Мишель Роуэн - Reign Check

Florencia let out an annoyed harrumph .

“—and this decision would have not only put humans at risk but also exposed the existence of certain gateways of the demon worlds to this slaying society Kieran speaks of.”

“So these slayers,” I said, trying to get it clear in my head. “They know demons definitely exist?”

“Yes. Those who are aware keep the existence of the dark worlds, as well as the faery realm, a secret from others of their kind. It’s the best way. Should they happen to discover or create a gateway here, it would be extremely unpleasant for all involved. It is my duty to protect the Underworld from any unpleasantness like this. Desmond understands this now — that one’s royal duty must precede all else.”

Anger ignited inside me at her dismissive attitude toward my father’s pain.

“I think Desmond should be executed for breaking such an important rule,” Florencia stated bluntly. “A human woman. I still cannot believe it.”

“No, he shouldn’t,” I snapped at her, then clamped my mouth shut at her surprised look.

My anger turned quickly to fear. Did Florencia have the power to punish me? Kassandra had warned that she was the enforcer of rules. Hell hath no fury like a demoness scorned.

Queen Sephina sighed. “And after his execution, then what? The power of the Shadowlands would shift to his half-human daughter, confining her within the castle walls until her own death. As one raised in the human world since birth, she would not make an adequate queen.”

While I didn’t want to take the throne — in fact, it was the last thing I wanted — I did bristle a little at the accusation that I’d suck at it. Just because I was half human didn’t mean I wouldn’t try my very best.

Groden cleared his throat. “There is also the ever-looming threat of the prophecy. Would it, perhaps, be vengeance for her father’s execution that triggers the Darkling to destroy us all?” He eyed me and Michael uneasily, breathing hard enough that the gold ring through his nose bounced. “I propose a rule that no Darkling shall ever become queen. Punishable by beheading!”

He scribbled this down on his parchment.

Queen Sephina rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately, such a thing cannot be governed by law, Groden. She is Desmond’s heir by blood.”

“So what?”

She looked slightly exasperated with this debate. “Royal blood cannot be challenged. Princess Nikki is heir to the Shadowlands throne for as long as she lives and breathes. The prophecy changes nothing when it comes to this matter.”

“I think the prophecy is a lie,” I said.

Five sets of eyes widened and tracked to me. Florencia gasped out loud.

“You wish to challenge the prophecy?” Queen Sephina asked.

“I …” I licked my dry lips. I hadn’t exactly expected such a dramatic reaction. I hadn’t even known I was going to say that until I did. “Well, yes. I challenge it. I’m … I’m here to prove that it can’t be true. I have no intention of destroying anything or anyone.”

“Intentions are different from future actions,” Kieran said. “You can’t predict what will happen based on how you feel at this particular moment. Besides, the prophecy was related directly to me. It is true. I would swear on my own life and the life of my mother.”

The queen patted his arm. “Of course, my son. The palace oracle has never been wrong before.”

I bit my lip, finding the direction of this “meeting” to be stomach-churningly bad. I opened my mouth to say something else.

::Princess,: Michael projected to me before I spoke.::Let them discuss among themselves. Don’t give them a reason to extend this any longer than it has to be.::

He was telling me to stop attempting to put my foot in my mouth. The less said, the better. This was only a meet and greet.

Got it.

Sephina leaned back in her chair. “I wish to see your Darkling form.”

I gulped. “Now?”

“Yes.”

Again, performance anxiety crawled through me. “I can normally change form when I’m feeling emotional”—I had that covered, but I still felt weakened from being in that hellhound’s drooling, power-draining presence—“but right now … uh, I’m not sure if I can.”

“Then let me help you.” Queen Sephina’s eyes glowed red, and I felt a wave of magic flow over me. I gasped as all my muscles tensed, my limbs tingling with the force of her pulling my Darkling form out from inside me.

The change was fast and shockingly painful. The sides of my head burned as my horns appeared. My talons grew. My muscles became leaner and firmer. My black wings tore right through the back of my red sweater as if it wasn’t any stronger than tissue paper. My hair grew longer, thicker, and changed to a bright, fiery red I could see from the corner of my eye. When I traced my tongue over my teeth, I confirmed that I sported sharp canines, like a vampire might have. And now that I was aware of its existence — yes, I also definitely felt a tail. Yikes.

“This is your Darkling form?” Kieran raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping the length of me. “You look much the same as before, only now you are more beautiful.”

Gee, lucky me. A compliment from Kieran. However, it was one that only succeeded in creeping me out.

More beautiful? I projected the thought toward Michael: He’s crazy.

Michael hadn’t moved an inch from my side since we’d approached the council table. His hands were clasped behind his back.::Yes, Kieran is clearly crazy. I think you’re equally beautiful in either human or Darkling form.::

My heart swelled at that. The council probably wouldn’t approve if I threw my arms around him and kissed him right then, would they?

Nope. They’d likely throw us both in the dungeon.

I couldn’t see myself, but I’d turned fully Darkling a couple of times before — wings and all — and I felt much the same as I had then. Stronger, more powerful … and way angrier. My fear mostly faded away, replaced by an annoyance that the council would make me do this — parade myself before them and let them judge me as though this was a demon beauty contest. It was now obvious this meeting was only to show me who really had the power in the room — them, not me, and I wasn’t supposed to forget it.

“This is it,” I said, holding my taloned hands up to either side as I turned around in a slow circle. “What you see is what you get.”

“You have your father’s wings,” Florencia said wistfully.

I shifted my weight to my other foot. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

The queen’s eyes narrowed as her gaze swept over me. “How do you intend to destroy us when you still look so very human?”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not going to destroy you.”

There was some visible tension around her mouth. “The prophecy was very clear. The first Darkling in a thousand years—”

“Wait a minute,” I said, interrupting her, which was probably a big no-no. Taking Darkling form meant losing some, if not all, of my human fear of the council. It also brought a sense of clarity and objectivity that I didn’t normally have. “Are you sure I’m the first Darkling in a thousand years?”

“Of course we’re sure,” Kieran said bluntly. “There is no other.”

I thought it over. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think the prophecy says, ‘Nikki Donovan, the first Darkling in a thousand years.’ Or even, the ‘Darkling daughter of the Shadowlands’ king.’ It just said the first Darkling. How can you be positive it’s me?”

There was total silence in the cavernous room for a long moment.

“There has been no other Darkling child but you,” Queen Sephina said evenly. “If there had been, I would know.”