Chapter Twelve #2
Not in my house. I owned this palace. The bastard just didn’t know it yet. People thought karma was a bitch. They had no idea, because karma was me, and I didn’t play nice.
“Did Cameron notice anything?” I asked Eldin.
She shook her head. “Not a thing. He departed from the play raving about how he wants to return for the next showing.”
At least somebody around here liked Marcus’ art. Pity it was a man with poor taste.
We returned to the Ladies’ Court. I entered my bedroom still carrying the present.
Hemlock’s final gift glittered in the light, and Eldin asked, “Would you like me to be here when you open it?”
I could hardly breathe. I managed to shake my head and stated, “I have to do this alone.”
“I understand. I will be outside should you need anything.” Eldin quietly dipped out, and I turned over the tag that was attached to the present. On the back was an inscription.
My Dear Ava. Happy Birthday, With All My Love.
I’m leaving this in your capable hands. I will not need it when I embark on my next journey.
Use it well when you find who you are.
What did she mean? I unwrapped the paper. Inside was a threadbare book with crinkled edges and a cover that was nearly falling apart.
Hemlock’s beloved anthropology book. She’d had this for decades.
It was a massive title of supernatural history, from the beginning of the supernatural races until now.
I opened the book and saw that Hemlock’s handwritten notes were scrawled all over the margins.
A leather bookmark was placed in the middle of the tome.
The broken spine nearly caused pages to fall out.
This had been her most prized possession, and she’d given it to me. She thought she wouldn’t need it on her next adventure. Her intuition had been right… but she hadn’t guessed that next adventure would be death.
Crushing grief split my insides open, wrecking me from the inside out. I bent over, sobbing as I fell out of my chair. I clutched the book to my chest, bending over to wail my grief.
This was the last present she’d ever give me.
Because she was dead. It struck me now, harder than it had before.
I’d never hear her voice again, experience her gentle touch, or feel her guiding light.
Hemlock was gone because she’d associated with me, because I cursed everyone I came in contact with.
I sat there and wept, sobbing as the world caved in.
Eventually, I noted someone else had entered my suite. Thin arms reached out to wrap around me as I clutched the gift with trembling fingers. “Ava.”
Abigail. The angel girl knelt beside me, abandoning her own wheelchair to hold me. My voice trembled as I asked, “Why did you come?”
“Kallie let me out of the dungeons some time ago,” she said quietly. “I’ve been waiting for when you would need me.”
I felt guilty about that, too. I’d locked my lady-in-waiting in the dungeons and left her to rot after accusing her of being the spy within the palace. I’d said such horrible things to her. And why? Because she was an angel, Esther’s sister, and the niece of Doctor Taurus?
I knew better than to judge someone based on who their family was, but I’d done it anyway because I needed someone to blame.
That festering hatred had cost me Hemlock, because I’d accused Abigail without reason, and left the real traitor to run free.
Alistair wouldn’t have gotten the chance to hurt anyone if I had investigated properly, but I’d allowed my emotions to get the better of me, and my mistake had taken my professor’s life.
“You shouldn’t be helping me. What I did to you was unforgivable. You should cast me aside and forget about me, like I did you.”
“I could never do that. You’re my princess, and I’m your lady. I’m sworn to serve you, and I always will.” Abigail wiped my tears away. “You made a mistake, but you did what you thought was best. Now we can work together to mend our mistakes.”
I sniffed. “I’m sorry. I hope the dungeons weren’t too terrible.”
“It wasn’t pleasant, but I wasn’t in there very long.
Kallie let me out once the truth was revealed about Alistair.
” She shrugged miserably. “I felt I deserved it. As your lady, I’m supposed to be aware of potential threats at all times.
A feeling in my gut told me there was something off about Alistair, but I didn’t listen to it, because I had no evidence to present.
I was foolish. My time in the dungeons was just punishment for not informing you of my suspicions sooner. ”
“What happened in the past doesn’t matter now, because we can’t change it. I just… don’t know what to do now.”
Abigail stared at the floor. “I don’t think any of us do. Things continue to get worse, in the world and here.”
“What’s happened?”
“News has spread of a rebel camp of a few thousand supernaturals hiding in the woods not far from here. They fled The Mission and wanted to join our cause. They were close enough to our soldiers stationed outside the shield that we could’ve sent aid, but the Emperor ignored all requests for help, and he didn’t send any Elves in to defend them. ”
“Are they still out there?”
“The Warden came through and slaughtered them all. The Emperor let their cries for mercy die unheard.”
Of course Cameron did, because he didn’t care.
He was too spineless to dare risking bringing those refugees to safety even if it meant we gained more fighters from it.
He didn’t want to chance sending in his soldiers even though we needed to take gambles to win this war.
No one could get in and out of our shield, but we could still send and receive messages through radio waves.
Cameron could’ve sent our allies to help, and chose not to.
Abigail bit her lip. “I fear for the future of our people, and for all supernatural kind. Cameron is no Emperor. He’s merely a pawn for his own whims. A true ruler needs to rise to defend us. Otherwise, our freedom is lost.”
It was so unlike her to criticize the monarchy in any way, but we were dying out here. This world kept taking and taking, and it didn’t know when to stop.
It wouldn’t. Not unless I made it.
If Hemlock was in my situation, she wouldn’t give in and she wouldn’t give up, so I couldn’t either.
Fae were known for their strong wills, so I had to find one of my own.
I had to get up from this floor and stop this crying bullshit.
Feeling my emotions wasn’t helping right now, because there was too much of it.
I could sob for years still be unable to fathom the level of agony I’d endured.
When you got to a place where there was so much trauma it overwhelmed you, there wasn’t anything to do but put it aside for a time and keep going.
Grieving wouldn’t bring my sorrow to an end, because if I started now, I wouldn’t be able to quit.
But I could do something about it. I wasn’t someone who sat around when there was shit to be done.
I took action, even if it was the wrong thing to do, or made the problem worse.
I’d been in the city for the past month, helping to repair the things I’d ruined and giving hope back to the people I’d harmed, but that wasn’t enough.
I had to get my ass in gear, because with Cameron leading the way, we were basically done unless someone else stepped up.
Once the Elven Gate was open and the gods came to help, we’d have to get our army ready and mount an attack against the Warden right away.
If we gave him any leeway, he’d find a way to gain the advantage, and we couldn’t allow that to happen.
Someone needed to order our soldiers into battle against Doctor Taurus— a leader who wouldn’t stand down until he and The Mission were wiped from the face of the earth.
Charlie was too broken, and— if I was completely honest— too untrustworthy to take the helm, and Cameron would be too cowardly to summon his army once we needed those soldiers. The Elvish court was in chaos, and none of my friends had the capability to pull themselves together enough to lead.
That meant this was up to me.
I wiped my nose. “You’re right, Abigail. Everyone’s right.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been hiding in the shadows for too long.” I gestured for her to help me up. Abigail struggled to lift me into my wheelchair before taking a seat in her own. I rolled out of the suite and called, “Eldin!”
My guard was standing vigil not too far from the door. “Yes, princess?”
“I want you to gather the best of the best when it comes to Ilamanthe’s military. Women only,” I told her. “I know there are female Elves within Cameron’s army who aren’t happy with what he’s doing. Offer them a different position, working for me.”
“You aren’t thinking of starting another insurrection, are you, princess?” Eldin’s voice was wary.
I shook my head. “Far from it. Everything I’m doing here is perfectly legal, and it’s needed. Trust me.”
Eldin nodded, then turned on her heel to follow my orders.
Abigail appeared perplexed. “What’s our next move?”
I placed Hemlock’s book on my desk, then headed back in the direction of the courtyard. “Now we kick some ass.”
Midnight fell, and I gathered my allies in the secrecy of night. The Ladies’ Court had a gymnasium. It was typically reserved for sports games like tennis, basketball or other activities, but I was converting it into our training ground.
Hundreds of guards, all female, stood within the gymnasium in perfect rows, grasping weapons and standing at attention. I observed them one by one, studying their keen eyes and strong bodies. They appeared an immovable force, ready to stand against anything— and they would at my command.
“Do you really believe the Emperor is going to let you get away with this?” Abigail asked. Dozens of women had come to answer Eldin’s call of service. It was a clear sign of how many were dissatisfied with Cameron’s rule.