it, and you wil forget about al of this."
"But. . . but my father said that I was the heir. That if he died then I would become queen. He didn't say anything about this."
"That's because he doesn't know." She sighed. "If there was another way, believe me, I'd want to learn what it is. I don't want to be queen, you know.
I don't
want to never be able to leave this place, but it has to be done." She touched my shoulder tentatively. "Take the rest of the night and let it al sink in, if you
wish. But tomorrow morning, drink the potion. Forget about al of this and live a happy, normal life, Nikki."
I nodded shakily. "Okay."
"But please remember one very important thing." "What's that?"
"In the meantime, don't al ow your powers to manifest. At al . They're triggered by extreme emotions. Stress, anger, fear ... I know you've had your share of
al of that today, and I'm worried about you. Do you understand?"
I nodded again. "I understand."
"Good." She rubbed a tear away from my cheek with her thumb. "I wil take care of your father, I promise. I'l make his last days as comfortable as possible. I know he was so happy to find out that you existed. And he was so happy to get the 113
chance to meet you before the end. Please know that even in his demon form, your father cares about you and would never wish you harm in any way."
I blinked back more tears. "I'm glad I met him, too. I just wish I had more time."
"Me, too."
I hugged her and she smel ed like warm jasmine. I felt something press against my col arbone and looked down. "You have a vial, too?" I asked, glancing at the smal blue bottle she wore around her neck on a chain.
She touched it lightly. "It's perfume--a gift from my inamorato ... or what you might cal my 'boyfriend.'" Her expression turned forlorn and wistful. "I'm hoping he'l want to visit me when I'm unable to leave this castle."
She led me out of the room and down the staircase to where Michael was waiting, his attention firmly fixed on the floor.
"Good-bye, Nikki. Be wel ." With a last squeeze of my hand, Elizabeth left to go deeper into the castle.
The doors opened up to let me out.
Michael didn't say anything. He simply walked outside. He led me over the gray stones that slowly turned to green grass. Where the dark, stormy skies
above cleared away to beautiful blue. Where the forest leading into the faery realm stood before us, looking very innocent and not like the home of unfriendly, territorial faeries.
My head ached with everything I had learned swirling around inside. Seeing my father turn demon. Learning that he was going to die. Learning that I would
die if I didn't
114
drink the potion. Meeting Elizabeth. Learning that her fate was to never leave the castle again. Knowing I'd forget al of this as soon as I drank the potion.
I sucked in a breath and it sounded like a sob. "Why didn't you tel me?"
Michael looked over his shoulder at me. "What part?"
"Al of it. About my father's health. About the dangers of being a Darkling. About al of that."
"I told you what I was supposed to tel you, Princess. I answered your questions."
I felt angry then. At him, at everything. "No, you didn't. I asked you to tel me who you were but you didn't say any-thing. I wish you would have told me the
truth."
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt and kept trudging along toward a shimmering patch of light about fifty feet ahead of us--the gateway back to the human realm.
"I should have told you," he said. "I know that." "Yeah, you should have."
"Wel , now you know. I'm a servant." He said it so bitterly and his eyes were stil on the path ahead of him. He hadn't looked me directly in the eyes since we were in the castle. "You're a princess and I'm your servant. See? I can say it. It's not even that bad, actual y."
"Michael--"
"Princess, please. Let me take you home. It doesn't matter anyway. None of this matters. When you drink the potion you'l forget al about me and everything else."
"But. . . but my father said that I was the heir. That if he died then I would become queen. He didn't say anything about this."
"That's because he doesn't know." She sighed. "If there was another way, believe me, I'd want to learn what it is. I don't want to be queen, you know.
I don't
want to never be able to leave this place, but it has to be done." She touched my shoulder tentatively. "Take the rest of the night and let it al sink in, if you
wish. But tomorrow morning, drink the potion. Forget about al of this and live a happy, normal life, Nikki."
I nodded shakily. "Okay."
"But please remember one very important thing." "What's that?"
"In the meantime, don't al ow your powers to manifest. At al . They're triggered by extreme emotions. Stress, anger, fear ... I know you've had your share of
al of that today, and I'm worried about you. Do you understand?"
I nodded again. "I understand."
"Good." She rubbed a tear away from my cheek with her thumb. "I wil take care of your father, I promise. I'l make his last days as comfortable as possible. I know he was so happy to find out that you existed. And he was so happy to get the 113
chance to meet you before the end. Please know that even in his demon form, your father cares about you and would never wish you harm in any way."
I blinked back more tears. "I'm glad I met him, too. I just wish I had more time."
"Me, too."
I hugged her and she smel ed like warm jasmine. I felt something press against my col arbone and looked down. "You have a vial, too?" I asked, glancing at the smal blue bottle she wore around her neck on a chain.
She touched it lightly. "It's perfume--a gift from my inamorato ... or what you might cal my 'boyfriend.'" Her expression turned forlorn and wistful. "I'm hoping he'l want to visit me when I'm unable to leave this castle."
She led me out of the room and down the staircase to where Michael was waiting, his attention firmly fixed on the floor.
"Good-bye, Nikki. Be wel ." With a last squeeze of my hand, Elizabeth left to go deeper into the castle.
The doors opened up to let me out.
Michael didn't say anything. He simply walked outside. He led me over the gray stones that slowly turned to green grass. Where the dark, stormy skies
above cleared away to beautiful blue. Where the forest leading into the faery realm stood before us, looking very innocent and not like the home of unfriendly, territorial faeries.
My head ached with everything I had learned swirling around inside. Seeing my father turn demon. Learning that he was going to die. Learning that I would
die if I didn't
114
drink the potion. Meeting Elizabeth. Learning that her fate was to never leave the castle again. Knowing I'd forget al of this as soon as I drank the potion.
I sucked in a breath and it sounded like a sob. "Why didn't you tel me?"
Michael looked over his shoulder at me. "What part?"
"Al of it. About my father's health. About the dangers of being a Darkling. About al of that."
"I told you what I was supposed to tel you, Princess. I answered your questions."
I felt angry then. At him, at everything. "No, you didn't. I asked you to tel me who you were but you didn't say any-thing. I wish you would have told me the
truth."
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt and kept trudging along toward a shimmering patch of light about fifty feet ahead of us--the gateway back to the human realm.
"I should have told you," he said. "I know that." "Yeah, you should have."
"Wel , now you know. I'm a servant." He said it so bitterly and his eyes were stil on the path ahead of him. He hadn't looked me directly in the eyes since we were in the castle. "You're a princess and I'm your servant. See? I can say it. It's not even that bad, actual y."
"Michael--"
"Princess, please. Let me take you home. It doesn't matter anyway. None of this matters. When you drink the potion you'l forget al about me and everything else."
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