Treachery Queen (The Callistra Chronicles #1)

THIRTY-TWO

"I don't want to use anymore magic on you," Morgana warned lowly. "Especially now that we've seen what it does to you."

Pasiphae stopped wriggling. She turned and settled her gaze on a spot directly above the queen's shoulder, for it simmered her blood far too much to look Morgana in the eye.

"Kill me or let me go," she said plainly. "I'm not your toy to play with."

Morgana hooted with laughter, drawing the sound out. Pasiphae couldn't help adjusting her line of sight to glare at her.

"Unfortunately," the queen finally said, "I still want something from you that I cannot get elsewhere at quick speed."

"Information?" Pasiphae guessed. She did nothing to disguise her tired tone. "What could I possibly know that you are interested in?"

Morgana sat back, resting her head lightly on her arm. The gesture was meant to show how casually the queen approached this conversation, but Pasiphae could see the tension that held up her posture.

Morgana was scared.

And Pasiphae filed this fact away.

"How is Medeis doing?" Morgana asked. "Still no A.I. system?"

"We cannot yet afford electricity in common households," Pasiphae replied icily. "Are you planning to assist our funds?"

"Maybe another day," Morgana bit back. "Rather, I inquire into your international relations. Khotadi has had contact efforts rebuffed, but we do wonder if this is simply the stigma against our Court—"

"There's no stigma present that's not true," Pasiphae interrupted, and a guard behind her pressed his rectangular weapon into her neck. She felt the burgeoning buzz zap into her neck in warning.

Morgana held up a finger.

The guard removed the weapon.

"I'll overlook that comment," Morgana said. "What I am asking, Pasiphae of Eo, is about Medeis-Airesi affairs. Positive? Negative?"

Pasiphae's eyebrows furrowed more and more intensely as the Unseelie Queen went on. For what possible reasons could she have in wanting to know this?

"I thought you would know," Pasiphae replied, "seeing as you have spies across Medeis doing your dirty business."

"Such dirty business it is, ruling a country," Morgana mocked. "But I only have one in Medeis, little witch. How does it feel to know that she was within your very coven?"

Pasiphae went cold. The chill from the elements were absent within this room, but she felt it hiss up her neck nevertheless. "What?"

"I gave the witch permission to plant two strands personally and for the sylphs to take the rest. If I had known you were to be a target, I would have advised against it. After all, I already took your magic, no?"

Pasiphae forced herself to breathe. She knew what the queen was doing. She wouldn't get upset. She wouldn't say things without thinking it through first.

Her grandmother. Her grandmother had been personally targeted too. Pasiphae had been completely correct in thinking that this revolved around the fight for Divine.

"Who?" Pasiphae seethed, barely managing to form the word. The Queen had used she. 

Morgana pushed her hair back. "It wouldn't be fun if I told you."

Pasiphae forced the anger that burned in her chest to burn low, to wait.

"Just one, then?" she said. "One spy within Medeis sending hundreds to their death?"