“You were only a few years older than me,” I said finally, and Solana nodded.
I couldn’t imagine seeing my dad or Eden murdered right in front of me. Or being cursed and not retaliating. The heaviness in my heart remained, and when I searched for the reason why, it dawned on me. Marissawasevil. She’d gone completely dark, not a shred of humanity left in her. She was drunk off her quest for power and dominance, and any hope I had—one I hadn’t realized I was even harboring—that maybe she was misunderstood had evaporated.
“I understand now, Solana.” I looked up, and she met my gaze. The pain in her eyes was something I understood now. Better than I wished I did. “I understand why you have been so harsh with me. Why you have created a prison to hold me. I even understand why you cursed me. I get it now.”
She swallowed hard, fidgeting with her fingernails. “Nevertheless, I’m ashamed of the curse I laid on you. I was young and grieving and mad that my chance at being a mother had been taken from me. I’m sorry, Fallon. Truly.”
It was a heartfelt apology, and while it wouldn’t take my curse away, it did heal something inside me. It brought me closure. My entire life, I wondered how someone could do such a thing to a child. Now I understood.
I gave her a small smile. “I forgive you.”
Her face went slack, her bottom lip quivering. It was as if those three words had been something she hadn’t realized she’d needed to hear.
She cleared her throat repeatedly and nodded a few times. “So, we’re on the same team?” Solana asked.
I dipped my head to her. “Yes, team leader.”
She raised one eyebrow, her lips curling into a smile. “Oh, I quite like the sound of that.”
That caused us both to giggle.
Solana stood and faced me, smoothing the creases in her dress. “Are you ready to address our people?”
Our people.She saidour.
Those two words made me feel like I finally belonged in The Gilded City.
“Yes, my queen.”
FIFTEEN
FALLON
Queen Solana had invited the entire brigade from The Academy, including Ayden and the more advanced students. Even though I was basically an honorary member without my fighting powers, she allowed me to stand with them off to the side of a stage that had been erected. We were in the back garden of the castle grounds. A white silk tent had been raised over the stage, and hundreds of citizens fanned out along the lawn in tightly packed rows. The queen held a small voice projector to her lips, and her voice boomed out of speakers that sat along the edge of the grass.
“Citizens of The Gilded City!” she roared, and everyone stared up at her with their undivided attention. She wore very little makeup and no fancy dress. This time, she was in a black military suit as well, the flame emblem upon her chest no doubt honoring the fallen citizens. “A great injustice took place yesterday, and I failed to protect you from the attack of the Nightlings.” She hung her head low, and I heard a few murmurs rise up from the crowd. When Queen Solana lifted her head again, there was a spine-chilling fierceness in her gaze that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up.
“But by the Light, I swear to you now that the next time the Nightlings come, we will be ready!” she cried, and the crowd rose up to meet that exclamation. “We will fight back!” she yelled, and the citizens of The Gilded City raised their fists. “I will not allow evil to penetrate the walls of this fine city again, not while I am still breathing.”
The amassed peoples went wild cheering. It was like they were one living organism, and I found myself crying out with them, pumping my fist into the air.
“Now I know there are rumors going around about our new resident Fallon Bane, and people are wondering if she is the cause of these attacks,” the queen said, and the entire crowd went dead silent. Slowly, each and every head turned to look in my direction. My heart hammered in my chest, my cheeks flushing and my palms going wet inside my gloves. This was it.
Solana raised her left hand. “I have questioned her myself with my magic, and I know it to be true that she is on our side.”
A few people booed, and Eden slipped her hand into my gloved one as Ayden did the same on the other side.
‘They’re booing you? I’ll rip their throats out,’Yanric called from the tree to my right.
“Oh, it’s understandable that this would be hard to believe. So why don’t you hear from Fallon herself.” The queen then held the voice projector out in my direction, and a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me. I stumbled backward half a step, anxiety saturating my system. My father stepped out of the crowd then, worry etched all over his face. I dropped Eden’s and Ayden’s hands and stepped forward, trying to let him know I was okay, just the most nervous I had been in all my life. But he kept coming until he stood right before me.
“Need help?” He gave me his arm, and I offered him a small smile.
“I’m okay. Just got nervous,” I whispered.
He nodded. “That’s okay. Let them see that you’re just like them. Nerves and all.”
I hooked my covered arm into his and allowed him to lead me up the stage on wobbly legs. I wasn’t prepared for this. They wouldn’t believe a word I said anyway. It was well known by now that I started the fire at the school and stole Ariyon’s powers. They…
