Page 94 of Royal Havoc

“Play nice, or I’ll lock you in the jacket,” he warns before letting me go.

Air races to my burning lungs, extinguishing the fire. “I’m bored,” I rasp.

His finger traces the salty streak down my cheek. “He’ll be here. You’ll get to play soon enough.”

The thought of seeing his face has excited giggles bubbling from my raspy throat. “I wanna put her in the white room.”

He kisses my forehead. “Okay,” he agrees, and I bounce on my toes. “Anything for my princess.”

I prop myself against the wall, watching Onyx while I wait for him to return with the jacket.

“Why didn’t you listen to your friend? Zoey?” I ask out loud, wondering if she even hears me. “You better watch out for thatone. She totally wants your guy. Vexen? Anyway,” I ramble, undoing the straps. “I caught her peeking in his windows one night after a party.”

B returns with the straight jacket, helping me strap her in tight, and then he carries her down the hall to the padded room.

forty-nine

Sharing’s Caring

Onyx: 2024

Twenty-three steps to the white padded floor.

Fake leather crunches under the weight of my body when he drops me like a sack of potatoes in the middle of the room.

She grabs my chin, forcing my head up. “You should rest, Dark Queen. The monsters come out at night,” she warns, following Mr. B out.

The bright lights dim within seconds, no longer burning my twitchy eye. More chaos adds itself to the mix.

I have an older sister… Why didn’t she tell me? I think some of the squares have blood stains on them… Zoey wants Vex? The pictures at Dad’s were different… Is this the place Mom brought me to? Why did they give her away? She hates the city… DidMom know Nolan was a liar? I should tell Vex I love him… Zoey was peeking in his windows? She smells like butterscotch and tulips… Is she the monster? Those look like scratch marks…

My brain tries to sort the never-ending chaos spinning inside my head. If reality is measured by normal, but you’ve lived your life submerged in crazy. Can you shatter the surface or live being forced to dangle between the layers, praying for answers?

Without thought, I slide over the crackling surface until I reach a wall. Now that my ankles are free, I’m able to shimmy my way to my feet. Balance eludes me, pushing me to rest a shoulder on the padded wall to steady myself on my feet. Gradually, I shuffle along the perimeter of the room, begging my sanity to piece itself back together.

Chills vibrate down my spine as I feel hidden eyes watching me. A layer of cold sweat drenches me beneath the straight jacket they’ve shoved me into.

Dad called me his Dark Queen… I remember…

When I cried at night from the scary dreams, he would tell me I was the dark queen, and the monsters had to listen to me.

Onyxberries.

We planted blackberry bushes one summer along the edge of the cliffside, and he called them Onyxberries.

So many memories fade to questions, conjuring a blanket of anxiety. My chest constricts, making it hard to breathe while my head turns fuzzy, and I wobble on my toes. Vexen’s voice whispers in the air, reminding me I’m home and no one can hurt me here.

I notice the door start to open, and I migrate towards the furthest corner, putting distance between me and the intruder. “I forgot how shitty this place was,” Nolan says, glancing around the padded cell.

“Go away.”

He leans further into the room. “What was that? Your throat’s a little dry,” he mocks.

Anger calmly seeps into my blood, awakening my lethargic muscles. For the moment, the never-ending clutter in my head rests, allowing me to focus on his calculating face.

“All of it was fake,” I say as a statement, already knowing his answer. “How did you meet her?” I ask, tilting my head, really studying his face for the first time.

“It took me a while to find Brock. We were separated growing up. And, when I finally found him, he was already head over heels for your whack job sister.” He shrugs.

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