around a female’s forehead, big enough to encircle her head. It is obviously very precious to Gretel.
