Page 35 of Their War

“I didn't know Jonathan had a daughter.”

“No one did. Apparently, he sent me and my mother to Earth when I was just an infant,” I explained to her.

She whirled around, pacing to the other end of the room before turning to head back toward us. I watched her as she sorted through her own thoughts, growing impatient at the wasted time but unable to hurry her along. Finally, she stopped before me again. “I served your father for years. How did I not know?”

“You served my dad?”

“Yes, until he disappeared. I'd kept my part in the rebellion quiet, so when no one could find out where he'd gone, I joined the staff. I've been searching for answers about him ever since,” she explained. “I knew there was something about you the moment you came here. I pushed to be on your staff so I could help you. I didn't fully understand why it was so important for me to help you, but it all makes sense now.”

“Does that mean you'll help me now?” I asked her hopefully, shocked at how small this world seemed to be. I had so many questions and not enough time.

“I shouldn't. I should tell you to leave now, to escape back to Earth while you still can, but something tells me you won't listen to me. That you'll do something stupid and get caught.”

“Sounds like you have me figured out.” I smiled. “Minus the getting caught thing. I don't have any plans for that to happen.”

“Don't be foolish. You're playing with things you don't yet understand. There's more going on here than you can see.”

“Like the weakening of Avalonia and the failing of the land and magic?” I was irritated. She kept treating me like a child that didn't know any better. I knew the consequences, but I could no longer turn back. I couldn't leave these people to suffer. The only choice I had was to move forward and do what I'd always done. Fight back the only way I knew how.

“There's more to it than that. The Queen has been manipulating things for much longer than we thought. Your father knew something was going on. I think the Queen killed him for finding out too much. It's why I had to do my own digging.”

“And what have you found?” I asked, intrigued now. Maybe Juniper knew more than I’d thought.

“I know that she's been twisting the magic somehow. She's far too powerful for it to be natural. I suspect she's been draining the magic from the land and Avalonia to bolster her own.”

“That makes sense from what I've heard. And from what Avalonia's told me.”

She rushed forward, taking my hands in hers. “She spoke to you?”

“Yes?” I answered her, confused about where she was going now.

“Then that means you're her Chosen, the next Queen.” Her tone was devastated, pity shining from her gaze.

“Shouldn't that be a good thing? I mean, I'll have the chance to make things right.”

“If you ever get the chance.”

“What do you mean?” Brannoc growled, stepping forward protectively as if Juniper’s words were a threat against me.

She turned her gaze to him, her anger flaring. “Simply that I have my doubts about whether or not the Queen would let that happen. I suspect she plans on draining the new Queen somehow, while the power is still mostly hers. I fear she plans to circumvent the transference of power somehow, but if I had to guess, she'll do that through murdering the new Queen.”

The blood drained from my face. “Surely she wouldn't.”

“Why wouldn't she? It's not like anyone can challenge her. Her power is already too great.”

Shit, she was right. “All the more reason to get my grandfather out of her prison. He can perform the ceremony and make me officially the new queen. Right?” I turned to look at Brannoc, wishing Arryn was here. He'd know more about this than us.

Brannoc shrugged his shoulders. “It couldn't hurt to try.”

Juniper huffed. “The Queen already suspects Genevieve isn't the Chosen. It's why Master Jude's ceremony failed. She's doubled her efforts to find you. I wouldn't put it past her to have set up the trap to catch you when you attempt to rescue him. She knows you'll need him to perform the ceremony.” She turned from me, talking to herself again. “It all makes sense now. She knew he couldn't perform the task she'd assigned him.” Turning back to me, she said, “She's hoping to draw you out.”

“Well, it's working. Now that I know it's a trap, we can prepare for it.”

“The smart thing to do is to walk away.”

“You know I can't do that. I can't leave him to her mercy. She has none, which means she'll kill him. The only thing possibly keeping him alive at this point is the fact that she's hoping to draw me out. If I fail to show up, she'll have no further use for him.” I refused to think of what it would be like to lose the man I was getting to know. The only family who'd accepted me unconditionally and helped me. I wanted the chance to get to know him more. To find out what family should be.

Sighing, resigned to the fact that she couldn't sway me from this task, she continued, “I can't get into the prison itself. Even when you were kept there, I could only deliver food to the guards. They're the only ones allowed in or out.”

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