The Queen's Conquer

Chapter 42 : Divided

Acronychal • [uh-krawn-ni-kull]
Occurring at nightfall.

🖤

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I'm practically tripping over myself as Max helps me back to my room, hauling my body into the bathroom where I can release the rest of my dinner into an actual toilet.

"Fuck," he mutters, helping me keep my hair back. "God, what the hell was that?"

"That," I gasp once I finally finish, wiping my mouth and pulling myself together as I stand back up, "was my sister."

"Your sister?"

I wash out the taste of puke under the sink's faucet before I turn and stare him in the eyes. "Yes," I admit, not caring to hide my exhaustion. I walk out of the bathroom before I begin searching through my belongings that I'd left on my bed, still in their chaotic arrangement.

"Your sister?!" he repeats, trailing after me, unable to comprehend the idea, either.

"Yes, Max!" I explode as I twist to face him again and flail my arms out, like making a cry to the heavens that these fucking circumstances are beyond something I can handle; beyond my boundaries of control.

I release a heavy sigh, raking my fingers through my long hair as I stare at my pile of things once more.

"I thought you said she was with Maddox," he goes on.

"That's what I thought, too," I grumble, resuming my scavenger hunt through my items.

"Then why is she here?"

"To taunt me? To fucking parade around Mylithia like she owns the place?! I don't know!" I yell, my volume unintentionally rising.

"I didn't sign up for being fresh meat to Jace and Bianca's petty dogs," he argues.

That name burns a hole through my chest. "You think I planned this?!" I retort, throwing whatever's in my grasp back onto the bed so I can glare at him.

"I think your people didn't do a good enough job investigating this kingdom's parameters before sending us to fetch them some stupid books!"

I jab my finger into his chest, the force strong enough to shift him back a step. "You," I say, "are way out of fucking line right now."

"Really?" he challenges, our breaths practically whispering and dancing with one another. "I am just trying not to get the two of us slaughtered."

"Max," I warn.

"Markus was this close away from doing permanent damage to your arm, Ana," he says, showing me the small space between his forefinger and thumb—displaying the risk I was taking by provoking him only minutes ago.

"I didn't ask for him to chase after me and pin me against a fucking wall so he could interrogate me!" I bark.

And then the tears spill out. They cascade and drown out whatever clear thoughts I had left. I haven't experienced such forceful things since...since forever. And I fully believed I was done with Markus. I thought and hoped and prayed that he'd never survived that night out in the Ancient Woods.

Max looks with genuine worry at me, his face softening. "Ana..."

"A-and my sister," I cut him off, my voice breaking with every syllable that falls from my lips. My hand shakily hovers above my throat—where I can feel the bruises forming. "She just..." I bite on my lips together, afraid to speak my truth. "She mocked me. She threatened me. And then she choked me like I was her enemy. Like I've always been her enemy." I tremble the more I think about it. "I just met her today."