Page 106

Wolf auras were similar to fire colors. The color asserted their strength, however unlike humans, wolves could hone their strength, challenging other wolves to move up in the ranks until eventually, they became the leader of their pack. When Lavender had met Enola, her aura had been a feeble orange. But after months of training, Lavender had helped the wolf become strong enough to challenge the alpha who had ostracized her from her pack—and win.

Now, after a century of training, Enola’s aura shone a deep violet. No one could resist her influence now.

No one except for Thicket.

Lavender’s eyes caught on her sister’s limp figure, a vein pulsing in her temple. Even through Enola, Lavender had never been able to reach the level of power Thicket had been so freely given.

She had never understood why Thicket of all people. If Lavender had been born with the blue flames, she would have done something with it. All Thicket ever did was ignore her responsibilities and take to training like she was one of the palace guards. She had never been fit to be Queen. There had even been a time when people had thanked the chalices Lavender was there to assume the position.

How quickly public opinion could change.

She ran her blade along the guard’s throat, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough that he could feel its sharp tip dig into the soft tissue. “I am surprised, though, how easily Enola won you over. I thought all guards of your position were supposed to have yellow fire, but yours is clearly weaker.” She wrapped her arm around his neck, lifting his chin with her blade as she whispered into his ear. “Tell me, what color is your fire?”

He didn’t answer. His attempts at defiance were adorable.

“Enola,” Lavender purred.

The wolf’s aura flared. The guard gritted his teeth, jaw nearly cracking as he fought Enola’s control. A small nudge was all that was needed to break through his resistance.

“Fya.” The spell ripped from his throat, conjuring a piranha to hover directly in front of him, dousing the throne room with flickering red light.

“Red?” Lavender said, a laugh catching on her words. “Your fire is red and your Aneuma is a piranha?” She couldn’t help the genuine laughter from spilling out of her. She patted his back in an attempt to quell it. “You might just be as unlucky as I am.” She sighed. “What is your name, guard?”

“Marcel.” The reply was instant this time.

“Marcel…” Lavender ran her hand over his shoulder before letting it drop to her side as she circled back to her throne. “The hatred in your eyes is fascinating. It looks rather personal. Did I perhaps harm someone you love? A friend? A lover? A family member?” The guard’s jaw ticked. Lavender smirked. “Your family, then? Well, I would apologize but all is fair in love and war.” Lavender kicked one leg over the other. “Which is why you became my sister’s guard, isn’t it? To use her power in order to enact your revenge. How tragic, then, how things turned out. To have failed both your Princess and your family.”

The guard’s throat bobbed. She had struck a core. How delightful.

“I wonder,” Lavender said, tapping her lip with the tip of her blade. “Which made you rush in here oh, so valiantly?” It was so imperceptible, she almost missed it. But for a second, the guard’s eyes had flicked towards her sister's limp, unconscious body. Lavender’s lips spread wide. “You love her, don’t you? Well, isn’t that just a wicked twist of fate. The weak guard with the red fire in love with the all powerful princess.”

“I am her guard,” he ground out. “It is my job to protect her.”

“Is that what you have been telling yourself this entire time? You are almost as delusional as my dear sister.” Lavender balanced the tip of her knife against the arm of her throne. “I, too, know a little something about obligation. My obligation was to be Queen. At first, it was because I was born into it. And then because I strived to be a great ruler. And now…now I want what’s rightfully mine. The obligation has stayed the same, though my motives have changed depending on my heart.”

“You mean as it got darker and darker?”

Lavender shrugged, kicking a leg over the other. “Whatever you want to call it.” She leaned back against her throne. “I’m not ashamed of what I am, nor what I have done. I won’t repent. Soon, you will all see that everything I’ve done is for the good of Vindrya.”

“You’re insane,” he spat.

She chuckled darkly. “You know, many have called Thicket that, in many different worlds. Do you know that once, the people of Vyndrea thanked the chalices that she was not the only child? Thankful that they had me to assume the throne? She was the wild child, the bane of the Vogeli family. For a while, people thought she would be the fall of Vindya. I took it upon myself to ensure that would never happen. In doing so, people decided that I was the evil one, the dark, uncontrollable sister who wasn’t fit to rule. They forgot all about their previous pretenses of Thicket and chose her instead. But I never fell for it, never lost sight of what she truly was. It is my duty to stop her before she destroys us all.”

“To stop her? You’re the one who destroyed an entire town, who locked your people in a prison of vines and tormented them for a century. And you think she’s the danger?”

“You are all blinded by her power,” Lavender snapped. “But power isn’t everything. Everything I have done was cruel, yes, but not without reason.”

“What was your grand reason, then? Tell me what in your twisted mind justifies everything you’ve done to us.”

“It was to teach you all a very valuable lesson. One that apparently you have yet to learn.”

“And what is that?”

“To not put your faith in Thicket Rose Vogeli.”

Chapter Forty-One

The school hallways were empty when Thicket stepped through the front doors. She had timed her arrival during one of the class periods to avoid running into any of her peers. The only thing worse than being suspended indefinitely during her senior year would be having to endure the whispers that were sure to have spread like wildfire. Secrets in this town didn’t stay secret for long. She was grateful she could part from high school gracefully without any altercations, yet the hollow echo of her footsteps only reminded her that she walked alone in this life.