His Red Queen

Chapter Forty-seven - Evangeline

Elara's funeral was a somber occasion, full of weeping high house members who still supported her and her boy-king son's speeches. That is what Elane tells me. She had slipped into the service, invisible, and reported back to me. I did not attend. It was common sense, really: the murderer should probably not be a guest as their victim's funeral.

Mare and I have not talked much since then. Our correspondences had all been curt, swift, and to the point. Elane believes she was traumatized; I honestly do not care too much for the little lightning girl. She should have been thanking me, for all I care.

Elane lays in bed beside me, staring up at the ceiling. Here, in some inn somewhere so far up north that I find my ears popping, my darling shadow is still on edge. I pull her closer to me and she nestles her nose against my neck.

"It was depressing," she breathes.

"I know, my love."

Though she saw me kill the former queen, Elane has not cried or yelled at me about it. We've both avoided discussions about the events that day all those weeks ago in Whitefire's throne room. Despite the funeral being long since passed, Elane was finally able to talk about it today.

"Was Maven angry?" I ask her.

Elane sits up, the old bed creaking at her movement. This place had been a cheap, last resort option where we both have to wear disguises and Elane has to bend the light around us so we are unrecognizable.

She sighs. "He was more sad than anything. These dark circles appeared beneath his eyes." She frowns, chewing on her lip. She pales a bit. "He was thinner, too. Mare was beside him but she did not cry. Neither one of them did. But something about her was different."

Relief? Shock? Or perhaps she is being plagued by similar nightmares as me, where the blonde woman who once feigned kindness and turned out to be a snake, died the death she deserved. The thoughts was through me quickly.

"Did he speak of revenge?" I ask. Did he mention executing me?

Elane nods, tying her silky red hair back from her face. "He's declared war upon the Rift."

"I know," I say. That was kind of the whole point. "But does he want to kill me?"

She reaches over and takes the glass of water off of the sorry excuse for a nightstand. She takes a long sip, then sets it back down silently. "Probably. He didn't say anything official but I'm sure your assassination is in the works." She continues, her words picking up momentum, "I mean, you're a criminal, Eve." Her eyes scan my face quickly. "He'll stop at nothing to have you dead, along with the Rift."

"I never wanted the Rift."

"And I did?" She argues. "All I wanted was to be with you, to be something more than just your little shadow. Do you know how many people call me 'Evangeline's whore'?" She speaks evenly, remaining level-headed even in her anger.

I curl my fist at the name the nobles had given her. Evangeline's whore.

"You're not a whore," I say coldly. "If anything, I am one. A whore to the crown, to power." I sit up now, our faces nearly inches apart. her gaze is intense, a million thoughts swirling in her beautiful mind. When our eyes meet, I do not tear mine away like I have so many times before. My voice takes on a dark edge. "Don't you dare call yourself a whore ever again, Elane."

"I won't," she whispers, shuddering. But there is something mischievous about her face. She pulls my face to hers and kisses me slowly, one hand snaking around my waist. "But we'd better get ready to meet Premier Davidson if we want any support."

She gets up, throwing the blanket at me with a groan. "I'm surprised he even wants to see us." She pulls her nightgown over her head and begins putting on a black dress. She has no use for makeup.

I, on the other hand, look like shit. Ever since I drove that metal through Elara's heart, I have barely slept. And when I do, I see her face in utter shock, then nothing. I see my father dead, his body brutalized. I couldn't even attend his funeral; I had to run the second I had the chance.

Maven had tried to scorch me alive then and there but Elane had gotten me out, turning us both invisible. I barley had time to see Maven close his mother's eyes before the guards came in.

And my father.... As terrible as he is—was—I never got her chance to say goodbye. I'm sure he is watching me from hell, angry at me for throwing everything he wanted away.

While Elane finishes getting dressed, I get in the shower. It's a small, old thing. The bathroom is hardly more than a gentrified broom closet.

"You okay, Eve?" Elane knocks on the door after a few minutes.

I turn the water off and get in my towel. "I'm fine." I dress quickly in silence. And soon we are out the door, hoods over our heads, and appearances altered.

Behind the inn, in a mass of trees, there is a small tarmac where an airjet it waiting for us. The captain stays in the cockpit as we enter. I throw my hood back.

"Right on time," I say.

Elane sits down towards the back. "Let's get going." If I didn't know any better, I'd think she's excited to go meet the Premier. But she is.

"Of course I'm on time," the pilot says. Wait—this isn't our pilot from before.

I storm up to the cockpit to find two figures sitting there. A tall, scarred blonde woman. And the Barrow boy, Shade—I think.

Farley turns around, a wild smirk on her face. Her belly is huge now but she doesn't seem to care. In fact, she looks proud and tougher than before. "Miss me?" She says.

Shade laughs. "This is gonna be one hell of a flight." He revs the engine with a grin. "Everyone, buckle your restraints: we're on our way to gain some rights!"

Hi everyone! I hope you all liked this chapter. Evangeline is probably my favorite character in the series and I love writing from her pov.