The True Queen- Book Two

Chapter Seventy-Five: Illyana

I wake with a start, my body jumping. Slowly, I sit up. My eyes are heavy and it takes a few moments before my vision clears. There is a moan beside me. Fallon sits up slowly and we stare at each other for a few moments. Then, we move and embrace tightly. I'm not sure how long we sit embraced. I close my eyes and just savour the moment. Holding her, knowing that she is here, and safe brings me comfort. The two of us learning all of this together is a relief. I couldn't imagine going through all of this on my own. She takes a deep breath and then moves away from me. Her eyes turn to the book lying on the floor, open. The pages are blank again. She lets out a long sigh and turns back to me.

"What now?" she asks.

"I don't know," I gulp. What does one do with the knowledge that they are the daughter of not only a god but the king of them all? Fallon gulps and picks the book up. She tucks it in her jacket pocket with a shaking hand. My stomach twists and lurches and I let out a low groan. Closing my eyes, I lean back on the ground and focus on my breathing.

"We learned a lot," Fallon says.

"Understatement of the century," I say with a humourless chuckle. Images from the visions flash in my mind and I shudder. Fallon moves next to me.

I guess it makes a lot of sense though," she says. "I mean, are gifts are more powerful than they should be. If we are god born then that would explain why."

I hum in agreement. We go quiet again, both of us trying to process everything.

"The gods were meant to be gone," I whisper.

"Well, a lot of our history has been wrong, so why should our knowledge of the gods be any different?" she asks.

"I suppose you're right," I say, biting at my lips. "But what does this all mean?" I ask.

"No fucking idea," Fallon replies.

"We also didn't find out what happened with Rayana," I say, my voice wobbling a little.

"I'm sure we will when the time is right," Fallon says then smiles softly. "Who knows how long she stayed in the Time realm, living a happy and carefree life away from all of this bullshit."

That also brings a smile to my face. It falls as I remember a lot of other visions. "I am going to be haunted by this for years," I say. She nods her head.

"Father," she whispers, her voice breaking. I nod my head. Fallon squares her shoulders and looks directly into my eyes. "Don't let it cloud your judgement though," she warns. "When you get back into the castle, you're most likely going to have to kill him. He is grandfather's now. You can't feel remorse for him in those moments. Not if you want to win this."

"I know," I whisper. My chest clenches and a lump forms in my throat. I shake my head, wanting to get those thoughts out of my mind. I'll think about it closer to the time. "What about the god shit?" I ask. Fallon lets out a long sigh.

"To be honest, I can't be fucked to deal with that shit at the moment," she says, "we have plenty of time to explore the rest of the book once you've got the throne but we have a huge battle ahead of us. Worrying about gods and all that bullshit isn't going to help us."

"Okay," I reply. "So keep it between us until this is over?" I ask.

"Absolutely. Even after this is over, only we should know. Well, and Cordelia and Shaelyn too."

"What about Kai?" I ask.

"Well, I suppose. Especially as you share a mating bond. He isn't going to tell anyone if you ask him not to."