It all made sense now. The octopus represented her—
“Ah, there you are.”
Maeve stiffened as the exact words of her dream were repeated. She turned slowly, spotting the figure in the shadow beyond the golden doors. Her mother.
She opened her mouth to greet her and fulfill the final moment of her dream, but the word caught in her throat. This was the woman who had abandoned her as a babe, who was forcing children to labor in the fields, who was imprisoning Gabby and hiding the Embraced army.
Still, if Maeve was going to survive here, if she was going to help the children and defeat the army, she had no choice but to play along. If she didn’t, she could end up in the cell next to Gabby, unable to accomplish anything.
“Mother.” She forced the word out.
Queen Cahira sauntered through the doors, wearing a gown of purple satin and a gold crown designed to look like coral and seashells. “What do you think of my throne room?”
“It is magnificent,” Maeve answered, relieved that for a few seconds she could be perfectly honest. “I have seen the throne rooms of all four mainland kingdoms, and this is by far the most beautiful.”
A corner of the queen’s mouth lifted with a satisfied smirk. “Of course it is. Our civilization was flourishing back when they were still living in caves and straw huts.”
Maeve bowed her head to appear in agreement.
“The gown becomes you.” Cahira stopped in front of her and eyed her carefully. “Since it was the legend of Aerland that spoke to you and drew you back to the place of your birth, I am considering the possibility that you were fated to return. In that case, you may be worthy of my acceptance.”
Maeve fought to keep her hands from curling into fists as indignation twisted her gut. Instead she gripped her skirt and sank into a curtsy. “Thank you, Mother.”
“I cannot deny you are of superior blood.” The queen stepped closer. “But I’m not convinced you can be trusted.”
“All my life, I have wondered who I am and whence I came. My trip here has been a dream come true.” Maeve winced inwardly. That last sentence was too close for comfort.
Queen Cahira sighed as she strolled toward the dais. “When I sent you to the convent, I meant for your life to be uneventful. I never imagined that you would grow up with four girls who would all become queens.” She whirled around, her purple satin skirts swishing around her ankles. “So, are you loyal to those false sisters? Or to me, your real mother?”
How to sound convincing? Maeve wondered. Perhaps if she included a sliver of emotional truth. “I have to admit that I grew up loving my sisters. But after they became queens, everything changed. They confer with themselves and completely leave me out, as if I’m no longer good enough for them.”
Cahira snorted. “Ridiculous. They have no idea how special you are.”
If I’m so special, why did you abandon me? Maeve suspected her bitterness might be apparent on her face, so she used it to her advantage. “Actually, I was glad to leave my sisters. I never really fit in with them.”
“Of course you didn’t.” The queen stepped up onto the dais. “You’re far superior to them, the last full-blooded descendant of our ancient race. Your father, you see, is the last full-blooded male. That is why I selected him.”
Her father? Maeve blinked. “Is . . . is my father here?”
“He’s on his way.” Cahira settled on the golden octopus throne. “Burien and I always made an excellent team. He was the one who came up with the Grand Idea, while I was the one to implement it.”
“The Grand Idea?”
Cahira nodded. “The Circle of Five, of course.”
Maeve flinched and stumbled back a step. Her parents had begun the Circle of Five?
Cahira smirked. “You look surprised.”
More than surprised, Maeve thought. Appalled. Sickened. She struggled to keep her emotions from showing. Luckily, her mother was no longer looking at her, but gazing up at the glass dome in the ceiling.
“It was an excellent idea, but unfortunately, it has proven difficult to bring to fruition.” The queen made a fist and tapped it against the seal-shaped armrest. “The problem was we had to ally ourselves with inferior beings on the mainland. I spent a bloody fortune on Lord Morris to ensure his loyalty and acquire a network of spies, but in the end, the fool ended up killing himself.”
Maeve’s mind was still