the Queen, strode into the cave, accompanied by no other than yours truly and…Alex?
What? Why was Alex here with me? And better yet, how had we even gotten here if Nicholas supposedly wasn’t able to help me?
Alex remained close to me as we followed the woman across the room and to the throne. I could see in my expression that I must have been really struggling to keep my fear under control.
“Thank you Sarabella,” The Queen said to the woman after we all reached the throne.
Sarabella smiled, revealing that her mouth was nothing more than a toothless hole. “You’re welcome,” she breathed, and swept the tail of her white dress across the floor as she turned around and headed out of the cave.
The Queen tapped her fingers together the way evil villains do in movies, her bare eyes locked on Alex and me; her mouth set firmly in a straight line. “So you two are the humans who dared enter my world without my permission.” Alex started to speak, but the Queen held up her hand. “Silence. I do not want to hear your excuses. All that is important is there are going to be consequences for you coming here.” She glanced us over, like she was contemplating our death in her head.
“You look familiar,” the Queen remarked to Alex. “Have you been here before?”
Alex shook his head. “I haven’t.”
“Are you sure?” The Queen’s empty gaze bore into Alex. “There’s something about you that’s so…familiar.”
Alex shook his head again. “I swear I’ve never been here before.”
The Queen continued to stare at Alex. “Tell me then, what it is that made you enter into my world?”
My mother, who’d been hiding behind the throne, stepped out and I saw the violet eyes of visions’ self light up as I realized who she was.
“For her,” Alex told the Queen and gave a nod at my mother.
My mother looked like a robot, staring at us like she had no idea who we were.
“She’s doesn’t know who I am,” I whispered underneath my breath.
“Who doesn’t?” Nicholas asked from behind me.
I had been so caught up in watching the vision that I completely forgotten he was there, and the sound of his voice made me almost jump out of my skin.
“No one,” I replied quickly, my eyes glued to my mother.
“That’s impossible,” The Queen roared. “No one ever leaves The Underworld, at least not alive. Something you probably should have considered before you entered here.”
“We entered here in a way that you have no control over if we get to leave,” Alex said in a somewhat arrogant tone.
“You better watch your tone boy,” the Queen warned, leaning forward in her throne. “I’ve cut off tongues to those who dared show such disrespect to me.”
That remark frightened the visions’ Gemma—I could tell—but Alex acted unbothered, which wasn’t surprising. Still, he didn’t say anything, and the Queen gave a satisfied grin.
But then her grin faded. “So which one of you is the Foreseer?”
“What do you mean?” Alex asked.
Her face hardened. “Don’t play stupid with me boy. The only way you could enter my world and still get out is by entering through the Ira, something that can only be done by a Foreseer. So, is it you? Or is it her?” The Queen looked at the visions’ Gemma, and I mean really looked at her; the Queen’s empty-eyed gaze burning into her, as if she were trying to read her mind. “Tell me girl, what is your name?”
“I…um…” the vision Gemma glanced around nervously. “My name’s…”
I shook my head at my stuttering, visions’ self.
“And don’t you dare lie to me.” The Queen’s voice held a secret warning.
“Gemma,” the visions’ Gemma stammered out.
“Gemma,” the Queen said. “Would you please explain to me what your interest in this woman is?” She gestured her hand at my mother.
“She’s…” The visions’ Gemma glanced at Alex for help.
“We just know her,” Alex finished for me, shooting me a play-it-cool glance.
Wow. Did we not plan this at all? Because neither one of us was doing a very good job.
“If that’s true—if you just know this woman, then why on earth should I let you take her.” She glanced at my mother. “Why would I let you take my best slave?”
Alex reached in his pocket and took out something that, when it caught in the rays of light, sparkled blue.
I stepped forward, trying to see what Alex had in his hand, wondering if it was the key to my mom’s freedom, but before I could