Forgetting

Chapter 12- The Worst Things In Life Come Free To Us

Naomi had always thought she would die at the Queen's cruel hands for sparking a rebellion against the tyrant, or stealing too much from the elite. Never in her life had she entertained the possibility that the reason would be because they had fallen in love with the same man.

Bloodied and bruised by her Guards, Naomi sank to the floor of the cold dungeon, raw pain tearing through her muscles as the Queen looked through the bars with sick satisfaction.

" Where is he? What the hell did you do to him?" Naomi spat," I swear to God, if you killed him-"

The Queen cackled, the sound reverberating off the stone walls," Do you really think I'd hurt my precious Gold? He is safe and well. In fact, he's probably enjoying his dinner right now."

There was a crash and a loud thud from upstairs. Naomi felt her lips curl into a smile. Wherever Evan was, he was probably thrashing every single Guard in his way to find her. The deadliest Protector in the kingdom had mastered every single combat move, and he was using them all in defense of her.

The Queen ignored the sounds from upstairs and leaned closer to Naomi, her white irises unforgiving and inhuman," This is the second time you have wronged me, Bandit. And he might have saved you from me before, but I do not owe him any more favors."

Naomi was consumed by terror, but there was no way she was planning on showing it. She lifted her chin defiantly," He doesn't love you."

" He will learn to love me," She spat back.

" That's sick. That is so, so sick."

The Queen's eyes darkened and Naomi thought she was going to be killed any second, but then she smiled, revealing rows of rotting black teeth. " Will he be able to resist me when I look like this?"

She snapped her fingers. There was a dazzling flash, and a second later Naomi found that she was staring into a mirror image of herself. A snarling, leering mirror image. She stumbled backwards, hitting the musty wall behind her. Bile rose up in her throat.

" You can't impersonate me! He will know the difference. He'll never love you, not like how he loves me."

That seemed to break the Queen's self control. She roared, rising off the ground as black magic swirled around her. The tattoos on her head began to move, the snakes slipping and sliding down her neck. Naomi looked on, terrified, as one of the tattoos slid right off her arm onto the floor, emerging from the ground as a living, breathing snake.

" Occidit ei," The Queen hissed in an unfamiliar language.

The snake reared up from the ground, its powerful body slipping through the bars easily. Naomi felt her muscles freeze; there was no point running or fighting back.

She knew she had lost.

Blood-red, slit eyes stared into hers, and Naomi could already taste her death.

A snake. She was going to die at the mercy of a snake. Not fighting. Not as a hero. No, she would forever be remembered as the girl who had died a coward in the cold dungeons of the Queen's palace.

The snake curled around her waist, the touch almost soft and caressing. She hated how dry and cold it felt, wondering if that was how her body would be like in death.

There was a resounding crash and a bang from outside her cell.

And suddenly, there he was, standing on the other side of the bars. His brown eyes were filled with fear- fear for her- and he was shouting for her to hold on in a desperate way. She had never thought he would lose control like he did then, punching the steel bars mercilessly as if he could somehow break them.