Chapter 108 Chapter 108

Chapter 108 Chapter 108
Against my better judgment, I let her words get to me. My eyes started welling up with tears as flashbacks of that night at the academy invaded my mind. 

Holden’s charred chest as he gave his last breath in my arms, Gianna’s pleas for help as I choked her, her tears as she begged for her life, denying over and over again that she had anything to do with the plot against me. I didn’t believe her.

I should have listened.

A burst of searing heat exploded onto my shoulder, and I screamed out in pain. Daisy had thrown another flame at me, but I was too distracted to notice. I fell to my knees as the pain consumed my body and I started heaving for breath.

Another flame hit my left shoulder this time, and I screamed out once again, unable to tell whether the scream was from the fire or the betrayal.

“I really am sorry, Ahri.” She said as she moved towards me, dagger at the ready. “This has to be done.”

Before she could stab me in the chest again, a voice interrupted.

“Are you two okay?” Luka's face appeared from behind the now open door. “I heard screaming.”

The moment of distraction was enough for me to pull myself together. I didn’t wait for him to put it together; instead, I did what I do best.

I attacked.

Violent streams of water streamed out from all around me; my palms, the fish tank that stood behind me, the bowl of water that decorated the table, it seemed like I pulled all of the water out of the room and pushed it towards her, sending her flying into her desk. She came crashing down on top of the wood, drenched in water that wouldn’t stop.

I stood up, pushing past the pain in my shoulders, and stopped the streams of water. I didn’t have time to catch my breath, and I sure wasn’t going to let her catch hers, and with the twist of two fingers, I suspended her into the air and restricted her movement. The dagger fell out of her hand and clattered to the marble floor.

“Guards,” Luka screamed, and seconds later the room was swarmed with men in the red and black uniform.

“Are you okay?” he hurried to my side, pulling his hands back as soon as I hissed in pain at his touch.

I couldn’t bring myself to talk, or move, or blink. All I could do was watch as the guards took my sister away to the dungeons.

—

That afternoon, as I stood watching myself in the mirror, my ivory gown glistening in the light, I couldn’t believe how this day turned out.

It was supposed to be a magical day, planned out by my mother and sister, straight out of a fairytale. Instead, I had just gone through yet another traumatizing event, my sister was in the dungeons to be put on trial for treason, there was somebody out there plotting my murder, and I was expected to keep all of this a secret and go on with the day as if nothing happened.

“We can’t let this get out.” My mother had said as she wiped away my tears in the infirmary. “If the other royals learn of this, they will ruin everything you’ve worked so hard for. We can’t let anyone know, not until we question her.”

A knock at the door brought me back to the present moment. I wiped away the stray tear and straightened my gown.

“Come in.”

The door creaked open, and in came Ivan. I was glad I didn’t have to hide this from him since Luka told him everything. He was there at the infirmary, rage, fear, and a hint of regret clouding his features.

Now, as he stood behind me, his reflection in the mirror showed nothing but a sweet smile.

“Don’t torture yourself.” He whispered.

“How can I not?” I let out. “Everything I thought I knew was a lie.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Yes, it is.” I choked on the boulder in my throat. “I killed her. She was innocent, and I killed her.”

“You can’t think like that, Lilith.” He placed both hands on my shoulders gently and turned me around. “She was framed. Anyone would have reacted exactly like you. And in case you had forgotten, she was aiming to kill you if Holden didn’t step in her way.”

“So much death. So much pain and destruction and death, and it’s all because of me.”

“That’s not on you! That’s on her.” Daisy. He didn’t have to say her name. “She caused all of this; she and whoever she’s working with are responsible for all of this, not you.”

I wiped away the tears again.

“What am I supposed to do now?”

“You go out there, and you get your crown, and you become the best damn queen the four kingdoms have ever known.” He put his finger under my chin and lifted my head. “You have the power to change the world, Lilith, to make it a better place. Use it.”

Taking a deep, calming breath, I straightened my back and rolled my shoulders. Ivan was right, it was time to end this pity party. 

I had the power, the potential, and the means to change the world as we know it, and my people were counting on me. I couldn’t let them down.

I wouldn’t let them down.

With my hand in Ivan’s, I marched out of the castle and into the garden where my throne awaited. It was time for me to claim my place.

As the Queen of the four kingdoms.

End