Water {Elements of Power 2}

Chapter 28: Jasmine

By the following day I was determined to find out more from the Queen—I still couldn't get my head around the idea of referring to her as my 'mother'. I wanted to learn about her relationship with Roxy's father. Had it really all been a lie, a Helian trick? Roxy had been playing on my mind again; if Emmerich had tricked Aurelia into believing that he loved her, Roxy could quite easily have been faking her feelings for Brae, to trick me into trusting her.

I was also worried about the prospects for Imogen and Kit. When I had spoken to Dev last night, I told her everything about myself and Brae, but nothing about my discovery. It wasn't fair of me to tell too many people, when it could affect the Queen's life so greatly. I also wasn't sure how Devon would react, after our argument at the beach. I wasn't sure I trusted her with that part of my life any more. I wasn't even certain what it would mean for Brae and I—I may have been brought up as an Arcan, but it was Helian and Brizan blood that ran through my veins. Would that make a difference to Devon? To the Arcan population? I needed to speak to the Queen, to hear what it had been like for her to be in love with someone from another Realm.

Brae didn't know where she spent her time when she wasn't in diplomatic meetings, but her private chambers seemed like a good place to start looking for her. At the very least, I would be able to ask someone where I could find her, pretending to have a message from Brae. As I walked towards them I found myself thinking about the story the Queen had told me; I imagined how it must have felt to be stuck on this side of the castle, knowing that the Helians were coming, but realising that there was nothing she could do to protect herself or her people.

I could imagine the mayhem: the crashes of doors being burst open, the screams of the castle's occupants and the crackle of flames. The castle would have been lost in a haze of smoke as the battle made its way towards the Queen's room, further disorientating everyone but their attackers. I was so immersed in my daydream that the door opening to my right took me completely by surprise. As a hand grabbed hold of my arm to drag me inside, I went into fight mode without even thinking about it, flames bursting from the ends of my fingertips. As I wheeled round to face the person who had grabbed me, my mouth dropped open in shock.

It was Emmanuel. His blue eyes were cold and sinister, his peppered grey and blue hair in a state of disarray. Perhaps that had something to do with the fire wielding teenager in front of him though. "Sorry," I said hastily, not wanting to be denied access to the Queen because of my paranoia. I let the flames die down. "You caught me by surprise."

He laughed coldly in response. "Stupid little mutant—that was entirely the point!"

I was too shocked to do anything but stare at him.

"I'm hardly going to let you walk straight up to the Queen, am I? So the two of you can have a nice little bonding session. That's exactly what they're waiting for: confirmation."

"Who is waiting?" I was completely confused. What was he talking about?

"The Brizans! The people who have been whispering behind you as soon as you leave your room. What would they think if they witnessed you going into the Queen's chambers for a private discussion?"

Oh. I relaxed slightly; Emmanuel had a point. Insult aside, he was only looking out for the Queen.

"I didn't think about it that way. I'll go back to my room; perhaps Brae could arrange something less suspicious looking."

I was surprised when Emmanuel laughed again.

"Oh how delightfully naive! Do you really think that I am going to let you do that? Did you not see any of your recent 'misfortunes' as warnings? Or did you just think that you had been very unlucky, and that the side passage in the caves had opened and closed all of its own accord and just happened to fill up with water? Then again, even my fellow Brizans don't know about that little trick—since the Occupation, this castle has more secret defences and traps than anywhere else in the world. But did you also really think that those rocks fell by accident? Or that the fountain magically blew up as you were in the vicinity? Is there nothing but air in your head, mutant?"