Page 59 of The Queen & the King

My eyes lock on the mirror, realization settling in.

If you need me, call for me.

My power explodes from me. The mirror shatters, and all the lights in the palace go out. I slam my hand against the glass,cutting my palm. I let my blood pool before I draw the ancient summoning symbol on the counter.

When I lock eyes in the shattered mirror again, the reflection is no longer mine but a woman bearing a striking resemblance to Nyx. She has midnight hair and fine features, but her eyes are black as if filled with ink.

The woman smirks, tossing her head back with a haunting, echoing laugh. “Well, well, to be summoned by the king.”

“Your queen is in danger. I cannot interfere.”

My hands are useless, but those under my command are not.

“You know the price,” she says, her face shattered in the broken mirror.

“I’ll pay it.”

She laughs again, that haunting, cursed laugh.

She begins to fade from the mirror, but I narrow my eyes.

“Nemesis. Bring me his hands.”

She laughs one more time before disappearing from the mirror.

Thirty-Seven

Persephone

IBLINK AGAIN, TRYING TO CLEAR MY VISION, BUT EVERYTHING IS SO BLURRY.The only sounds are my heartbeat thundering in my ear, and I’m vaguely aware of Adonis screaming in pain. I’m not sure how I even do it, but I pull the spines back, needing to get out from under his weight.

My body shivers as I feel the power in the room shift again. The hair on the back of my neck stands. This is not the usual godly power I’m used to feeling. This power is almost malevolent. The ghostly sound of a haunting laugh seems to come from every direction, surrounding us.

A black orchid appears in front of me. It is just one plant, but it’s enough life to jumpstart my quicker divine healing. My vision clears, and while I’m still bleeding from a myriad of wounds, I definitely feel stronger.

Adonis whimpers as he is slowly lifted off me. I roll over on the floor to face him. His body is bleeding from the multiple stab wounds my thorns created. A red-hued smoke wraps around him, suspending him in the air. Terror fills his eyes. My stomach rolls as I realize that I’m finding satisfaction in seeing himbroken and scared. He is feeling exactly how he enjoyed making me feel. My guilt completely dissipates with that realization.

“W-what are you doing to me?” Adonis stutters, looking at me, panicked.

I tilt my head, watching him, trying to work out if it truly is me that’s doing this. My question is answered not a moment later when that sinister laugh echoes around us again, the red smoke tightening on him.

“You thought you could take a queen, little man.”

The voice sends a shiver down my spine. I look around, trying to find the owner of it, but the restaurant is still empty, save for Adonis and me.

The smoke slowly creeps up, swallowing his neck, chin, mouth, and nose until it completely consumes him.

A woman appears next to Adonis’s covered form. While the smoke seems to caress her form, sliding over her smoothly, it seems jagged and unsettled around Adonis as if trying to repel him.

She bows to me. “My queen.”

I blink, and my chest heaves as I look at her. Queen? Me?

In a blink, they are both gone, and I look around the restaurant, needing someone else to have witnessed that apart from me. I struggle to my feet. Wincing, I hobble to the entrance of the restaurant. There is only so much a single flower can do.

I feel an overwhelming sense of relief that my mother isn’t there to greet me. She obviously believed the night would be extended. She knew what she was pushing me into. How could she do that to me? At what point am I going to stop believing the best of her?

I think of my conversation with Hades when he asked me to take his side, when he said, “She’s still your mother.” While biologically that is true, she has never been a mom. For thatreason, and so many others, I’m certain that choosing him is right. I will always choose Hades.

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