Page 28 of Fates of Monsters

“Can I have a hug?” she asks.

I blanch. “I don’t hug but thank you.” I get why Paxton is wary of how friendly she is. It should be illegal for anyone to be that friendly. Thankfully, she lowers her hands as I step away from her. “See you around.”

I use the wind to whip around me, pushing me high into the sky and out of the fields. Learning to fly has been interesting. I’ve fallen flat on my face more than once, but it’s a good use of my powers. I saw my mother could do it, and she isn’t doing something I can’t. It’s easy now to coast through the breezes, through the currents in the air that whisk around the mountain. I land outside the mountain on a ledge that looks over the forest, spreading far beyond into the destruction of the former cities. I sit down, pulling my knees up to my chest to keep the warmth in. I let my dark hair wrap around me as I relax for a moment. Flying reminds me of being a bat, being in that form, of being trapped, but at the same time, it’s the most freeing experience.

Flying means something to me.

I nearly jump when I feel someone land right next to me, right before her scent hits me. I look over to see my mother appear, like she appeared out of nothing. She’s wearing a gold gown covered in expensive jewels, diamonds clipped into a headpiece on her head. She actually looks like a goddess now. “Did you go and raid one of the cities in your time away?”

“The witches,” she answers with no shame. She always answers honestly to me. I’ll give her that. “Someone needed to sort them out, and I made it perfect for you to return now and claim your throne.”

I frown at her. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You’re a witch. Well, your father was a witch and you’re half a witch, half goddess. You were never mortal like you believed.” After dropping that bombshell on me, she carries on with her insane plan. “The witches need a new ruler, someone with power. There’s a trial you have to go through to take the throne called The Hex. Deadly, but you will win it.”

“You—”

“Before you say no, there isn’t a choice for you, and I’m not breaking any of the rules set out by your queen.” She flashes me a smile. “I can’t rule, but you can.”

“I’m not going to rule the witches. I hate them,” I snap.

“Then be their queen and make them suffer. I don’t care what you do when you rule.” She waves a hand at me, and I bite down on my lip to stop myself from shouting at her. “Prince Lorenzo, that mate of yours? His ex-fiancée is also taking The Hex, along with three others. If any of them win, then they’re going to be a problem for you. A real big problem for your mate because they’ll want him dead.”

I grit my teeth. “And why do you think that’s my problem?”

“Don’t lie to me about your fated mate.” She rolls her eyes at me like I’m a clueless child. “I know how much it lures you back, even now. The witches may have been your enemy once, but now they are looking for someone strong to rule them. Don’t you want to know about your father’s family? They live in the city. They spent years trying to get you out.” She yawns. “That’s why the witches got you in the first place. He was going to see his family with you.”

“How did that end with my kidnapping?” I question.

She looks at her nails. “One of his family members betrayed him to the queen. You know everything else after that.”

I’m part witch. Part of the people who I want dead for hurting me, for taking anything good about me and crushing it. “Why should I come with you?”

“I’m using the deal we made,” she coos, offering me her hand. I close my eyes, remembering back to that moment that I made that awful deal.

My mother sits in her seat, in her icy prison. “I made it clear that the gods would not come out of their hiding places. Some of them want to stay.” She lifts her hands. “They like their prisons. They’re not interested in saving mortals. All of them betrayed us. They won’t come out. Not unless I give them a reason to. Not unless I ask nicely.”

I wave to the door where Calli just went through. “You just said—”

“And I lied. Gods lie. Get used to that. If you want our help in the war to make sure you survive it, I want to make a deal with you.”

I cross my arms. “What kind of deal?”

“When I want something, I can ask for it and you will do it. It won’t cause your death. Or the death of anyone you love. I promise you that,” she offers. “But if you want me to convince my siblings, then this is the deal we take.”

My heart pounds as I look down, knowing I can’t refuse her. We cannot lose the war.

I open my eyes, feeling the mark of the deal humming on the back of my arm where it appeared. “Fine.”

She offers me her hand, looking pleased. “Let’s go and show them what true power is, my air-born daughter of the witches.”

Continue with Posy’s/Lorenzostandalone story here…

G. Bailey is a USA Today and international bestselling author of books that are filled with everything from dragons to pirates. Plus, fantasy worlds and breath-taking adventures.

G. Bailey is from the very rainy U.K. where she lives with her husband, two children, three cheeky dogs and one cat who rules them all.

(You can find exclusive teasers, random giveaways and sneak peeks of new books on the way in Bailey’s Pack on Facebook or on TIKTOK— gbaileybooks)

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