Page 66 of The Lost Fae

The second cage lowers and Lincoln's fingers fumble with the keys as he hurries fast on this one. My gut clenches tightly as Violet's cry resounds in every corner of the high-pitched ceiling.

"Rowan!" She gasps, letting go of the handle she'd used to lower him down.

Rowan smirks, in the way that only he can in situations like this, and he reaches for her hand as she meets the metal bars. Relief washes through me. Lincoln's not far behind Violet, opening the cage doors to release him. Jase tumbles forward, shaking as he steps outside the iron bars and runs to me. I open my arms and our chests collide.

"Thank God that you're okay. Thank God! I've been so worried," I say into his neck, unable to loosen my hold on him. The shock of the day has taken away the realness of this moment. With every passing second I'm afraid I'll wake up from this dream. So I squeeze him a little tighter and he holds me firmly back.

"Me?" he chuckles. "I was worried about you! I'm just leverage, you're the one she wanted to kill… but she didn’t, did she…"

He’s all soft whispers and proud smirks.

I don't let him go, but I open my eyes as Rowan steps down from his cage. Zeve lies weak, just as Lylix does. What'd happened to them?

"It's good to see you." Rowan smiles, dipping his head in my direction.

Jase withdrawals his long arms from around my upper half and allows me to step around him. My cheeks start to ache with my wide smile as I throw myself into Rowan’s burly arms. When the time had come, Rowan had been one of the few who tried to defend me. He'd sided with me, even when his own brother had chosen otherwise.

Rowan stiffens in surprise. His arms loosely wrap around me in a returned hug. "Don't be getting too excited, love, we can't start making out in front of all these people."

I slap his chest as I push away. Lincoln leans against the cage, watching us with his brows raised. He doesn't say a word but looks from me to the waiting crowd.

I rotate on the messy tile floor, giving their blood splattered faces my full attention. It takes effort to avoid looking at all the slumped bodies, Cordelia's included. Because in the twisted shock of her features I can see the ghost of my father and the resemblance that they share. My own flesh and blood. I'd wanted a family, true family, for longer than I'd ever thought possible and as it turns out my only real family left had wanted me dead. That's the funny thing about it.

Or maybe it's not funny at all.

Knowing this day will forever change me, that these people and their lives were so much bigger and grander than my own, I smile at them. A fist shoots up into the air. "Mortal Queen!" Rowan’s voice cries.

Another fist joins him. "Mortal Queen!"

One by one arms rise up into the air, their firsts pounding with the rhythm. "Mortal Queen! Mortal Queen!"

Fiery magic stings at my nose. Though no windows are open in this great hall, a breeze blows from Cordelia to me. I can't see myself, not through my own eyes, but I know in the back of my mind as Lincoln's admiration consumes me, that the shadow of a crown stains the wall behind me.

My crown.

The old queen and her cruelty are dead. A new reign is here. The Mortal Queen’s reign.

The End.