Page 61 of Royal Lies

"Don't you fucking dare!" Eli commanded, the ground freezing over with sharp tendrils of ice as a dome was erected around them.

Lucarious, he was just playing a game again; he had to be. I mean, there is no way Eli would keep something so major as ourmemories coming back from me. Because-Because if he had his memories back, why not me?

Eli and I were supposed to be soulmates, half of one another, so if logic proved to be true, that means I should have also received all my memories, and I-I haven't, so-so Lucarious has to be lying; he has to be.

Yet, why does Eli seem so angry? Why did he say that?

They were saying something but I couldn't see them anymore. I could only listen to the sound of their voices.

"Oh, nothing too big, just a little modification to the bargains we made yesterday. You and Everettawillhelp me in regards to my status as king-" Lucarious was saying something, a bargain, what bargain?

Magics', my head hurts- it hurts- why does it hurt-why did Eli keep this a secret from me? Why aren't I getting my memories back? No, no, he wouldn't; he couldn't have, but then who? We're soulmates. "-I won't tell her about your little secret and of course of our dear little Flynn's situation. Though I suppose he shouldn't be called Flynn now, should he? What's more, who knows if the real deal is even alive." Lucarious was saying, but the only thing I could hear was the small ringing in my head.

Magics', it hurts so much. Why did it hurt so much, and what the hell did that little prince have to do with-

Memories were flashing too fast, too quickly. I needed to go back, to head back-

I can't move-

My body, ugh! It hurts.

"-she is a bit unstable at the moment and we both know what would happen if she were to ever find out about him-" Lucarious words were going in and out in and out. Ugh! Using the last of my magic I flashed myself back to my room collapsing to the ground as the air around me shifted from a warm winter's breath to a burning inferno of light. Except this wasn't my room.

It was as if this place held some sort of healing remedy for my headaches, as the rhythmic thumping against my brain soothed down. I looked around the dusty basement examining all the books confined on the shelf. The cobwebs connected each book to one another.

The dust was so heavy in the air it was getting hard to breathe. Looking up I spotted the single circular stained glass window far above. Yet despite that, the room was pretty well-lit. Glancing over at the light bulbs hanging from the ceiling I wondered perhaps if they might have been embedded with light ruins.

A fae can embed their magic onto an object or being by placing a ruin on them, for both living and nonliving. Which was why ruins were harder to cast than simple spells. Spells are like a one-and-done sort of casting whereas in ruins you need to embed more magic so that you can ensure that the magic remains even if you don't cast it constantly.

Sure enough, I could see a small ruin on the socket. A sign of a small sun. Makes sense that way you don't have to embed magic onto each light bulb you use. Walking around the room I couldn't help but feel drawn to this place, like-

Placing a hand on my chest I wondered why my heart was starting to feel- it was feeling off. From the corner of my gaze, I spotted something- a picture?

Taking a step closer I could see that it was hung in a rather odd place. I mean what kind of weirdo would place it-

Huh, that was odd, why-

A girl with bright blond loose curls held up bunny ears over a boy with light nearly white-blue hair in the photo. Her beaming face was a sharp contrast to the boy's calm tender smile as he looked at the girl. Anyone could tell how much affection he held for her, yet the girl, me, I realized, was ignorant to it all as she faced her smiling lips at the camera. I mean I barely even metFlynn, and the only time we were together was when I snuck out to meet him that one time for the red powder thingy. So how were we in a picture together?

Ugh!

I knew it was too good to be true. The throbbing began anew as it clanged over and over like an annoying cymbalist just clapping away.

"Oh, my magics! Why would you put it there of all places?" The girl with golden hair- me, she was me. She was asking the boy, Flynn, something. She was asking about the placement of the photo I had been staring at, I realized.

Shrugging, the boy stared back at the girl, his warm blue eyes conveying all he wished to say but couldn't, "Mmm, that way I have something beautiful to look at when I work."

The girl turned towards the center table, noting for the first time the odd placement made it possible that from where she normally saw the boy working, that he could see the picture every time he'd looked up.

The girl snorted a very unladylike laughter as she peered back at the boy, amused and wildly confused, "What's beautiful about that?" The girl asked genuinely curious.

Looping a lock of the girl's hair over her ear to catch the girl's attention the boy replied, "Something worth dying for."

The girl flushed finally understanding what the boy meant. Trying to cover her reddening cheeks she punched the boy lightly on the shoulders, "Pft- please, that was so cringy. Magics' is that your hook-up line for every girl you charm?"

Not put off by the girl's fluster, the boy shrugged, "I'm just stating the truth. Everett-" But before the boy could finish his words a blond-haired boy came striding in, his elegant blond waves combed to perfection with it neatly styled in the most trendy hairstyle of that era.

"Ellie! What brings you to our humble abode!" The girl grinned, her smile was ever-present as she looped her arms around the boy nearly tackling him down. With a sneer, the boy pushed her off him.

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