‘Breathe, Fallon. Just be yourself. Remind them that although Marissa may have gone dark, you have not. Youwillnot,’Yanric reassured me.
He was right. I just had to do my best. Someone waved and caught my attention in that moment. I scanned the crowd and spotted Avis. She was beaming at me with a radiant smile and showing her support. It was what I needed to push myself to do this.
My father brought me to the top step and squeezed my hand in encouragement. I looked up at the waiting queen and gave her a small smile.
The people needed to believe me, to know that the words I was about to speak were true. I stood taller, a plan forming in my mind, and walked right up to Queen Solana. I gave her a deep bow and then took the voice projector from her. She began to back away, but I called for her to stop. She looked at my curiously.
I held the voice projector up to my mouth, like I’d seen her do, and spoke. “Queen Solana, even though it causes me tremendous pain, would you please use your power to compel me to only speak the truth so that I cannot lie?”
Gasps rang out through the crowd of people, and even Solana stilled. I’d told her before that I would take an oath while under her power, but I wasn’t sure she believed I would actually do it or that I would give my entire speech under the influence of it.
“Are you sure?” Solana asked quietly.
I nodded, rolling the sleeve of my black brigade uniform up. Solana looked out upon her people and then back to me. Placing her hand to her mouth, she whispered, and a subtle golden glow formed around her hand for all to see. The crowd pressed forward, and I flicked my gaze to meet my father’s. He looked like he was in agony.
‘Yan, make my dad turn around,’I told my familiar. I didn’t want him to see this. It would kill him. He hated seeing me hurt, even if it was only going to be for a few moments, until Ariyon’s healing magic kicked in.
Yanric flew from the tree and perched on my father’s shoulder, urging him to turn around. I looked at the queen and then dipped my chin.
She grasped my forearm, depositing the magical handprint, and I cried out in pain as I was brought to my knees. She quickly released me, muttering an apology and stepping backward to the corner. Gasps and cries of shock reached me from the crowd, but I barely heard them. I was too focused on the agony. Sharp and hot, it took my breath away, sliding up my back like a serpent.
Sucking in a few lungsful of air, I felt the healing magic awaken within me. The marks atop my hands were no doubt spinning under my gloves. That relaxed feeling came over me, making my anxiety flee and my tongue feel loose.
“Under this spell, it is impossible for me to lie,” I told the crowd, and they stared at me with rapt fascination.
“Yes, I am Fallon Bane, birth daughter of Marissa Bane, heir to the House of Ash and Shadow.”
Boos rose up from the crowd again, but I kept going.
“I am also Fallon Brookshire, daughter of Jeremy Brookshire, a magicless fae from Isariah, for most of my life. I’m a good person, a lover of huckleberry pie and my dad’s famous sourdough pork sandwiches.” I looked at him to find him beaming at me.
“Yes, I have a familiar.” I pointed to Yanric who was still perched on my father’s shoulder. “He’s protective over me and my best friend. He likes belly rubs and the leftovers from my lunch.”
‘You’re going to make me cry,’Yanric said.
The booing stopped.
“I was just as shocked as you were to hear about the evil deeds Marissa and my other ancestors did. But I assure you, I have had nothing to do with the Nightling attacks. I have never passed information to Marissa or any of her Nightlings about The Gilded City or any of its citizens.”
Shocked murmurs arose from the crowd as they looked at each other and spoke among themselves.
“She can’t lie,” I heard one of them say.
I peered at Eden, my best friend, and was reminded of the first day she walked me into the East Side and what I’d said to her. I returned my attention to the crowd. “I’m asking you to give me a chance to let me show you that I am loyal to Queen Solana and you, the citizens of The Gilded City. Let me fight with you against this evil and proudly declare my allegiance to our queen!”
I turned to Solana and dropped to one knee, bowing my head deeply. When I rose and peered up at her, Solana tipped her head back to me, smiling.
I faced the crowd once more. “And if I go dark, like many of you may still believe I will, if my powers overtake me like they did my mother, causing me to hurt good people like you…” I looked at Yanric, remembering what he said about going dark with me. “Then you can kill me. I wouldn’t want to live like that anyway.”
My eyes flew wide with the brutally honest confession I hadn’t meant to share.Damn spell.
People gasped at my statement, and the queen moved up to place a hand on my shoulder. “We’re not going to let that happen. Not this time,” she declared to me.
It started with my father—a slow clap as he beamed up at me with so much love and pride. Then Avis, Eden, Ayden, and the rest of the brigade. Then the entire city was clapping and looking up at me with respect.
My chest filled with pride at what I’d done, facing what seemed like an impossible task head-on. The queen dissolved her spell and took the voice projector from me.
“It doesn’t feel right to celebrate Winter Solstice in the usual way,” Queen Solana said through the voice projector. “I have canceled the light show. Instead, we’ll share a meal in remembrance of those who lost their lives.” She gestured offstage, and I followed that line of sight to see that three more silk tents had been erected. There were tables covered in food trays and attendants who stood at the ready to serve people.
