Queens & Liars-Sequel to Three Broken Kingdoms (Completed)

Chapter Fifty-Three: Shades of the Past

No. No. No, no, no, no, no. This couldn't be happening. Layla couldn't be gone. She had lost enough. She couldn't lose her too. Not with the growing distance between them. Not when everyone else was gone. Please. Not Layla. Not Layla.

All she could hear was the dull thud of her parents' bodies on the floor. All she could see was the crumbled building and the twisted remnants of Naomi's body. All she could feel was the shaking of the earth, the stickiness of her brother's blood on her hands.

Talia fell to her knees.

No. Not again. Not Layla. Not when she hadn't had a chance to say goodbye. But she never did, did she? She'd never so much as understood what was going on when Silvera fell. By the time she woke after she'd been drugged by Julian, Naomi, Elaine and Midas were likely already dead. The last things she had said to Orion and Selene were bitter, full of hatred and betrayal.

And now Layla.When was it enough? She had lost everything—everyone she had ever loved and had loved her. The world had stolen all of it from her. It couldn't take Layla too. Why me? She thought miserably. Why can't the world let me keep one person?

"Talia." Maia's words splintered through her thoughts. Tears glistened in her eyes. "Talia, we're going to find her. It's going to be okay. Layla's going to be okay." Talia snapped back into reality. Yes. Layla might not be dead yet. She had to go—she had to go now. How many precious seconds had she wasted feeling sorry for herself, letting herself fall back into memory?

"Tell Alexander I want him to lead the Silver Guard and Court if I don't get back."

Talia stumbled to her feet. In a second she was running, sprinting through the halls, pushing past Myra and Nala and Maia and everyone else who tried to stop her. Where was her room? Two stairs up, third on the left. She had to run. Guards reached out to stoop her, probably on Myra or Nala's orders. She didn't care. She pushed past them, running faster and faster. When the earthquake hit, she had wasted precious minutes waking up her brother and Selene. What had that cost her daughters, her husband? The thought made her run faster, doors flashing past as she ascended the stairs.

Talia reached her room and shoved two daggers into place. Briefly, she wondered about armour. But no. It would take five all-too-precious minutes to strap it on. Minutes that could cost Layla her life. Minutes that could destroy everything she held dear. Even her second's hesitation could mean the difference between life and death.

"Talia, stop!" Myra cornered her as she left the room. "Think for a moment. We need more information from Gemma. We need to plan, to get more people. You'll get yourself killed this way! For all we know-" Talia blocked out the words, pushing past Myra. The general rushed to grab her but with a single thought and burst of magic she had her stumbling back into the wall. Nala rushed after her too, but the problem of the chancellor was solved as she slammed the pommel of one of the daggers into her skull. She collapsed to the ground, knocked out.

A hand reached for her shoulder. She was about to give the owner the same treatment when she turned out and realised it was Maia. Rivers rushed down her cheeks. Pain glistened in her eyes. Her soul-a piece of soul had been taken away from her. Talia felt a stab of pity.

"Be careful," Maia said. She sighed in relief when she realised she wasn't trying to stop here. "Bring her back." She only had the strength to nod before she was gone.

Talia rushed down the stairs, heading for the escape boats. Whoever tried to stop her was usually dissuaded with a look at her daggers and the wild, burning rage in her eyes. Whoever was foolish enough to come after that would have their mind shut down and be painlessly sent to sleep. But there was one who wouldn't stop fighting. He ended up with a knife in his throat. She would worry about that later. Regret that later.