The King's Queen

Chapter 34

My feet had hardly touched solid ground when the air was practically knocked out of me as what felt like a body collided with mine. I breathed in gingerly but whoever had me in their grasp continued holding me close with one one arm wrapped around my back and the other pressed firmly against the back of my head.

“Oh, Elizabeth.” Luca’s voice was nothing short of relief and he breathed in and out rapidly, as if he’d been deprived of oxygen and had gone months without taking a single breath. 

“I’m back,” I whispered.

The adrenaline rush from the stressful trip Garrett and I had endured was now quickly fading, so I settled for resting my head against his chest while my heart hammered to an unsteady rhythm.

Luca pulled back slowly, his powerful arms steadying me as I stumbled forward. His clear eyes searched my own with so much concern and anguish that my heart twisted in my chest with guilt. He swallowed hard and nodded to himself. “You’re unharmed.”

“Do you know how worried sick Luca was?!” Rosaline yelled. “He was going out of his mind wondering what happened to you!”

My eyes followed the direction of her voice to see that she was holding Garrett against the wall by his throat. He was barely conscious and groaned as he blinked his eyes open. I’d thought Garrett was standing beside me, but I guess she’d had him in her grasp from the moment we got back—literally. It was common knowledge that Origens were fast and Origins were even faster, but Rosaline’s speed seemed unreal, too unnatural to even be called speed. I hadn’t even seen her move past us. Then again, I hadn’t seen Luca until he already had his arms around me. I would be like them soon...

That thought stirred up emotions I hadn’t felt since hearing the announcement that I too was an Origin. I’d been shocked and confused and even now there was a small voice in the back of my mind telling me it wasn’t possible and that I would never shift; that I would remain like a human for the rest of my life. Perhaps I wanted it to be true. In a few days, or maybe even hours, I would become something I knew absolutely nothing about, and at that thought, my belly clenched with dread.

My lips trembled in sorrow, and Luca pulled me closer to himself. His eyes were calmer now and his touch softer as he rubbed affectionate circles around my back. He couldn’t read my mind and he didn’t know exactly what was wrong, but he knew that something was wrong and that was enough for him to want to comfort me.

“Garrett did nothing wrong,” I explained softly. “I was the one who convinced him to take me to Crysauralia.”

“The mighty Luca finally shows his soft side.” A velvety voice floated to me. Malekh entered the room wearing the all too familiar, cryptic smile of his that he often donned like a mask. “I’ve never seen you look so afraid.” He turned to Garrett and sighed. “I didn’t think you were someone who’d be so easily persuaded. You shouldn’t make any unnecessary moves, Garrett. I have a valuable hostage.”

Malekh turned back to us and I could feel Luca’s anger radiating off him in groves. “If your man so much as breathes near my daughter again, I’ll restore this castle to the very stones it was made from.”

“What a scary thing to say, Luca,” Malekh murmured, although he didn't look scared in the slightest. “My people will be careful from now on. Release him, Rosaline. It will do no good for you to kill him.”

“I should,” she growled, releasing him with so much force he flew a few feet away.

“Elizabeth, the star of the show... I’m curious. How did you convince Garrett to defy us?” Malekh queried.

I looked away from Malekh, not wanting to get Garrett or myself tangled up in his web.

“I suppose you offered him something he wanted,” Malekh mused, stroking the shadow of his beard. “He would never do anything for free. I guess you told him that you would talk to me and if you expected me to agree, then you must have had an ace up your sleeve.” He snapped his fingers. “That’s it, isn’t it?”