Page 110 of Royal Lies

“…almost as fun as watching my sister suffer” Her words repeated in my mind as I turned back around, too weak to keep my head up. Flattening my body to the ground I huffed for air as well. There was only so much rage I could have before it burned out at the rate my magic was being pulled from me.

I watched the visible lines of blue, red, and gold strings from Eli, Lucarious, and I wiggle toward my son. Damn, in all this commotion I’d forgotten about him. What the shadows were he doing, and how the shadow was he able to take in our magic?

Rolling over so my face could see the child lue sky filled with shadows I knew it was now or never. I couldn’t hold on any longer. I needed to cast my spell. I already knew the bases of the spells I needed so it was simple enough. When you try and look for a spell to regain your memories you do tend to come across some more in turn. Suddenly two pools of pitch-black eyes stared down at me, her grin nothing like the fairy she was pretending to be.

“…my sister…” Words replayed in my head as the pieces started to fall in line.

Her false hair was as black as the night but as silky as a spider's web. Her wings glistened like gold on one end but the other was as pitch black as a night in the shadow woods.

"Titania" I spat out as relief coursed through my bones. A feral grin slit the Queen of Fairies’ lips. I have no doubt she heard me but seeing as I seemed like I was about to die she didn’t care.

"With them, we'll be able to have infinite amounts of magic now.Shereally was right," I heard Titania say, but it was so hazy I couldn't have heard her right. And her voice sounded off. Why did it sound so off?

"Of course, my queen," I heard what was supposed to be my son say as I screamed again as the pressure of the thing piercing me jabbed deeper if it could even do that.

Ok, I know I said I wouldn’t scream but this was more like a scream of anger than pain.

Titania. I had only heard of her from Mab. She seemed like the kinder sister of the two in the stories but from my experience living under Mab, Titania played as many games as Mab did. In my opinion, Mab was better, at least she owned up to her lies rather than hiding behind some false identity as Titania was doing. Was this how she marked Mab as the villain in their stories, she pretended to be Mab and made all her- nope, let me stop that thought right there. I’ve seen Mab at work and I can’t say she was any less of a shadow herself. I was sure some of those stories on Mab were true and not just Titania using glamour to look like her sister. Shadows maybe this was the first time Titania used glamour to look like Mab.

Never mind that,getting sidetracked.The important question was what was one of my sons, who I had with Eli, doingwith the queen? Now, keep in mind hewasmade from magic, so Eli and I never really, you know,did it.

I'll have you know I am still a virgin.

Wait, am I going to die as a virgin?

Again?!

Well, fuck, I needed to save us. But if I cast my magic to find a new body now the battle would still rage on Eli and Lucarious would still-

Suddenly an idea hit me.

I could freeze them.

I could transport them back to wherever they were and momentarily halt them from teleporting with a cage barrier to make it magically impossible to teleport anywhere. Mab had taught me that a while back. That would prevent any continued attack while I was gone. And then maybe I could- no I’ll have to hurry in my search. The barrier couldn't be maintained long, and to halt time—to mess with time—required a sacrifice just as large-my body would work.

Now, the issue was magic, but if my current body was going to die anyway— the magic in it would be just enough to- yes, then I wouldn’t have to go through that arduous process of making sure no magic remained in my body yadie yadie yadie.

I turned, meeting Eli's gaze. I hated him, yet I still couldn't bring myself to stop caring for him. He was my best friend—or he was. We went through everything together. I wish... I wish things could have gone differently, but we all need to make sacrifices for the people we love.He has to understand why I was doing this, right?

"Everetta!" I heard a bellow coming from behind—it was my bond, Fletcher. It seems he and Akasuki finally noticed us. Her white hair and red eyes glowed beside Fletcher as I nearly teared up. I wasn't planning on doing this so soon, but it was clear what I needed to do. With how much the shadows have evolved,and how broken my body was from the poison and my constant rages, I won't be able to last long anyway. Turning away and staring at the dirt, I began to chant my spell—or rather, spells. A lot of them. One combined spell to hold off these shadows, Titania, and my son. Then another for my body to die and my soul to find another vessel.

I couldn't meet Fletcher's eyes, for I knew if I did, I would forget. I would give up everything to be with him, to live a normal life with him. But I couldn't do that. For them, I would give my life. A flicker of golden hair beamed into my final thoughts as my soul left my body. As I heard the bellows of Eli's cries and Lucarious' roar of pain, I couldn't help it. I looked up at the piercing light blue eyes of the one I loved. His eyes were understanding but brimming with tears as Fletcher quietly nodded, "I'll see you soon," he mouthed before everything turned black.

Epilogue

Cedric

The pain might as well be nothing. The barbed whipping and constant iron knuckle sandwiches were like lullabies singing me to sleep. Spitting out a mouth full of blood I stared up at my tormentor. I knew the crimson staining the corners of my mouth, my teeth, and my entire body. I knew I must look like the bedraggled street rat I was. This was what I got for leading a revolution andfailing. There isn’t an inch of my body that these fae haven’t defiled, cut, electrocuted, or skinned. I don’t even know how I’m still alive.

A month ago, hell just a couple of weeks ago, my associates and I were ready to stage a quiet assault on the Duchess of Autumn. We had the manpower, the magic, the plan was flawless. I mapped out everything, what I hadn’t seen coming was for my brother to betray me.

I stared up looking at the iron-masked executioner, guard, whatever he’s called, as he landed strike after strike against my face, stomach, ribs, anywhere and everywhere on my body. I coughed up another pint of blood gasping for air.

Everything was going exactly as I had planned: the infiltration into the castle, the divergence of guards, the assassination of five of the Duchess’ most trusted advisors.? Everything turned out to be for shit.

My own brother was a double spy the whole time sent by the duchess herself to sneak into my group of ‘rebels’ as he so elegantly put it. Rebels? We were simply the voice of the civilians, the fae, the humans, the living beings who weretormented by the rulings of a madman, or in this case a mad woman.

I might have been too young to remember what life had been like for us when the King of Blood and Shadow ruled but I believe anything was better thanherrule, the Duchess of Autumn. All humans were branded slaves at birth, with no rights, no authority, even the air they breathed was bathed in their forefathers' blood. So why was I, a fae, working to help liberate them? Because I grew up human. I was cared for by the streets that the fae mocked and threw trash at. I grew up watching my friends and family, even if not by blood, die from disease and whippings.

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