His Red Queen

Chapter Nineteen

I clench my fist into a ball so tight it hurts, nails piercing the palm of my  hand. The lightning outside will not stop. It flashes every few seconds out of my control, becoming more dangerous the more afraid and angry I get.

Maven circles around me like a beast, waiting for its prey to give up and accept its inevitable death.

"I can see the family resemblance." Lightning strikes, casting purple across his sharp features. "Such a shame." His curls flop across his brow as he shakes his head.

Now it's my turn to remind him of our deal. Use his defense mechanism against him. "We made a deal, Maven."

"What should I do to a deserter, then?" Maven asks. "It's treason. He's also a terrorist! Whether you like it or not, you're one of us now." I open my mouth to protest but his expression remains hard, daring me to go against him. "He'll kill you, too. You're the queen that they swear against. They're not on your side anymore."

It's like a kick in the teeth. Still, he continues speaking, pushing me farther and farther away with his words. "The Scarlet Guard will kill you the second they get the chance. They'll kill me. I'm not the only one who betrayed them!" His voice reverberates in my brain over and over again.

"I didn't know he'd be here." My voice grows louder with each word, each breath leading up to the same scolding tone Maven just used. "I didn't know he was alive! I though my brother was dead!" I cry.

"It's treason, what he did." Maven's reasoning is meant to hurt but it doesn't. A bitter laugh escapes my lips. He squints, confused. "What?"

"You committed treason, too. To get that crown that sits on your head. A stolen crown." I do not add that mine is stolen, too. Or that Maven played not only me, but the Scarlet Guard, in order to take his crown—and mine.

He does not argue with me. Instead, he coldly says, "I'll give your brother a ten minute head start. After that, my sentinels will be after him."

The door swings open. Shade stands in the doorway, glancing between Maven and me. He wasn't there a minute ago when I opened the door. "That's not gonna be necessary, Your Majesty." He bows mockingly before crossing the room to me. He puts an arm around me.

"What are you doing?" I hiss. "Run."

"I'm kidnapping you," he says. My brother definitely does not have a plan.

"Guards!" Maven yells. Instantly, footsteps pound in the hall. He reaches for me but Shade pulls me back. A flame bursts from Maven's hand. He raises it in the air, swinging it around. The fire grows immensely, warming the air.

Lightning strikes.

Shade jumps back at the sound. "We're going now."

"Mare, come here." Maven puts the fire out and steps to us. My fingertips barley graze his when the world goes black; the last thing I see, Maven's face, equal parts shock and horror written across it.

My stomach lurches as it feels like my body is pulled into a thin line. Like every fiber of my being is being pulled apart and pushed off a cliff at once.

Am I dying?

This lasts so long that bile rises in my throat. Everything becomes thin—pulled so far apart that I feel like a fraying wire.

I do not see Shade. I do not see anything. I try to scream but no sound is produced.

By the time I accept my death, I meet the earth again. I am too busy vomiting to instantly notice that I'm in the mud. Next to me, Shade is upright, seemingly unfazed by what just happened. He rushes to me and holds my dark hair back until I'm done retching.