I desperately wished, more than anything in the world, that I could have enjoyed the festivities. I wanted to gasp and clap with as much enthusiasm at everyone else when the acrobats spun and twisted in the air, performing impossible tricks with their lithe bodies. I wanted to volunteer when the fire dancers went around collecting unsuspecting audience members, incorporating them into their show.
Fear from being found out, from the inauguration speech to come, forced me to my chair the entire time, watching impassively from behind the mask.
I hadn’t even gotten a chance to look at the mask properly and only knew that it was white and plainly shaped around the top half my face, with clear-cut holes punched in for my eyes. It stopped at the tip of my nose then curved around my cheek, leaving my mouth free to force a smile or murmur a half-hearted reply to a guest that dared to strike up a conversation with me.
The performances came and went faster than I realised. By the time the orchestra had subtly set up in the corner, it dawned on me that this was the last event of the night before it was my turn.
I knotted my hands tightly together and clenched my teeth behind pursed lips. My fingers were twitching a little from the nerves racking my body. For once, I was grateful for the thick layer of skirts that cushioned the lower half of my body. It hid how much my body trembled.
I figured I wasn’t going to dance anyway, after seeing how limited my movement was in the dress. Giving him a curt nod, I turned back to the crowd which soon began clearing for couples to take the floor.
Ballroom dancing, I thought with a grimace, wringing my fingers together. Never liked it.
But that didn’t mean I was rubbish at it. Watching the dancers out on the floor with an upbeat piece to get the crowd moving, I recognised it as a foxtrot almost immediately. The piano in the orchestra added to the lively tempo and mood, giving a slight jazzy atmosphere as the guests began conversing with one another more freely.
How long does this last? I wondered exasperatedly. Dragging out the long wait towards my speech did my poor nerves no good.
I’d lost count of how many dances they’d played, when suddenly, the musical ensemble slowly transitioned into a traditional piece Allegra had once made me listen and learn a dance to.
And much to my utter horror, hopefully disguised by the mask, those familiar blue eyes marched up to me and dipped into a quick bow.
“Your Highness,” Joey mused, shamelessly grinning at me. “May I have this dance?”
For a brief moment, the worry of what I was getting myself into vanished. It was short-lived as I gave him a sharp look then glanced over to Andrew.
Elliot met my eyes instead and I panicked, shooting my gaze forward again.
“Go on, Isabella,” Elliot encouraged. “Dance with your people. You’ve done enough sitting.”
What are you doing? I tried to mouth once my back was turned to the King.
Joey cocked his head. “You’ll have to excuse me. I’m nowhere near as skilled as you are in the traditional dances of our country.”
“Joey,” I hissed, reluctantly letting him lead me out to the dance floor. “What are you doing?”
“You look lovely tonight, Your Highness,” Joey spoke formally, the grin wiped from his face.
I wanted to bury myself in a hole as people moved apart to give me a wide opening towards the circle of dancers gathered in the centre.
“Relax, Annabelle always danced with her subjects,” Joey muttered under his breath and positioned a hand at her waist. He held out his other and I grasped it tightly.
Before I could object, the music’s introduction was over and I was forced to obey the rhythm. Joey kept me close as we moved as one, stepping quickly. It was a miracle the dress hadn’t tripped either of us.
Once I found myself comfortable with the rhythm, the dancer part of me having taken over, I lowered my chin and struck up another conversation.
“Why did no one tell me about this?” I glanced about at the other dancers who moved fluidly with the music, in a tight circle that expanded for a few bars then came back into a round formation. Without my knowledge and spontaneous addition to the routine, I felt as if the entire performance had been rehearsed before, despite knowing that I hadn’t danced ballroom since Ember’s birthday party.
“This was a last minute addition, courtesy of my sister and that dance instructor, Bennie.”
“What?”
Again, I was perplexed as to why they would have organised such a thing, and why they’d failed to tell me about it. At least their impulsive decision to drag me out hadn’t ruined the performance – yet.
“You had enough to stress about with the speech so Allegra figured this would be a nice release.” Joey shrugged nonchalantly and spun me out for a surprisingly smooth twirl before pulling me back in.
“I would have gone over the dance properly. I’m still rusty.”
“You’ll be just fine. It’s a simple waltz from the nineteenth century and it’s just the music that’s a little different.”
Whether it was ancient or not, a waltz was still a dance and dancing took practise to perfect. The urge to find Allegra and yell at her for making Joey bring me into this threatened to break the thin strand of resolve holding me together.
We stopped talking for a while and the dance wore on. I tried to avoid looking at Joey so much but there was nowhere else to look when everything kept spinning as we moved to the music. Joey’s clear face was the only thing that kept my head from spinning into a dizzy fray.
It came a lot easier to follow Joey’s lead. I’d almost forgotten how good he was, having danced with him once before. He seemed to know what he was doing, guiding me between the other twirling couples whom I didn’t doubt were professional dancers themselves. A performance this impeccable was most definitely not by some random guests in the crowd.
And all too soon, the music died and my body stopped moving in accordance to my partner’s. Joey gave me a bow and released me from his arms, rising back upright.
“Don’t worry. Nothing is going to happen to you. We’ve got extra security keeping an eye out for you everywhere.”
His words struck me like a ton of bricks. I stumbled back towards the throne, only to be met by a set of crinkled grey eyes awaiting me, standing tall beside my father. I searched briefly for Andrew but he had vanished. I prayed that it was a good sign, that he was probably ensuring no harm would come to me throughout this.
“Good evening,” I addressed Slater carefully.
The orchestra had stopped playing completely and the air was now filled with low murmurs of the next act to come: mine.
“Good evening, Your Highness.” Slater bowed stiffly then rose to offer his arm to her. “Shall we?”
Every single sound in the room was suddenly muffled by the rush of blood in my ears. The organ that pumped it threatened to break my ribs apart.
It was going to happen. Now.
What exactly was going to happen, I wasn’t entirely sure myself. It was by pure chance that we were guessing that the cult would make a move in this moment, when I would be at my most vulnerable. Considering all the previous Aldernian Queens’ track records, I was most likely headed for something very nasty.
My senses were clouded by the fear that thrummed through my blood. I hoped Slater didn’t notice my hands shaking as he led me down from the few steps, away from the thrones and towards the door in the corner that would lead into the hallway.
I glanced around in a panic, searching for a reassuring face. Andrew hadn’t been there beside the King, Joey had vanished into the crowd, and I hadn’t seen Allegra all night.
Izzy and Kyle were just as lost to me in the blur of faces that flashed by. All of them vanished the moment I stepped into the quiet corridor, my boots clicking softly against the marble floor.
Much to my relief, there were guards posted every few metres down each side of the hallway, and an extra few more around each corner.
With Slater escorting me and all these eyes watching out for me, I suddenly felt a surge of security.
Good evening and welcome to you all.
The first line of the speech rang clear through my head. I continued through it slowly, word by word, syllable by syllable.
One of the men in dark suits opened a door, revealing the waiting room inside. Four guards were posted within, one in each corner, their gazes impassive but evidently focused on me.
I flashed a nervous smile as Slater guided me through the next doorway that directly led to a steep flight of stairs. It was too narrow for the both of us, but I managed the steps just fine, even in the dreadful dress and shoes.
“Good luck, Princess,” Slater called after me. His role ended at the bottom where he would wait to take me back, safe and sound.
My heart pounded all the while. The vibrations shook me to my core as I slowly emerged into the chandelier’s light at the top. There were no spaces for any cult members to hide, no shadows large enough to conceal a figure. With wobbly hands, I slid the mask off and clutched it in one hand.
The mezzanine was bare and empty, devoid of any hiding places either. The chandelier glistened down on me with drops of reflected light as I strode to the edge and rested my hands lightly on the skirts that bloomed out from my waist.
The ballroom hushed.
There was a moment’s pause. I waited for something, anything to suddenly knock me over or take me by surprise.
A few more seconds passed and a couple awkward coughs resounded from below. It snapped me back to reality and I pushed my shoulders back, confidence and pride swelling within me. Setting the mask down on the balcony, I glanced down at the thin microphone set up on the rail of the mezzanine and smiled at the vast sea of people staring back at me. And it had been a genuine smile.
Nothing had happened.
“My fellow Aldernians,” I began.
I resisted the urge to cringe as my voice echoed off the walls. A few cameras nearby shifted slightly but I was far from concerned about those.
“Good evening, and welcome to you all,” I continued.
With each word came more conviction. With every dramatic pause I took, I swept my gaze over the figures below me, all staring up after having removed their masks out of respect. I could see the adoration in their eyes, for the princess I was trying to be. I saw pride shimmer in some of their faces, proud of the princess that would soon become Queen – that was actually delivering a Queen’s speech.
But it was the air in the room that impacted me most, that drove me towards injecting passion into the words that rolled off my tongue.
It couldn’t be described in one word but it enveloped me in a sensation of warmth that felt like a loving embrace.
These people, everybody in that ballroom, was an Aldernian. The re-enactment of Queen Annabelle’s Inauguration Ball was a special tradition reserved for Aldern citizens only. And though no leader could fully win over an entire nation, this was as close as it got.
“Aldern is our country, our kingdom, our people.” My head felt light-headed as I drew closer to the end. The words fell out without another thought. Never did I feel more like Princess Isabella, than in that very moment. “As a Queen, I am no more than a humble servant to the nation, a mere voice to represent the will of our people. Every monarch has taken their oath to serve the kingdom, but I will be more than a figurehead to turn to in times of need. I swear to you, my role will be more than to be just a leader: it is to be your equal.”
Dead silence weighed down on me as I leaned back from the microphone. From up where I was, a pin could have dropped from across the room and I still would have heard it.
The silence broke with a thunderous roar of applause. There was no cheering since the event was more than formal, despite the festivities. But the reaction filled me to the brim and I beamed down at everyone.
I lifted a hand and waved, just as I’d practised with Liza. I turned from side to side, making sure to give a good sweep before slowly receding back towards the exit.
I counted the steps it took until I felt the gap of the door and quickly turned to make my leave.
It felt as if the world had been lifted off my shoulders. Echoing from the ballroom, I heard Liza’s voice begin directing the crowd out through the doors leading towards the garden where the fireworks display would begin.
Darkness enveloped me as I rushed down the stairs. The dim light of the waiting room greeted me once I reached the bottom. I sucked in a deep breath of air and closed my eyes, relishing the moment just a while longer.
“Astrid!”
My eyes snapped open as the room’s exit slammed shut.
“Kyle!”
Bunching the skirt up into my fists, I scurried over and threw myself around my best friend.
“You’re alive!” Kyle exclaimed, squeezing me back tightly.
“I’m alive!” I cried out with equal excitement and pure joy. “We’re alive. Nothing happened!”
“Well done, sis.”
I hadn’t noticed the other two figures who had entered the room with Kyle. A huge grin split across my lips as Joey mirrored my expression. However, the voice had originated from the petite blonde beside him.
“Sup, sis,” I greeted playfully.
Izzy wore a lovely green and black ball gown with a layer of black lace wrapped around the green silk bodice. Her skirts puffed out from beneath a black sash in an array of black and green fabric.
“I have to hand it to you,” she confessed dryly. “You really outdid yourself. It was almost like seeing myself up there, but I would have been a little less dramatic.”
I shot her a teasing smirk. “You’re just jealous that I did a better job.”
Izzy raised an eyebrow. “A better job at being me? Highly doubtful. But well played.” She stuck out a gloved hand and met my eyes with a firm but glittering stare.
For once, there was no semblance of hostility or distaste. Izzy accepted me and that was more than I could have asked for.
I reached for her hand, only to be torn away by Kyle and Joey. “What are you doing?”
“You need to switch over, now.” Joey gave me a one-over, a frown slipping onto his face. “Mask?”
“The balcony,” I replied with a sheepish smile. I’d forgotten to bring it with me.
Joey muttered something under his breath before darting up the stairs.
“Why do we need to –”
“I can take over from here,” Izzy explained. “There was no danger. We’d just imagined it, I guess. Well you guys imagined it.” She gave Kyle a pointed look, to which he shrugged at.
“Better safe than sorry.”
“No cult?” I asked, puzzled. “All that worrying and planning for nothing?” I gingerly brushed the tendrils of hair that had been so carefully placed on my head. All of that excruciating preparation for nothing?
“It appears so,” Izzy sighed with a grimace. She lifted the thick bundle of white fabric which I guessed was what I’d originally had to change into after the speech. Not anymore though. It looked like we were reverting back to our old selves, Izzy taking her rightful role and me blending in as another face in the crowd. “Joey, Kyle, you both need to leave.”
Joey came back with the mask then set it on the nearby table pushed up against the wall. Huh. Didn’t see that before. Then again, I had been too worried about what would happen to me while I was supposedly at my most vulnerable.
But it was all over now. I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or annoyed that we’d gone ahead on a plan by pure assumption than proper reasoning an evidence.
And now that I thought about it, I couldn’t believe how reckless it had been.
“You guys have five minutes,” Kyle warned, ushering Joey out with him.
“Five minutes?” My sister and I hissed in mortification.
“That’s not long enough!” Izzy protested, giving me a sidelong glance with the slightest hint of a smile.
“Seven, and counting!” Joey made a move for us to hurry up before shutting the door behind him.
Izzy and I exchanged glances. “Well then, let’s get this over with.”
Being twins, I hadn’t ever considered the possibility that we would have different measurements. After all, having the same face – or close to it – usually meant we would probably have the same stature.
It turned out, my arms were longer than hers, but she had a smidge larger torso than me, so it was harder to fill it in. Izzy was slightly taller than me but it made enough of a difference that I had to keep bunching up my skirts to move. I had no choice but to cope.
At least I could take out those awful contacts. The release had my eyes tearing up in relief.
“Tell Allegra we switched over,” Izzy said quickly, tying up a neat satin bow that rested where her thick white skirts began. Her hair had been pinned up into a similar fashion to mine, I realised, but not entirely the same. She then moved her hands towards my head, reaching for my hair.
I backed away, holding up my arms protectively. “I spent three hours to get this hair done and you’re going to pull it apart?”
Izzy clucked in annoyance. “I need the tiara, genius. Otherwise you’re going to go out pretending to be me but in a different dress.”
“Oh. Right.” I bowed my head and let her pluck it off me. Righting myself, I flashed a smile and planted my hands on my hips. “Nice.”
“You too.”
The door burst open and in tumbled Allegra, with Joey and Kyle stumbling in after her.
“Guys, we have no time for this!” Allegra snapped. “They’re expecting Izzy to be out there with the King!” She made a frantic gesture at Izzy. “Go on!”
Izzy nodded dutifully and scurried out with Joey hot on her heels, probably to make sure she got there in time.
“And you’re not safe just yet.” Allegra grabbed my arm and began tugging me out of the waiting room. “The cult’s here.”
“What?” I whirled around, searching for a sign of danger but the corridor was empty. “Kyle!”
“I sent him to get the driver,” Allegra told me impatiently and yanked harder. “Come on, walk faster. We don’t have much time.”
“Allegra, didn’t you hear?” I tried to get free from her grip but she swerved around the corner and dragged me violently with her. “Nothing happened. There is no – wait, where are you – why are we –”
The ballroom came into view and Allegra dragged me inside. The chandelier had been extinguished and all lights had been turned off. There was a cold air about it, now that it was completely devoid of life. Everybody had evacuated to the gardens to watch the fireworks show. Nothing but moonlight and the bright flashes of fireworks lit the ballroom.
“Princess,” a voice called, echoing its way across the room to me.
I stopped then narrowed my eyes into the dimness of the ballroom. “Slater?”
The sound of doors slamming shut caught my attention. I twisted to find the swift movement of each of the exits swinging shut. Allegra’s grip tightened on me as I attempted to make a move towards them.
“None other, my Queen,” he mocked, stalking from the shadows and into the dim light, hands tucked behind his back. “I always questioned the use in having a Queen in the first place, never mind a princess. All they do is sit around and look pretty for the people. No power, no will, no leadership. Just nothing.” He advanced forward slowly, a predatory gleam in his eye.
Allegra shrank away.
I turned to her in confusion but she’d cast her gaze to the floor, her hand still gripping my arm. Cold fear splashed through my stomach. A terrifying thought flitted through my mind and I prayed that it wasn’t true. Allegra couldn’t . . . she wouldn’t.
“It was always called a kingdom for a reason.” Slater towered over me for a man who, at his old age, probably should carry a walking stick by now. Too bad he looked as healthy as my father. “Never a queendom.” He paused. “Queendom.” He gave a bark of laughter that ripped through me like a bucket of ice water. “Doesn’t it sound ridiculous, Allegra?”
Immediately, I tore myself away from the maid and took a step back. She didn’t look at me once. “Allegra, what’s going on?”
Slater stopped advancing and turned his sharp gaze towards the maid. “You brought me the wrong girl.”
Allegra finally responded, her head snapping up. “No, Sir, I – I didn’t!”
“You said she would be in the green gown, that she’d switched places with her sister.” Slater’s voice was low and calm, as deadly as a knife. “You assured me Isabella would –”
“It – it is her!” Allegra blurted out in a panic. “I told you our plan, what we’d organised! There is no reason for this to be Astrid.”
Her betrayal was like a punch in the lungs. I took another step back and felt my heart swelling in fear.
“Her accent,” he replied smoothly. Slater turned his hawk-like eyes back at me. “Speak.”
Allegra turned to me with wide, pleading eyes. “Izzy, I’m so sorry.”
I forgot all about Slater and faced her, anger flushing my cheeks. “You.”
Shock contorted her features, her mouth dropping open. She turned to Slater wordlessly, unable to voice her surprise.
They’d been expecting Izzy, not me. Allegra was supposed to bring Izzy, not me.
“Astrid –”
“You have a lot of nerve, girl,” Slater snapped. “Consider our deal terminated.”
“No!” Allegra shook her head vigorously. “No, you can’t! I – I still brought one of them. She’s still a princess!”
“Not the Crown Princess.” Slater’s expression of fury was short-lived. A look of contemplation crossed his face. “But.”
Allegra stared at him, holding her breath.
“Bring me the other one and I’ll hold my end of the bargain.”
“A bargain?” I cried out, whipping my head towards the maid. “You made a bargain with him? He’s in the cult, isn’t he?”
“Your little scholar was smarter than I thought,” he mused, unfazed. “Never mind. Allegra, bring me the Princess.”
“O-Of course,” she stammered, ducking her head. Allegra began scurrying towards me. “Come on, let’s –”
“She stays here.”
Allegra’s steps faltered. “You said you would leave her alone. It’s Izzy you want, not her.”
Each word that sprang from her mouth snapped my heart in half, over and over again. Why – how – what could have possessed her to do something like this? Had she forgotten what the cult stood for? What they would do to every female monarch?
“She’s seen too much and it’s your own fault. Go bring me Isabella.”
Allegra kept her back to him. I watched her with wide, prickling eyes as her fists clenched at her sides. She would betray her friends, her kingdom’s princess . . . her own brother.
She continued her heavy-footed walk towards the nearest exit.
“You and Joey!” I shrilled, nails digging into my palms. “You – you traitors! You sabotaged us from the beginning!”
Allegra’s shoulders tensed but she continued onward. “Joey doesn’t know.” I almost didn’t hear her over the noise of the fireworks show outside. But it didn’t matter: the lies she spat from her mouth meant nothing to me. She and Joey had betrayed us all.
“How could you?” Hurt and betrayal clouded my mind.
“I’m actually wondering the same thing.”
The room came to a standstill.
I lifted my head and the other two did the same. Our attention was drawn to the figure up in the mezzanine, bathed in the moon’s white light. She pursed her lips and removed her mask, hands gripping the stone bars with white knuckles.
“Welcome, Isabella.” Slater lifted an arm and dropped into a mocking bow. “Care to join us?”
“I should have seen you for the lying snake you were,” Izzy seethed.
Two figures emerged from behind, dressed in dark suits. For a moment, my heart lifted. Izzy had brought reinforcements.
Until they grabbed her arms and locked them behind her.
Izzy didn’t even bother to fight as they led her down the stairs. Not a moment later, one of the doors burst open and Allegra scuttled back, white as sheet.
“Izzy, they want you,” I shouted. “Get out of here!”
Izzy’s brown eyes flicked over to me. She held her chin high and wrested herself from her captors. “Don’t touch a royal emissary.”
Slater grated out a sharp bark. “Women have no place in power, other than breeding heirs.”
“And look at how many wars our world has been thrust in,” Izzy shot back calmly.
I inched closer to my sister. She radiated confidence and elegance, her posture tall and regal. She looked more like a Queen than a Princess but for a brief moment, I admired her greatly.
Then I returned to quivering in my shoes.
“Wars make nations stronger,” he argued. “Women are too soft to make the hard decisions. Why else do you think there have been no successful Queens in Aldern’s history?”
“Because your psychotic little cult assassinated them!” she retorted. Izzy’s hands curled into fists and the men behind her tensed.
“We were protecting Aldern from a disastrous reign. Look at England’s Queens. One of the greatest royal families in the world have always been dominated by Kings in the past.”
Izzy let out a sharp peal of laughter which was muffled by a round of whistling fireworks lighting up the sky. “That’s your problem. You look to the past instead of the future. The past doesn’t define the future. And it seems you need to brush up on your history. Queen Elizabeth I is considered a symbol of pride and strength in English history. I plan to be just as successful.”
Slater’s lip curled back into a sneer. “Highly unlikely that you’ll even live to see tomorrow.”
He moved his hands from behind his back and drew out a black-gloved hand. But it wasn’t the gloves that made my stomach churn inside out: it was the gun he held in it, a finger curled around the trigger.
Izzy stiffened and I followed suit. Cold sweat began beading every pore in my body and it made the nausea swell in me.
Allegra inhaled sharply, but kept her distance, turning to face the royal adviser.
“You promised nobody would get hurt!” Allegra accused. “You said you’d send her away, not kill her!”
“Don’t tell me you fell for that.” Izzy released a long breath, fury burning in her eyes in the dim ballroom. Her face was lit up by a flash of white sparks outside, popping in the air. “Don’t tell me you would give up our friendship for the lies that this man told you!”
Slater moved. Every muscle in my body seized up, tense with fear, but to my utter relief, he was attaching a long black barrel at the end of the handgun.
I’d spent my entire life with Leonard who was a gun fanatic, who’d dreamed of the army life, only to quit when he realised there was no gourmet food sponsored by the government. And I’d put up with enough of his ravings to recognise that Slater had attached a silencer.
Allegra let out a choked sob. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know – didn’t think –”
I’d had enough. I’d heard enough.
“After all the research we found, it didn’t occur to you that he would try to kill us?” I pointed an accusatory stare at her. I wanted her to feel my wrath but unfortunately, we weren’t in position to deal with her properly. “Are you that stupid to give up your country for this? Your friends?”
“I swear –”
“Give your grandfather my regards, dear Princess.” Slater lifted his arm and pointed it directly at Izzy.
In life-threatening situations, everybody says time slows down, that they see everything happen in slow motion.
It was the total opposite for me.
Even with the silencer and the loud noise of the fireworks going off, the ugly bang, the sharp crack of metal burst through the air. My heart jerked to a stop when it resounded, then started back again in overdrive. I couldn’t move, my body hadn’t moved. Even with the gun pointed away from me, I should have scrambled to safety but I was stuck still, frozen.
The bullet ripped through the remaining distance between Slater and Izzy but miraculously enough, she’d fallen to the ground in the nick of time. I heard the bullet ricochet off the marble floor and disappear into the shadows.
Life didn’t flash before my eyes. All I could think about was how painful this would end up being.
There was a momentary pause, a deadly silence that was quickly broken by Izzy’s plea to stop.
Slater merely shrugged at the miss, ignored her cry, then aimed again.
“No!” Izzy pushed herself to her feet.
I could only turn and watch in sickening dread as the gun suddenly turned to me. After having been aimed at Izzy, I had forgotten to consider the fact that Slater probably wanted me dead too.
The gunshot rippled, hardly muffled by the silencer. The sound was quick and sharp, yet somehow, the bullet had missed me. The world blurred before my eyes.
It took several agonising moments to realise that I’d been knocked aside and that my head was now throbbing from hitting the floor. I couldn’t remember seeing anything tackle me.
Black and white spots danced in my vision as a figure collapsed beside me, gasping for breath.
“Oh you stupid girl. You’re wasting my bullets –”
Thwip!
As I lay there, disoriented beyond belief, I saw Slater’s tall figure slump forward. The gun clattered from his hands and he fell flat on his face, knocked out cold. Then I noticed the long slender rod sticking out of his back. My mind was too addled to guess what it could be.
A yellowish glow gradually began to illuminate the room. It was most definitely not the fireworks and was quickly followed by by multiple footsteps racing towards us.
Through the stars bursting before my eyes, somehow, I found the energy to push myself into what felt was upright. I blinked away the stars and found Izzy crawling towards me, dragging her white dress across the floor. She was yelling something, her eyes frantic as she pointed towards the fallen figure between us, dead still beside me. She then twisted to look behind at the people running towards us: Andrew, Kyle and Joey.
I shifted dizzily, bracing my hands against the floor and felt my head throb beside my temple. My hands began to slide from the cold layer of swear, instead plunging into a shallow pool of warm dampness.
A cry rang out, strangled in a sob. Joey crumpled next to the fallen figure whose bright red hair complimented the dark inky scarlet pooling around her. Cold fear and dread curled through my veins, intoxicating me with revulsion.
“Allegra!” Izzy’s voice echoed through the muffled static in my ears.
I drew my hand away and my breath caught.
“Somebody, help!” Joey screamed, clutching his sister tight into his chest.
Sound filtered back into my ears as bile rose to the surface. I dropped my hand and trembled, staring in pure terror at the redhead sprawled on the ground, her own blood pooling beneath her.
“Astrid!”
“Isabella!”
“Astrid!”
“Astrid!”
Three different voices called my name as the ballroom suddenly came to life. A chorus of shouts burst into the air and squadrons of footfalls thundered into the room.
A pair of hands gripped my shoulders tight. I whirled around, expecting to find Slater, suddenly back to life, but instead, light blue eyes and matted blonde hair met my gaze.
“Leonard.” I care nothing for the fact that my voice sounded as if I’d choked on broken glass.
I let him pull me into a tight embrace and pull me away from the fallen twins. His arms squeezed the air out of me but I more than welcomed it. Leonard dragged me to my feet as I clutched his waist, breathing rapidly against his dress shirt.
“You’re safe, it’s okay,” he whispered, tucking my head into his chest. “It’s alright, cous. You’re alright.”
“A-Allegra,” I choked out, lifting a wet hand to my eyes. I squeezed them shut, feeling tears spring and bile burn the back of my throat. I could still feel the warmth of her blood and staggered against my cousin.
A flurry of activity burst around us in a wave of black and white. I remained in Leonard’s embrace, watching mindlessly as security guards poured in and started securing the area. Flashes of masks and intricate ball gowns flickered around the edge of the ballroom but the guests were constrained to remain outside. It wasn’t long before the doors were shut and secured by two guards at every exit. All of the curtains swished shut. Many more started searching the room and the mezzanines above.
“Astrid.” A small voice trembled as she spoke. Never had I ever heard Peyton so timid or scared before.
Reluctantly, I pulled away from my cousin and faced my little sister.
Her face had crumpled up into the saddest expression I’d ever seen her wear. It brought a wave of tears to my eyes as she threw herself into my arms.
“You’re alive,” she choked out, squeezing me tightly. “But I saw blood. Your hand . . .”
I swallowed back the nausea and rested my cheek in her hair. “I’m fine. It’s alright.” I wiped the bloodied hand on the dress and clenched it tight. “We’re safe now.”
It seemed like forever since I’d seen Peyton, and even longer since I’d seen my mother.
She subtly crawled into my line of vision like a cautious mouse, trying to determine whether or not it would be safe.
“Mum.” My head pulsed painfully and my arms felt sore from bracing the impact of the fall. But seeing my mother there, seeing her so distraught and concerned seemed to ease the pain and stress.
Leonard made the first move, grabbed my mother then squished us all into a hug. I closed my eyes and deeply inhaled my mother’s perfume, and relished the touch of my family around me.
We probably stood like that for a while until a finger tapped on my shoulder. Leonard swatted it away but I craned my neck to see who it was.
Kyle’s weary face came into view. I slithered out of my family’s embrace and pulled Kyle into one myself, squeezing him as tight as I could. “You’re safe.”
“Me? What about you?” His arms tightened and I struggled to breathe but it was a good sort of suffocating. “You almost got shot!”
“How did you find us?” I wheezed, trying to find some room to breathe.
“Well something was wrong when you and Allegra didn’t come out.” Kyle gazed down at me. “And Izzy felt like something was off. She noticed that there were no guards indoors which was weird so she said the rest of us to find security while she find out what’s going on.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You let the Crown Princess of Aldern investigate on her own?”
Kyle’s half-hearted smile dipped into a guilty frown. “We didn’t think it was anything, that maybe you got lost in a room or something. We didn’t know the cult was actually going to make a move.” He gestured to the security guards, some being tied up while others were doing the tying.
“And Slater?” I asked, fisting a handful of his tuxedo jacket. “What about him? Is he . . . dead? I saw the arrow –”
Andrew appeared out of nowhere and squeezed a hand firmly on my shoulder. Kyle let me go but hovered by my arm. “I was Aldern’s Junior Archer rep in the European championships and trained in Japan for a while. I always hid a bow and arrow around the castle.”
“And it didn’t kill him?”
He shook his dark head of hair. “Tranquilisers. I changed them a couple months ago . . . in case something drastic happened. Didn’t think it actually would.” He offered a sheepish smile. “I was pretty imaginative as a kid and took the whole prince and knight thing seriously.” An adorable redness filled his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his head.
A small smile crossed my face and swiftly, I pulled him into a tight embrace. “Thank you. For saving us.”
“Hey.” Izzy greeted us with a faint smile. “I could use a hug.” She opened her arms. Instinctively, I recoiled at the blood smeared across her gown. Izzy dropped her arms and bit her lip. “She was losing a lot of blood. Joey’s gone with her to the hospital and I could really use the hug right now.”
“I think we all could,” Leonard announced, popping up between Andrew and me and slung an arm around both of us. “Group hugs, all round, people!”
I opened my mouth to protest but I was too slow. Leonard and Andrew suffocated me, drawing Izzy into it. I heard Kyle’s grunt as he tried to squeeze in.
“Family, reunited at last.” Despite being unable to see his face, I could tell he was grinning.
I had no qualms about it because he was right: our family was all here, even Kyle was an honorary Devereaux or Wellington.
“Let me go!”
Immediately, our group dispersed. Our attention turned to the tall man refusing to be handcuffed. His moves were sluggish but he was still rather aggressive, even with the shot from a tranquiliser.
Slater glanced up, his eyes burning with rage and unfinished business. He tore an arm away from one man, and before anybody could move, he plunged a hand into his jacket. When he whipped it out, the object caught the gleam of the chandelier and it took a heart-stopping second to recognise the blade.
“Iz –”
What seemed out of midair came a hand. It swung down from behind Slater and smacked sideways, straight into his neck. Slater fell like a sack of potatoes and the knife clanged as he hit the floor. Men were upon him and the weapon within seconds, but Slater was out cold.
Kyle stood there, breathing heavily with his arm still raised. He met my eyes and lowered his hand until it dropped by his side. His face was a little white but there was a grin growing across his face.
“Where did you learn that?” I stared wide-eyed and strangled him in a side hug.
“A book,” he replied and shrugged nonchalantly, as if knocking out men was an everyday occurrence for him.
“Wait.” I pulled back and looked to him dubiously as Andrew and Leonard clapped him hard on the back. “You learned to do that without any practise? Just by reading?”
He shrugged again, attempting to keep his cool and look cool too. Too bad he couldn’t hide that smug glint in his eyes. Or get rid of that goofy, curly-haired cut.
“Well how did you know it would work?” I demanded in shock.
“I didn’t.” Out of instinct, I punched him in the arm. Kyle recoiled, clutching it with a pained expression. “Ow!”
“You risked us getting hit by a knife?” I shrieked. “Are you insane?”
“But you didn’t get hit. I saved you.”
“She’s right,” Leonard cut in hastily. “Give him a break, cous. We can’t all be kung fu masters like Kyle.”
“Then get beat up by a girl,” Andrew added dryly and crossed his arms. “Nice.”
Kyle inclined his head. “Thanks.”