Page 95 of Of Vows and War: Special Edition
“Regardless, it is similar. Any chance you did it and do not remember?”
“Absolutely not. Maybe if we get drunk tonight I will tell you all about what they did to me and what I did in return, but that isnot one of them. They had Sterling in those dungeons for the last year. He was being impersonated by a Shifter the entire time. Why they took those memories, I am not sure, but they did it somehow.”
“You talking about me like I am not here would be funny if what you were saying was not horrifying,” Sterling grumbled, crossing his arms.
“Well, I did try to tell you before,” I teased. “At least now you know I was not crazy.”
“Debatable.”
“You wound me.” I feigned outrage, bringing my hand to my heart. He shook his head, chuckling softly. If only I could help him. For all my strength and abilities, I still could not figure this out. It was infuriating. “We also need to start making decisions about this war.”
“Wrong,” Bellamy cut in, smiling widely as he grabbed me by the hips and pulled me forward. “We have a wedding to plan.”
“Ew, Bell! Why are you covered in so much blood?” Noe asked, scrunching her nose.
“The war takes priority,” I clarified, glaring at Bellamy.
“Meh, wedding first, war later.”
“Bellamy,” I growled.
“Asher,” he crooned.
“Sterling?” I whipped my head around at the sound of the new voice, catching sight of the girl’s golden curls before I really registered who it was.
“Gen?” Sterling asked in response, the disbelief in his tone heartbreaking.
Genevieve stood in front of Henry, the rays of light from his magic fading from her form. She looked beautiful, dressed in clothes that I knew were mine and seemed to fit her just as perfectly as they did me. Tears made her brown eyes glassy and the emotions that flooded her left her cheeks flushed.
Sterling pushed off the bed with wide eyes and open arms, looking as if he might crumble at the sight of her. Brother and sister ran to each other, both of them sobbing. And when he caught her in his arms and held her so tight it must have hurt, I thought it had to have been one of the most lovely things I ever bore witness to.
“Well, with that sorted out,” I said, clearing my throat of the emotions, “back to the war.”
Genevieve took her turn to silence me, letting go of her brother and using her fist to whip herself around. Knuckles connected with my left eye, snapping my head back and sending pain through my neck. Gods she packed a good punch.
Chaos broke loose then, with the majority of the room flocking around me. I grabbed my face, feeling liquid seep from my eyebrow. A really good punch, apparently. With my good eye, I watched as Henry grabbed Genevieve around her torso and held her back, Sterling looking on with a comical face of horror.
“That is for my people you slaughtered, you bitch!” Genevieve shouted, reaching out as if to claw at me.
“People who were attempting to kill innocents!” Noe yelled back, her hands balled at her sides and leaking shadows as she stepped in front of me. Bellamy was shaking from fury as he held his arms around me.
“Leash your girl or I will hang her from one,” he hissed to Henry. It was too much, everyone’s emotions were coagulating, rushing me and attempting to convince me they were my own. Too many reunions. Too many beings. Too many feelings.
Too many.
“Everyone calm down!”
My magic brought each of them to heal, silence overtaking the space. Glorious, sweet silence.
“Genevieve, I am sorry for what I did to your soldiers. I wish there had been other options, but there were not. You are morethan right to hate me, but this is not the time or the place to hash it out.” The mortal princess huffed as she slackened in Henry’s arms, his face showing every emotion he felt.
Anger. Lust. Fear. Obsession.
Love.
“No matter what we all want, this war will happen. The rebels in Betovere are active, and knowing Mia, this will push her to make strategic moves. Xavier’s memories will do very little now that Mia is in charge, but we can likely guess what she will do. Her best bet is to continue to make the fae terrify us. She needs those fae more afraid of the demons than angry with their ruler. To do that, she will spin what happened in the Fire Lands as an act of terrorism. Of war. We must be ready and united.”
I looked each of them in the eyes, willing them all to submit. I was a born queen. This was my destiny.
