Nine

Moon

“ S ky is gone. He was freed from your control, and along with it, your power,” my mother says, as Odas puts her back on her feet. He refuses to let Grams down, though. This fact pisses her right off. I swear I hear her mumble something about damn Cyclops.

Cato looks ready to set the Queen on fire. I can feel Kili’s wild energy behind me. He wants to start stabbing. The guards are still kneeling, heads bowed to the king. Crow’s keeping his eye on his brothers. Warrior and Tristan are still standing beside Fen, and I’m grateful to them for offering him their support.

Arlo and Lust are on either side of Sweet Girl. Silas is stone still in his larger snake form, staring the Queen down. Steve entered after the rest of us, but Daire still hasn’t caught up.

Clutching the arms of the throne like a lifeline, Norma’s eyes take on a wild quality as the extent of her demise breaks through her psychosis.

“She has less support than I thought she did,” Fen says, sighing heavily. “She has always been one step ahead, a mastermind of the evil she wrought on the kingdom. This version of her appears broken,” he murmurs distractedly.

“Steve says she’s got a backup plan,” I say, not caring if the Queen can hear me. Fen shakes his head.

“Look at her.” Fen gestures to the Queen. For the first time since I entered this room, I see past the visage of beauty. Golden. The clothing that marks her as royalty, the hair that cascades down her back…maybe she is beautiful. That beauty is so tarnished by evil deeds and manipulations that she has chosen over the good of her claimed kingdom and her own flesh and blood. “If she had a plan, she would have acted on it by now. You killed the Necromancer, broke the hold on whatever power she was manipulating, and the King is free…” Fen turns to me, and I jump off Sweet Girl’s back, making my way over to him.

“What do you want to do?” I ask my mate, as my mother and the King join us. Norma sits back on her throne, looking slightly…defeated. “This was wildly anticlimactic…are we sure she’s not plotting something?”

“I don’t think she is.” Steve walks over, a look of awe in his eyes. “I thought, after all this time, she’d have something planned. The goblins are gone, I sent them away. Without the promise of payment, they didn’t care. The Necromancer…the King. But there’s nothing.”

“You spent a lot of time under her control, being abused and mistreated. It makes sense that you believed she was undefeatable.” When we entered there were three guards closer to her than the others… They're still bowing to the king.

“What do we do with her?” I ask, nibbling my lip.

“I’ll send word to my father…” Arlo says, stepping up beside me. “She has no army…there won’t be a fight.” He presses a kiss to my cheek and then steps out the door.

“I’ll go to Evie. We don’t need the Elves,” Crow says, glancing at Kili. “Stay with Warrior,” he tells his older brother, who nods.

Daire flashes into the room then as well, and looks around, clearly ready for a fight. Then he just…frowns.

“What did I miss?” he asks, and I chuckle.

“Nothing…Nothing went the way we expected. She’s just sitting there.” I gesture to Norma, who looks like she’s disassociating. She’s staring at a wall, unmoving. “What now?” I ask my mother. She’s holding the King's hand, and they’re standing close together. Like they can’t stand being separated. I can’t blame them for that.

“I will reclaim my throne, marry the woman who was always meant to be Queen, and you will be crowned Princess,” the King says before looking at Fen. “She’s your mother. As my daughter’s mate, I will allow you to decide her fate.” I don’t have time to process the princess comment right now.

I take Fen’s hand and turn to him. “You don’t have to decide right now. We can have her locked in a cell. Guarded. Steve will know which guards are loyal to the King. You can think about it,” I offer. “It’ll give you time to talk to her too if you want?” I ask.

“I know why she did what she did, I don’t need to hear her explain it.” Fen shakes his head. “She didn’t care about speaking to me before, why should I care now?” He looks over at his mother and sighs. “Send her to your grandmother’s coven. The witch she stole Sky from can decide. It’s the least they all deserve.”

“I’ll take her to them,” Steve offers, but my mother shakes her head.

“No. I want you here, we need to talk. My mother can take her, along with six loyal guards.”

“I’ll go as well,” Lust offers. I’m about to protest, but he smiles. “I’ll hurry back to you.”

“Fine. I guess.” I pout, but I do feel better about Grams not being alone with people I don’t know, and the ex-queen.

“Norma. Time to go. Do you have anything to say to your son?” my mother asks, but Norma just blinks at her.

“All for nothing…” she murmurs, and I roll my eyes.

“You might want to muzzle her,” I tell Grams as Odas sets her on the ground, and shifts back into his smaller form. Grams chuckles but shrugs.

“I don’t mind if she speaks, but I might bring one along just in case.” Grams winking at me makes me laugh. “You behave,” Grams says to me, patting my cheek. “I’m happy to see you reunited, my lovely. I’ll return shortly. No weddings without me,” she tells my mother. “Nice to finally meet you, Lark and Steve…” Grams narrows her eyes at him, and Steve blushes.

“It wasn’t what you–”

“I’m aware,” Grams says, lifting her brow. “I knew you when you were just a boy. I’m just sad you got yourself wedged in the middle of all the bad, that's all.” Grams pats his head, and I think he might start crying.

“Be safe, Mother,” Shine says to her, and I can’t shake the feeling that all of this is just so bizarre.