Reign Check

::I think so. They asked fewer questions than I thought they would.::

Did I do okay? I think I talked too much.

::You stood up for what you believe in. You didn’t take everything they said with your head lowered like many would. I was impressed.::

Despite the compliment, a lump formed in my throat. I’d stood up for what I believed in, but I couldn’t stand up and tell them how I felt about Shadows — how I felt about Michael in particular. I wasn’t that brave. And I couldn’t put him in danger.

So, what now?

::Now we do exactly as Queen Sephina suggested. We leave.::

Lead the way.

Kassandra grinned as we approached and got in the elevator with her. “See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

I was still breathing. I wasn’t currently redecorating a dungeon cell. I’d let the demon council check me out and I’d challenged the prophecy, enough to put doubt in their minds about it. It definitely could have gone worse.

I was surprised I hadn’t thought of the possibility there might be another Darkling around somewhere, either now or some time in the past millennium. It was a reassuring thought, and I allowed a small measure of relief to flow through me. Is that why Irena couldn’t see the first prophecy for herself? Because it was so vague and maybe not even about me at all?

Whatever the reason, now I could go back to my seminormal life, where all I had to deal with were faery kings and jealous demon-slaying best friends.

Still major problems, but ones I could at least deal with in the human world, not here.

“It’s so cool you have a dragon’s tear,” Kassandra said as the elevator slowly began to make its way down to the lobby. “Can I see?”

I pulled up the sleeve of my sweater — now ripped and a bit drafty in the back, thanks to my unscheduled wing appearance — and showed her the bracelet.

Her eyes widened with appreciation. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Thanks.”

“Can I have it?”

I looked at her. “What?”

“I have lots of jewelry,” she said. “I could trade you for something else. Anything you want.”

“Uh … I don’t really think so.”

She frowned as if confused by my refusal. “But I want it.”

I shrugged. “Sorry.”

Rolling the crystal between my thumb and index finger, I felt the cold weight of it. I didn’t like how the crystal had been obtained, and I didn’t like that my father was the one who slayed the dragon in the first place, but I wasn’t planning on trading it to anyone.

She twirled her hair. “In school, in dragon studies, we learned about their tears. Dragons can teleport from place to place and between worlds no problem, they always have. So it’s rumored that their one and only tear — a solid piece of their life magic — gives the wearer the ability to do the same.”

I hadn’t known that. “You think having this means I can teleport wherever I want?”

“I think so. Cool, right? I’d love to be able to do that.” Her gaze slid back down to my wrist.

::Princess, please say nothing else,: Michael’s voice warned in my head.::I don’t like the way she’s looking at your bracelet.::

But she can’t have it.

::Remember what Elizabeth said about Kassandra when we first arrived? What Kassandra wants, Kassandra gets.::

She’s not that bad. She’ll just have to take no for an answer for once.

Even though she was a bit of a spoiled brat, I kind of liked Kassandra. She’d been helpful and friendly and was full of information. But I was better safe than sorry. A lot of girls seemed superfriendly on the surface, but when it came to something they wanted, they were different. Kind of like Larissa. And she wasn’t even a real demon underneath it all, like Kassandra was.

The doors opened on the lobby and we got out of the elevator.

“You don’t have to leave right away,” Kassandra said, finally tearing her eyes from my bracelet. “We can hang out for a while first.”

“We really should be leaving,” Michael said.

Kassandra looked at him sharply. “I wasn’t speaking to you, Shadow.”

I flinched as I did whenever anyone treated Michael like he was a lesser being. I’d promised myself I’d be on my best behavior, but it was on the tip of my tongue to defend him.

“Kassandra,” I began. “Michael’s—”

::No, Princess. Say nothing. Let’s just leave.::

I bit my lip.

“Michael’s right,” I said instead. “I’m kind of tired, and it’s actually, like, late at night back home, so … can I take a rain check?”

Her expression soured and her eyes again darted briefly to my wrist. She couldn’t get the bracelet and she couldn’t get me to stay. It must have been a shock for someone used to getting anything they wanted. “Whatever.”

Maybe I wouldn’t be best friends with the only other demon princess I’d met, but I wouldn’t let her suddenly sullen attitude bother me. I’d met with the council, and other than finding them mostly unpleasant — although Beasley was nice enough for a six-foot-tall talking cockroach — I thought it went okay.

Now I wanted very much to go home. I looked at Michael, and he met my gaze and held it. He’d been so amazing this whole time — despite our shaky start after the “mistletoe incident.” I didn’t think I could have done this without him. I felt it deeper now than ever before — there was more between us, something superstrong that couldn’t just be pushed aside and forgotten about, no matter what the rules were or who made them.

If somebody on the demon council could push back against all the stupid rules Groden came up with, maybe he or she would change things. Make them better.

Maybe I could try to get on the demon council someday.

I’d never even wanted to run for student council before. I turned the channel when politics of any kind came on television. But here I was thinking about it for myself?

Sure. Why not?

Pondering this bizarre but somewhat hopeful thought, I approached the exit of the Underworld castle.

Suddenly, Michael stopped walking and spun around on his heels. I turned my head to see what had grabbed his attention and froze with fear.

It was the hellhound. It had entered the lobby again. However, the hellhound wasn’t approaching me slowly and ominously like last time. It was racing fast across the lobby, drool flying from its snarling mouth and sharp fangs, its red eyes locked solely on me.

“No, Fernando! What are you doing?” Kassandra shouted, and I couldn’t mistake the panicky sound to her voice.

As the hellhound got closer, my power fell away in one weakening whoosh. There was nothing at my fingertips to protect myself, not even a spark of energy. My bracelet felt dead and cold on my wrist. I couldn’t have turned Darkling at the moment if my life depended on it.

And it did.

The hellhound wanted to kill me. I’d never been more sure about anything before in my life.

“Michael!” I turned so fast to run that my legs got tangled up and I fell hard to the ground, smacking the side of my head on the cold marble floor. I scrambled backward, trying to escape.

“Princess!” Michael yelled.

The monster launched itself at me, flying through the air.

A pulse of green light emanated from Michael’s amulet and focused directly on the beast, surrounding and freezing it in mid-pounce, its talons only inches away from slicing deep into my throat. It was then knocked hard to