Page 45 of My Demon Desire
"It's a doppelganger," Kaden says the word like it's a curse. "The queen's puppet and messenger."
My heart races and I step closer to Kaden, my knuckles turning white on his arm.
The doppelganger cocks its head, giving us a mechanical grin.
"Greetings, Annalise and Kaden," it says in a flat voice that's loud enough to hear. "Her majesty requests your presence."
"Tell the fake queen she can go fuck herself," Kaden shouts.
The creature twitches as if slapped. "You have until dusk to come to the castle or your father, Reis, and Thorne will die."
My heart hammers in my chest and a cold shiver rocks through me.
"Kaden?" I turn and he pulls me into his chest. My pulse is racing and I feel like I'm going to be sick. Reis had told me that the queen wouldn't hurt my father because she'd want to use him as bait to get to me. But what about Reis and Thorne? Surely she doesn't care about two dark fae who revolted against her reign enough to keep them alive for long.
"We'll get them back," he whispers, kissing the top of my head. "Just do what I say. No matter how much it pains you, we have to be ready."
"For what?" I blink up at him, tears streaming down my face and he wipes them away with his bent finger so that his claws don't scratch me.
"For war." He rubs my back. "It's time to show the imposter we can't be toyed with. She's sat her ass on your father's and your throne way too long."
I nod, scrubbing away my tears. Morrigan is the one who exiled my grandmother. She needed to pay. And putting my father and my two men in danger, I'm going to rip her apart.
"What do we need to do?" I ask, looking around the kitchen like I'd find swords or hidden weapons.
Kaden chuckles, but his lips are drawn down. "If we had Reis here, he could do his magic to fortify the wards around us and the house. But since it's just you and me, we'll have to make do."
He hurries out of the kitchen and I run to keep up with him. In his room, he opens a wooden box with elaborate carvings on it that I can't make out. Maybe a man with deer horns?
On black velvet material lays a huge knife with a black and silver handle.
"For you." He holds the box up to me.
"Is it magical?" I brush my fingers along the handle and a stinging tingle radiates up my arm.
"No. It's iron. Any fae creatures come after you, stab them with this. If they're lesser fae, they'll die instantly."
I lift my gaze to meet his. "And if they're not?"
A smile pulls at the corner of his mouth. "They'll get really, really pissed if you cut them with it. So slice their throat or stab them here." He points to just below his pec in an upward motion. "You'll have to get between the ribs and reach the heart."
My stomach lurches and nausea roils in my stomach.
Swallowing hard, I nod, taking it from the box. It's heavier than I expected and I nearly drop it as a wave of fear washes over me.
"You can do this," he says, but my stomach churns and tears well in my eyes. He hands me a strap to tie around my waist with a holster for the knife.
I know he wants to comfort me, but I'm terrified that all of this is a mistake and I'm the fraud.
"What if you're all wrong about me?" My voice cracks as I tie the holster around my waist with the knife secure and tuck my shirt down over it. "What if I'm not royal at all and just some bastard quarter or eighth fae that doesn't mean anything in this world?"
"Annalise, you're a strong woman. You make the rules. If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, they only lie to themselves. You have more power than you know. Don't let others dictate your worth. Believe in yourself and you can do anything."
"But if I'm not related to the true heir," I persist. "Then I can't go against Queen Morrigan. She'd be in the right to kill me, my dad, all of you." My voice catches on a hiccup and a cry. "I never should've involved you three in this. I should've gone to the queen as soon as I figured out this wasn't the human world and begged for mercy. Now she probably thinks I've staged a coup."
"Stop, Annalise." Kaden takes my face in his hands and stares into my eyes. "Even if you didn't have a spec of fae blood, you are still the bravest person I know and our realm would be lucky to have you."
Kaden's words sink in, but I feel like something is off inside me. Like I'm not what he, Reis, and Thorne think I am.
