Page 187 of Death of a Mortal

But then again, it held some merit—the duality, the double sight, good versus evil. Did that mean my fire and shadow? My normal and my magical vision? Could this prophecyactuallybe about me?

No. Absolutely not.

“The theory then is this,” Malvina continued. “Because both the prophecy and the banished goddess happened around the time of your birth—the prophecy was made about you, a terrifying, powerful fae that could rule or ruin the world, and one goddess bestowed a special power within you to help tip the scales toward savior over destruction, leading to her banishment. That special vision of yours is unheard of, yes?”

Was…was she saying what I thought she was saying? Blood rushed in my ears, and my black and gray vision pulsed, making me shake my head. How could they be sure, of every fae born around my birth, I was the one it referred to?

“You understand, even if you do not comprehend,” Malvina finished with a grin.

I looked to Drayce next to me to find my shock, disbelief, and fear mirrored right back.

I knew before it happened what she was going to say next.

“That brings me to who I am to you. Any thoughts, Naci? You may speak.”

I swallowed. Gods, I hoped I was wrong. “You’re…Aemilia’s mother, Nella’s mother. You’re the black-haired homewrecker.” My anger was building, and though I couldn’t call to my vey form, I could feel the shadows raging inside. “You did something to her, to Keryth!” I thought of the manic journal entries—it had been Malvina. “You mind-controlled her to leave Cassius and me!”

She just smiled, revealing her sharp, fae canines. I saw all the proof I needed in her features.

“Your husband killed your own daughter, and youlethim!” Nella had been herchild… I couldn’t fathom how a mother could watch her daughter be butchered and do nothing, feel nothing.

Evil wasn’t a strong enough word. This female was something demented, twisted, like I couldn’t describe.

My mother had loved me. Nella’s? This bitch had to die.

Drayce dropped to his knees and let out a bellow of fury. He wasresisting…and he could move. He seemed to realize it the same moment I did. He launched his water magic at Malvina at the same time Bramick sent a sharp pillar of earth careening toward her.

Seems it wasn’t just me that picked up on her waning control.

In her rush to throw up a shield of raw magic, her mind control seemed to drop and the whole crew felt it. Despite the freedom to move now, I stood paralyzed in anger at Malvina’s revelation while Drayce conjured a storm overhead and Bramick shook the ground below. Kellan sent another throwing star directly at Malvina’s face as Bernitha abandoned all notion of magic and charged at the queen with her sword held high.

Her battle cry instilled hope in even my broken heart and prompted me to join in the attack, sending a shadow from one hand and flames from the other toward the queen.

With a scream of fury, Malvina threw her arms wide, and her shield exploded out from her in a barely visible wave that extinguished our magic and knocked Bernitha back off her feet.

As Zareth and Sevrin moved to protect the queen, she yelled, “Enough!” She looked angry for the first time, and it was a terrifying look on her. “Do nothing. These fools are no match for me.”

Her mind control doubled down in my brain and immediately ceased all movement in me and everyone else too. Even Zareth and Sevrin. She must have been truly angry to control the ones on her side.

Or she was losing control. One could only hope…

With a deep breath and a moment of silence, during which she smoothed her hair down and wiped her brow, she continued. “Excellent, Naci, very good. Yes, I am Aemilia’s mother. It’s funny, really. Your whole little rebellion became what it is now because of me. You see, I sought the child in the prophecy after substantial research with Sevrin. At the time, I was just a maiden, powerful, but with no royal bloodline to seat me on a throne. And I found you. As if the power within you from the fallen goddess called to me.

“At first, I observed your family from afar, watching you andforming a plan to take you. But the way Cassius had looked at your mother, I found myself wanting to be looked at that way, so I needed to get rid of Keryth and become your mother instead of steal you. This way, too, I could raise and shape you as needed. Two birds, as they say… I planted an obsession in Keryth’s mind, drove her crazy with thoughts of a rebellion growing in Elyndor.”

“That is a lie! You have nothing to do with our cause!” Drayce broke through once more, drawing an annoyed look from Malvina.

“You insolent fools! No talking unless spoken to!”

The command set in over my mind. Her power terrified me, feeling like an ever-present pressure in my head despite the few moments of reprieve we’d all found from our emotions.

Zareth and Sevrin seemed to have been released from Malvina’s magic, and they stood behind her, heads following her when she started to pace.

“I planted the idea in her pretty little head so that she would leave Cassius and just maybe kill Caedryn for me—another two birds. So yes, Drayce, the rebellion’s favorite leader only sought the cause because I planted the idea in Keryth’s mind. If the rebellion could kill the powerful Pyrrath that occupied my future throne, I would have an easier time seizing it.”

Something feral snarled within me when she said Drayce’s name. I wanted to scream and rage at her, rip the tongue from her mouth that had uttered his name. But I was powerless to disobey her order of silence.

But not her order to remain still.