Treachery Queen (The Callistra Chronicles #1)

THIRTY-ONE

Author's Note: I don't think I've left any of these in this book, but I had to do a little interruption here. This chapter is short, but we've got five more chapters after this one coming until the end (well, it's not the end - surprise, the subplots call for a sequel) and I am so excited for the final showdowns (plural) because trust me, they are coming. In other news, I stumbled onto this song that one should definitely listen to when trying to tear down the Powers That Be, which I've attached above (or on the side? I don't know how Wattpad layout works anymore)

Chapter Thirty-One

Pasiphae came to a violent start in the middle of a horde of guards.

Her hands were tied together and two of the Unseelie royal force held her up by the elbows. They didn't appear to mind that she was simply dragging her feet and being a complete dead weight.

She groaned loudly, wiping her mouth on her shoulder.

"Hello, strange girl," the guard to her left said. "So glad we could be acquainted again."

Scowling, Pasiphae narrowed her eyes and forced them to focus on the figure talking to her. Her sight adjusted, revealing Arthur Conllivion and his many shiny badges.

"Witch," she said.

Arthur frowned. "Pardon me?"

"I'm a witch," she clarified. "If you were wondering."

"Well, I wasn't." But he nodded to himself like everything made a lot more sense now.

Up ahead, the hill that the guards planned to drag her over looked suspiciously a lot like the one that led to the palace. Pasiphae twisted her neck, trying to get a better look at their surroundings, but Arthur and the other guard were holding her too tightly.

Why would they be taking her to the palace? Pasiphae was expecting a public execution from Morgana, not a welcoming back into the Unseelie Court.

"Where are we going?" she asked, feigning confusion.

Arthur was not in the mood to continue conversing. She was indeed led into the palace, with many of the nearby guards dispersing now that they were in familiar territory. The few that still circled her collectively moved her down a route that she had grown accustomed to in her weeks here.

They were taking her back to her room.

"No, really," she said to Arthur. She gave her arm an experimental tug, but it was like it had been melded down to his grip. "What's going on?"

They stopped outside the door.

"Rest up," Arthur said.

One of the guards opened the door. A dusty smell that sang of rot and deterioration wafted out despite the fact they had only vacated earlier in the day.

"Rest up?" Pasiphae echoed, digging in her heels as they tried to push her in. "Until my funeral, I suppose?"

"Her Majesty will see you when she pleases." Arthur gave her an adamant shove, and Pasiphae was over the threshold.

The door was slammed shut.

Pasiphae whirled around, trying the knob immediately, but it wouldn't as much as budge. She ran for the balcony door, but like the main one, it would not move.

Pasiphae strolled in reverse for a few steps, then came at the glass with all her weight.

She was struck back, her arms flailing before flopping onto the floor, scraping her elbows roughly. The glass hadn't even shuddered. Pasiphae set her jaw and got up, closing her hands around the nearby chair. She lifted it over her head, her arms shaking, and slammed the legs down on the glass.