Queen of Midnight

Chapter Eighteen.

It didn't take me as long to recover as it did from the cliff incident. I knew it had something to do with the Moon Goddess bringing me back, but I didn't want to think about it too deeply. All I cared about was that I was nearly as good as new a couple of days later, despite the fact I was missing a few toes and my finger. I had a large burn scar running the length of my right thigh to my foot, and a scar across my face that almost matched Terk's, but apart from that, there wasn't much different with me. James was true to his word; he didn't let me out of his sight until I was feeling well enough to leave the bedroom. He was very caring, very attentive, and very snippy to everyone that wasn't me. I had to apologize for him a few too many times.

"So, what do we do now?" I asked as we walked beside each other out in the castle's garden. It was the first lot of fresh air I'd gotten since we arrived, and it was nice to be able to wander without having a purpose, or to be running from something.

"I've been thinking about it," James admitted, biting his lip as he held my arm in his. "Anthony will be angry. No doubt we should expect another attack soon. And, if he's smart enough to leave that gemstone behind, we need to figure out how you're going to defend yourself. Because I can guarantee that when he comes, he won't be coming alone."

"I don't want to think about how useless my magic is," I muttered, glaring down at my deformed hands that were clenched into tight fists. "We should think about preparing our people. Do we have enough who are willing to fight? And can we even expect that of them? Many are likely to die."

"I think your magic is more important at the moment, my dear. If we can get it responding to you how it should, you may be able to keep all our people safe and stop Anthony's attack."

"That's a lot of responsibility," I whispered, twiddling my fingers together nervously. He squeezed my arm tightly as we rounded to the front of the castle.

"You have no need to be afraid," he said gently as he led me back inside. "You are so strong. And you can only do what you can do. Our people know that. But... our odds are a lot better if we can help you with your powers. We can only try, right?"

I nodded hesitantly, looking around as I realized we were walking down a strange hallway I had never been down before.

"What do you suggest we do?" I asked. "I lost the necklace. I have no idea where to start. Whenever I try make something happen without it, I fail."

"I think I have someone who might be able to give you some inspiration," he murmured, dropping another kiss in my hair. "Please forgive me for not bringing you here sooner, but... not a lot of people know she is here. We have been trying to keep her safe from Anthony."

My eyes widened as I realized who he was talking about, and I turned to face the door we had suddenly stopped in front of. Without saying anything else, James tapped his fist lightly on the door and waited. The handle turned carefully, and the door was pulled open slightly before us. The man on the other side widened the opening when he saw who it was, and ushered us in quietly. We stepped inside, mindful of being quiet, and I took the time to observe the room.

It was huge, with a beautifully painted ceiling and exquisite decorations and furnishings. Many vases of fresh flowers littered the tops of the tables, spreading a nice pleasant scent through the room. A large bed sat in the center, pushed up against the back wall, and two attendants were meandering around it with plates, towels and other bits and pieces. A woman was lying amongst the sheets; I couldn't see her very clearly, but I knew who she was without having to; the glint of her blonde hair spread out on her pillow matched that of her son's.

We walked forward, James holding onto my hand, and approached the side of the bed. The woman was watching us with a strange look on her face. No, she wasn't. She was watching me.

"Mother," James said quietly as we came to a stop beside her, "this is Rhea Riverwood. She is my mate."

Her eyes glistened with emotion I couldn't name, and I could feel myself getting emotional. Out of pure instinct, I let go of James' hand and dropped to my knees beside the bed. I reached both of my hands out, and hers copied my movements. Our hands joined together and I felt my heart rate quicken as a single tear dripped down my cheek.

"I have waited so long to finally meet you," she whispered to me, her voice gentle and just as angelic as the Moon Goddess. "I knew you would come."

"You did?"

"I knew your parents," she told me. My eyes widened in surprise, and I leaned forward, listening intently. "When you were a babe. I knew it then, that you were to be fated to my son. He had a pull to you, so strong it was all we could do to separate you."

I shot a quick look at James, who looked just as shocked as me.

"Were you there?" I whispered. "When they died?"

"No, dear," she murmured. "I never got to say my goodbyes. I am so, so sorry."

Her hands pulled away from mine, and I looked down, my breath hitching in my throat as I felt something between my palms. I hesitated, glancing up at her. She nodded at me, a faint smile spreading across her pale lips. I opened my hands, and gasped. It was the gemstone.

"How did you-?"

"It is not important how. He will be coming back for you, and you need to be prepared."

"I don't know if I can," I whispered, staring down at the gemstone with dread filling my bones. "Everyone is relying on me..."

"Let me tell you something," she said, shuffling her body in the bed slightly with a small grimace at the pain it brought her. "They are always going to rely on you. Because you are their leader. You are the rightful ruler of our people. You are of the Midnight pack, which means we are of the Midnight pack. And you are not just our Queen; you are our alpha. You cannot have doubt as an Alpha, my dear. You need to think about your people. And you need to have faith in yourself, because if you don't, how can you expect them to?"

I looked up at her, feeling the dread slowly fade away as I took in her words. I hadn't thought about it much before, but she was right; the throne belonged to me, not James. Anthony's fight wasn't with James, it was with me. Which meant I needed to protect my people from him, and assure them they were safe under my care.

"You need to get moving," she said suddenly, and I flinched, waking from my own thoughts at her words. I straightened up quickly, grabbing James' hand as I did. "He is coming. You have time, but not a lot."

I swallowed nervously, but dropped my head to the woman in the bed before me with a newfound sense of purpose and pride.

"Thank you," I said, taking a deep breath. "Thank you so much. I will not disappoint."

"I know," was all she said, and with that, we left the room.