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“Malala...pst. Malala, wake up.”
I peel open my sticky eyes to the early morning rays that’s peeking in through the skylight.
“Hmm?” I mumble at the familiar voice.
“Wake up.”
As my surroundings come into focus and my brain registers where I am, a debilitating panic crashes down onto my chest and fills my entire body.
The People...Balenda!...Minister Ishmael!...
The events of the secret society initiation ceremony, losing Balenda, and coming face to face with the leader of The People all flood my mind at once, making it hard to breathe. But the anxiety slowly subsides as a familiar face slides into view, blocking out the sunlight.
Tempest?
My sister’s blonde curls dangle over my face as she looks down at me with sorrow brimming her eyes. She gently sits on the edge of my bed, her soft pink gown brushing against my limp fingers.
Tempest!?
I try to shout her name and reach for her, begging for her help...but I can’t. I’m brutally reminded that I can’t move or speak. I’ve been trapped in my own body from a curse placed on me by the secret organization that’s been taking root in my queendom for centuries. Now they’ve sprouted to take over my land completely.
The People.
Angrily, I look down at the honeycomb bracelet that was given to me by my traitorous maid. Although it’s small and thin, it feels painfully cold and heavy against my ankle. I didn’t notice the magical power radiating off of it the first time Jewel gave it to me, but it’s grown more and more apparent as the days pass.
Hivena queens don’t use magic, but we’re still trained in being able to recognize some forms of it for our safety, and I mentally kick myself for not recognizing it sooner.
Tempest looks down at the anklet and frowns.
“I wish I could help you.” She rasps, then looks back up at me. “Unfortunately, with the presence of the Queen Eater drawing near, our reach to this world has grown more faint.”
The Queen Eater!?
I stare at her with tears in my eyes. It’s been so long since I’ve seen any of my sisters. I went from seeing them everyday from dawn until dusk, to them disappearing overnight.
Some of them by my own hand.
I can’t even count the many days and nights I’ve spent aching to hear their voices echoing down the halls again. I was terrified of the nightmares I had after their deaths. I thought they were haunting me, and angry with me for what I’d done to them. Instead, they were trying to warn me to escape.
But it’s too late.
I struggle to part my lips and talk. My voice box feels paralyzed, and my jaw trembles as I work to move it. There’re so many things that I want to say to her.
That I’m so sorry...that I love her.
That I didn't mean any of the hateful things I said when she was alive and I wish I could take it all back.
Hot tears boil in my eyes and stream down my temples as I only manage a pathetic whimper.
“Shhhhh,” she calms me. “It’s okay Malala. You don’t have to say anything. I know...okay?” Her voice cracks. “I know. I love you too. I know you didn’t mean the things you said back then, and neither did I. I was headstrong. I let becoming queen blind me to what should have been most important. You and the rest of our sisters. I see that now, and I’m sorry I had to see that too late.”
My tears pool in my ear drums as she rests her hand on top of mine, but I don't feel it.
“This never would have happened if I didn’t blow my pip. I know you were just doing what you thought was best. I know you were just worried for Reyna’s safety. I don’t blame you for any of this.”
She places her hand on my forehead and smooths back my hair.
“You were a perfect choice to be queen of Hivena. No one’s going to care, nourish, and protect the subjects of this land like you. And I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but I promise...this war is far from over.”
