Elle set the book down and faced me. “The truth?”
I sat on the edge of Elle’s bed. “Liam left me a piece of hair to do a memory spell. He killed my mom… sort of. But it was self-defense.”
I quickly recounted the whole memory as Elle sat there, lips turned into a frown. “I’m sorry, Lil. It’s awful, but I knew Liam was someone we could trust.”
Yeah. Me too.
Deep down, I should have known… but still, he did kill my mother, and I wasn’t sure how to get that out of my head. Maybe I needed to stop making my mother perfect. She was amazing, and I loved her. But what she did, threatening to let Cain die and trying to shoot Liam… it wasn’t right.
My mother was wrong.
“I’m sorry too.”
I stood, and we embraced before I pulled away quickly. “Now, help me. I just summoned Indra here to question her about Mara’s cuffs and the memory stuff.”
Elle’s eyes widened. “An official summons?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t send it in writing, but I sent Trissa to get her… armed with her sword.”
Elle’s eyebrows hit her hairline. “Okay, if she lies to you in front of witnesses, it’s treason. Are you ready to kill her?”
My throat went dry. “Over lying?” I gulped.
Elle tapped the book in her hands. “Lying to the Queen is punishable by death.”
Whoa.
That was a little harsh… but now I wondered if I should question her about the sleeping potion too. That was punishable by death in my book.
“How will I know she’s lying?” Maybe there was a spell or something.
Elle shrugged. “You won’t unless you catch her.”
I relaxed a little. “Okay, so we’ll take an… official statement today, and if she’s found later to be lying…”
Elle dragged her finger across her throat. “Off with her head.”
Well, that was dramatic… but accurate. I needed to remember that it was her who changed my mother’s memories, and mine, to hide my true lineage. I was going to get everything on record and do things by the book. That way, when the Queen woke, she would know what had transpired.
“Will you assist me? Give me counsel and take notes of her answers?” I asked Elle.
She bowed deeply, mockingly in a playful way. “As you wish my liege.”
She was enjoying this royalty thing way too much.
There was a knock at the door. “Your guest has arrived,” Trissa’s voice called out, and I straightened my back.
“Wait,” Elle whispered, running over to her desk and opening a small wooden box. “Kira gave this to me for safe keeping.” Pulling out my crown, she crossed the room quickly and laid it over my head.
It was official. I was a temp Queen.
Breathing in, I took a deep lungful of air to steady myself. “I’m ready.”
Elle nodded curtly, her brown hair bobbing as she led the way.
I followed Elle and Trissa into the library where Indra sat, casually reading a book. Maybe it was seeing her after a long time, or maybe it was the relaxed way in which she leafed through a book like she didn’t have a care in the world, but it pissed me off. Seeing her enraged me.
“Thank you for coming in for questioning.” I kept my voice sharp, and she froze.
The word ‘questioning’ had gotten her attention.
“Tris said you wanted to ask me something…” She set the book down and looked up to meet my eyes, bowing her head the slightest bit as protocol demanded.
Elle took a seat next to her, pulling out a pad of paper and pen. “I’m recording the date and time. Questioning Elder Indra of Summer Court,” Elle told me, and I nodded curtly.
Indra’s eyes widened the slightest bit. “This all feels very official. Is something wrong?”
Her gaze flicked up to my crown, and I could practically see her fighting a sneer.
“That depends on your answers.” I remained standing, pausing for effect. “Did you know I was of royal blood before you saw my light magic display the other day?”
She shook her head vigorously. “Of course not, child. I’m still in shock. A living heir right under our noses this whole time. It’s wonderful.”
Bitch was a good actress, I’d give her that. But my mother would never lie to me, and her journal stated differently. I just wasn’t sure what my options were right now. The people were depending on me to lead them. Executions on the second day wouldn’t speak well of my reign.
“Have you ever manipulated my memory?” I asked the next question, and there was a flicker of fear in her face before it was gone.
“Memory manipulation? No, no, never.”
I looked to Elle, who nodded, indicating she’d written it down.
Taking a step closer to Indra, I scowled. “This next question is… more of an order.” I pulled my lips back in what I hoped was the fakest smile manageable. “I’m going to need you to release Mara from her imprisonment. She’s paid her time.”
Silence.
Indra’s nostrils flared and I knew she wanted to tell me that it was not up to me to decide the length of Mara’s punishment, but she cleared her throat instead. “The imprisonment is lifelong and was encoded into the magic of the cuff. It cannot be reversed.”
Anger pulsed through my veins like hot oil. Now, it was my turn to flare my nostrils. “So… If I were to place a pair on you, let’s say accidentally, there would be no way to reverse that… accident?”
Elle’s pen froze, stopping its movement, and Indra stayed stock still, only her wings showing she was agitated. They quivered at her back as if begging her to take flight.
“No.” Her voice could cut glass. She stood, facing me down in a direct challenge, and I wondered if I’d gone too far. “There would not. So, I would suggest you don’t make any accidents.”
As much as I didn’t want to believe her… it felt true. This evil woman made something permanent that couldn’t be taken away. How was she even powerful enough to do that? Freeing Mara wasn’t going to happen… and my heart plummeted at the thought.
“Last question,” I told her. “Did you give the Queen snoozeberry juice in order to keep her in a coma?”
No one moved, not even me. I hadn’t planned on asking her this officially, but I wanted everything recorded and ready to present to the Queen when she woke.
Indra’s face pulled back into a snarl. “Absolutely not!”
There was the perfect amount of emotion in her voice and splashed across her face, but I just didn’t believe her.
“Is that all?” She crossed her arms. “You’ve taken my home, and I’d like to finish setting up my new one by the river.”
You’ve taken my home.
Bitch, you have no idea what you’d taken from me, I wanted to say.
“One more thing.” I reached out, lightning-quick, and she flinched, bringing her arms up to block what she must have assumed was going to be an assault. Instead, I pulled away a strand of her long orange hair, holding it between my fingers.
Her eyes went wide. “Did you just—”
“We should be going.” Trissa stepped forward, hand out to usher Indra away. “You want to get everything set up today in your new place, right?”