Page 74 of Queen of Ever

Around her, seedlings were creeping from the ground, stretching towards her, budding and flowering.First one, then another and another, an array of different colours blooming in the mossy ground around her, like she was the centre of a kaleidoscope.

‘I think you already know I’m in love with you too,’ she said.

‘I know nothing of the sort.Tell me in lots of detail about how in love with me you are.’

Her eyes caught on something above me, and she raised her eyebrows.‘Apparently enough to create butterflies.’

I looked up to see that some of the bubbles were changing, contracting in and reshaping until they were a flutter of pearlescent wings.One of them floated down towards us and Imogen reached out a hand.It landed in her upturned palm, wings quivering.It seemed not quite substantial, almost crystalline in appearance, like it was still part bubble.‘See if you can make it solid.’

She chewed her lip, frowning at her creation as she seemed to try to feel her way around the intention.I kept quiet, letting her focus.Finally, a deep blue began to sift through the creature’s wings, and the rest of the colours followed suit, edging the wings in coal black, spotting them with white, until it looked as much a real butterfly as any I’d ever seen.With a flicker of its wings, it flew away again and we watched it drift over towards Cassian, whose expression had become less scowling and more surprised.

‘Have I… created life?’Imogen asked, face suddenly troubled.

‘That, I don’t know.The only one I’ve ever heard of having creation magic was Oberon, so I don’t know much about how it works.It might genuinely be a butterfly you just created.It might just be magic given form that will fall apart in a few hours.You’ll have to experiment with your limits.How are you feeling?’

‘A little woozy to be honest.’

‘It’ll take some getting used to.You’ll strengthen your abilities with use, like strengthening muscle, but it always drains your energy.’

She brushed her hand through the flowers that had sprouted around her, stopping to rub a petal between her fingers.‘Do you think I’m going to be able to figure out how to access it myself, or am I always going to need you standing by, ready to touch me when I need to use it?’

I laughed.‘I don’t see any problems with option number two.’

‘Unless we’re in the middle of a war.’

Some of the humour and buoyancy drained out of the moment.‘The touching was just to help you get a feel for it.You’ll likely find it easier now,’ I said more soberly.‘But there’s no reason for us to test that in a battle.’

‘You know that’s not true,’ she replied.‘Neither Solas nor Moriana is going to leave me alone if I have the right to challenge them for their throne.Whether we help the rebels or not, this is going to come to some sort of fight.’

Those words sat heavily on my shoulders, and regret for my part in it all clogged my throat.I brushed the backs of my fingers along her jaw, drawing her eyes back to me.Her expression was serious, tense, as her gaze held mine, and I was gripped by a desperate need to hide her, to closet her away in the furthest reaches of some far-flung place where no one would find her, where no one could hurt her.‘I should have let you run,’ I said, voice cracking.

‘Solas already knew what I was.He still would have come for me if you had.’She touched my hand, holding it against her cheek.‘I’m glad you didn’t,’ she soothed.

I scanned her face, the softness in her eyes, the smile around their edges, and wondered how she could look at me with so much warmth when I had put her in so much danger.Wondered how I could deserve her.Decided not to dwell on that question in case it tempted some force into investigating the answer and realising the mistake.

Cassian was suddenly looming over us, and I realised I hadn’t even heard his approach, I’d been too engrossed in her.Dangerous, that.I had to be on my guard.

‘Looks like our time is almost up,’ he said as I climbed to my feet and helped Imogen up.‘Marietta has had word that the Unseelie Queen signed on the amendment after you took off, and they’re hunting out our location.We’ll be under attack before long.’He gave me a long, hard look.‘So I don’t know where that leaves you.’

Where did that leave me?I was more than ready to turn traitor, but fighting a losing battle was less appealing.I glanced at Imogen, saw how pale she’d turned.But there was a determined set to her jaw, her eyes resolute.And I swallowed a frustrated sigh.I just wanted her to be safe.It was hard to keep her safe when she was determined to hitch her wagon to theirs.

‘How are you preparing?’she asked Cassian.

‘That’s what they’re trying to decide.I’m going down to the queen now.Are you coming with me?’

Imogen met my eyes.

‘I go where you go,’ I reminded her, knowing there was no way I could get her to leave this fight now.

‘Yes,’ she said firmly, turning back to Cassian.‘I’m coming.I want to help.’

We joined Sylara and a collection of her inner circle in a wide, open chamber that looked like it had begun as a natural cave, with sections possessing the smooth, channelled face of rock honed by water and time.Other sections bore clear tool marks where the original cave had been widened and new tunnels and entrances added.There were members of her court milling around everywhere, talking quietly to in groups that weren’t part of the collective standing around a large central table, but weren’t quite excluded from it either.Not exactly a private space for a strategy meeting.

Sylara must have caught the scepticism in the way I surveyed the setting, because she addressed me when we joined her.‘There is no hierarchy here,’ she said.‘Everyone in this court is here because they choose to be.We all take the same risks, so we are all entitled to the same information and a share in finding solutions.All of our decision making is conducted in open forums so anyone who wants to contribute can do so.’

‘Sounds cumbersome,’ I said.

‘We deem it a worthwhile sacrifice to trade efficiency for equality,’ she replied evenly.

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