His Red Queen

Chapter Twelve

Cal's cell is heavily guarded by two Arvens. They tower over me as I pass by, their eyes burning into my skin. I haven't gone in yet; Maven won't let me. It's been two weeks and there hasn't been so much as a word from him.

Maven decided not to lock his brother up in a cell underground. Small mercies, he tells me. Though, I have no idea who his so-called mercies are for or what they are.

Most days are the same. Maven and I wake up, have breakfast, don't see each other until dinner, then go to bed. We haven't had a nice moment since the attack on Whitefire. He keeps to his side of the bed and I, on mine. Every night my dreams are haunted with different renderings of how that attack could have gone.

For the most part, Maven has been attending to business with the Lakelands and I have been training by myself. It's one of the few things Maven allows me to do without breathing down my neck. Other than that, my activities include walking the halls aimlessly.

And I always wind up outside Cal's door.

Today, when I stop by, slowing my pace so that I can get a look at the guards, Maven is standing in front of the door instead. His arms are crossed and his posture is terrible. Not fit for the king he acts like he is.

"Where's the guards?" I tuck my hands into the pockets of my training suit.

Maven cocks his head to the side and looks at me for a long while. "They told me you keep walking by."

"Small palace."

"No it's not."

I grit my teeth. "What do you want?"

"Is that any way to talk to me?" He puts a hand out, beckoning me towards him. As I slide my arm through his, he eyes me precariously. He chuckles at my lack of response. "Thought so."

"It's been two weeks, Maven." My gaze drifts over my shoulder as we get farther away from the prisoner. The Arvens are back. A hulking bald man and a smaller woman with puffy white hair. Though she's small, she could easily kill me if she really wanted to.

"Two weeks since what?"

"Since you captured him!" I cry. "What are you doing? He's just rotting away in that room." Tears threaten to betray my well-practiced composure.

Maven laughs darkly. "That's kind of the point."

No it's not. There's got to be something he's not telling me. "You've been seeing him." The realization comes to me rapidly.

"And you haven't." Maven shrugs and leans down so our noses are nearly touching. His eyes are piercing, sharper than a knife. They cut into me, tearing into my very soul.

"What are you doing to him?" My breath hitches in my throat, forming a lump.

"Reminding him of what he's lost." He stops in his tracks. "Perhaps you should come with me sometime."

Whether this is a trick or not, I accept his invitation. "Okay."

"Where are you off to now?" The sudden change of topic startles me.

"To go train." My training over the past week has helped significantly. I can control my lighting better and run faster. Having my strength built up again reminds me what it feels like to be alive.

The way my heart pounds as I run. Clearing my head as I let out surges of electricity at targets. It's intoxicating.

I'm starting to feel like myself again.

And so much unlike myself.

"I suppose I shall come with you today." Maven heads down the stairs, leaving me with no choice but to follow.

I start my training with stretches and then laps around the room. Maven mostly watches which equally annoys me and make me try harder, wanting the impress him.

He falls into step next to me on my third lap. I hate the way it reminds me of when we first started training together, back at Whitefire, when I was pretending to be Mareena Titanos.

Hurdles pop out from ten ground and the wall. Maven burns down down and runs through the still-crackling fire. I jump over most of them and aim my lightning at the targets, higher up in the air. Hitting each one sends chills down my spine.

I love it.

Maven becomes bothered at my faster running. This isn't a race but we are both competitive and he does not like losing.

He tries to pass me but I am faster and far more nimble. In seconds, I am yards away from him and can no longer hear his ragged panting as he stops to catch his breath.

Sending a gigantic bolt of lighting in the air, I watch as he stumbles in shock. Adrenaline pumps in my veins and my heart hammers against my rib cage.

Maven stares at me, shock taking over his features.

He should have seen this coming.

I dart out of the room, Maven behind me. This is what I've been training for.

My legs carry me up the stairs and towards where Cal is. I block out everything but the hum of electricity.

The lights blink so quickly that one of the Arven guards in front of Cal's room covers his eyes.

My lighting reaches out to the guards like an extended hand with all the welcoming kindness of a rabid beast.

"Let me see the prisoner." My voice is rough, strained from the energy it takes to sustain the lighting against their silence.

"Absolutely not." In an instant, my lightning is sniffed out. The Arvens laugh coldly.

My bones ache and I fall to my knees only to see Maven walking towards me slowly. I try to say something but no words leave my mouth as the weight of silence makes my head hurt so bad I almost vomit.

The world around me spins as it becomes spotty and dark. It blurs in and out of focus. The pounding in my head seems unending and the air is knocked from my lungs.

My cheek hits the cold marble ground and my body goes limp from the widespread pain.

Author's Note:

Hey everyone! This story is far from done but I am thinking about what other content I should share with you guys.

Would any of you ever like fan fictions from another series?
I was thinking about doing a Cruel Prince or Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus one.

Let me know what you think and feel free to share any ideas!