Her Reputation (The Empire: Book 1)

by Laura R Cole

CHAPTER 12

  Gavin and Phoenix reached the top of the tower where a large oak door led out onto the battlements. He turned to Phoenix and then looked down at the floor, embarrassed. Phoenix tilted her head at him.

  “What is it?”

  “I was hoping,” he started, pausing to clear his throat, “that I might be able to speak with you privately for a moment,” he said hopefully, glancing towards the door.

  Natalya looked about to protest, but Phoenix cut her off. “There’re guards at the other tower and no one on the battlements. We’ll be fine.” Phoenix ignored the knot that was getting tighter in her stomach; it was probably just butterflies at the thought of being alone with Gavin.

  The woman looked disgruntled, but she nodded reluctantly. Gavin beamed. Phoenix wasn’t sure if her new interest in Gavin was something real, or if she was simply grasping at the hope of someone with whom she could make a greater connection. Gavin was, after all, almost equal to her in status so it would make sense that he’d be able to look past her station. Part of her urged her to dissuade him before it went too far, but another part – which was growing stronger the more attention he lavished on her – wanted to see it all play out.

  Gavin opened the door to the battlements for Phoenix and ushered her outside. They strolled along the wall and peered at the people far below.

  “It’s beautiful up here,” Gavin commented.

  The sun shone briefly from behind the clouds and Phoenix squinted up at it. A moment later it retreated behind them once more. “Yes,” she agreed, and glanced shyly at him. “So what did you want to talk about?” She felt another pang of guilt, knowing that at the very least she shouldn’t be prompting his attentions even if she had convinced herself to let him continue. Regina’s words had made her think that she should perhaps give him a chance rather than hold out for some magical event that would link her to her soul-mate, but even so she still wasn’t convinced that she liked him romantically. And she felt guilt over Regina’s interest in him as well, especially when she was not convinced of her own feelings. She turned off her thoughts and just let the moment flow over her.

  He stopped walking and turned to her. A slight breeze blew a stray hair across his forehead, and he fluidly pressed it back into place. “You must be getting very depressed about all the things that people are saying about you.”

  Phoenix was caught off-guard. That was not what she thought he was about to say. “I guess a little,” she agreed, not sure where Gavin was going with this.

  “They say you can read minds, you know,” he went on, taking a small step towards her. “There are even those who think you’ve figured out how to use that talent to hurt people with your mind.”

  She searched his eyes and then glanced behind her. There was something strange going on here. “I know,” she stated as she turned once again to him, trying to read his expression. He stared quietly back at her unnervingly. “You can’t really believe those rumors, can you?” she asked him pleadingly, the hairs on the back of her neck beginning to rise. She took a step away from him, her gaze flying back and forth between his eyes. They stared back at her flatly, a smile plastered on his face. Her back hit the edge of the battlement wall.

  Gavin laughed. “Of course I don’t believe the rumors.” Phoenix relaxed the slightest bit, but then his expression darkened. “If you could read minds, you would have known what I was up to.”

  Phoenix’s eyes grew wide. She opened her mouth to yell to Natalya, but she found that her body was no longer listening to her commands. Her jaw felt like it was glued shut.

  Gavin laughed again, softer and more menacingly this time. “Oh, you won’t be able to yell for help, little Princess. You see, you may not have any talent left in you, but I do.”

  She pleaded with her eyes.

  “Don’t give me that look,” he sneered. “It’s not my fault your guilt and shame at being such a freak are driving you to such extreme measures.” His expression turned to one of feigned sadness, and she regained enough control of her head to look behind her. An opening in the battlement wall was threateningly close, and the ground was horribly far below. She would never survive a fall. She struggled against her invisible bonds.

  Looking back at Gavin, she saw him watching her with amusement, a tiny smile playing at the corner of his mouth. He was enjoying her fear and helplessness. Anger lent her energy and she whipped her hand around to connect with his face.

  There wasn’t enough power behind the blow to do any real damage, but the smirk disappeared. She let out a short triumphant breath. However, her satisfaction was cut short as she felt her feet being forced into motion. Against her will, she climbed the thick battlement wall. She willed her lips to move, and she spoke through clenched teeth. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Why?” he asked incredulously, “Why? Why should you get to be the ruler of the united countries? Why not me? My mother is Lady Aria, First Advisor of the Treymayne council. Treymayne is a greater country than the weakling Gelendan, which has fallen prey twice to the devious minds of the Dark King and King Nathair.”

  She was allowed to speak, though no louder than a whisper. “They were controlled by the evil essence of the dragon-god Nuko, and it was my mother and father who defeated him,” she answered without thinking, then cursed inwardly. Defending her parents’ honor wasn’t important at this moment. “I didn’t ask to be chosen as the next ruler,” she said sincerely.

  Gavin’s voice grew quieter as well. “And we didn’t plan on having you die,” he said, with almost a touch of regret in his voice. “I did grow fond of you these past weeks.” He stroked the side of her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way. You could have been my wife.”

  “If your plan was to marry me, why do all this to discredit me? Won’t killing me defeat the purpose?”

  He laughed humorlessly. “The plan wasn’t to marry you, nor even originally to kill you though it certainly will expedite the process. The plan was only to make people see the truth: that you are unfit to rule. I don’t need a marriage to exalt my status, you and I are equals.” He paused a moment in thought. “No, we are not equal. The people would eventually come around to realizing that I am a much better choice and far more qualified than you.” He looked at her appraisingly. “I must admit that I did enjoy toying with the idea of taking you as my wife anyway. The idea was not totally unappealing.” His gaze dropped down the length of her, then slowly drew back up to meet her eyes once again. “I spent time with you purely to make you tell me your secrets to lend truth to the rumors, but I did enjoy your company.”

  He paused in thought, and Phoenix felt her controlled motion momentarily pause as well. Her mind raced. As she glanced around, looking for anything to help her, he went on, “But you would be too much trouble, the people inexplicably still love you despite my obvious superiority. The rumors should have been enough to discredit you, and you would simply have been cast aside to make way for me to take my rightful place. You needn’t have died if only you had stepped down.” He looked at her contemptuously. “You don’t even have enough talent to stop me. What kind of queen would you be?”

  “The people will not make you King simply because I am gone,” she tried to tell him. He was largely regarded as a royal because of his mother’s long-standing position, but that wouldn’t be enough to place him on the throne, no matter what he seemed to think.

  “Of course they will,” he spat back. From his tone, it was clear that she wouldn’t be able to make him see the truth.

  Phoenix felt herself pushed farther forward, and she whimpered.

  “Despite your annoying ability to inspire loyalty, I still might have been able to save you, but someone has forced our hand. I’m sorry,” he whispered in her ear, and then backed away before shouting. “No! Phoenix, don’t!”

  Phoenix saw the crowd below looking up and pointing as he
r arms were forced outwards from her sides. She sucked in her breath and blinked back tears. Screaming sounded below and Phoenix heard the door slamming against the stone wall as it burst open. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Natalya and the others surging outwards just as her view descended down past the top of the wall.

  Above, Gavin made a half-hearted attempt to rush forward and grab her, his hands ever-so-close to clutching her skirts before she went over the edge. Natalya raced across the battlement, closing the distance between them with record speed, but she reached Phoenix too late to stop her fall.

  The ground rushed towards her.