Page 20 of The Witch Queen

“We can attempt to recruit our own men,” Parnell suggests. “But with the state of the realm, it may be difficult to gather, much less train, a sufficient number in time. By my estimations, we have the capacity to hold Darnley’s estate for the winter, but after that…”

He trails off and a vision of Rycinthia storming through the mountain barrier blooms in his silence, Mother and the Heirs and evenJacquettaat their head. A crow calls outside the window. I catch sight of my reflection in the glass. The Bloodstone crown glitters on my head.

From the darkness will rise a queen.

The words of the prophecy resound in my mind. Iamthat queen. Iknow it in my bones. And I’m not going to allow Mother, Selene, or anyone else prove otherwise.

I willnotfail.

“Arrange the visit,” I say to Parnell. “I want this done with as soon as possible.”

—

The council meeting wraps up shortly after that, but the sting of Darnley’s betrayal refuses to fade. Angry as I am with Parnell’s error in judgment, I’m far more furious with myself. I should have guessed the covens would be planning something like this. Should have instructed Shade or Callen to watch Darnley, or at least the border, more closely. But I can’t do anything about it now. Nettle lopes out from wherever she’d been hiding and winds herself around my ankles as I enter my chambers. She meows in concern, likely sensing my mood.

“I’m fine,” I assure her. “Just in need of a bath.”

She trills in what I take as agreement and trots away. But as desperate as I am to scrub the grime of the Mine explosion from my skin, more pressing questions buzz inside my skull.

I go to my mirror and pull back the curtain. “Callen.”

The glass wavers and then the imprisoned king’s face appears.

“Oh, you’re alive,” he says with a yawn. “I heard a rumor that you were dead. Pity.”

Nettle hisses at him.

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

“I’m quite accustomed to your shortcomings,” he replies. “A shame about that Mine, by the way. There were perfectly good hunting grounds near there. Ruined now, I suppose. Just like everything else you touch.”

He really is insufferable. “Fetch Shade and scour the areas around the Mines. If there are any witches left, I want them found. Darnley as well.”

Callen snorts. “No surprise thathebetrayed you. The man hadtraitorwritten all over him.”

“Then why didn’t you warn me about him?”

“How could I? I didn’tknowwhat he was up to. Not for certain,” he says, grinning in that way that Iloathe.

“It doesn’t matter now,” I snap, heading to the sideboard to pour myself a glass of wine. “We’ll take care of him soon enough. Rycinthia as well. I’ve decided to invite your sister here. Recruit her army.”

“Margaret?” Callen huffs. “Good luck with that.”

“Why? What’s she like?”

“She’s the most intolerable woman alive—aside from you, of course,” he says, sweeping an appraising gaze up and down my body. “Always scheming with my brothers. Once, she locked me in the crypt overnight. When I finally found my way out, she then insisted that I’d died and bribed everyone to pretend they couldn’t see me.”

I nearly choke on my next sip of wine. Even Nettle trills in what I take as laughter. “She sounds delightful.”

“Oh, I hope you find her so,” Callen replies. “I’m sure she’s matured into a reasonable woman and not a conniving, selfishbitch.”

“Is that the only word you can think to use to describe a powerful woman?”

He smirks. “I’ll let you know when I meet one.”

Sometimes I really do wish I had killed this man when I had the opportunity.

“Just tell me how best to persuade her to join our cause.”