by Dyan Chick
"Unless what?" I asked.
She moved on silent footsteps until she closed the distance between the two of us. My heart raced, as I sat glued to the space in the chair staring up at the female. I could tell she was dangerous, it wasn't even a question in my mind. I knew this was someone you did not want to cross.
She stretched her arms out until her hands were hovering on either side of my head. "Don't worry, this won't hurt." She gently touched her fingertips to my temples and then she closed her eyes.
For a moment, I watched her eyelids flicker, wondering what she was doing to me. Then, I gasped as my body involuntarily pressed harder into the back of the chair. I winced, as something uncomfortable withered through me, rolling down my spine and crawling up through my limbs toward my head. It didn't hurt, exactly. But it was uncomfortable and I strained against the unnatural intrusion.
I wanted to free myself from her, I wanted to get out of the chair and run from the room into the safety of Dane or Ethan or Cormac or even Tristan. I tried to scream, but sound wouldn't escape my mouth.
Terrified, I squirmed, trying to break free of the chair. My body was stuck, frozen in place, as if bound by invisible chains. Searing heat sizzled across my skin as a memory replayed in my mind. I was trying to escape my father's home and in the white light I had created, someone had bound me with chains. The pain coursed through my body as if I were really there. When I broke free in the memory, relief surged through me as I made my escape.
The memory was gone only to be replaced by another. I was standing next to Cormac in front of a bonfire and a rush of emotions tumbled through me. Want, desire, sadness, pain, hunger. They mixed into a boiling pool and despite the fact that I knew it was a memory, I reached for Cormac trying to grab hold of him to pull myself out of whatever nightmare I'd been sucked into. As I reached for him, he faded, only to be replaced by Ethan with his arms around me.
I only got the touch of him for a second before that happy memory was ripped from me, sending me into the last monster attack where I had to watch all four of the males I had grown to care about fighting for their lives. I screamed, opening my mouth without sound. I didn't want to relive this memory. I didn't want to see Ethan hurt again. I didn't want to go back to that place where I was unsure if he would live or die. As the battle played out in front of me, I fought against the invisible restraints until I felt the clawing of my own magic inside.
Mentally, I reached for my magic, pulling on it, encouraging it. I wanted out of whatever this was and I was willing to do whatever it took to make it stop. Something felt like it exploded inside of me and I launched myself from the chair, finally regaining control of my body. I landed in a heap on the floor, my breathing rapid as if I had been running for miles.
Slowly, I rolled onto my back and looked up at where Tiana was staring down at me eyes wide in surprise.
I sat up and pushed myself to standing. "That memory is not for you. I am not going to live through almost losing Ethan. Do you understand me?" I knew I shouldn't be threatening her. I knew she was more powerful than anyone I'd encountered so far. Probably more powerful than any of the princes waiting outside the door for me. But I didn't know her, and I was willing to risk her wrath to keep from having to go through that pain again. "You have no right."
"Sit down." The words came out like a command.
I knew I pushed it too far, I didn't have Cormac here to protect me and for all I knew, insulting the Queen's sister could be the same as insulting the Queen herself.
Lower lip trembling I tried to remain calm. I wanted to show her I was strong and that I wasn't someone to be pushed around. "You don't belong inside my head. If there's something you want to know, ask me."
"Sit." She backed away from me, settling into the chair across from me again.
Slowing my breathing, I forced myself to sit. My hands were shaking with anger as I stared at the stranger. Why would she do that to me? Why would she put me through that again? What did she need from my head? Jaw clenched, I forced myself to remain silent while I waited for an explanation.
Chapter Eighteen
"You do have some magic," she said. "And it's strong enough to push me out of your head."
"You already knew that. I told you. You could have asked me," I said.
"I was hoping to be able to identify your magic from your memories. But since you won't grant me access to them, which I must admit is a pretty impressive feat for someone who says she had no training, we'll have to do it a different way."
"I haven't had any training. Cormac started showing me how to cycle, but that's it," I said. "Wait, what other way?"
"You have to be tested. I can't allow you to visit my sister until I know what you're capable of. If you won't let me see your memories, we’ll have to do something else."
"It might've gone better if you told me what you were doing. I've never had someone inside my head before. I was scared."
"Oh really?" she said with a smirk. "You've been around Tristan for the last several days and you have no ability to mask what you're thinking. His skills are almost as good as my own. I guarantee you, he's seen inside your head."
Tristan had told me he couldn't see my future, but I didn't know what all he was capable of. I was transported back to that moment in a small palace where I pictured Tristan naked. He commented in a way that made me know he'd seen what I was thinking. Flushed, hoping the female seated in front of me couldn't read my thoughts. But now I didn't know what to believe. "Seeing memories is different from seeing what people are thinking?"
"Yes," she said. "Not everyone who can read thoughts can access memories. As you now know, the process can be uncomfortable for the person who's having memories read. Though, to be fair, I had no way of knowing you had such painful memories."
"Like I said, you never asked." I crossed my arms over my chest. We were going in circles and I was starting to think this was exactly what Tiana wanted. I didn't know what her other method of testing powers was, but she seemed rather pleased that I had kicked her out of my head.
"I'm surprised the princes have agreed to help you with a mouth like that. If I found you, and you spoke to me this way, I would've thrown you to the beasts. You must be a very good partner in bed. There's no other reason I can think of that they keep you around."
Heat rose in my chest and I tightened my hands into fists. "I suppose I should be grateful that it wasn't you who found me."
"If it weren't for Cormac's protection, I'd have you thrown out now. Like I said, being sister to the Queen doesn't afford me any rank privileges so Cormac as Prince of the Autumn Court, holds greater power than I do. However, without my blessing, you'll never get to see the Queen."
"I'm not trying to cause trouble here, I just want to find out how to control the magic I have."
"You do realize, if you can control magic from multiple courts, it will make you nearly equal in power to the Queen herself. Why would anyone want a rival like that?" she asked.
I swallowed, not knowing how to respond to that. I wasn't sure how I could convince her I wasn't a threat. Tiana liked to turn my words against me. I bit down on the inside of my cheek to keep from commenting. She was playing games with me. Toying with me. And if I wasn't careful, I'd do something that would cause me to lose.
Tiana stood and lifted her chin high. I knew she was making a show of looking down on me. "I need to rest before I can perform the test. After the evening meal, you and I will meet back here alone. Then, I can find out once and for all the kind of magic you have. And if you can learn to control your tongue, perhaps I will give you my blessing to visit my sister."
She walked toward the door, her gold dress leaving a shimmering puddle of fabric in her wake. When she reached the door, she turned back and looked at me. "There are those who have died having their magic tested. If you are hiding anything from me, you'll want to confess before we begin."
I kept my face expressionless as she turned from me to open the large set of
double doors. As soon as she walked through, I collapsed into the chair, lower lip trembling, my mind a swirling mass of confusion.
I had managed to completely offend the one person I should have been trying to impress. I knew it was my own fault. I knew I should've kept my mouth shut. I couldn't help it. I didn't want to be pushed around by anyone anymore and I was tired of being the last to know everything.
What kind of test was she going to give me that had caused others to die? Was that even legal?
How was I supposed to demonstrate to someone that I wasn't a threat? Even with the ability to control the magic of all four Courts, I had no intention of using it. My dream was to live a simple life somewhere where I could make my own choices about what I did each day. I had no ambition of attacking anyone or fighting anyone or taking anyone's kingdom. Why couldn't she see that?
Footsteps sounded in the room I turned to see Cormac entering alone. The doors closed behind him and I straightened in the chair, ready to be disciplined by the prince I had let down. I was under his protection, and when I did something that made me look bad, I knew it made him look bad too. That wasn't my intention. Like a child who knew she'd gone too far, my shoulders sank and I looked down at my hands folded in my lap.
"I'm so sorry. She made me re-live the attack. The one where Ethan nearly died. I couldn't take it."
"She made up her mind about you before she even saw you. No matter what you said, she was going to find an excuse to test you," Cormac said. "I just didn't realize it until she spoke to me just now."
Gently, Cormac touched my chin with his finger and lifted it so I was looking up into his eyes. "You're going to be fine. We have a few hours before the test, we'll help you prepare."
Grateful that he wasn't upset with me I nodded. "It's my fault, though. I pushed her out of my mind."
Cormac's brow furrowed. "You pushed her out?"
"Yes. I know I shouldn't have, but I wasn't sure what she was doing until I'd already pushed her away."
"It's impressive that you were able to push her out." He smiled. "I'm sure she hated that."
"She did," I said.
"Listen, Cassia." Cormac sighed. "We have a long history with Tiana. All of us. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. But I don't want you to worry, you'll do fine on the test. We know you have the magic that's required to pass it."
"How could it be your fault?" I asked. "You've done nothing but help me. I could never blame you for anything. This is on me."
He brushed a loose strand of hair away from my eyes. "Trust me on this, Cassia. You're not the one to blame here. Tiana has always had a vindictive streak. We were in the Academy together. Ethan, Dane, and I. And I guarantee you she did some digging in our heads before she came to see you." Cormac dropped to his knees in front of me. And took both of my hands in his. "She knows you're important to all of us, and she knows that if she hurts you it hurts us."
"That doesn't make any sense. What could any of you have possibly done to make her so angry?" I asked.
"She and her sister both wanted a bid for Queen's Trial. Each house can only have one champion and she asked us to choose her over her sister. But I know Tiana too well and having her on the throne was not a good idea. She was close with Dane back then and even managed to fool Ethan. But I saw right through her and when it came time to throw our support behind the champions, I was able to convince both Dane and Ethan to side with me against her."
"So all of this goes back to Queen's Trial?” Everything seemed to connect to this. The sooner I could get away from the drama of the Court, the better. “Why would she hold on to the grudge for so long? Surely, she can't still be upset by this?" I asked.
"As I said, she has a vindictive streak. I thought she'd let it go, but apparently not. Now that I think of it, it wouldn't surprise me if she's been waiting until she could find a way to punish us all at the same time and through you, she found a way to do it."
My chest was tight and my heart heavy as Cormac's words sank in. I didn't want to cause this much trouble for him or any of them. "Maybe I should just run away. Is there somewhere I can just hide until this whole Queen's Trial thing blows over?"
Cormac chuckled. "You wouldn't last a day out there on your own without being able to control that magic of yours. You're like a beacon for anything trying to make its way out of the Under."
"Cormac, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I'm sorry that I dragged you all into this."
Cormac stood, still holding onto my hands and he yanked me up so I was standing next to him. "No more apologizing to me. Not ever. I chose to take you under my protection. Dane chose to take you into his bed. Ethan told me he thinks he feels the mating bond with you. None of us are going anywhere."
Hot tears stung the back of my eyes and I blinked to try and keep them from streaking down my face. My whole life, I wanted to feel like I belonged. I wanted to feel like I mattered to someone. It turned out, I mattered more than I ever thought I could to three princes that I felt the same way about. Wiping a stray tear off my cheek I took a deep breath in. "Tell me how to survive this test. I won't let you down."
"The most important thing is to be completely focused. No lingering guilt, no lingering anger, no unresolved problems. I need your mind sharp. Whatever it is that's in your head right now that's causing you any kind of turmoil, you need to let it go. Tiana will see emotions as weakness and she'll be able to use them against you. She shouldn't, but she will."
The door swung open and Cormac and I turned to see Ethan walking in with a tray of food.
"No way were letting her take a test on an empty stomach." Ethan set the tray down on the large table, pushing away some of the scrolls and little objects to make space for it.
"Thank you," I said, my stomach growling in response to the smell of food. I glanced to the open door, half expecting Dane to walk in and say something cocky. But he didn't. "Where's Dane?"
"Nowhere," Ethan said.
I glanced at Cormac them back to Ethan. "No more lies. If you want me to have a clear head for this trial, you have to be honest with me."
"She's right," Cormac said.
Ethan's shoulders sank. "You're not going to like it."
"Just tell me," I said.
Ethan glanced at Cormac again before looking back at me. "He's with Tiana, trying to put her in a better mood before the test."
Chapter Nineteen
"You can't be serious," I said. "She's a nightmare. How could he do anything with her?" What I wanted to ask was how could he do that to me? How could he be with me one night and then turn around and be with someone like her the next night? My insides clenched as I realized that was the exact same thing I had done to him. Was this his way of getting back at me? Perhaps it was his way of telling me or showing me he needed more than just me or that he wasn't happy with Ethan and me.
"He couldn't," Dane's voice carried to the large room.
My heart leapt and I looked over to see him standing in the doorway. I smiled, then ran over to him. "What happened?"
"Oddly, for the first time, I'm happy with one female in my life. I don't need anyone else." Dane hugged me and kissed the top of my head before letting go of me. "The problem is, I probably only made her more angry. Whatever Cormac can teach you about this test, you need to learn it."
"I feel so left out," Tristan said.
"Well, it looks like the gang’s all here," Dane said.
"I take it didn't go well," Tristan said.
"That's not helping, Tristan," Ethan said.
"I'm not sure why you're going to have Cormac work with her. Out of all of us in this room, I'm the only one that's ever gone through the magic test. Granted, I didn't make Tiana angry before she gave it to me, but I may have better insight for Cassia than anyone else." Tristan leaned against the door jamb and crossed his arms casually over his chest.
"Have you really been through it?" I asked.
"I have. My crazy father insisted on having all of hi
s children tested. Poor bastard hoped he would end up with offspring who have the powers from more than one court. It's why we all have different mothers. He kept trying with new women all the time."
I had never heard Tristan talk about siblings before and wondered where the other princes or princesses of the Winter Court were.
"She told me people sometimes die when they take this test," I said.
"A human would die," Tristan said. "Or half-breed. Someone born half of the human realm and half of our realm. Someone with only one court of magic might die, I suppose. I don't think we need to worry about that with you. Based on what we've seen so far, your magic is possibly going to be strong enough that you would be a threat to the Queen herself."
"That's something Tiana mentioned. She said something about how if I have all four powers it makes me dangerous to the Queen. But you know I would never hurt anyone," I said.
"That's not true, Princess," Tristan said. "We've seen you fight when you feel like you're threatened or when someone you love is threatened." Tristan looked over at Ethan then back at me. "She probably saw that when she looked at your memories. She knows you’re a fighter and she doesn't know whose side you're on. The best way for you to survive this, is to make her think you're on her side."
"Isn't she on the same side as the Queen? Isn't that the side I would just be on?" I asked.
"Unless you're Winter Fae," Ethan said.
"I don't think she is Winter," Tristan said. "But I'd be willing to make an exception and allow her to stay if she chose."
"She's not staying with you, Tristan," Cormac said. "And all we're doing right now is wasting time. She has hours left before the test and she needs to prepare."