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Already? I can’t help but grin, and Helena and I join them. For the next few hours, we take my measurements and design a beautiful gown fit for a queen. Carmen brings out piles of fabric, and we pick the one that would work best.
Helena grabs more paper from Carmen’s desk. She starts asking me all sorts of questions, such as my favorite plants and colors.
“I do not have a favorite plant,” I say. I think for a moment. “Although these appeared in the tomb.”
I take a paper from Helena’s stack and draw a crude outline of the flower. Carmen’s eyes widen when she sees my drawing, snatching it from me. “Where did you see these?” she asks.
“They appeared in the tomb when I was there.”
Carmen’s mouth drops open, and she bows her head. “My queen.”
“What is it?” I say, uncertain.
She waves the paper around. “These flowers are chrysanthemums. They’ve been gone for centuries. They used to dot the land, five different colors, when the queens were alive. The day they died, every single flower turned to ash.” She hands the paper back to me. “Interesting times are ahead.”
“We can retrieve a few flowers from the tomb,” says Helena. “I’ll decorate with lavender.”
Helena bounces on the sofa excitedly. “This will be the grandest wedding yet.”
A groan involuntarily escapes my mouth, and Helena laughs. By the time we are done, the sun is well into the sky. I yawn, determined to sleep before the mad rush of decorating. Helena shoves me off. “Go, go. We will be here planning.”
I head to my door and right as I touch the handle, Nava whispers to me.
The rebels are stirring. Rumors of the prophesied queen have reached them. Airalin claims she is the promised one.
Chapter Seventy-Nine
“Of course she is,” I say with a grimace. An idea forms in my mind. Inside my room, I find my magic mirror, holding it up to my face. A bit of my hair in my hand, I ask the mirror to show Raúl.
“Nava, how long do you think we have?”
Their numbers are fewer than fifty. Airalin talks about creating and gathering more vampires to fight for the throne.
A shadow appears in the mirror, shaped like Raúl. “Penny? What’s the matter?” it says in Raúl’s voice.
I tell him what Nava has told me, and he sighs. “I will inform the rest of the vampires.”
“And the vampire witches, please.”
“Yes, my queen.”
I snort. “I love you. I’m going to bed.”
“Love you, more. Get some rest.”
I place the mirror back into its box, shutting the lid. “Nava, please tell me if Airalin makes any movements.”
As you wish, Queen Penny.
I head straight to bed. Keeping my emotions tamped down during the announcement was draining. At least Airalin’s hate for displays of emotion trained me well.
Before thoughts of being queen drive me to anxiety, I close my eyes and take a deep breath, welcoming the darkness.
Since our wedding is to be on the full moon, we have about a month to prepare. Leif, who trains the vampires to fight, believes that the rebels will take the same amount of time to gather enough forces to fight us again.
Nava watches Airalin, updating me on her movements. Nava told me that when I went to the queens tomb for the first time, Airalin received a message from the king telling her to go to the desert for a year.
Airalin threw a fit and told the king no. He commanded her two more times by royal messenger, but Airalin simply killed the birds. She hadn’t gone on any missions since. Now, she spends her days in the tower and nights with the rebels. For someone who hates vampires so much, she sure spends an awful lot of time with them.
