Four Dead Queens(53)

I squeezed my eyes tight, but it made it worse, bringing the images to life as Mackiel revealed my secret.

My father grabbing for the wheel, me pushing him away and jerking the boat closer to the cliff. The sea pummeling the rocks, spraying our faces with salt. Determination thrumming through my veins, propelling me into action. My teeth sinking into my bottom lip. Thinking, I’ll destroy this boat. This stupid thing that my parents care about so much, which costs so much time and money while we still struggle year by year. They will never let it go. They will never see the truth. But I’ll show them. There are easier ways to attain wealth. I’ll destroy this boat, then we’ll all be free.

I’d only meant to clip the cliff, damaging the boat so it couldn’t be repaired. But I didn’t know the power of the water; how could I? I’d spent all my time blocking out the lessons of the ocean my parents had tried to teach me.

When we hit the cliff, it sounded like an explosion.

I’d never forget my father’s expression as we were thrown from the rupturing boat. He was terrified. Of me.

Mackiel finished recounting the story. “She wanted her parents to see she would do anything to destroy the future they saw for her—a future she desperately didn’t want. And her father was in the way of that.”

He made it sound like I’d wanted to hurt him. But I hadn’t. I’d wanted to remove the one thing in their lives that caused uncertainty. Without it, they would see that I could help them, provide for a better life. If they would only let me.

Instead, I’d caused more pain and heartache than I ever could’ve imagined.

“What happened to her father?” Varin asked.

“He’s in a coma and has weeks to live. Only HIDRA can save him now, but the palace won’t help the father of a criminal.” His voice turned icy.

I desperately wished to see Varin’s expression. Had the story changed his opinion of me? Would he now give up my location, knowing I had purposely destroyed my family’s business and critically injured my father? Would he now abandon me and go to the palace for HIDRA alone?

“Why are you telling me all this?” Varin’s voice sounded strained.

“An Eonist has no business with a girl such as her.” Mackiel almost sounded soothing, understanding.

“Tell us where she is,” the woman said, “and we’ll forget all about you.”

I held my breath, waiting for Varin to reveal me. I wouldn’t have blamed him.

“I told you,” Varin ground out. “She left after I recorded the chips.”

I didn’t dare let out a breath of relief. Not yet.

“Mackiel?” The woman sighed in frustration. “We’re wasting our time.”

But Mackiel said, “We don’t need him to tell us where she is.”

“We don’t?” she asked, clearly confused.

He laughed. “As I said, I know Keralie’s moves because I taught them to her. I made her. My porcelain doll.”

A lump lodged itself in my throat. Ash clung to my lashes, nose and mouth. I swallowed down the desperate urge to cough and sneeze.

The woman asked, “Where is she, then?”

Someone began moving around the room.

“Keralie knows better than to leave her target unsupervised,” Mackiel said, his voice back to full melody. He was toying with me.

My sweat turned icy in the small space.

“Enough games,” the woman snapped. “Where is she, Mackiel?”

“Before I say, I want to ensure there’s no evidence of our meeting. Messenger”—I could hear the grin in his voice—“place the empty comm case in the incinerator and turn it on.”

My throat began to burn.

“Messenger?” Mackiel repeated. “Did you not hear what I said?”

Varin had two options: Reveal my hiding place or keep to his story and let me burn. A part of me wondered if he’d be happy to be rid of me, now knowing I deserved it. The other part knew that being an Eonist meant he could never injure or kill another human being.

I slid the drawer open.

“Hello, Mackiel,” I said. “Did you miss me?”





CHAPTER NINETEEN





Stessa


   Queen of Ludia



Rule nine: Each queen will be appointed one advisor from her own quadrant. They will be her only counsel.


Come to the baths.

A thrill ran through Stessa as she read the words on the scrap of paper, which had been left beneath her pillow, the cursive clearly Lyker’s. It had been weeks since he had left her a secret message.

Passing notes had begun as a game at school. The rules were never leave the message in the same spot, and never allow anyone else to find it. Sometimes they failed and the notes were discovered, but they never included names, to ensure they couldn’t be incriminated. Back then, the messages had been a lifeline for Stessa. Her secret within a secret life.

Stessa had told Lyker of her royal lineage the day she learned she would have to leave home to claim the Ludist throne. She was nine, and the thought of leaving her family had sent a flow of hot tears down her cheeks, tears that refused to stop, even when she’d sat in her seat at school. Her neighboring classmate was Lyker.

When she loosened her plaits after school that day, a sliver of paper fell loose.