The Dragon Realm (Dark World The Dragon Twins #2) - Michelle Madow Page 0,55
did the crescent moon in the center.
Genevieve’s eyes were bright with wonder as she stared down at it. “The Holy Crown is whole,” she said, and then she pulled her gaze away from the Crown to look at Ethan. “It’s time for you to crown our fourth and final Queen.”
I could barely breathe as he walked over to Genevieve.
He loves Mira. Mira is going to be the Queen of Pentacles. Mira will receive the fifth element.
Disappointment coursed through me. Because I was more in tune with magic than Mira. And whatever the fifth element was, I wanted it. My stomach twisted with a sense of wrongness at the idea of Mira having it instead of me.
But what was it Hecate had said?
Trust in Fate.
I wasn’t going to receive the fifth element. But maybe Fate had something else in store for me. Something that, right now, I couldn’t even fathom.
Ethan took the Crown from Genevieve, then spun around to face me and Mira. His eyes were more pained than I’d ever seen them before.
“Wait,” said Constance—the vampire gifted with future sight. She’d been quiet so far, and the intensity of her tone surprised me. “The fate of the world hinges on what’s about to happen here. We need to proceed correctly.”
“What do you mean?” Mira fidgeted and looked back and forth between Ethan and Constance.
Ethan refused to look at her. He refused to look at me, too.
“The two of you need to stand in front of Ethan with your backs against each other and your eyes closed,” she said. “Then Ethan will place the Crown on the head of the twin he loves.”
“Why?” Mira looked—and sounded—desperate to get this over with.
“To take as much pressure off him as possible.”
“There shouldn’t be any pressure.” Mira squared her shoulders and looked at Constance like she was a bug she wanted to squash. “Ethan’s with me. He loves me. Which means I’m the Queen of Pentacles.”
“That may be the case,” Constance said. “But we must follow protocol.”
“Fine.” Mira stomped across the room and stopped in front of Ethan. She stood perpendicular to him, so her right shoulder was in front of him. “Let’s get this over with.”
My feet felt like they were weighted down with bricks as I walked over to Mira and pressed my back against hers.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ethan’s hands shaking around the Crown.
He shouldn’t have been so nervous. There was nothing between me and him other than my unrequited attraction for him and that kiss in Lilith’s lair.
He’d had a chance to stay with me that first day we’d met in the cove. But he’d gone on to meet Mira, and then to date her. He’d chosen her.
Of course he was going to crown her. He was only nervous because of the second part of what Isemay had said.
If he places the Crown on the other twin’s head, she’ll die.
By crowning Mira, there was also a chance—a small chance—that he could kill her.
Possibly killing the person you loved would be an insane amount of pressure for anyone.
But Ethan loved Mira. He was going to crown her, she’d receive the fifth element, and she’d be okay. She’d be more than okay—she’d be the Queen of Pentacles.
It should have been me.
I pushed the thought out of my head, since there was no point in getting upset about something I couldn’t control.
Fate had other plans for me. It had to.
“Close your eyes,” Genevieve said, and I did as asked.
The next time I opened my eyes, Mira would be a Queen.
“Good luck,” I whispered to my twin.
She trembled behind me. “You, too.”
The wooden floor creaked as Ethan stepped forward, his delicious, spicy scent growing closer. While I couldn’t see him, I could feel that he was standing in front of where my and Mira’s shoulders were touching.
I sucked in a long breath, reached back for my sister’s hands, and held them. Her palms were damp with sweat. She clenched my hands tightly, like she was terrified to let go.
Relax, I thought. This will be over soon.
Nervous energy buzzed through me.
I heard Ethan raise his arms.
And then, I felt it.
The weight of the Crown upon my head.
35
Gemma
My body felt like it was being sliced into pieces. Sliced by the sharp crystals of the Crown.
I screamed, but heard nothing.
And I saw everything.
Memories flooded my mind—the memories I’d erased with the potion created by Shivani.