“Kallie!” I shouted.
“I wasn’t all lying! There aresomesexist pigs on the council, some that don’t think women should rule,” Kallie said. “But there are others who aren’t, and they didn’t approve of me because I didn’t pass my Trials of Competency in order to take the throne. The Circle didn’t vote me in because they thought I would be— too aggressive and unstable a monarch.”
“Imagine that,” Charlie said fairly.
“So when I didn’t pass, the crown passed to my brother, the runner-up,” Kallie admitted. “And at the time, I was very mad about that. I shouldn’t have gone after Kaz like that, but I did it for the good of Malovia. At least, that’s what I convinced myself of at the time.”
“You certainly didn’t prove to anyone you werestable enoughto be a queen with that decision,” Charlie pointed out.
Kallie let out a harsh laugh. “No. I guess not.”
Kallie turned away from us. “My ideas to rule Malovia weren’tthatextreme,” she ranted. “I mean, the world is terrible, and I just needed to rule it to make it better. With an iron fist. Right?”
I nodded, because I understood, but neither of the boys looked like they agreed.
Marcus took a step closer. “The truth this time. Why are you really here?”
“Eh, I was sent here for more than just trying to kill my brother,” Kallie admitted reluctantly. “After that happened, they connected me to a lot of… um… past crimes.”
“Past crimes?” Marcus raised an eyebrow.
“I wanted to start an assassin’s guild,” Kallie confessed. “It was just me for a while, though. I hunted down a lot of serial killers, sex traffickers, and the like. You know, people who the police never catch, or who get off with a slap on the wrist. I considered it cleaning up society. It was because of me the crime rate in Malovia went down by ten percent. I put a lot of evil people in the ground. And I would’ve kept at it, too, if I didn’t get caught.”
“Wow.” My eyes widened. “I’m surprised you didn’t hang for that in Malovia.”
“If my parents weren’t the king and queen, I probably would’ve. I got a break.” Kallie shrugged. “But I mean, my dad did it, so why can’t I?”
“Oh, yeah. The Phantom. He was a really famous vigilante twenty years ago, wasn’t he?” Marcus asked.
“Yes. He acted like he was disappointed in me, for the public eye, you know, but I could tell he was proud I was following in his footsteps.”
She sighed. “Until I went after Kaz, of course. Now it’s like he doesn’t want to know me.”
“It can’t be easy, being caught in the middle of both of your kids,” I said.
“It isn’t. And I know I screwed up, because I was the one who tried to take Kaz out. I mean, which side is my dadsupposedto take?” Kallie’s eyes watered. “But this really sucks. I was really close to my dad, and ever since all this happened, we don’t talk anymore.”
I knew how Kallie felt. I was a daddy’s girl through and through. I couldn’t imagine not speaking to Daddy. He was my rock.
“It was like I wasn’t in control of my actions when it happened— I just lost it,” Kallie went on. “I love my brother. I can’t imagine trying to kill him. I can’t evenrememberdoing it. And yet, I did. I know I did, because I got caught.”
Professor Mazur’s lecture came back to me— how demigods were prone to lapses of judgement and power. Had that happened to Kallie?
Marcus put a hand on Kallie’s shoulder and squeezed. “I know what it’s like to lose control,” he said gently. “I understand.”
Kallie’s face softened. She put a hand on Marcus’. “I do have one regret, besides trying to kill Kaz. There was a serial killer in the city. He targeted young girls, sometimes even children. It was my mission to take him down. I spent months hunting him, and never caught him. Then, when I lost the crown, I stopped thinking. I acted rashly instead of deciding to kill this fucker first. He’s probably still running free around Malovia.”
“That’s not your fault,” I said. “You can’t be responsible for stopping every bad guy in Malovia.”
“But Ididtry,” Kallie said. “And in the end, my uncle is right. It drove me mad and made me unfit to rule. All hunting down criminals did was turnmeinto the villain, in the end.”
Marcus reached for her again and squeezed her hand. It was clear he was dying to comfort her. “I’m sorry, Kallie.”
“It’s too late now. What’s done is done.” Kallie pushed away from Marcus. “Ugh! We won’t be able to sneak off to the Lair now, not without my uncle watching me like a hawk. He’ll want to talk to me some more. We’ll have to wait until he leaves.”
“We should go tonight, then, before they lock the doors to our cells,” Marcus suggested. “This can’t wait.”
Charlie nodded. “Then tonight it is.”
