Chapter Fourteen
Joy
At the end of the hall was a double door where two guards stood outside. The guard who brought me here bowed and elbowed me in the side, signaling me to do the same. Every instinct screamed to refuse, to stand tall and defiant. But I needed information more than I needed pride. I forced myself to bow, hating every second of it.
“Joy DuPont, here to see the queen upon her request.”
The guards didn’t answer but opened the double doors.
My heart thundered against my ribs as I stepped through. The private chamber was smaller than I’d expected, more intimate—and somehow that made it worse. Everywhere I looked, wealth screamed from the walls: silk tapestries in deep crimson, golden sconces flickering with enchanted light, furniture that looked like it cost more than entire houses in my world.
And then I saw them.
Ari lounged in a high-backed red chair, positioned slightly to the left of the throne. He looked completely at ease, one legcrossed over the other, a satisfied smirk playing at his lips when his eyes found mine. That smirk said everything: I won. You’re here because I brought you here.
My jaw clenched, but I forced myself not to react. Not to give him the satisfaction.
Then my gaze moved to the throne itself.
Queen Alanna sat like she’d been carved from marble and brought to life by magic. Her elaborate throne was decorated with pearls and jewels that caught the light like captured stars, but she outshone all of it. That same flawless beauty, that same ancient power radiating from her like heat from a flame. Her eyes—crystalline and cold—fixed on me with an intensity that made my breath catch.
I was standing before the woman who held my fate in her hands. The woman Ari wanted to manipulate. The woman whose army could destroy everything I loved.
My legs felt weak, but I forced them to hold steady.
A huge oval mirror dominating one wall made my breath catch. The glass didn’t reflect like normal mirrors—instead, it rippled like water disturbed by an unseen hand. Dark shadows moved within its depths, and occasionally, flashes of color would swirl across its surface like oil on water. The ornate gold frame was carved with symbols that seemed to shift when I wasn’t looking directly at them. Whatever this mirror was, it wasn’t just decorative—it pulsed with magical energy that made the air around it feel thick and electric.
“The prisoner, Your Majesty.”
Ari flashed me an evil smile that made my hands clench into fists. I wanted to scratch his eyes out, to wipe that smug expression off his face forever. He obviously wasn’t a prisoner like me. He sat relaxed and comfortable, completely at ease in the queen’s presence, while I was prey trapped in a lion’s den.
The queen gestured to an empty chair. “Please sit.”
My legs went weak and my knees knocked together. I sat stiffly in the ornate chair, my back rigid, hands trembling slightly in my lap. The velvet cushion that should have been comfortable felt like a trap.
The queen’s jeweled fingers flicked dismissively through the air. “Leave us.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” The guards’ heavy footsteps echoed as they departed. The door closed with a heavy thud that reverberated through my chest—wooden, but to me it sounded like a jail cell locking, sealing my fate.
The silence stretched between us, broken only by the soft whisper of the queen’s silk gown as she shifted in her throne. My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I was sure they could hear it.
“Ari has been telling me what has been happening in your world.” Her cold eyes studied me, her disdain nearly choking me. “So you are part human? Not just an Unseelie?”
“Yes. I was raised by wonderful parents.” My mouth went dry. Somehow I knew this was a death sentence, but I refused to abandon either of my parents, no matter what it cost me.
Something glinted in Queen Alanna’s eyes—amusement maybe, or recognition of the barb. “How fortunate for you.” Her tone made it clear she found my attempt at defiance quaint. “What do you know of your history?”
Another dance where I had to watch my every step, or she’d discover a vulnerability and use it against me.
“Nothing about my history.”
“You have a rare gift, Joy. Not many Unseelie possess it. In fact, I only know of one that escaped into your world. A traitor—Morden Grimshaw. He refused to serve my father. Have you heard of him?”
Cold tingles crawled over my skin at her predatory tone. She was playing games with me, savoring every word. “No.” My voice came out smaller than I intended.
“Morden had a bastard son, Nyx, that he took with him. That boy didn’t possess the gift. Sometimes only one exists in each family. Nyx had the gift of speaking to animals, especially our harpies.”
The blood drained from my face so fast I was dizzy. I glanced desperately at Ari, who just shrugged and actually looked bored, as if my world wasn’t crumbling around me.
