58. Avery

Chapter fifty-eight

Avery

My eyes fluttered open, my body aching as I lay on the cold, dirt-covered ground. My vision was hazy, but I sat up as it cleared and noticed I was being held within the castle’s dungeons like some kind of criminal.

What the hell happened? I remembered running for the portal and Veli’s hand grabbing my own, and then everything went dark. Had they captured Lia and Veli, too? Would they even still be alive if they had? I was going to be sick.

A figure appeared before the cell door, and as I blinked, I realized it was Kellan. He stood there, unspeaking, watching me through the bars as if I were a caged animal.

“What do you want?” I managed to choke out as I stood from the floor.

The captain whistled at me, as if I were a whore in one of those brothels he loved so much. “The pretty little princess is out of her gowns and in fighting leathers now? Your mother will be most displeased.”

I stormed up to the bars. “And where is my dearest mother? She had me locked up in her dungeons as if I was a criminal? ”

“Avery, that is exactly what you are to the crown. A treasonous criminal who vowed herself to the queen’s sworn enemy. Honestly, tsk tsk, little princess. Do you have anything to say for yourself?” he taunted.

My eyes bore into his. “Only that I would do it again.”

He let out a laugh. “I can’t wait to hear you say that to her,” he admitted as he unlocked the cell door and swung it open.

My body instinctively shifted into a fighting position.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news there, little love, but you are not your sister. Don’t put up a fight. You will only embarrass yourself.”

He stepped up to me, his arm extending to grab my own, when my opposite fist swung out and punched him straight in the side of his face. It caught him off guard, making him stumble back.

My fist was on fire from the impact, causing me to hiss. Despite the pain, a smirk slowly formed on my face, knowing I had landed at least one solid hit.

Kellan whipped toward me, the side of his face swollen and red. “You will regret that.”

He stormed up to me, clasped my arms behind my back faster than I could react, and clicked the heavy metal cuffs around my wrists.

“We’re so eager to learn what you know, Princess Avery. Let’s not keep your mother waiting any longer.”

Kellan dragged me into the throne room, where my mother sat upon my father’s old throne. The evil witch that had taken the forbidden book from me stood at her side on the dais. The sight of it was nauseating—how had everything come to this?

Once I was at the room’s center, my mother stood as her eyes drifted to Kellan. “Why is my daughter in cuffs, Adler?” she demanded.

“It was a bit difficult to get her here. It seems she has had some…training since you’ve last seen her, Your Grace.”

My stare wandered up to his cheek, that still had a pink tinge to it, and I grinned.

“Take the cuffs off of her. Now.” My mother’s voice echoed through the room.

Without a second of hesitance, Kellan took a step behind me and unlocked the metal bindings. I pulled my arms to my front and rubbed the bruising, aching skin of my wrists.

“My darling daughter, I am so glad to have you back home where you belong.” She was staring down at me, wearing an obviously forced smile on her face.

“This is not my home. It hasn’t been in a long time,” I said, and her fake smile dropped.

I knew I should keep this next part to myself, but seeing her in person again made every bit of anger I felt toward my own flesh and blood rise to the very surface. “Not since you murdered our father.”

The queen’s lips parted, and she sucked in a breath. “I don’t know what it is that you think you know, Avery, but—”

“But nothing, Mother. Finnian and I heard you that day in your chambers speaking with Kai and Callius. You killed the king. You killed the father of two of your children. All so you could take the throne for yourself!”

She took a single step down from the dais, fury swirling in her amber eyes. Kellan took a few steps out to the side of me, steering clear of her wrath.

“Do you mean the father of all of my children?” She cocked her head to the side.

“I do not.” I held my ground, even though fear was slipping its way into me beneath her blazing stare.

“And what exactly do you mean by this, my daughter?”

“Kai was not King Jameson’s son, but your personal guard’s. He was not the rightful heir, and Elianna Valderre is. That’s why you hated her all these years. That’s why Father kept her so close. And that is why you killed him.”

“I don’t know why you would ever think that Kai is not the kin of your father, Avery…”

“I have my suspicions.” My lips snarled.

She clasped her arms behind her back as she descended the rest of the dais and made her way toward me.

“Your loyalty remains with the bastard heir, it still seems,” she said. “Yes, you and Elianna share the blood of Jameson, but what of your brother? The one that she murdered! ”

“Kai received the fate he deserved. He was a tyrant, just as you are, who would have doomed the realm.”

She stormed up to me then and smacked me across the face so hard that it sent me stumbling back. I lifted my stare back to her, my cheek feeling as if flames were dancing on it.

“He was your brother!”

“And King Jameson was my father!”

Her jaw locked as she stared at me and took a few steps back.

“Your half-sister is not as bright as she pretends to be. She thought she could waltz in here and steal more of my citizens, turning them into treasonous traitors against their own queen? A pathetic attempt, really. Azenna shielded the city the moment we became allies.”

My eyes drifted over my mother’s shoulder and to the witch that remained standing atop the dais, staring down at us.

“You speak of your citizens as if they are cattle that belong to you,” I stated as my gaze wandered back to the queen.

“They may as well be. They are here to serve those who sit upon the throne.”

“You are a horrible ruler. They will never love you as they had Father.”

She reached out and took my chin between her fingers as she took a step toward me. “It has never been their love or admiration that I desired. While that may gift you loyalty in their hearts, it does not give you their support in war. Do you know what does?” She released my chin and stepped back once more. “ Fear . Fear is the heart of what keeps them loyal to me now. Betray the crown, and your life is forfeit. ”

“I have never been more embarrassed to call you my mother,” I whispered as my heart raced at the words she spoke so freely.

“Embarrassment aside, it’s something you cannot change. I am a part of you, my dear, and you would not be here without me.”

The room went silent for a few moments as the tension escalated.

“Now, where were we before this all took a turn?” my mother asked the room.

“You were to have her tell you all that Elianna has planned, Your Majesty,” Kellan answered from where he now stood at the bottom of the dais.

My teeth clenched as my eyes locked on him.

“Ah, yes, tell us, Avery. What does little Elianna have planned for her extravagant reclaim of her throne?”

“I will never,” I spat. “There is nothing you can ever do or say that will make me betray her. I would sooner die!”

“Enough with the dramatics, Avery.” She rolled her eyes. “Now, I will give you one more chance to speak it freely, and if you do, you will no longer be considered a prisoner of the crown. Make us force it out of you and back to the dungeons you go.”

“What makes you think you could force such things from me?” I took a step toward her, and I was surprised when she matched it by taking one back. I leaned into her. “Are you going to have Callius take a whip to my back like you had with her?” I whispered viciously .

Her lip curled at her lover’s name, and hurt flashed across her eyes. “Well, she made sure to claim her revenge on him, didn’t she?”

I tilted my head to the side in confusion. Lia hadn’t told me that Callius was killed in their attack. Not that I would care, but it was odd it wasn’t mentioned unless he succumbed to Nox’s flames like many others.

Kellan took a few rapid steps forward. “My queen, let’s get the information out of her before she can distract you further. She’s only prolonging giving us the information.”

I glared at him beneath furrowed brows—the sudden change in direction from him made me think he was hiding something.

My mother's eyes roamed over me. “Very well. You wish to do this the hard way, it seems.” She turned and stalked to the throne. “Azenna, do what you must.”

The High Witch’s eyes instantly began to glow their deadly crimson hue. “ Meritsas Lokoi .”

The words she hissed slammed into me, filling my veins with ice, freezing my body where I stood as her eyes bore into me. I sucked in a sharp breath as it felt as if my body was turning into stone. My breathing quickened as fear worked its way through me, but I began struggling as the rapid movements of my chest were even forced to slow.

“Is it ready?” my mother asked her, and she received a subtle nod in response as Azenna locked me beneath her spell.

“My darling daughter, I have been informed that this spell works by forcing the truth out of you. You no longer have the ability to run from me or withhold information regarding my enemies. You will spill their secrets bare before us, and you will not have a choice.”

My panic started to suffocate me.

“Don’t fight it,” my mother pleaded. “I don’t wish to cause harm to my only daughter.”

I tried to roll my eyes, but they remained frozen in place, staring directly at her.

“Now tell me, does Elianna have a plan of attack?”

I remained silent. The ice in my veins somehow grew colder at my lack of response, working its way through me. My body betrayed me and forced a small squeal of pain from my lips.

“I told you not to fight it. It will force its way out of you.”

She was right; the words were at the edge of my tongue, and I bit down on it to keep them in.

“Your daughter is strong-willed,” Azenna spoke from where she remained.

“Then break her spirit,” my mother demanded, and my eyes flared in horror.

Azenna’s eyes glowed even brighter, and my body felt as if it would shatter.

“Yes.” I cursed myself as she forced the word from me.

“Very good, my darling. Now, where does she plan to attack us?” she asked.

My body was thrashing, desperately trying to escape the spell's suffocating hold, but in reality, I remained motionless before them. An ear-shattering, internal scream threatened to deafen me, but the only ears it fell upon were my own, having never left my lips .

“Gates,” I answered, and a single tear slipped from my lower lashes at the betrayal I couldn’t help.

A cackle left my mother, accompanied by a wicked, beaming smile. “Here? The Islan gates? Surely you’re joking.” Then her smile dropped as her eyes darted back and forth. “But you cannot lie. So it must be the truth,” she whispered. “And Elianna thinks she is better than me, bringing a war straight to its citizens.”

The queen turned to Kellan. “I want every fucking soldier here immediately guarding the city. I want ships stationed in the harbor and an army guarding the gates at all times. Am I understood? Call for aid from other cities. Any army that can march here as soon as possible. Send all the falcons we have. Their queen demands this.”

My mother then looked at the witch. “You may release her.”

My body dropped to the floor the moment Azenna’s hold on me lifted, and I broke out into a fury-filled sob.

Kellan approached the queen. “Her plan may change now that we have her.” He motioned toward me while I remained on the marble floor.

My mother contemplated his words before saying, “Do as I commanded, Adler. Her plans won’t change. She will come for my daughter.”

The High Witch aimed for my mother, her movements so smooth she appeared to be floating. “May I suggest a gathering of your citizens?”

“For what?”

“This would be the perfect opportunity for you to turn any of her lingering supporters against her. Show them your daughter has willingly returned to you and that Elianna is the true usurper. She desires to bring the war straight to their city’s gates.” She paused for a moment and took another step toward the queen. “They will not take that lightly. This is their home.”

My eyes flared, and I pushed myself to stand. “I will never turn the citizens against her. There is nothing you can do to me that will make me.”

The High Witch lifted a single brow at me, the corner of her lip tilting up into a challenging smirk. “My dear, little red one. Was my last demonstration of power not enough to convince you? You have no idea what I can make you do.”

I forced myself to swallow as I stood beneath her crimson gaze, a shiver running up my spine.

My mother observed us all as the tension in the throne room escalated. “Adler, be sure she is locked up. I don’t need her wandering off again. We will need her to convince the citizens.”

Kellan approached me then. “Don’t put up a fight. We know how well that went for you the last time.”

And I didn’t. Without another word from my mother, he forcefully clasped my hands behind my back and escorted me back down to the dungeons.