Four Dead Queens(102)

I traced my hand across his rough jaw. “What are you thinking?” I wanted to pull the mask off and burn it.

“I was thinking we’ve wasted too much time.” He grabbed my hand once more. “And that I’m going to kill Mackiel if I ever see him again.”



* * *



—

    “WHERE ARE ALL the guards?” I asked as we left the prison. It was odd, considering I was to meet my executioner in under an hour.

“I may have told them they were needed by the inspector,” he said with a shrug, “to prepare for the hanging.”

I shot him a surprised look. “And they believed you?”

He turned away, his voice barely audible when he replied, “I’m Eonist. Plus, I turned you in. They trust me not to help you.”

I gave his hand a squeeze. “I forgive you, remember that.”

He glanced at me briefly, hope lighting his eyes, and opened his mouth to say more.

I chuckled. “We can talk about it later.”

We hurried down the corridor toward the Archian section of the palace. Before I could push them away, images of Queen Iris flashed through my mind.

“Why are we going this way?” I asked, digging in my heels. Even if I was willing to accept I hadn’t been in control when I’d slit Queen Iris’s throat, that didn’t mean I wanted to return to where the deed had been done.

“The Archian garden is the only access to the outside world, aside from the processing room, and there’s no way we can get through the barred door. Not even you can.” He grinned. “We’ll have to scale down the cliff and find passage in a boat and go where no one will find us.”

He’d put a lot of thought into this. A life and future planned for both of us. A life on the run. I’d never see my family again—or what was left of my family.

He tugged on my hand. “Come on.”

“No.”

“No?”

“I’m not going.”

His brow furrowed. “But this is the only way out.”

“I’m not leaving the palace.” His eyes narrowed. “I want to be free, but not until the inspector and the rest of the palace know the truth. I can’t let Mackiel and Arebella get away with this. She killed her own mother! She can’t remain the Torian queen.”

“You’re willing to risk your life for this?”

I was used to putting myself above everyone else. Stealing what I wanted, doing what came naturally. Looking for quick and easy wealth. Thinking that my wants and desires were more important than everyone else’s. But now I had the opportunity to be someone different. Someone worth my parents’ love. The girl they’d raised me to be.

Arebella couldn’t be left to rule Toria. If she was willing to kill her own mother, what else was she capable of? And with Mackiel by her side, the darkness would spread from the Jetée to the Skim and even to the palace itself. While I couldn’t bring the queens back, I could do this. It didn’t matter what might happen to me. The queens deserved retribution.

“Let’s find the inspector,” I said, pulling Varin along. “We have one final date in court.”





CHAPTER FORTY-SIX





Arebella


   Queen of Toria



Rule fourteen: It is the queens’ duty to ensure peace among the quadrants.


Arebella sat upon the Archian throne first. It was only fitting, as Queen Iris had been the first to die. Mackiel beamed from the crowd, his gold top hat askew. There would be much to celebrate tonight.

Focus, Arebella admonished herself. This was the moment she’d dreamed of for two years. There would be time to enjoy Mackiel’s company later.

Alissa stood in the crowd beside her Archian wife. She gave her a resigned look before stepping up to the dais. “Queen Arebella.” She sounded uncertain, her voice barely filling the vast room. “Please raise your right hand.”

Arebella did as instructed. She could not hide the tremble of anticipation. Jenri gave her a reassuring smile, misreading her shaking. Too soft, Arebella thought. She might need to replace him, in time.

“Repeat after me,” Alissa said. “I, Queen Arebella.”

“I, Queen Arebella.”

“Promise to uphold all that my quadrant”—she shook her head for a moment before continuing—“Archia believes in.”

Arebella repeated the words while smiling at her new Archian advisor. Time stretched out before her with an open hand. She’d win her over, eventually.

“And with this Queenly Pledge,” Alissa finished, “my life is Archia’s, and Archia is my life. Until my dying day.”

Arebella swallowed. This is really happening. Archia was hers.

“And with this Queenly Pledge,” she said clearly, her voice filling the grand golden room. A ray of light warmed her back as the sun attempted to break through the clouds. A new dawn. “My life is Archia’s, and Archia is my life. Until my—”

The Archian door to court flew open. The inspector entered flanked by two people. Before she could see who they were, they were swarmed by guards.

“That’s not necessary,” the inspector said calmly. “They are here on my authority.”