you served me.”
She tips her head, looking into her cup. “You have to remember that I had no choice over what I did. I was ordered by Divinius to help him, and I had to obey.” Her fingers quiver along with her voice.
I want to believe her, but I still don’t trust her. I could tell her that she’s my aunt and that she should have protected me, but I stay calm and keep my lips sealed because I need to gain her trust. “I know that you had no choice,” I say, clutching onto the edge of the table. “It wasn’t your fault. Besides, I have my Foreseer power back now, so no harm no foul.” I bite my lip as soon as I say it. I probably should have kept that piece of information to myself.
Her face fades of color as she clumsily sets the cup down on the table, spilling tea all over the place. “W-what do you mean you have your Foreseer power back? The only way you’d be able to get your power back is if Dyvinius gave it to you and I know my stepbrother well enough to know that he’d never willingly do that. He’s very, very strict about his rules. So unless you forced him to give it back, the only other option would be to sacrifice someone as a prisoner to the Crystal.” She pauses, waiting for me to deny it.
I stare at the cracks in the table, silently letting it sink in.
“Gemma, please tell me you didn’t,” she says, stunned. “Please, please tell me I’m wrong.”
I glance down at my hands, which are trembling. Guilt creeps back inside of me as I’m bluntly reminded of what I’m capable of and what I did to Nicholas. The guilt spreads through me like venom and my stomach churns as I visualize him being chained to the ball. However, I can’t fall apart right now. I’m on a mission. An unknown mission at the moment, but I’ll figure it out once I get my answer.
Taking a deep breath, I shove the guilt away. I’m here to find out about the Cornu Lepore, not to cry over something I did to the half-Faerie. I lift my gaze up from the table and meet Nalina’s horrified gaze.
“I’m not proud of it or anything that I did while I was under the influence of Helena, but I still feel responsible. I can’t do anything about it right now, though.” I lower my hands onto the table and splay my palms across the wood. “There are too many other things I have to do first and then I’ll fix what I did.”
Nalina studies me intently as she grasps the handle of the cup holding her tea. “You’re a real mystery to me. The last time I saw you, you were a terrified little girl and now you just seem cold, sad, and confused.”
I feel cold, sad, and confused. “I think that’s the case for most people who meet me.” I decide it’s time to get down to business and get the answers I need. I reach into my pocket, retrieve out the Cornu Lepore, and drop it down on the table between us. Even in the dim lighting the gold chain shimmers like magic.
Nalina sucks in a sharp breath as she stares at it with her jaw hanging open, then she quickly shoves her chair back and rises to her feet without saying a word. She picks up the cup of tea and carries it to the sink. She keeps her back to me as she pours the tea down the drain. “Why did you bring that here?” she asks, turning the faucet on, and then rinses out the cup.
“I need to know what it’s for,” I tell her, getting to my feet. “Why did Helena take it from you? What does it do?”
“What makes you think it does anything?” she asks nonchalantly as she sets the cup inside the sink, then she slowly turns around and leans against the counter. “The Cornu Lepore is the pendant for royalty of the Fey. That’s it. There’s nothing spectacular about it.”
“I know what it is,” I say, struggling to keep my cool as I wind around the table. “But why did you have it? And what does it do? Because most things like this,” I lean over and snatch the necklace off the table. “Do something.” I thrust the necklace in her direction
“I have—or had it anyway—because I have