“Where are my mates?” I asked in a steely voice.
Alastar snorted, and the Summer beside him barked out a laugh. “You can’t be serious. You’re calling them your mates now? Queen Viola isn’t going to stand for that.”
“Where are they?” I curled my hands tight into fists. “What have you done with my mates?”
“Queen Viola has them,” Alastar said with a sneer. “And you know what? I bet she’ll even let you see them, as long as you come with us.”
* * *
Despite every desire to slam my fist into Alastar’s face, I gave up my sword and my daggers and my stone, and I let him twist my hands around my back. His Summer friend tied my wrists together with rough rope, and they pushed me along the snow until we reached the entrance to the Winter Court’s throne room.
The enormous room was packed with fae, a sight that made my heart drop into the pit of my stomach. The Summer Hunters were all gathered. Many of the Autumn Royals had come along as well. There was a scattering of Winter fae, but only a handful. And there, by the throne, my four male instructors. Their wrists and ankles were trapped by thick steel, and a chain led from each of them to the throne.
Queen Viola stood from the seat, her eyes glittering under the flickering sconces that lined each wall. “Ah, there she is. I was beginning to think you might not come.”
I lifted my chin as Alastar pushed me forward. My feet tripped underneath me, but I showed no sign of my struggle. Instead, I kept my gaze locked on her cruel face, letting my eyes show the depths of my rage.
When we reached the front of the room, Alastar pushed me forward until I stood before the Queen on my own. I could feel the eyes of every fae in the room, including my instructors. I didn’t dare look at them. I didn’t dare search for the emotions in their eyes. I was terrified that if I did, I might not be able to keep myself calm.
“Well then.” Viola smiled. “I suppose you’re wondering why you’re here.”
“Not really,” I snapped. “Seems pretty clear to me. You know I’m a Greater Fae and that I threaten your undeserving claim to the throne.”
“My undeserving claim?” She let out a chilly laugh and stood, throwing back her shoulders so that she could tower over me. “Out of all the fae in this realm,Iam the most deserving.Iended Marin’s terrible reign.Iled the Autumn fae back to a time of strength. All this time, I’ve waited. I’ve been patient. I learned to bide my time. And now, my time has come, thanks to you.”
“You sound absolutely delusional,” I said, my words dripping with derision.
She narrowed her eyes and hissed. “No,Marinwas delusional for thinking she could keep her control over this realm even after her death, though I should have known she’d go to great lengths to do so.”
Huh? Furrowing my eyebrows, I risked a glance at Rourke. His expression was solemn and hollow and completely unsurprised. In fact, all four of them were listening with a strange detachment, almost as though they knew exactly what the Queen meant, almost as though she’d spoken this all before.
“Look, I’m not here to play games. I’m here for my mates,” I said. “I know I’m the one you really want. Well, I’m here now. Let them go.”
She dropped back her head and laughed. “I don’t know how she did it. I truly don’t. She must have had others in on it, but I couldn’t begin to imagine who. Magnus, no doubt. He would have kept records of it, too, even if she didn’t want him to. I always thought it was curious how he died the same week of Marin’s death.”
What the hell was she on about? Magnus and his records that got lost in the fire?
“Of course, her mates would have been in on it.” She shook her head and chuckled to herself. “But they died with her. Almost all of them anyway.”
I couldn’t stand it anymore. Her words were like a puzzle I couldn’t solve, and despite my best intentions, she was starting to get under my skin. I wanted to understand what the hell she was talking about. No, Ineededto understand.
“Can you just get to the point already?” I snapped. “What are you talking about? Who pulled off what? And what the hell does it have to do with me?”
Queen Viola took two steps closer, peering down at me with curiosity, like the way an alien might look at human forms. “That’s interesting. I thought Marin would have had some kind of plan in place to make certain you were informed.”
“Informed aboutwhat?” I almost screamed the words.
“You’re the living heir of Queen Marin, Norah Oliver. The spawn of that dreadful Queen and her secret Dark Fae mate.” Her lips spread wide. “And that is why I can never allow you to survive.”
Chapter Eighteen
Istared at Queen Viola. Her lips were twisted into a wicked smile, and the entire room had fallen into brutal silence. Her words echoed in my ears, and my addled brain tried to make sense of them. The living heir of Marin. And…of a Dark Fae? My mouth went dry as my heartbeat thrummed in my neck. Queen Viola had lost her damn mind. She thought I was a Dark Fae’s daughter. It was the craziest thing I’d ever heard.
“But Marin didn’t have any children,” I said, my voice wobbling.
“Yes, that is what everyone thinks,” Viola said as she began to pace back and forth before me. “However, Queen Marin was always a tricky little thing. Everyone thought she was kind and generous, but she was more than met the eye. She could be devious, when she wanted to be.”
“But—”
