Chapter 29
For as long as I can remember, the only thing I ever wanted was to go on an adventure. Preferably, a really dangerous one.
The idea of danger always sounded exciting to me—romantic, even. Like the only things worth doing were the ones that made your heart race.
My heart doesn’t race now, as I walk toward the castle. In fact, I’m not aware of my heartbeat at all. All I can focus on is the sound of Fox’s footsteps, trudging evenly behind me.
I reach the end of the road and come to a halt in front of the hooded figure. As I near, he pulls the scarf away from his face, revealing a pale fae man with sharp features and pale blonde hair. His shrewd eyes scan over me, as if looking through me. I shiver.
“You’re here to see the queen,” the man says by way of greeting. It doesn’t sound like a question.
“Yes,” I reply firmly.
His eyes travel past me to the wolves, lingering on Kai for a moment, and longer on Fox. “And to make your reports,” he says. Again, it doesn’t sound like a question, just a statement of fact.
I nod. “Our friends might be here by now. Did you see—”
"Your companions have arrived," he cuts me off. "The wolf, the winged one, and the human are waiting inside. Follow me."
The hooded servant turns and strides purposely toward the castle, disappearing into the mist in a blink of an eye. I hesitate for a moment, but it’s like I just said to Fox: I didn’t come here to turn back now. I follow, glad to feel Fox’s warmth against my back as we step into the mist.
For a moment, I’m blinded by the chilly fog, but then my eyes adjust. We’re standing on a frozen path, which, by all accounts, is really just an extension of the road behind us.
Yet, somehow, it feels separate. The snow seems lighter beyond the wall of mist, and the early morning sky appears brighter.
The hooded servant is just ahead, not stopping to wait, but walking slower than I suspect he needs to. A short distance in front of him, a sweeping white staircase leads to the doors of the gleaming castle.
I glance back, finding Fox and Kai staring straight ahead, their eyes slightly out of focus, as if they’re talking. Abruptly, Fox blinks, his attention snapping back to me. I swear I know him so well at this point, it’s as if I can hear him: “Are you alright? Are you sure you don’t want to leave?”
“Not yet,” I think, shaking my head.
He frowns, and nods in grim resignation.
We follow the hooded servant up the stone steps and through the double doors into the gleaming white castle.
There are no guards out front, or anyone in sight aside from the servant.
That strikes me as odd, but then we step inside the castle and I forget about everything else.
My mouth falls open in an involuntary gasp.
The castle entrance hall is beautiful, brightly lit with what seems to be moonlight, despite the fact that the sun is rising outside.
Everything is made of white stone that reminds me of ice—polished marble floors that gleam like frozen lakes, and vaulted ceilings adorned with stalactite-like chandeliers that hang suspended in the cold air, their diamond pendants reflecting the moonlight into tiny rainbows.
The hair on my arms stands up, as if the entire room is humming with static electricity. There’s a strange ancient power here, and it feels familiar, resonating with something deep inside me.
My stomach churns and I swallow a lump rising in my throat. Oh Gods, we’re actually here.
If the servant notices or cares about my awed reaction he doesn’t say anything, just keeps walking across the entrance hall, leading us to another set of double doors, which must lead to the throne room.
My stomach does another painful lurch. Oh Gods! We’re going right in? Now?
Not that I expected to wait, but it all seems to be happening so fast. I thought I’d have to convince the servant that we were from the court of Vernallis, or maybe fight our way in? I don’t know…I just…I thought there’d be more time.
I glance back to make sure Fox and the others are still with me—they are. Fox meets my gaze, and I’m sure he’s thinking that we should turn around and leave. For the first time, I almost agree with him.
The servant halts before the double doors and, with a practiced flourish, he flings them wide. My heart leaps into my throat. Please don’t be my mother.
Until this exact moment, I don’t think I knew what I wanted to happen here today, but now as the doors swing slowly open, my mind is made up. I don’t want it to be her.
I’ve always known my father was evil. I made peace with that a long time ago, but in my mind, my mother was always a good person. She’s the one who cursed my father, then died trying to keep me hidden. She just had to be the good one.
Except that ever since arriving in Thermia, I've heard such terrible things about the queen that I can barely reconcile them with the woman I've longed to meet. The queen is the one keeping the wolves trapped here; the one who’s stopping them from forming bonds, and the one who outlawed magic.
Please, please don’t be her.
"Her Majesty, Queen Silvia of Thermia,” the servant announces, as the doors finally open fully.
I suck in a breath. My mother’s name was Amora, not Silvia. I let out a breath.
I have barely a second to be relieved, as my eyes dart around the ornate throne room before us. Then, my gaze falls on the throne at the front of the room, and my chest constricts. I can’t seem to draw in another breath.
A petite woman with dark hair leaps down from her throne and rushes toward me, her elaborate blue and white gown billowing behind her. She runs the length of the room, and throws herself at me, wrapping her arms around my middle in an embrace so tight it forces the air from my lungs.
"Finally!" she exclaims against my ear. "You’re here! I've waited so long to meet you, and now you’re finally here!”
My mind goes blank, thoughts shattering, scattering like broken glass. I stand rigid in her embrace, my arms hanging uselessly at my sides.
The woman releases me and steps back, and my shock doubles. It’s like looking into a distorted mirror.
The woman—the queen, I mean—looks exactly like me. She could be me. We could be twins.
Wait, what am I thinking? We are twins.
My mouth opens, then closes. I try again but nothing emerges. The throne room seems to tilt around me, and I'm suddenly aware of my heartbeat again, pounding in my fingertips, my throat, behind my eyes. I feel a bit faint.
This entire time, I assumed that if my family was here at all, it would be my mother on the throne. My mother, the infamous sorceress, who cursed Vernallis for one hundred years. Of course she would turn out to be the mysterious queen. It made perfect sense.
I've been preparing myself to meet my mother, but it never occurred to me that the queen could be my sister. Honestly, I’m not sure I ever gave much thought to my sister.
The story that Beatrix told was about a baby, so in my mind, my sister was an infant. That obviously makes no sense, it’s ridiculous, but here we are.
Of course she'd be my age; of course she'd have grown up just as I did. Why didn’t I realize this before?
I think I must be in shock, because it’s difficult to find my voice. Finally, I manage to make my mouth work. “You... know who I am?"
“Of course," Silvia says, her brow furrowing slightly as she studies my face.
"I've been waiting my whole life to meet you.
I knew you'd come eventually. Have you traveled far?
" she doesn’t wait for an answer before continuing, throwing questions at me in excited rapid-fire.
"Did you see the lights? I hoped you would. How did you come to be traveling with my soldiers? Did you need an escort? What kingdom did you travel from?”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.
My thoughts tangle together—the wolves want to kill her, she's enslaving them, she's my sister, my twin. Where’s my mother?
The weight of everything I've learned crashes down on me at once, paralyzing my voice.
Silvia cocks her head at me in concern. “Oh, I’m so sorry. You must be exhausted and overwhelmed, and here I am throwing a thousand questions at you.”
I nod mutely.
"Of course, of course," Silvia gushes, her dark eyes widening. “Would you like to rest and get cleaned up? We can talk after."
I nod again. Words still seem to have abandoned me. I’m not sure I remember what words are anymore. Help.
As if summoned, Fox steps forward, his warm hand settling protectively against the small of my back. “Where are our friends?” he demands, speaking to Silvia as if she’s just another soldier and not a queen. "They should have arrived ahead of us,"
Someone who was trained in court politics would probably have said something more tactful, but Fox clearly doesn’t care, and I love him for that. I lean backward into him, letting him physically support me.
To her credit, Silvia appears to take this in stride.
"Yes, so I heard," she says, now eyeing Fox with curiosity.
"I didn't see them myself, but I believe the servants brought them inside. I’m sure someone can bring you to them?” She glances over at the servant who led us inside, giving him a meaningful look.
“Perhaps you could go see them, while my sister rests? "
Sister. I don’t know how I feel about that. My mind hasn't even begun to process that I have a twin, and here she is, claiming our relationship as if we've known each other our whole lives.
I reach out and grasp Fox's forearm reflexively. "I'd prefer to stay together, if that's alright?" I say, finding my voice at last.
Silvia's gaze flicks to Fox, her smile unwavering. "You needn't worry about your guard while you rest. The palace has plenty of protection."
"Fox isn't my guard,” I blurt out.
To emphasize the point, Fox moves his large hand around the curve on my hip. Silvia’s gaze follows the movement of his fingers, and her eyes widen for just a heartbeat before her composure returns.