Page 45 of Royal Lies

I nibbled on my lower lip, contemplating whether or not to tell him. If I really think about it, when was I ever so righteous to begin with?

I had initially planned to extract all those juicy details from him by any means necessary. Having him give it up for no price at all is just better for me. The question was, do I really wanna work with this idiot who can't even get the details of how anexchange works? I originally wanted to tackle this research solo. Hmm, I guess working together would be more effective. More hands on deck do get faster results.

"Alrighty, Flynn, you've got yourself a deal! "

Hey, as long as I get that powder whatever I guess. If he doesn't want anything in return then fine, his loss.

An hour had whizzed by, as I got hypnotized by the text and scriptures of the history about this powdery thingy.

I came up with nothing.

Anhourand I foundnothing.

The guy only had the history of where this thing came from, nothing on why it did the things it did, how it blocked noises in a room from reaching the outside. Maybe it was because I couldn't shake off the questions popping up in my mind from left and right.

Why? Just why did Eli bar me from the meeting? Sure it was going to be the same old meeting again but, I still should have been there. Who knows, maybe something new might pop up.

As my pen danced across the parchment I couldn't help the thought from rising, what if Eli, my very great closest friend, was concealing something from me? I mean why else would he have stopped me today? He's never done that before. Not to mention I can't seem to think straight when he's around, like my mind is clouded or something. No, it's not the heart-racing fluttering butterfly thingy, it's more of a haunting foggy mess crowding my brain. It's like I can't help but agree with him.

Now that I think about it, why did I agree with Eli?

Initially, I thought his excuse was a good reason to help spare me the mind-numbing dull drones of their discussion. But, as the seconds ticked away, a more unsettling idea started to crystallize in my mind. What if Eli's motives were more than just stopping me from listening in on them? What if no- it can't be right-.

He does seem to know a lot more about our history than I do. I mean how did he know Luna was an oracle and I didn't if we both knew her from our past lives? That and the discussion with that man, Lucarious. How did Eli remember him when I couldn't?

I know-I know it sounds far-fetched. Almost like a plot from a fairytale, but hey, stranger things have happened. Laughing at the thought of it I shook my head. As if, Eli's not that kind of person. He is the type who would fight front and center. He's not the scheming type. He'd rather dive head-first into any consequence than hide and pretend to be someone else. So there's definitely no way he's manipulating my mind, right? I mean how in the world would he even do that his gift is ice?

Right?

"No, focus," I chided myself, steering my thoughts back to the primary mission – deciphering the mysteries of the red powder. Maybe, just maybe, it could help unlock my memories. Gritting my teeth I could feel the need to remember grow bigger and bigger in me. Ineededto remember who I was. This red powder thingy had to be the missing link, the key to restore what was lost. It has to be. I need to remember or something tells me we might be in big trouble.

How long has it been now? Three, or five hours? Who knows, I always get lost in my studies. I remember once my mother scolded me for missing our family dinners because I accidentally passed out from exhaustion, she always did say I needed to mind my health too and not just- Huh? What did she say, and what the fuck was I thinking about? My mother, who’s that? Well, whatever, I need to focus on my red powder.

What was I doing again? I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts. A slight ringing in my head was pounding through my skull as I felt my vision start to blur.

A bright blue sky and chilly ice-blue eyes stared back at me. "Remember me, Evie." The boy before me said. His voice was so raspy it sounded like a whisper. I blinked rapidly watching the scene fade as I flew back into the prince's room.

That-that was weird. And who was Evie? I feel like I should know that name somewhere.

"Everetta? Miss Everetta? Are you alright?" I jolted back to reality at the sound realizing I had unknowingly closed my eyes at the onslaught of pain jolting my brain.

"What? I was listening," My gaze colliding with clear cyan eyes that, for some inexplicable reason, felt strangely familiar yet not. Almost similar to the boy I'd just got a vision of- was that a vision or a memory? Ugh, I feel like my mind is melting away like ice cream on a hot day. I frowned at that unsettling thought.

"I just finished sharing everything I know about the powder. How about we start experimenting with it?" Flynn suggested, catching me off guard.

"Oh, yeah, sure. Let's mix in some dragon's scales. See if it interacts with the powder in any way. Dragon scales are known to either nullify or enhance effects. It'll be worth a try," Grabbing some of the scales the prince had tucked in his little table drawer in his room, I started on one experiment after another.Why did he have them in his room?Don't ask me ask the prince.

Switching out one ingredient after another. Trying to ignore the ache in the back of my head as I worked. Soon enough it did go away. But what is happening to me? It couldn't be normal.

Despite our best efforts, we came back to square one.Nothing. Again! Ugh!

A sigh escaped me, tinged with disappointment. It seemed like another dead-end. Or so I would have thought if I hadn't stumbled upon a potential breakthrough, something that Prince Flynn was holding behind his back. He seemed intent on keeping it from me though.

Hmm, wonder why that is.

Smiling, I leaned a bit away to catch a glimpse of the object but he was hiding it far too well.

I frowned inwardly. I'll figure it out one way or another. Maybe I should sneak back in later tonight and steal it but then again I wouldn't even know what I would be looking for. Hmm, what to do, what to do. Doesn't he know that hiding it would only make me more and more curiouser.

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