Page 103 of Mortal Queens

It was my father who forced his hand away. “You have to let her go,” he said. Cal desperately reached for her again, but the crowd pulled her away. Eliza was caught between looking at the fae and looking back at my brothers. Little Malcom called her name.

My hand lowered from the watch.

As Eliza came through the sea of people, Cal’s focus turned to me. Whether he was mouthing the word, or it got lost in the hum of voices, I couldn’t guess. But I could make out what his lips were saying as they spoke of what dwelled in his eyes.

Help.

My brothers were destined to lose every woman in their life—first Mother, then me, then Eliza. And in the fae realm, Eliza had no one to protect her.

With a tight heart, I mouthed back. Okay.

Eliza climbed the dais next to me. Her eyes were panicked and her hands fumbled with her dress. The silver fae ignored it all.

“Eliza Nadine Nadell. Will you rule over us?”

“Yes.” Her voice was meek, and she cast a look at Cal.

My breathing was strained. We wouldn’t be long in this realm. My chances for escape were dwindling.

As the fae placed a crown on Eliza’s head, her hand moved slightly to brush against mine. I squeezed it.

If I left, Eliza would surely die. It seemed the fae held one last trick. I had no choice but to stay with her.

Eliza and I stood side by side in the presence of the fae as the realm clapped for us, our chins held high—the two fated Mortal Queens. She had no idea what awaited us. I did. Fear was not a good look on a queen, and neither was rage. Right now, both consumed me.

The silver fae smiled as if she knew what she’d just done to me. “Are you ready?” she asked Eliza.

Eliza looked to me. I strengthened my grip on her hand. “We will go to your home to get your things.”

“Your home,” she corrected in a small voice. “My things are there.”

That was one small solace. I’d see my brothers once more. Already they were peeling through the crowd with Father behind them, sprinting back to our home.

The fae nodded and turned to the governor’s house.

Eliza pulled me back.

“I know it’s an honor,” she whispered. I could hardly hear her over the blast of the mortals behind us, still waving their ribbons and consoling daughters who weren’t chosen. Eliza gave them a longing look. “But I don’t want to go. I want to stay with Cal and Malcom.”

I closed my eyes. “I know. I do too.”

My fingers went to my watch again. Could she escape with me? Gaia’s watch worked for both of us, so maybe mine could work for two as well. We could freeze time and both run.

But my mind recalled what Odette told me of the eight dark months without their queens, how the fae prowled the realm to find us. We couldn’t both hope to escape their clutches, and Cal and Malcom wouldn’t be spared from their wrath if they harbored lost queens. We could run, but we could never hope to escape them now.

Truthfully, my plan may never have worked, even when I planned to escape alone.

“We will find a way back to them,” I promised her.

Her lips tightened. “Gaia didn’t return.” Her tone was too sharp to be anything other than accusing.

The ambassadors had realized their queens didn’t follow, and they sent a low sound of displeasure that wrapped around us. Eliza trembled.

“We will return,” I said with force. I touched her arm. “But now Cal and Malcom are waiting.”

She appeared to be collapsing under the weight of the crown, and her breathing came in short gulps until her face was white and her body unstable. She couldn’t fall apart on me now. She needed to be strong.

I half dragged her after me. The fae waited until we’d passed to walk behind us through the familiar, dusty streets of the center island. The merriment sounded behind us to cover the silence as Eliza shed a lone tear.