But I figured I'd already established that Elizabeth was a big, fat liar.
What had my father said about the bracelet? That it could help focus my powers and make them more manageable?
Elizabeth had warned that using my powers would kill me, but it hadn't. And after what Rhys had told me about Darklings being dangerous and not having to hide from anyone, I had started to realize that it might have been just one more thing she'd lied to me about.
Of course she told me if I didn't drink the potion I'd die-that had been her plan. To scare me into drinking the potion.
But I hadn't drunk it.
However, when I had turned Darkling I'd felt out of control, as if the Darkling controlled me instead of the other way around. But that was when my emotions were all jumbled up-fear, panic, anger. I felt all of those emotions present right then, but I wondered if things would be different if I could control them. Maybe if I concentrated, focusing on the crystal in my bracelet, it would help me channel my Darkling power.
Maybe being a Darkling was like having a muscle I never knew I had. A flabby muscle that needed to be worked on before it got strong and flexible and able to help me jump over tall buildings in a single bound.
It was definitely worth a try.
Please, I prayed inwardly. Please let this work.
I pressed both my palms against the door. I wanted out of that room.
Elizabeth told me that dragons didn't exist and that my father was delusional.
It hurt thinking how easily I'd been sucked into believing her. I'd liked her and I'd thought she liked me. But she didn't. She had a very specific plan and I was the only person currently standing in her way.
She was going to kill me.
The anger that flared with that thought created a sudden surge of energy and I focused all of my concentration then. The teardrop crystal lit up brightly and then both of my hands began to glow with red light. I pushed against the door and heard a splintering sound before it swung wide open.
My eyes widened. I couldn't believe it had actually worked.
I pushed my fear aside and forced myself to emerge into the hallway. I didn't know the castle at all and the hallways and corridors all looked the same to me, but I had to find Michael. And, I knew I had to find my father and tell him about Elizabeth.
Elizabeth had to be stopped in any way possible. She couldn't become queen. She planned to open the Shadow-lands up to her boyfriend, and together they'd let the evil that my father had spent sixteen years holding back seep into the human and faery realms.
No matter what I had to do, I wouldn't let that happen.
I pulled Michael's sweatshirt tighter around me as I quickly moved through passages and corridors. I turned right and left and around until I was hopelessly lost and on the verge of tears again. I'd been determined when I'd left the locked room, but the feeling had faded the longer it took me to find my way. How was I supposed to stop Elizabeth if I couldn't even find my father; Finally I stopped walking and wiped at my damp eyes, my hands coming away smeared with what remained of my carefully applied Winter Formal makeup.
'Princess,' a quiet voice said.
I turned sharply to the right. From inside a darkened room Michael stared out at me. There was a look in his eyes that almost scared me more than I already was. No, scratch that. It did scare me more than I already was.
But seeing him also gave me a huge sense of relief. He was all right. I'd been so scared that Elizabeth had gotten to him and had hurt him-or worse-for helping me try to escape.
'Michael.' I took a step toward him. 'What happened? Are you okay?'
He took a step back, holding up a hand. 'Please, Princess, just stay where you are.'
His expression was dark and haunted and it worried me even more. 'What's wrong?'
'I'm… I'm a Shadow.'
I frowned. 'I know that already. I told you I don't care.' There was something different about him, but it wasn't until I looked down at his worn, gray T-shirt that I figured it out. 'Where's your amulet?'
He touched his chest with a shaky hand. 'Elizabeth took it away from me.' 'Why?'
'To punish me.' He studied the floor at his feet. 'There's no worse way to punish Shadows than to take away our amulets.'
A rush of concern swept over me. 'But aren't you supposed to wear it at all times? I thought you needed it.'
'I do.' His throat moved as he swallowed, and I noticed his eyes weren't green anymore; they were gray. 'But don't worry about me. There's still a chance for you to be okay. Elizabeth doesn't want to kill you if she doesn't have to. If you drink the potion, she'll let you live.'
I felt a stab of anger at what my aunt had done to him. 'Would you stop protecting me for one moment and think about yourself? What happens if you don't get your amulet back?'
'Please, Princess, listen to what I'm telling you. You can go back to your normal life. Go back to school and to the dance and forget all about this.'
I shook my head. 'I can't do that.'
'You have to drink the potion. Forget about me. There's no other way for you to be safe.'
He sounded so broken, his voice barely a rasp as he told me to forget about him. He didn't look well at all. In addition to his eyes, his skin grew pastier the longer he stood there. He looked sick and weak and tired.
'Why do you think she'd just let me go now?' I asked. 'After everything that's happened?'
'Because that's what I told him,' a now-familiar voice said.
I turned to my left. Elizabeth was about twenty feet down the hall and approaching slowly. Even after everything that had happened, she was smiling warmly at me.
'Nikki,' she said, 'I can't begin to tell you how badly I feel about all of this. I never meant to involve you. I didn't want you to be hurt.'
I looked at her, wanting to run, but not able to leave Michael behind. 'How can you say that to me?'
'Because it's the truth. I don't blame you. It's not your fault that you were swept up in all of this, but it was unavoidable.' She fixed me with a concerned look. 'I tried to make it easy for you. I wish you'd never learned the truth.'
'The truth that you're murdering my father?'
Her shoulders stiffened. 'You make it sound so horrible.'
'How is it not horrible? How is there anything about it that isn't horrible? You're poisoning your own brother. How can you do that?'
She ignored my question. 'How did you escape from your room? I know it was locked very well.'
I used my Darkling strength and busted it open, I thought. But I didn't say it out loud.
Michael, I projected telepathically, what's wrong with you? What has she done to you? Please tell me.
There was no reply, even though he was standing six feet away from me.
'You didn't answer me,' I said to Elizabeth, trying as hard as I could not to sound scared to death. Her casually polite demeanor was now scary rather than pleasant. 'Why are you doing this?'
She spread her hands. 'The time has come for a change. The Shadowlands have been a protective barrier for so long. But who's to say that it must always be that way? I'm looking for progress instead of stagnation. My father was stuck in the old ways, and Desmond is much the same. But there are new ideas. Demons have been relegated to the dark worlds for too long. We should be given the opportunity to move out to other places if we so desire.'
'Is that what Kieran wants?' I asked coolly.
She gave me a small smile. 'Kieran is very wise. He knows how the worlds should be. And he loves me. Together I believe we could change the universe.'
