Page 47 of Royal Lies

I hurried his confused ass out of my room before he could refute.

To make sure he agreed I added a little persuasion to my voice, despite the growing unease I have at using my siren's voice. I still don't know why but I just don't like usingthatpart of myself. The siren side that yearns for the skies. To take flight among the clouds. I just don't like it but if it'll get me what I want then so be it.

Oh, ya I'm part siren, something about my birth mother being one or something like that. Hmm, I don't like it, the feeling that title provokes in me. Hmm, ah! There's that damn throbbing at the back of my head again. No, can't let Eli see, else he's just gonna try to 'fix' me again. I sure as hell won't call that 'helpingme' anymore. I wasn't a fool. Something's going on with Eli. He's keeping something from me and I'll figure it out, just like I did with that feather the little prince was hiding.

Once I was alone in my room, I let it all out. The anger surged through me like a tempest. Eli, always the strategist, expected everyone to fall in line withhisplans. Most of the time, I didn't mind; in fact, I often wanted his guidance. However, once you stepped outside hiscarefullycraftedideals he'd reprimand and paternalistically pat your head like your some fucking idiot. I am not anidiot! Gripping the red powder in my hands, I poured some of the contents around my room, waiting until the echo of Eli's retreating footsteps faded.

I snatched up a petite lamp, its fragile form quivering in my grasp before I hurled it across the room sending glass shards scattering in the air.

And what the hell is up with these constant headaches, ugh!

The air crackled with my pent-up frustration as I sent a glass vase flying across the room. Flipping up the small table by mybedroom window, I let my magic slam it against my bed. Using my magic I tore the sapphire blue small chandelier from the ceiling. I watched as glistening crystal shards danced in the air, the small glass fragments reflecting the anger on my face as they bounced up from the floor.

Ugh! This damn headache! I wish it would just go the fuck away! I wish Eli would just go away! I wish-I wish I could just fucking remember everything instead of it being fed to me in small little tablespoons of half-truths and whispered lies.

The wallpaper started to wither away, its edge crumbling in on itself as I let my anger out. Flames started to spark from my light as it angled off the glass shards still trickling down from the ceiling. The windows started to rattle as if an earthquake was happening before it too shattered into millions of pieces. I could feel small cuts jabbing at my skin like tiny knives as the room spun, a whirlwind of magic, light, and anger.

Chapter 15

Everetta

Once again, I found myself amidst the familiar leathered chair surrounded by lanterns adorned with pixie lights. I guess I was back, or to be more precise my subconscious was awake again.

I was growing more unstable with each passing day. I could feel my mind slipping away breaking off bit by bit as if my already shattered soul had splintered further. I clenched my teeth in a desperate attempt to hold myself together.

I had planned for everything before I cast that reincarnation spell; too bad I didn't account for one of theROYALSto betray me. Though, I'm not even sure if I could call Eli that anymore given what he‘s done.

Basically what happened was that my half-brother, Alexander, was nothing more than a pawn in a game of chess. A twinge of pity surfaced for him, or maybe I was just making up excuses for him as always. I really have to stop doing that. He doesn't deserve any of my sympathies after what he's done. Call me a hypocrite for saying so.

At leastIwould never endanger my citizens for my own gain.

There were signs in the past of what he planned to do. I won't apologize for not doing something about it. I had found it odd, his strange behavior of not confronting me when he came back after I had killed him the first time, or so I thought I did. But, as I said, he wasn't bothering me back then so I decided to let it be. He had every right to do what he wished to his own court, so long as he didn't involve me.

Except hedidinvolve me.

Now look where I am, trapped in my mind.

I had trusted Alexander, my brother, the one who had killed half his court and fractured his soul, just like I did Eli. Why did he take my memories from my conscious state, I mean- he out of everyone I would have expected to betray me- I shook my head trying to center my thoughts instead of getting trapped in that rabbit hole again. Focus Everetta, focus, don't get lost in your thoughts. Now's not the time to weep about it. As if I would weep about it. I glared at myself for showing any weakness. This was not how you were raised. This is not how a queen is supposed to behave.

I had lowered my guard around them too much. I let the proverbial gate lower and look where it got me. Killed, betrayed, and used. Well, fuck that shit.

Shrugging off the rage boiling in my veins, I centered myself.

I was in the library of my mind, reading through the countless books upon books that couldn't fit in Flynn's laboratory. Interesting fact, it seems I'm able to remember what my conscious state had done during the day. Even if the vice versa couldn't be said about my conscious mind. Unlike what my conscious mind thinks, all she really needs is to use her powers, her memories, and a spell, which she doesn't have. She doesn't need a feather of any sort, especially not from that damned witch. At first, I loved her name, Luna, like the moon, kind of. Then she just had to stab me in the back. Quite literally with a syringe and metaphorically. She took something of mine I could never forgive her for. She hid them, I know she did. I trusted her with them, and she lost them! I'll never forgive her.Never.

Once I remember everything in my conscious mind she'll pay for everything. I'm surprised Eli hadn't killed her yet. After what she's done to him, wait whathasshe done to him? He's never told me and I have never told him what she stole. Perhaps if I did, maybe he wouldn't be so inclined to think I was merely enraged for the fun of it. Or it could just prove his point better towithhold my memories. I get why, grief, and all that nonsense. Would I have done the same if I was in his shoes? Shadows no. For one that's just fucked up, two, that's just fucked up, and three, it would be his shit to get over. Withholding the trauma would just be prolonging the pain. Clearly, he has no problem doing it to me, by that I mean to my conscious side. I on the other hand am still fucking traumatized as fuck which is why I amnotfocusing on that shit right now. Magics know if I did I would be stranded here forever. Unfortunately, I don’t have that kind of luxury to waste.

I was already succeeding in trying to distance my conscious self from Eli. Man, how could I have ever even thought of letting him stay in the same room as me? Even if we weren't ever like that in the past, in a relationship with him I mean, that was still just gross, and a total invasion of privacy. I mean he was half my soul, quite literally. It would be like incest.Do you know the biological setbacks that would have?

Half my soul was split in two. One half formed what Eli was, and the other remained within its original host, me. Quite frankly one could say he was my brother from different parents. Which was why I would have never suspected that asshole to lie to me in such a way. It was the whole basis of why I even trusted him in the first place.

Yes, yes fae can not lie, or to be more specific they can'tverballylie. Their actions on the other hand can. For example, Eli's current course of action. I can't believe my other side hasn't seen through his half-truths, his diversions of conversations, his obvious avoidance of topics. Above all that stupid nonsense about being ambassadors of Dracool.

If that conversation he had with the king was the truth about us being ambassadors then, he must have spoken with Alexander at some point.

With how I was trapped here with Alexander being my only companion until recently I could only assume they must be working together. The question is did or did Eli not know he had sentenced me to that torture? I would like to say no, given how lacking Eli is in the schemes department. I have no doubt Alexander was the one to reach out to Eli first. Which means that this whole memory wipe was Alexander's idea. Clenching my hands into tight knots I took a very deep breath in. Calm down Everetta now is not the time to let your emotions get the best of you. I hastily whipped them away almost like batting away an annoying pest. Focus Everetta, focus!

Yet, as I navigated the aisles of my dream library, something shifted. Did the atmosphere suddenly drop like sixty degrees lower? Could Eli have infiltrated my subconscious mind as well? A subtle breeze blew past me carrying the subtle traces of winter. I didn't need the shift in temperature to warn me of the unwelcome presence as a shiver slid across my back. There he was—the boy from the other day. His magic was practically pulsing through the dreamscape. Who exactly was he? Ugh! I am so sick of fae messing with my mind,

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