AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mia fought to keep her own emotions from showing, but those falcon eyes surely caught the slight hitch in her step as she hesitated beside the table.
She refused to bow to this woman.
Queen Iris’s slender eyebrows lifted slightly. “Do sit down, girl.” Her voice was cool and precise, and brooked no arguments.
Mia sat in the empty chair across from the queen. The table between them was far too small; she was careful to tuck her feet slightly under her chair, so they would have no chance of brushing Iris’s. A steaming teapot sat on a tray with cups and saucers. The bright pink flower arrangement on the table did nothing to make the scene less threatening.
Mia kept her hands in her lap, unwilling to touch anything at the table.
Iris glanced at the hovering boy. “Leave us.”
He eagerly darted away.
The Poison Queen studied Mia in silence. The hum of insects was the only sound, other than the rustle of leaves as a cold breeze teased the trees around them. Beneath the table, Mia’s fingers twisted together, but she kept her back straight as she stared at the queen. It was unnerving to look into her cold eyes—so strikingly familiar, yet horribly foreign at the same time.
It was a relief when Iris looked away, her attention falling to the teapot. “Do you like anything with your tea?” she asked, lifting the steaming kettle.
“I don’t want tea.” Her voice only wavered a little, and she was proud of that.
Iris glanced up as she poured her own cup. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
The corner of the queen’s mouth lifted slightly, but the flatness in her expression belied any show of amusement. “Grayson has told you all about me, I suppose. Or perhaps Tyrell did that?”
Mia didn’t respond. She watched as the dark liquid streamed into the white porcelain cup, her heart beating too fast.
“You’re not what I expected,” Iris said, watching the tea fall and the steam rise. When she set the teapot aside, she deftly lifted the small pot of honey. “You’re passingly pretty, but I really can’t understand how you’ve managed to bewitch two of my sons.”
Mia said nothing. The queen’s jab was petty and needed no response.
Iris stirred the honey into her tea with a smooth, practiced motion. “Shall I call you Mia, or do you prefer Meerah?”
Hearing her full name was jarring. Not only because it came from Iris, but because she hadn’t felt likeMeerahin years. The truth of who she was seemed to be attacking her from all directions lately.
Of course, Iris glanced up just in time to see Mia’s unsettled reaction. The queen’s lips eased into a smile. “I wondered if you’d even remember that name. You would have been a small child when you last heard it. That’s one mystery cleared up, then.” She blew delicately on her tea. “Carter was the first to tell me about you. Of course, we only thought you were Tyrell’s new mistress. You ended up being so much more than that. Did you tell him who you were?”
The question was direct enough that Mia knew she had to answer. “No.”
“And what about Grayson? You’ve known him much longer. Does he know who you are?”
Instinct screamed to lie, so she did. “No.”
“Hmm. It must have been strange for you—having Grayson in Mortise. Knowing he would walk the halls of your childhood home, and that he would speak to your brother.”
Her words were needles in Mia’s skin.
Iris’s eyes lit up, as if she sensed Mia’s pain and relished it. “Are you sure you don’t want a cup of tea? You look like you could use some refreshment.”
Her throat was dry, but she refused to drink anything the Poison Queen offered. “I’m sure.”
The queen shrugged and lifted her cup again, taking another measured sip. “My condolences on the death of your father.” She paused, peering at Mia over the rim of the cup. “But perhaps you didn’t know? Since Grayson doesn’t know who you are, he had no reason to tell you what’s been happening in Mortise.”
Beneath the table, Mia’s fingernails dug into her palms.Say nothing.It was clear the queen only intended to play with her. Hurt her. If she didn’t engage—if she showed no emotion—this might end sooner.
Iris settled back in her chair. “You don’t look surprised. Did you know of your father’s death, then?”
Her jaw stiffened, but then she found herself saying, “Grayson mentioned it.”
