The Dragon Realm (Dark World The Dragon Twins #2) - Michelle Madow Page 0,51

ability of compulsion were the original vampires and the vampires they’d personally turned—the vampire princes and princesses. It was why the original vampires were so particular about who they turned.

“I’m gifted with the ability of superior compulsion,” she said. “I can compel anyone—including other original vampires.”

I became suddenly aware of the onyx ring beneath my gloved finger. It was supposed to protect us from mind intrusion, including vampire compulsion.

Would it protect us against Queen Katherine’s superior compulsion?

Bella shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

“We’re running out of time,” Queen Katherine said to Bella. “I need you to take me to the ship.”

Bella pressed her lips together, not replying. Which was a good thing, since it meant Queen Katherine wasn’t using her ability of superior compulsion to force Bella to take her to the ship. She was letting Bella make the choice on her own.

“Do it,” I said. “We came here for a reason. We can’t lose this chance.”

I purposefully didn’t mention the second half of the Crown, since Queen Katherine hadn’t yet specified what she had that we were looking for. No need to show our cards this early.

“I agree with Gemma,” Ethan said, and Mira nodded that she also agreed.

“Very well.” Bella stepped toward the edge of the cliff, in front of Queen Katherine’s iceberg.

Queen Katherine launched herself up with vampire speed and landed gracefully in front of Bella.

Then Bella took her hands, and they vanished into thin air.

32

Gemma

“The Seventh Kingdom is real,” I said once they were gone. “I can’t believe it.”

Ethan stared out at the mountainous horizon.

I glanced at Mira, who’d barely said a word since Queen Katherine had arrived. “You okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine,” she said, although from her tone, she was clearly not fine.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

I bristled at her tone, then brushed it off. Mira had been moody since the ship had set sail. Being cooped up in our suite had really been getting to her.

Now, she stared at the iceberg Queen Katherine had arrived on, lost in her thoughts.

“Do you trust it?” I asked, motioning to the iceberg.

“It’s ice,” she said. “Of course I trust it.”

Then, she was silent again. Ethan, too.

“Is there something you guys aren’t telling me?” I asked.

“No,” Mira said quickly—too quickly.

Ethan gripped the straps of his bag tighter, not looking at either of us.

“You still have the Crown,” I said to him. “Right?”

“Of course I still have the Crown.”

I nodded, since obviously he would have said something if he didn’t. And there was no place he could have lost it. Plus, Ethan was too responsible to lose anything, let alone half of the Holy Crown.

So why were they both acting so strange?

“Is everything okay between the two of you?” I asked the first possibility that came to mind.

Mira snapped her head around to look at me and shot me a bright, forced smile. “Everything’s great.”

My breath caught. Because she was lying.

Mira and Ethan were having problems—again. Problems that, knowing my sister, could distract her from what we’d come here to do.

And I was happy about it.

My stomach twisted, even though my seasickness had gone away since stepping onto solid ground.

“I don’t trust her,” Ethan said suddenly.

My mouth nearly dropped open. “You don’t trust Mira?”

“No.” He looked confused that I’d say such a thing. “I don’t trust Queen Katherine.”

“Me, either,” Mira said, although she still wouldn’t look at Ethan. “She can use her gift to make anyone do anything she wants, regardless of any protection spells they have on them. At least, that’s what it sounded like.”

“That is what it sounded like,” I agreed. “But if she wanted to use compulsion on us, why tell us she had it at all? Why not just use it and then make us forget she used it?”

“Maybe she will do that, after we leave the Seventh Kingdom,” Ethan said. “She clearly doesn’t want word out that it exists.”

“Which means she could compel us to forget everything that’s happened since she pulled up on that iceberg,” Mira said. “She could compel us to forget everything that’s happening now.”

“We won’t forget,” I said.

“How do you know that?”

“Because I trust her.”

“You can’t just blindly trust her,” Mira said, as if it were a dirty word. “You can’t blindly trust anyone.”

“I’m not blindly trusting her,” I said. “I’m trusting my feelings.”

“Same thing.”

I swallowed down irritation. Because this was the same fight we’d had over and over again. Despite everything we’d learned about magic, Mira would never understand the power of intuition, and I’d never understand why she couldn’t