Unlikely Queen (Crystal Castle 1)

“See? Now, wolf, are you sure you want to stay on that side?”

Patrick doesn’t answer, but we all know what his answer is, as he holds his head up high and locks his eyes with mine.

“Have it your way, then.” The queen grasps his shoulder, then smiles. “Now remember, Talia, we can stop this anytime you want. You just have to give me your power.”

“Don’t you dare. You let me die… do not give her anything,” Patrick says to me as her nails dig into his skin.

“As you wish, wolf.” She smiles as her nails start to draw blood and it trickles down his skin.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Patrick is screaming, and I am helpless to stop it.

She hasn’t stopped.

First, she bled him with her nails. Dragging them all over his chest, carving her name into his skin, telling him when he is buried it’s her name they will remember, not his.

Now she is tearing his nails from his nail beds. Three have gone as she smiles, lifting them with her magic and pulling them free.

I have to look away, I can’t stand to watch this disaster play out even a second longer.

“Look, trash, look.”

I ignore her words, but cold hands pull my head back to face Patrick who is still strapped to his seat in front of me.

He is covered in blood, and I wonder how much more of this bullshit he can take.

How much more I can take.

I’m not sure.

It’s breaking me into pieces to watch, but I can’t give her what she wants.

For one, I don’t even know how to.

And two, I don’t want to.

It would be a disaster and irresponsible.

“My mother told me to stop playing with my food as a child. She would snap my knuckles for doing so,” the queen says offhandedly, wiping her bloody hands on her dress. “Did she tell you the same thing?” She looks behind me to a vampire who doesn’t say anything.

“Pity. I’m going to let you play with your food while I rest.” Her smile is evil, but she takes a step back to my sister. Tanya hasn’t looked up once from her spot in the corner. The vampire steps forward and licks his lips as he walks over to Patrick. His screams have stopped, and now he is slumped as far forward as he can go being tied to the chair.

“Patrick.” My voice is packed with worry.

How much can he endure?

How long will she keep us here?

What else will she do?

“It’s worth it,” is all he says before he sits up straight as the vampire reaches for his arm. Then, so quickly, the vampire bites into his skin, breaking and drinking. I want to tear his head from his body. Does he not have a conscience? Does he not realize that Patrick has hardly anything left to give?

“You could stop this, you know.”

My watery eyes look to the queen.

“Don’t,” Patrick says.

I glance at him. “You would die… for me?”

He doesn’t hesitate when he answers, “A thousand deaths I would gladly take.”

My heart breaks, and I know that I cannot give her what she wants. Because that means what he’s doing would all be for nothing. If he can stand being tortured, having his blood drained from his body, for me, I can do this small thing for him.

“I saw that.” The queen is in front of me in a flash, careful not to touch me as she gets right in my face. I hear the drinking stop, and the air goes still as she spits out her words, “I’ll kill Tatiana next. She’s on her way. When I capture her, I will bring her into this room and kill her. You won’t be able to stop me.”

I look past her to Tanya to see her reaction. But she hides it well, not even making a sound or moving one inch.

She is truly her puppet.

And the queen is the master puppeteer.

How could she fall victim to her so quickly? I truly don’t understand.

Is it a spell? It has to be.

Tanya would never turn her back on us like this.

“Tatiana will kill…” I bite the words off and close then open my eyes, “…you first, and I think you know it.” I sit back and she snaps her pearly whites in my face before she pulls back.

“I know your sister well, and she would have been one of the strongest witches to ever live. If it weren’t for you, that is.” The queen smiles, taps her vampire on the shoulder, and they leave. My sister is the last out the door and she doesn’t even spare me a backward glance as she walks out.

I feel my heart break just a little bit more.

Then I focus on Patrick, and it breaks completely.

“Can you shift?” I ask.

He lifts his head, barely. He’s so weak now. I think that was her plan. Have the vampire drain him so much that he could do nothing.