would assume that their hearts stopped working during their change to Darkling form. Or perhaps their poor little bod-ies simply gave out. It's impossible to expect human and demon forms to blend together. It's like oil and water. They can't be combined.'
'But are you just guessing that, or do you know for sure?'
The edge of Elizabeth's mouth tightened almost imperceptibly. 'For something that happened so long ago, it's difficult to say for sure, of course.'
I looked down at my father. My hand hadn't left his for the whole time I'd been in the room and now I clung to him like I would never let go.
Did he have any idea what his sister was doing to him? He shielded the human and faery realms from anything that might do them harm, stopping evil from crossing the Shadowlands, but he had no idea that evil was already there. He protected everybody, but nobody had protected him.
Elizabeth pulled me away from my father's uncori'scious form and hugged me tightly. 'It's good that he's sleeping now. I fear that Desmond will be in horrible pain right until the end, just like our father was. My only solace is that the end is very close now.'
Had she poisoned her father, too? If this was the same way her father had died, the similarities seemed too coincidental.
She took my hand in hers and brought me over to the entrance. 'He's been so strong. He's fought to live, Nikki, and I think a great part of that was learning of your existence. My father passed on much quicker. Desmond is strong, though-he's a fighter. But fighting is only prolonging his suffering. He needs to let go now, and I think that when you drink the potion, he'll be able to.'
'Where do demons go when they die?' I asked, trying to stall for time. Trying to figure out what to do next.
'Where do we go?' she repeated. 'We are not like humans. We have no immortal soul that must be divvied up between Heaven and Hell. All the more reason we should never coexist or fall in love with humans, you see. When a demon dies or is vanquished, we are gone. We refer to it as the Void-our place of eternal rest.'
Elizabeth looked over at Michael then. 'Please take Nikki downstairs,' she said. 'I must stay with my brother to see if he needs anything. He isn't usually asleep for long periods. I will join you momentarily.' She turned back to me and took my cold, clammy hand in her warm, dry one and squeezed it gently. 'Then you'll drink the potion and Michael will take you home. Does that sound acceptable to you?'
I nodded stiffly. Michael came to my side and our eyes met for a moment before he looked away.
As I took a last glance at my father, I felt Michael's fingers close around my wrist and he began walking me away from the room.
'Oh, I almost forgot,' I called back to Elizabeth. 'Your boyfriend showed up on your gazer after you left.'
'He did?' She looked surprised. 'What did he say?'
'Lots of things,' I replied, just before Michael and I disappeared around a corner.
He picked up his pace, my hand now in his iron vise of a grip.
'I never should have brought you back,' he said. 'I'm so stupid.'
'So it's true? It's all true? Elizabeth is-' 'Shh, not here. It's too dangerous.'
We reached the spiral staircase and began to descend it so quickly I nearly slipped a few times. When we finally got to the bottom, Michael pulled me right toward the front doors, which immediately opened for me. I picked up my shoes from where I'd left them for safekeeping.
'Michael, talk to me.' My voice shook. 'Are you in on this? Are you helping Elizabeth kill my father?'
I still couldn't believe what I was saying. Finding out my father was dying was one thing. But poisoned? It was too horrible to contemplate.
He stopped walking and spun around to face me, the expression on his face distraught. 'Of course not.' 'Then how do you know?'
'I've been suspicious of her motives for some time and you just confirmed it for me. When I came back last night after seeing you home, she asked me questions about you. She wanted to know everything. She wanted to know if you'd drunk the potion and I told her you weren't ready yet. She wasn't happy about that. I didn't know why, but the way she was acting was very telling. When I guessed, she nearly…' He blinked. 'She nearly killed me right then and there. But she didn't.'
I could barely breathe. 'Michael-did she hurt you?'
He shook his head. 'No, but I wouldn't put it past her.' He grabbed my hand and pulled me around to the right side of the castle, away from view. 'You need to leave. Right now. You need to go back home. Drink the potion. It's the only way you'll be safe.'
My head was spinning. 'I can't do that.'
'She might not look like it, but Elizabeth is very worried about you, and not in a caring-aunt kind of way. She is afraid that you won't drink the potion and when the king dies you'll become queen and ruin her plans.'
'But I don't understand. What are her plans? She'll be trapped in the castle when she's queen.'
'It's Kieran. Elizabeth has always wanted power, but he's the one who's in charge. He's convinced her that now is the time to completely join the Shadowlands with the Underworld. Because she loves him, he'll be able to manipulate her. He'll control the barrier that separates Hell and the Underworld from the faery and human realms.'
I put a hand over my mouth in shock. 'And my father has no idea?'
'She puts on a good act. She's probably been putting on the same act her entire life. She fooled me. She fooled you. She comes across as so nice but she isn't, Princess.'
I thought about how I'd also been fooled by Chris, who seemed so popular and great to be around, until he attacked me in the back of a limo.
Appearance means nothing. It only hides what's underneath-be it good or bad.
I blinked slowly. 'She's the one who sent the guy with the knife after me, isn't she?'
He nodded. 'She isn't playing games. When the king found out about you, he was very happy to learn he had a daughter. She pretended to be, but I could see that she wasn't. I couldn't imagine why at the time…'
'She prevented you from coming to see me today, didn't she? That's why you weren't around earlier?'
He nodded again. 'She wouldn't let me leave. The king is weakened, so she was able to steal some of the kingdom's energy to let her thug come after you. Twice now.' His jaw tightened. 'When he failed, she allowed me to see you. To try to convince you to drink the potion once and for all. And if I failed
…' He swallowed hard. 'She wanted me to kill you.'
My eyes widened at that. 'What!'
'I wouldn't do it. I'd never hurt you, Princess. But I knew I had to make her think I was willing. It's the only way I could protect you. Then when you wanted to come here again…' He rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand, his face haunted. 'I couldn't refuse you. But I thought maybe if you were here and drank the potion in front of her, then she'd know for sure. You'd have your peace of mind at seeing your father again, and Elizabeth would have her proof that you weren't trying to stop her. If I told you, I would have been putting you into even more danger. You never should have figured it out.' He touched my face then. 'You need to leave. It won't be long before she realizes you're not downstairs waiting for her.'
'Why didn't she just try to kill me when we were alone upstairs?'
'The moment you returned to the Shadowlands, the king would have sensed your presence. He'd know if she killed you here, so that's stopping her. She's still uncertain how weak the king is. He's incredibly powerful when he's at full strength-much more powerful than she is. If he had the slightest inkling that she would hurt you, he would be furious.'
I tried to think clearly but it was a struggle. 'Elizabeth. . she said that for every potion they make in the Underworld, they make an antidote. Do you think there might be an antidote for the poison?'
He shook his head. 'I don't know. But there's no time for that. Princess, you have to go now.'
'I can't leave my father. I can't leave you.' 'You have to.' Have to.
