‘What you thinking about?’ Zane asked.
‘Hiring an assistant, paying you guys, just loads of stuff,’ I admitted.
‘It’s going to take a while, but everything will settle down eventually,’ Zane said. ‘We’ll all help to make sure things go the way you planned. But I’ve got a question.’
‘What?’
‘Are we okay to call you “Anora” or do we need you call you “ma’am” or “your highness”? Because, honestly, I’m getting confused,’ he said.
‘Anora’s fine. You’ve always known me as Anora. And I really don’t mind what you call me to be honest,’ I said.
‘How about we use “your highness” when we need to. Like tonight, for example,’ Kace said. ‘When it’s just us, we’ll use Anora. Until you’re Queen, then you’re going to get “your majesty” from everyone whether you like it or not.’ I groaned. He was right.
‘Yeah, okay. Not going to be Queen for a few years, yet, though,’ I reminded him.
The sound of glass smashing upstairs made us all jump slightly. Had something been broken upstairs? My grandmother and Sorin were only supposed to be on the phone. I stood up to go find out when Sorin shouting made me freeze.
Kace was on his feet and out the door quicker than I’d ever seen him move before in my life. The rest of us quickly followed him out. My heart was hammering in my chest as I climbed the stairs two at a time. What had happened to make Sorin sound so distressed?
Kace reached my grandmother’s bedroom first. But when he glanced inside he immediately turned to face us.
‘Zane, stop her!’ he commanded. Zane quickly grabbed my wrist and pulled me to a halt beside him. What the hell was going on? I tried to pull my wrist free, but the more I pulled the tighter he held on.
‘Kace, what the hell?’ I snapped. ‘Zane, let me go or so help me I will use my magic on you.’
‘Anora, you don’t want to go in there,’ Kace said as Alex walked past us to get a better look. He suddenly sprinted in as Kace walked back towards us. ‘Anora, the queen’s gone,’ he said his voice calm. I glared at him. What the hell did he think he was playing at? When had they decided to come up with this plan?
‘Kace?’ Zane asked. Kace’s face left mine to look at Zane.
‘The queen’s dead,’ he said. She wasn’t dead. How could she be dead? She was one of the most powerful witches in the country. She was more than capable of protecting herself, and she had Sorin with her. They were lying. This was a test to see how well everyone would do under pressure.
‘You’re lying,’ I said. ‘This is a test’.
‘Anora, I…’ he began but I cut him off.
‘Stop it. Knock it off, Kace,’ I snapped at him. I was suddenly angry. He took a step towards me and placed his hands on my shoulders.
‘Listen,’ he said his voice still calm. ‘I wouldn’t lie about this. She’s gone, Anora,’
I looked up at him. He didn’t look like he was joking. He was slightly paler than normal, and his voice wasn’t right either. I felt tears start to run down my cheeks as I realised this was real. She was gone. He wasn’t lying. This wasn’t a test. I had just lost my last remaining family member. I fell to the floor, suddenly breaking down. Zane released my wrist. I tried to take a deep breath, but it was like there wasn’t enough air in the room anymore. How had she died? We’d heard something break.
‘How?’ I sobbed.
‘Someone shot her though the window,’ Kace said. Shot? What about Sorin? Was he okay? Had he been shot as well?
I pulled myself up to my feet and headed for the room, but Kace stood in my way shaking his head. He couldn’t keep me from them. I barged past him and he let me. The lifeless body of my grandmother lying on the floor was the first thing I noticed. Her eyes open, phone still in her hand. A small hole in her forehead with blood seeping out of it was her only wound. Sorin was kneeling beside her, phone to his ear and speaking in a language I hadn’t heard him use before. Romanian maybe? He was talking low and fast and didn’t once look at me.
Alex was by the window examining the break in the glass where the bullet had come though. This had been done by a professional. This was an assassination. I didn’t know what to do. Sorin suddenly got to his feet, I watched as he crushed his phone in his hands.
‘Sorin…’ I wasn’t sure what to say to him. His eyes snapped to mine, angry and vengeful.
‘I’m going to find the person who did this,’ he said storming past me.
I sat on my bed, ignoring everything that was happening in the next room. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I tried not to think too much about it because I would break down again. It was all I could think about, though. Zane had sat down beside me twenty minutes ago and I hadn’t moved. Being around him always cheered me up, but not in that moment. She was gone. Someone had killed her on purpose. Who?
I doubted it would be the Warlock that wanted to start a war. He wouldn’t have needed to use a gun. It seemed like something a human would do. With her gone I was the queen. I wasn’t ready for this. I thought I would have had more time to learn from her. That time had been stolen from me, though. Sorin would find the one responsible. I had no doubt about that. But it didn’t provide any relief. All I could feel was pressure. It was now my job to do the right thing for my people. The house was mine, now. Everything was mine. That included the staff.
‘Zane, I have a job for you’ I said.
‘Whatever you need,’ he responded immediately.
‘Dismiss the cook and butler. I no longer want them in this house,’ I said. Zane didn’t question it. He simple left the room. I still had no proof which one had let the men in, but I didn’t care now. The easiest answer was to get rid of them both.
I got up from the bed and walked across the room to look in the mirror. I was pale, tired, and shaking slightly. I was the queen of the world of magic, and I wouldn’t be able to escape the responsibility that went with it. I hadn’t even been able to tell my grandmother my plans. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. It was too late now.
I couldn’t help but feel that death was hell bent on collecting my family. Now I was the only one left.
To be continued…
Acknowledgement
Writing a book is a complicated but rewarding process that I never thought I would accomplish. None of this would have been possible without my Editor Maryssa Martin who agreed to help me with my book despite being dyslexic, she had the patience of a saint and I will always be eternally grateful to her.
I would also like to say a huge thanks to Jennifer Demeter who listened to me and designed my cover for me as well as helping me with my blurbs when I required it.
To Camille Horton for being the beta reader who stuck with me throughout the writing process and has took the title of my number one fan. Camille is also an Author and her book is also available, her book is Everlasting (Eternal Series) I will include blurb at bottom of this page.
Everlasting
Magic never stays dead…
Tessara Knox can read minds, but sometimes the pain is so excruciating that she would do anything to stop it, even end her own life. Then, on top of it all, she is forced to move to a new town. It’s in Salem, Utah that Tessa meets some new people who curiously seem to have powers of their own. when a boy from school goes missing, all fingers point to Tessa. Feeling a strong connection to a boy she only met once, Tessa makes it her job to find him, or at the very least what happened to him – even if it means the end of her life.
By J. C. Horton
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The Executioners: Book 1 Page 9