Scarlet was napping, so I was accompanied by only Rumble, who rarely displayed fear. The mirror that had seemed to tell my fortune had been in that room. Maybe it would show me more if I saw it again, but it had a habit of disappearing. My friends didn’t trust the mirror, but I was weighed down with the fear of the unknown. Even an unreliable clue was better than nothing.
“Has the mirror been back?” I asked when I stepped into the room.
“Nobody came here to check.”
“Apart from Sadler.”
He nodded. “But as they say, in the end, he locked himself away most of the time.”
“Are they going to kill us?” I asked in a small voice. “Am I just fooling myself?”
“It’s my job to make sure that nobody succeeds at that.”
That was oddly reassuring. “What did you think when I killed him?”
“I felt… relief. And a sense of sadness.”
I looked up at him. He was still wearing the helmet. I reached up and removed it. He flinched and almost turned his head away from me, but I made him look at me, scars and all. His face was destroyed. The only identifying features that remained were his full lips and soft brown eyes.
“He hurt you, and you still felt sad?”
“He was still my king and my blood, even if he refused to acknowledge it.”
“So is Scarlet. She’s your family now.”
He looked at me with sympathy. “You say these words, but you know not their meaning.”
I gave him a wry smile. “I didn’t have much of a family in the human realm most of the time, so you might have a point. Come on, let’s look through this stuff and see what we can keep and use.”
“Bart is searching for Sadler’s secret stashes. We’ll have an inventory in a few days.”
“Good.” I knelt at a chest and ran my hand through the jewels within. “What a waste.”
“Sadler had no need of riches.”
I moved on to another chest. “Do you think madness is hereditary?”
“Perhaps,” he said hesitantly.
“Maybe everyone here is mad.” I sighed. “Especially me.”
We opened all of the chests and found a fortune's worth of treasures we could use for trading. My nails were broken and my hair covered in dust when I spotted a long, slim box under a pile of junk.
“Look at this.” A sword was inside the box. The helm was plain and the blade dull, but my hand hovered over it, unable to move on. “There’s something about this one.”
“It looks old and badly made. A bit too plain for a queen.”
I smiled at him. “So, you agree I should use one?”
“You need a prettier sword than that because it’ll remain an ornament so long as I’m around.” He lifted the sword and whirled it in the air. “It’s light, though. I can’t tell what metal this is.”
An odd feeling came over me. I wanted to snatch the sword right out of his hand. “I wonder where it came from.”
“Perhaps… from another place.”
“Like across the sea.”
He put the sword down in a hurry. “Anything that comes from across the sea is cursed.”
I smiled at his superstition and ran my hand over the blade. I had to keep it. “I saw the human realm across the sea. Does that count?”
“It should,” he said with a hint of a smile.
“Rumble, you made a joke.”
“Sort of.”
We looked through the rest of the boxes and sacks as quickly as we could. By the time we were done, I was exhausted.
“Is there anything in particular you want to keep?” Rumble asked. “If not, I’ll have the staff clear out the room and divide the items into those that can go into the treasury and those that are worthless.”
I picked up the old jewellery box I had found the magical wooden weapon in so long ago. “I'll keep this. And I want to keep that sword. At least for now. I might get it cleaned up and give it to someone as a gift someday.”
He looked at me. “A king someone?”
“Is that so bad?”
“No. It’s smart. With three kingdoms, it will always be two against one. Ensure you’re one of the two, and everything will work.”
“We’re not much of a kingdom.” I used my forearm to wipe a cobweb from my cheek. “We’ve no food. The people are dying. The land is dying. We have the smallest army of all three.”
“Have faith,” he said. “As much faith as we’ve put in you.”
I clasped the sword, and my confidence grew. I might not be the warrior queen they hoped for, but I had always been a survivor.
***
The entire court had been put to work. Sneezing was a constant sound as dust rose in the air. We were clearing out the old, preparing to welcome the new. Plans to pass through the human portal had already been established, and Donncha, the cook, and the gardener all had new volunteers. Most of the nobles quietly sneered, but some of them, including Fiadh, rolled up their sleeves and pitched in with everyone else. We were desperate for beds, and most of the court had to sleep on blankets on the floor, but at least they were inside.
There had been a number of violent spats since my arrival, which worried me. Was it Sadler’s or the taint’s influence, or was it just the true nature of my subjects? Worse, had my act of violence encouraged theirs?
I missed finding time to be alone. In my small room, Rat liked to fall asleep on the floor next to Scarlet, who had been acting as though she'd always lived in the castle. By the door, the blond warrior Orlaith kept watch in a comfortable chair until I ordered her to rest. Donncha himself had assigned her as my bodyguard.
As for me, I lay in bed at night trying to decide what kind of person I wanted to be and what kind of person the court needed me to be. I had to be ten steps ahead of everyone else, ready for when the fae would turn on me. Because the signs were there. Not everyone was happy with the new regent.
I wasn’t a stranger to history. I knew how fickle people could be. How many queens in the human realm had been loved by their people only to end up beheaded? That couldn’t happen to me. At least, not until Scarlet was old enough to take care of herself.
One night, after Orlaith had fallen asleep, I found myself wide-awake and anxious after a looping dream of whispered words and never-ending mazes. I slipped out of bed and snuck back up to the tower room. Most of the boxes of treasure and weapons had already been taken downstairs to be accounted for. The room was mostly empty, and it had been scrubbed well. And in the centre, back where it had been before Scarlet was born, stood a tall mirror framed in gold.
I held my breath as I approached, almost reaching out to touch it before remembering myself. The last time I'd touched it, it had seemed to steal a piece of my soul. This was the room it hid in, the room Sadler had visited on who knew how many nights, just to see one image in the reflection. The reflection had shown me married to him, and he'd gone out of his way to make that a reality.
I circled the mirror, wondering how it moved, how it reappeared then disappeared again. Where did it go when it was gone? I stood in front of the glass and studied myself. In the reflection, my black hair was shorter, but I looked almost the same. I rolled up my sleeves to see the likeness of the black veins in the crook of my arm. I watched in the mirror as the blackness spread across my arms and hands, creeping up my neck until it violated my face. My eyes darkened, growing hardened and cruel. My own dagger appeared in one hand, but it was stained with fresh blood. The blood dripped to the ground, and I heard it fall. I looked down at my arms in a panic but only saw the black veins on my inner elbow. But there was a puddle of blood on the floor next to me, and I had no idea how it had gotten there.
I was stepping backward when I heard a whisper in my head. The mirror had called my name. I took one last look and saw a bloodied crown perched on my head. Freaked out, I fled back toward my room. Bart was in one of the hallways. He gave me a knowing smile and waved his hand. I stared at him until he turned and walked
away.
Back in my room, I couldn’t sleep. The mirror was a terrifying reminder of the possibilities. I double-checked my arm but saw no change. I was still the same Cara. Except I wasn’t. I was a queen now.
Out the window, a movement drew my attention. Small black spots shifted on the horizon. More dots materialised. I frowned, peering outward to see what it was. In the dusk, three crows appeared. They flew directly toward my window. I faced them, waiting, until they flew right over my head. They dropped tiny scrolls of parchment onto the floor then flew outside again. They were gone before I could look twice. I picked up one of the scrolls and unrolled it.
Orlaith jumped, suddenly alert. “What is it?” she asked, breathless.
“A list of names,” I said. There were six unfamiliar names, and at the very end of the parchment were written the words, “Our lives are in your hands.”
That strange feeling passed over me again, as though my skin were prickling under a sharp breeze. I shoved the scroll at Orlaith and picked up another. More names.
“Fealty,” she said in an awed voice. “These are important houses, my lady. And they swear fealty to you.”
I read the names until I learned them by heart. The fae were always watching, and some of them thought I was worth watching.
To my surprise, I slept well that night.
Chapter Three
I felt a massive sense of satisfaction as a group of muscular fae dragged the stone thrones out of the castle. I thought, Take that, Sadler.
The castle was full of noise: shouts, arguments, banging, water splashing, and best of all, laughter. I had rolled up my sleeves and cleared out my own room before helping the midwife with Sadler’s. The rest of the Chaos Court was busy cleaning and building and repairing and cooking and preparing for the ceremony. A large delivery of food had arrived that morning, and everyone in the court was in high spirits.
“We can break down the thrones and reuse the stone,” said Marron, a fae with wings the colour of mud. His black hair marked him as one of Deorad’s children, but he was more outspoken than most of them. He observed the removal of the thrones with keen eyes. “But we won’t have enough material or bodies to finish the work before the ceremony.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “We’ll do what we can. We’re not trying to impress anyone else. It's just for us.”
He gave me an odd look. “Well, I should get back to it. The carpenter and the seamstress will have the new thrones ready.”
I nodded as he left me. Rat was sitting in the centre of the great hall with Scarlet, Setanta, and a number of small, tainted children who had come with some new arrivals. They were well enough to work, but I wanted them to have some fun instead. The fae didn’t approve, and I didn’t care. Those of Deorad’s offspring young enough to need caregivers were still far from the castle, but one day, they would likely return, and I wanted the fae to be used to children before then.
I wiped my fringe away from my face and wondered what the kings were up to. I had sent Sadler’s twin emissaries to personally invite them to the ceremony, but there had been no reply as yet. I tried not to worry. It had been two weeks since I'd taken over the castle, and I hadn’t heard from anyone outside. Food was being brought in from the human realm, so that was one issue I didn’t have to worry about… until the gold ran out. I froze. We were using a portal into the human realm for food, so why couldn’t I go see Zoe and my grandparents?
I practically skidded across the floor to reach Vix, who was watching over the children with a grim expression. She hated being the bodyguard of children.
“I have an idea,” I said. “And I’m going to need your help.”
“Unless I get to kill something, I’m not interested.”
“Did I make a request?”
She grinned and looked me in the eye. “What are your orders?”
“I need to take Scarlet into the human realm for a few hours.”
Her expression shifted immediately. “Are you crazy?” she huffed under her breath. “We can’t leave the castle. You could be assassinated or seen as a runaway, or the kings could come here in your absence.”
“Oh. And I always thought you were the sneaky one.”
She pressed her lips together. “Fine. But we do it my way. Where are we going?”
I hesitated. “Home.”
“This is a stupid idea. A stupid, stupid idea.” She smiled again. “Let me fetch Rumble.” She made arrangements with Rumble while I picked up Scarlet.
“I wasn’t finished with my story,” Rat said.
“She needs a nap. I’ll watch over her—don’t worry. Finish your story, then get some rest. I’ll send for you when I need you.”
She nodded and carried on with the story. As I left the hall, I felt eyes on my back. I looked over my shoulder and noticed Fiadh watching. I gave her a smile and went on my way. Rumble and Vix quickly followed.
“This is a bad idea,” Rumble said.
“So I’m told. Now, let’s go.”
***
Rumble looked far too large for my grandparents’ home. I hadn’t realised just how tall he was in the high-ceilinged rooms of a castle, but in a two-bedroom semi-detached, the height thing was definitely noticeable. Gran kept giving him odd looks, probably because of the helmet. Then again, Vix was wearing her usual skin-tight black-leather clothing, I was covered in dust and grime, and Scarlet wore a ridiculous and pristine baby gown that Rat had gone gaga over, so we weren’t exactly what anyone expected.
“Zoe’s on her way.” Granddad reached out to squeeze Scarlet’s hand. “Your baby has grown so much.”
“She hasn’t forgotten this place anyway,” I said as Scarlet headed straight for the toy box in the corner. “I’m sorry I haven’t been back. It’s been… crazy.”
“Zoe told us some things,” Gran said.
“This is Vix and Rumble, by the way. They're Scarlet’s aunt and uncle through blood.”
“We don’t claim the same ancestry,” Vix said. “We are the nameless, and she is a princess.”
My grandparents exchanged bewildered glances.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t listen to her. She’s always in a bad mood.”
Vix snorted softly. An awkward silence ensued.
“Your mother’s been asking for you,” Gran said after a while. “She visits us every now and then.”
“Have you had any trouble since we left?” I wasn’t sure what to think about my mother, so I put the topic of her aside yet again.
“No trouble.” Granddad hazarded a glance at Rumble, who seemed to be growing by the second by the way he was filling up the room. “I take it you’re safe.”
“Of course,” I lied.
When Zoe and Líle arrived twenty minutes later, I almost collapsed with relief.
“You’re both here,” I said, hugging them. “You’re both okay.”
Zoe smiled, but she was still a little pale. When she had gone to the faery realm, she had almost lost her mind. She could never go back.
“Have you heard anything?” I asked as we all sat down. Vix and Rumble refused to sit.
“Very little,” Líle said. “And I dare not believe the rumours.”
“Rumours?” I said, stalling.
“Cara, just tell us what happened,” Zoe said. “Your version.”
I met my grandfather’s gaze. “You’re not going to like it.”
“We’re on your side, Cara,” he said.
I pulled my knees up to my chest, feeling more vulnerable and human than I had in weeks. In the faery realm, I had been congratulated for my actions by most fae, while others were merely disappointed that I had taken away their chance of power. Nobody was sad or angry that I had taken a life. And in the real world, the one I was supposed to belong in, there was no context for my actions. I was a murderer. Therefore, I deserved to be punished. There was no way to sugarcoat it for humans who had rules I couldn’t obey if I wanted to survive the faery realm. And there I went, making excuses a
gain. It was time to be honest with my grandparents… and myself.
“I killed Sadler,” I said in a small voice. “And I kind of… took over the Chaos Court.” I felt their gazes on me and shivered. “It wasn’t like I planned it. Not really. It just sort of… happened.”
“It was an accident,” Gran said hopefully. “You didn’t mean it.”
I curled my fingers into fists. “Gran, I meant it.”
“They wanted you to kill him,” Zoe said in an angry tone. “Did they make you do this?”
I finally risked looking at her. Two pinpricks of red dotted her cheeks. “They didn’t make me, Zo. Drake was going to spare Sadler and take the Darkside into his territories. But I… I got in the way and changed everything.”
“Drake?” Líle asked, incredulous. “He was going to let Sadler live after everything he said and did?”
“He wanted power,” Vix said bitterly. “All men are swayed by power.”
“He doesn’t care about the Darksiders,” I said pleadingly, hoping my human family would understand. Líle would get it—I was sure of that—but the others lived by different rules.
“He wanted to kill them all,” Zoe said thoughtfully. “I remember that. He was angry, and he was happy to take it out on innocent people. And you stopped him. How?”
I covered my burning cheeks. “I… threatened him with the same knife I used to kill Sadler. And the Darksiders kind of got a kick out of that.”
Gran reached for my grandfather’s hand. I hated causing them pain, but none of us were perfect, and they deserved to know the truth about me.
“Well, it was the child, too,” Vix said when the room filled with silence. “The child with a warrior queen for a mother.”
I scowled at her mocking tone. “They wanted an heir, and I was there with Scarlet, and they just… let me in. It was easy in the end. And the ships disappeared. I’ve no idea if they’ll stay gone. Sadler’s deal was broken when he died. But the people he was using to keep himself alive haven’t woken up yet. The midwife thinks they’re dying. I’m just hoping the Miacha come through for us in time.”