Мишель Роуэн - Reign or Shine

His expression was tight and as he put a hand over his stomach, I noticed something was off about his posture. His expression hid something underneath that I hadn't noticed before. Pain. Physical pain.

"What's wrong?" I asked, standing up from the table. "Are you all right?"

He let out a long, shuddery breath. "No, I'm afraid I'm not all right. I didn't want to tell you this, not yet, but there's no way around it."

I swallowed hard. "What?"

"There are reasons that it was imperative for Michael to bring you here as soon as possible. Part of it was to tell you who you are and what it all means, but there's more to it, Nikki. A great deal more. I'm so very sorry that I don't have more time to help you adjust to this vast amount of information you've been asked to accept. You've been very brave so far, I'm proud of you."

Michael went to my father's side. "Are you okay, Your Majesty? Should I get Elizabeth?"

My father tensed again and held his hand tighter against his stomach. "Not yet. It will pass."

I felt a rush of concern come over me. "Are you sick?"

He raised his head enough to look at me and there was now a light sheen of perspiration on his face. "Yes, I am. It's come over me only in the last couple of weeks. I'm having the same symptoms my father had before his death. I'm afraid I don't have much time left."

My breath left me in a rush. "You're dying?"

He nodded. "I'm functional for now, but the pain comes upon me quickly. Today I'm feeling well enough to see you here. But I know there isn't much time. A few days. A week at the most."

I tried not to cry, but I knew it was too late to stop a few big, fat tears from escaping. I watched as Michael helped him back over to the chair. "Isn't there anything that can be done?"

"No, I'm afraid not. It's unexpected. I'm still young, so I don't know why my time has come so soon. But, so be it. I have no choice but to accept my fate.

However, I must use what time I have left to ensure that someone suitable will take over my throne. Someone who can rule the Shadowlands."

I wiped my face. "Michael told me that this place keeps all the bad stuff from the Underworld and Hell from coming to where I live."

"That's right. A long time ago, the Shadowlands was a place of chaos. A few demons who then lived deeper in the Underworld knew that something had to change if the human and faery realms were to be saved from destruction. They took over this land and built this castle."

"This unbelievably scary castle." My voice shook as I said it.

The pain was now gone from his face and he smiled at me. "Trust me, I wasn't consulted on the architecture. It was well before my time. But there is a reason for everything. The stone the castle is built with is infused with magic that both senses the royal line's power and helps to hold back the evil that exists beyond it. No creature, be it demon or any other, can pass without the kingdom's permission."

"Without your permission, you mean," I said.

"That's right. And that's one of the reasons I'm not able to leave. I can't even go outside. I haven't seen the daylight in over sixteen years."

My heart dropped at that. "How terrible."

"It's necessary, and I accept it. I take my responsibility very seriously, and I expect anyone who takes the throne to do the same. Which leads me to the real reason it was so very urgent for me to speak to you personally, Nikki." He took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. "As my only heir, when I die, you will automatically become queen. You will be summoned here from wherever you are at that moment and shall be unable to leave the castle from that day forward."

I gaped at him. "You can't be serious."

"I'm afraid so."

I shook my head, my eyes going wider with every passing second. "No, that's impossible. I don't want to be queen. I don't want to live here." I was starting to hyperventilate at the very idea that I had no choice in this. I was used to people telling me what I had to do-my mom, Melinda, even Michael, now-but that was nothing compared to this. "I'm so, so sorry that you're dying, but I can't live here. I don't want to be a demon. I don't want any of this."

I felt Michael touch my arm and my first thought was to push him away, but instead I grabbed hold of him and hugged him tightly, pressing my face against his chest. He held his hand over his amulet so I could avoid getting zapped. He didn't say anything, but I felt him stroke my hair, trying to soothe me.

It worked, but it took a minute. When I'd composed myself, I turned again to my father, who looked incredibly distressed by this entire conversation. It obviously wasn't any easier on him than it was on me.

That helped. A little.

"Nikki," my father began.

"Please," I said, and I could hear the desperation in my voice. "There has to be another way."

"There is." His smile held but it was sad. "But first I wanted to see how you felt about the situation. Now I have."

He pulled out a chain from underneath his shirt. It was a gold chain, thinner than the one Michael wore, and on the end of it was a dark red glass bottle no bigger than my thumb. He pulled the chain over his head and handed it to me.

I took it from him and, looking down at it, I realized the bottle wasn't red at all, but the liquid inside of it was. "What is this?"

"A magic potion. For you."

I frowned at him so deeply it hurt. "A magic potion?"

He nodded. "It will remove any trace of demon from you and the kingdom will no longer recognize you as my heir."

My eyes were wide. "I don't understand."

"This is the only way your life can remain normal and untouched by all of this. Drink the potion and you will become completely human. You won't have to deal with the complications of being a Darkling. As I said, I don't truly know how your powers will fully manifest and that worries me greatly."

"You and me both," I managed.

"Also, if you don't want to accept the responsibility of taking the throne when I die, this is the only way to avoid that. By drinking this you will be safe in all ways."

The gold chain hung off my hand and I looked at the bottle. It felt cool against my sweaty palm. My other hand, I suddenly realized, was clutching Michael's wrist very tightly.

"I can't believe it's that easy," I said.

"It is." My father hesitated. "However, there is a side effect of the potion that you should be aware of. Once taken, your memories of being half demon, as well as of your trip here to the Shadowlands, will fade away."

I looked at Michael and then back to my father. "You mean I'd forget about Michael, too?"

My father's brow knitted. "Michael, I think this is a good time for you to fetch Elizabeth for me. Please tell her that Nikki has arrived."

Michael cleared his throat and disengaged his hand from mine. "Yes, Your Majesty."

I watched Michael quickly leave the room without a backward glance. "He sure follows orders well here, doesn't he?"

"Servants are required to follow the orders of their master."

The room went very silent, except for the sound of the fireplace crackling and my heart fluttering like a trapped bird.

"I don't think I heard you right," I began. "Did you just say that Michael is a servant!"

"Yes, of course. In fact, when I sent him to the human realm, he was specifically assigned to be your servant." He frowned. "Didn't he tell you that?"

I made a beeline for that goblet of water again and took a shaky sip before answering. "No, I didn't know that."

"He should have told you. It is unacceptable that he didn't. Shadows are servants to demonkind."

My head was spinning. A servant. Michael was a servant! "What is a Shadow?"

"The Shadowlands were once home to beings called Shadows. They were a part of the chaos that threatened the worlds beyond before the demons brought order here again. The Shadows that remained afterward were enslaved to us."