His Red Queen

Chapter Thirty-one - Evangeline

A knock on my door startles me awake. Beside me, Elane stirs in her sleep but does not wake up. I set her head down on the pillow, off the crook of my neck, and slowly crawl out of bed so as to not wake her.

Another knock. I swear, if they wake Elane—

I open the door a crack to see Mother waiting. I step out into the hall and close the door quickly so she does not see Elane. Or hear her snoring.

"What?" I snap.

She purses her lips. "You need to see this." She doesn't deign to tell me what's going on. Instead she begins walking down the hallway, quiet and swift as an asp, and I follow her. I wrap my dressing gown tighter around myself at the sight of the guards and Tolly and Father standing in the foyer.

Tolly's wide eyes snap to me. "Look."

In the middle of the floor, Samson Merandus is passed out, a note pinned to his wrinkled shirt. With shaking hands, Tolly rips the note off.

Father snatches it from his hand, a wicked grin spread across his face. "Well, well, well," he muses. "Let's see what the boy king has to say." He reads the letter out loud: "'Ptolemus, you wanted an alliance. Consider this an olive branch. A gift, and an acceptance of your offer. Instead of waiting for you to kidnap my wife again, I have decided to give you this traitor.'" Father pauses, looking like he wants to strangle Ptolemus. I guess the old man cannot handle his heir being more proactive than himself.

"Keep going," Ptolemus urges him.

"Watch yourself, boy." Father steps away from him. "'...I have decided to give you this traitor, a gift to another group of traitors. If you wish to ally with me, so be it. Do what you like with Samson. King Maven.'"

"That's it?" I breathe.

Father flips the paper over, looking for more information, but there is none. "That's it."

"So, what are we going to do?" I crouch down next to Ptolemus who is checking Samson's pulse. He's alive but drugged into unconsciousness. I wonder how he got himself into this situation.

Father scoffs. "We take no prisoners in The Rift."

"What about Mare?" Mother purs.

I snort. "Hardly a prisoner."

"I'd watch your tone, if I were you," Mother warns. I now notice that one of her wolves has found us, even at this disgustingly early hour of the morning. It snarls at me. "She served her purpose, apparently. Now Maven wants an alliance." She nudges Samson's side with the tip of her slipper. The wolf sniffs the man and licks his chops, exposing sharp teeth, the canines coated in silver. One bite from that wolf could leave someone as good as dead. I take a step back.

"You've been awfully quiet, Ptolemus," Father says. "What's the matter?"

Ptolemus pales. "You're not going to accept his offer, are you?"

"Of course not." Father begins walking away. Over his shoulder, he adds, "Next time you pretend to be King, remember that he is not the only one you can go to war with."

A muscle in Tolly's jaw feathers but he keeps his head high until our father is gone, taking all the guards with him.

"So, what are we going to do about him, then?" He asks.

Mother shrugs and pets the wolf's gray fur. "Damien, here, is hungry." The wolf growls in response.

"I guess he is."

I don't look away as the wolf pounces. Samson barely wakes up in time to scream once before the wolf ends him. Silver blood covers the floor, slick and metallic.