“I will fix this. All of it,” he said, but his voice sounded far away.
I would have to come face to face with the woman who pretended to be my mother my entire life. The person who killed Xavier and Jaxon's parents, who tried to enslave an entire kingdom…and is still trying to.
We reluctantly got out of bed and got ready for this horrible day.
I stood in front of the mirror, looking at the outfit Ms. Tia had dressed me in. It was elegant, regal, a dress befitting a queen, but I was no queen.
The gown, made of black pixie silk, complimented Xavier's usual black attire. An arching line of tiny emerald stars, embroidered on the silk fabric, lined the edge of the bodice and followed down the side of the dress to its end. The emerald swirls that now inked on my arm stood out against my skin's paleness and the dress's deep shadows.
A crown sat atop my head, the black and green jewels embedded in the silver material. It floated just above my head, some sort of magic, allowing it to act like it was sitting on my head without the weight bearing down on me.
I had refused to wear it, but Ms. Tia had insisted, giving me a look so severe I didn’t argue.
It moved with me as I turned to Xavier, his arms wrapping around my waist as he cupped my cheek. “Ready?” Xavier's gruff voice sounded.
“As ready as I'm going to be.” I breathed a sigh, dipping my eyes to his chest, which was peeking out of his shirt, as usual. The side of my lip quirked at the sight.
We used Lord Gunnar's carriages again and rode in silence. We all rode in the largest one together. Jaxon, Julian, and Gunnar were the only ones coming with us to the meeting. They were all similarly dressed, and I felt Jaxon’s gaze land on me more than a few times. I glanced his way after the third time, and he smirked, eyeing the crown on top of my head.
I rolled my eyes at him, and Xavier shifted beside me. I looked at him, but he was looking out the window, his eyes distant in thought, and we rode the entire way there in silence.
“We are here.” Gunnar's voice sounded, and the carriage came to a stop. My stomach flipped, and the doors swung down, creating a ramp for us to exit.
My breath caught as I looked out onto the lake. Its smooth surface did not have even the slightest ripple from the windblowing around us. It looked like glass as it reflected its surroundings. Lush emerald mountains surrounded the far side of the lake, its top disappearing through the clouds that lingered at its top.
We were surrounded by dense foliage and forest, which encircled us, enclosing us in its space. At the edge of the lake, one large structure stood in ruins. Its stone walls crumbled, and rubble scattered across the grass of the clearing. I wondered if the damage had been recent or if it had been destroyed when his father had fought Morgana here. The moss coating the stone and the weathered, eroded look made me think the latter.
Xavier had guards lining the tree line behind us. Their emerald green uniforms almost camouflaged into the trees themselves.
On the other side of the crumpled tower stood five figures, all clad in black.
Morgana.
A guard approached from behind us, and Xavier clasped hands with him. The male stood tall next to Xavier in an emeraldgreen and black uniform. He had black hair shaved close to his head and dark eyes that seemed to shine, almost metallic-like. The male had dark-tanned skin and a close-shaved beard that hugged the lower half of his face.
“Randy,” Xavier said in greeting to the guard who approached.
Randy's eyes moved over Xavier's shoulder, and he winked before returning his gaze to Xavier.
I followed where he had looked and found Julian smiling broadly at the male. My lips twitched. Julian looked over at me, his smile faltering slightly as I raised an eyebrow at him. He only shrugged as his smile widened.
“We checked the surrounding area, and there doesn't seem to be any traps waiting for us,” Randy stated, facing the five people across the clearing. “They arrived only moments ago, just like yourself, but we will continue to check the area for any suspicious activity.” Randy’s voice sounded deep and low and was full of authority. “We will alert you if we see anything.”
Xavier nodded and looked over his shoulder at all of us. “Let’s go.” His gold-flecked emerald eyes landed on me, and he extended his hand. I took it, staring back at him with the same intensity.
Morgana stood at the center. Her blonde hair was pinned to her head, and she wore a dark cloak outlined in purple thread. The sight of her made my blood boil. To her right, my father stood, his face set in a scowl as usual. His pink, jagged scar stood out against his black uniform.
Next to him, Duke Atticus stood. He wore the same black uniform, his metallic eyes shimmering in the low light. His black wavey hair came down to his chin, his jawline sharp and angular as he looked our way.
He looked between me and Xavier, his eyes looking down at our entwined hands and then at our matching tattoos. Angerbrimmed in his eyes as he met mine, and I cringed back at the intensity.
I narrowed my eyes at the woman on her left. It was that witch who kidnapped me, Lana. She wore black leather pants, a tucked-in white shirt, and a vest. Her scars gleamed in the light, and her hair was pulled back into a tight braid.
Next to her stood another male who looked slightly familiar, but I couldn’t place how. His hands were tied in front of him, and his eyes flared in panic as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
My eyes widened in understanding. That must be their uncle.
Morgana’s eyes met mine, a wicked smile curling her lips. I glared back, and beside me, Xavier went rigid. When I turned to look at him, his face was ashen, drained of all color. He stared, horrified, in her direction. Beyond him, Jaxon, Julian, and Gunnar mirrored his terror.
