When Stars Fall(The Last Star Trilogy #3)

Chapter 29-McKenna Scorpio

I cursed in Greek. Watching Jaxon undress, revealing his wrinkled skin now turn to scales was disturbing and made a shiver run up my spine. His four heads dangled in the air, hissing in unison. Belle, Alec and Lydia were talking with that old woman whose name I had learned was Hellen.

"That's his mother?" I snorted. She was wrinkled and her grey hair was a joke to me. Unlike Mom who still managed to look twenty years younger. She could easily be mistaken as my older sister and not my mother. It had killed me on the inside to keep Mom's plan secret all these years. Father had explained to me when I was nine years old that Elliot and Kyle' mother wasn't mine. A few days later Queen Sophie Serpens showed up at Eurice's Manor and told me she was my mother. I had known all this time and had to pretend otherwise. Technically, Elliot and Kyle were my half brothers, though one of them was now dead.

"I know," Mom said. "Remind me, what's the next step?"

"Cutting up Jaxon wasn't part of the plan," I pointed out.

"Yes but we had to slaughter him eventually."

"If we would have, he would still be like this," I said. Jaxon roared. Hydra flickered the image of it's representer. Jaxon gew another leg-looking like a reptile's-his skin were now complete scales and his necks had his head on it but his body wasn't human.

"He's making me sick," I said. "Sicker than that dungeon." I guess Mom didn't know that any heir of Hydra would turn into an actual hydra if one cut off their head.

Mother smiled wickedly. "It was worth it, though."

I smirked. "Yes." Her tiara was heavy on my head but I carried it proudly. We had planned that when I got the letter from Mother saying that I had to be blessed by Serpens. I had kept Scorpio's Sign covered with paste. Mom didn't like seeing it but I had to rub off the paste to show the proof.

"We had to take out Jaxon, the two princes and their feeble sister," I reminded. My scorpions fought with the snake, losing. They had bothered me in the dungeons, I had been living there for weeks. I had snuck down there after I left Scorpius. Mom had given me a map of the palace, it's secret passageways and informed a few servants and guards about me so they helped me get to the dungeons.

I remembered when she first came to visit me down there.

"I can't stay down here!" I screamed. Mom tightened her expression, I lowered my voice. "I'm the next ruler not a slave."

"It's the only place in the whole palace where you can stay concealed for the next few weeks."

"Few weeks?" I shrieked. "I can't stay here."

"It will be worth it," Mom promised.

"Mom, I can't-"

She held up a hand. "Enough," she said. "Get out your arachnids before they suffocate in that bag."

Before leaving she added, "Don't make noise or complain about the conditions. It will be over soon."

I hadn't showered for weeks and ate chowder everyday or undercooked fish. Mom had gotten me out of the dungeons today. I had insisted on taking a shower and properly dressing before we revealed our true selves. I wanted my face painted and hair braided around my tiara. I had incorporated the scorpions into my cloak to look intimidating, though neither Mom or I was fond of them.

Days after my arrival she came down and told me about Annabelle was expecting.

"She's always fighting with Alec and he can't keep from hitting her so I doubt the child will even see the Starlight." We both cackled together.