The Dark Queen

Chapter Six- The Stakes Raise

I awoke to Father growling at something in the corner. He was on the floor and he looked very firces in his new form. I looked out my window to see stars in the sky and not one hint of sunlight or dawn. 

"What is it Father?" I asked looking at the veil of black in that one conor. I saw what looked like a man with a black cloak on. He did not move towards me, but his stare was at my beast. He held up his hand and Father winced back as if something had hit him. I light a candle and held it up to bring light into the room. The man walked into the light and I gasped. It was Agus, and he was walking towards me. A smile came on his face and Father did not stop growling at him. 

"You are a lucky man, Luke," Agus told the tiger. "I ordered you to be killed, and instead you get turned into a tiger. A lucky man indeed. As for you," he said turning to face me, "you may not be so lucky."

"Why is that?" I asked. I was defenceless. My sword and weapons were on the other side of the room. The ones I had would not protect me from his attacks. All I had was a small danger and a tiger for a father. Not much good would come from that.

"For, my lovely Lacondra, you are only a half queen. You half queens are so picky and hard to get, even if light is out of the way."

"You half queens? You make it sound has if there is more. I am the only queen to have to dark and light mark upon my skin. No one else, and I am too a full dark queen!"

"My dear child you are not the only one. Hasn't anyone told you where you got your name from?"

"My name? My name comes from nothing. It was a name Mother and Father chose at random and liked it. Isn't that right?" I asked looking at the once man. He did not look at me, and I knew that what I was told was a lie. "What? You lied to me?"

"Lacondra- that is a beautiful name-  maybe this will help," he told me placing a piece of paper on the table. I started to reach for it, but his large hands grabbed my arm and he lifted me out of bed. I was facing him and he pulled me closer and whispered, "I will have you one day. Not now, but you will became perfect. And if I cannot have you, than no one will!" He pushed me into the wall and I cried out in pain and fear. I figured he was going to harm me even more, but he disappeared like he had in Lady Taylor's room. 

I tried to get up, but the pain in my back held me down. Father ran over and stood before me. The door opened and Ty walked in. He looked at  Father and I and then came over to help me. I winced in pain from my back, and Ty called Tam into the room. She looked before my injured back and said it would be fine in the morning; it was only sore. She did not ask questions of how I had done this or what happened, and I was glad. Ty on the other did not do me that short of favor.

"What happened my queen?" he asked once Tam was gone. He was standing before me in my bed, and Father was laying beside me. His head was on my hip and he was staring at the spot Agus had been a few minutes.

"It was Agus," I told him. "He came to give me something."

"Give you what? Where is it?"

"He never gave it to me. I made him angry and he just left. He gave me nothing."

I know it was a lie, but I wanted to see just what Agus wanted me to see. I'll give it to Ty in the morning after I read it. Seeing I was safe, Ty left my room, and I took the note in hand. Father tried to snatch it out of my hand, but I was much faster than him. I read the note and was shocked. I looked at Father and I was mad at him and Mother.

"How could you?" I asked him. "You lied to me about my name and her!"

He growled lightly and looked almost has upset has I felt. I yanked the covers around me and drafted back to sleep. All thoughts of taking the note to Ty was gone now. I was going start to the Council and my mother right away. I was not going to let the truth leave my grasp once again.