Chapter 7

Aiden

Going was Nicholas's idea, but it had been mine to keep it a secret from Keir—for our safety's sake.

I reminded my twin of that as we walked along the cobblestone to the palace doors. "Last chance to change your mind, brother, because if we do this, Keir cannot find out. He would kill us." I grabbed his arm, halting us at the top of the steps just before the giant black steel doors.

Our childhood home was anything but homey. The castle was ancient and cold. A steel gate surrounded the stone structure. The windows had bars over them, keeping everyone out—or in. There was nothing inviting about the place.

"I know, but we have to do this. For Lillian. We owe it to her to explore every option and give her every chance to succeed at those trials. She deserves our best." Nicholas looked down to the ground, his shoulders slumped. "I can't lose he—"

"We won't. Don't go there. We have to stay positive for her too. Who knows what horrible thoughts already weigh her down. We can't add to that." I refused to let the horrific thoughts of something happening to our girl cloud my head.

Nicholas nodded. "You're right."

"I usually am," I joked, shouldering him and knocking him off balance.

He rolled his eyes before saying, "It's all so crazy. I never expected to find someone… someone so…"

"Dude, spit it out," I laughed, though I already had a good idea of where he was going.

"Shut up," he said as he shoved me back. "I didn't think I could fall so hard for someone."

I nodded, knowing we were on the same page.

"She's amazing," he continued. "Everything I didn't know I needed, and she loves us both . Who knew?" He shook his head in disbelief.

"Who knew it would be a human girl to tie us down? Together?" I teased.

"She's something else." He looked like a lovesick puppy, but I couldn't blame him.

"That's for sure." I stood before the palace doors next to my brother, wondering what the future looked like for us. We'd each given Lilly our essence a couple of days ago and were still getting used to the intense feelings that flowed between us and our human offering.

"So we are really doing this?" I asked him, giving him—well, both of us, really, one last chance to change our minds and return home.

My twin let out the deepest breath I'd ever heard before saying, "We are."

We shoved the front doors, opening them with a loud creak. The bells sounded, notifying anyone inside that the doors had been opened. Six guards lined each side, each one giving us, their twin princes, a head nod as we walked past.

I studied the red and black swirled rug that lined the hall, mentally preparing myself for what we were about to attempt. I'd avoided this place like the plague since the day we'd left to live with Keir, only returning a handful of times to see our mother, but even that hadn't occurred in decades.

The closer we got to the end of the hall, the louder my heart pounded against my ribs. I shouldn't have felt so antsy. I was of royal blood, here to get answers for our girl and the predicament she'd found herself in. Simple as that.

"Boys," a familiar, high-pitched voice greeted us. Our mother stood at the end of the hall, clearly surprised to see us. She was dressed to the nines, looking beautiful in a dress in different shades of blue, jewels cascading down the fabric to pool at the hem. Her hair was down. I couldn't help but notice that she did look different. Smaller, perhaps? Paler? "To what do I owe the pleasure of my sweet boys surprising me with a visit?"

"We have some questions for you," Nicholas answered before I could, not bothering to greet her.

I guess we were cutting straight to the chase. Good.

"Oh." She sounded a little caught off guard by his shortness with her. "Uh, sure." She blinked and smiled, her queen mask sliding back into place. "Shall we go to the common room to speak?"

"No," we answered in unison.

I sealed my lips, content to let my twin speak for us. Lilly coming into our lives had been good for him. He'd been taking more initiative and was speaking up, especially when it came to our girl.

"We'd prefer somewhere more… private," Nicholas said more quietly than before. "It's a bit personal for others' ears."

She nodded, looking at him curiously, then beckoned us to follow her, leading us to one of the palace's offices down the hall.

There was a desk to one side of the room and four cushioned chairs facing one another on the other. The fireplace on the back wall was cold and cleaned out, and the books lining the walls were dusty. It appeared no one had used this space in quite some time.

Our mother closed the door behind us and sat in one of the chairs. Nicholas and I sat in the two across from her. She smoothed out her dress, placed her hands in her lap, and flashed us her huge, royal smile.

Our father's perfect queen.

"Ask away," she said as she gestured openly with her hands.

"I'm assuming you heard about Lilly's encounter with Father?" I began.

Her lips thinned, and her eyes softened with a cloyingly sympathetic gaze. "I did. How unfortunate things came to th—"

"How unfortunate? That you ratted us out? Or that our girl's life has been threatened?" Nicholas shouted, making our mother jump. "She's completely innocent, and you know it."

"I'd hardly call closing the portal ‘innocent'," she scoffed. "Your father made it very clea—"

"She's a human . It's not like she knew." My twin's hands gripped the arms of the chairs so tightly, his knuckles were white.

Our mother remained calm, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, lips pursed as she said, "You're saying you didn't tell her? That she had no knowledge of your father's desire to find an open portal? You didn't persuade her to close the portal for your own reasons? Because if she didn't know… why did she close it? Why didn't you leave it open when you brought her through? Why didn't you tell your father?"

"He would've killed her," I said through clenched teeth.

"How is this any different? She's still going to die." She smoothed out some nonexistent wrinkles on her dress, not bothering to look at us as she doomed our girl to death.

"She's going to succeed," Nicholas said as he stood abruptly from his chair, looming over our mother.

If I had blinked, I would've missed the way she flinched.

"So how is Keir? Have he and Lillian made their way to each other yet?" she asked, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"You know Keir. He won't be pushed," I indulged her, only because we needed her to cooperate. Give and take.

"That's not good, not good at all. Have you spoken with him?" Her forehead was wrinkled.

"Numerous times." Nicholas was still standing over her. "You're trying to distract us. I'm so fucking tired of you being so passive. You know this whole situation is wrong, but you sit on the sideline watching like some path—"

"Nicholas…" I spoke slowly. "Sit down." He shot me a glare. "We haven't even asked what we came for yet," I reminded him.

He looked back at her as he took his seat, daring her to talk more nonsense. Much to her credit, she remained stoic, likely from years of practice dealing with our father.

I cleared my throat, ready to get things back on track so we could get out of here and back home to Lilly. "We want to know how you did it."

Poised, she turned to me. "How I did what?"

I refrained from rolling my eyes. I found it hard to believe she didn't know what we were talking about. We were here to help Lilly, something I thought our mother would be interested in as well, considering how she'd helped us a few days ago when our girl was dying.

"How you succeeded at the trials." Nicholas didn't even attempt to hide his annoyance. "We wanted to know how to prepare Lilly for hers."

"There is no prepare , my dear boys." Her face fell. "I do not wish ill for Lillian, especially given she's my son's destined love and has bonded with my other two sons, but whatever outcome your father wants, he'll get."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, a lump forming in my throat.

She pressed her lips together again and looked to the floor, purposely avoiding our eyes.

"He asked you a question," Nicholas growled angrily. "Answer him!" he shouted, making her jump again.

She twisted her hands in her lap and took a deep breath before looking between us. "Your father wanted me to succeed. Do you honestly think I could have done those things on my own? I am not a naive woman. I know my limits, but no one questioned when he interfered for his gain, and no one will question him now."

"Are you saying Lill—"

"Yes," she interrupted Nicholas. "Her fate is sealed, and no one , not even you three, can save her. She'd be better off taking her own life now to save herself from your father's wrath."

"No," my brother and I said at the same time.

"No," I repeated. "Lilly is strong and stubborn in the best way. We'll train her, and she will succeed. We will make sure of that."

Pity filled our mother's eyes as she stood. "For her sake—all of your sakes—I hope you're right." She cleared her throat. "I think it's best if you two leave now."

I opened my mouth to protest, to say I needed more than she'd given us. Her answers had done nothing but give me more to worry about.

"I agree," Nicholas spoke before I could form words.

I clenched my jaw as our mother bowed her head softly and walked to the door, holding it open for us.

We left without another word, our hearts heavier than when we'd arrived.