by Brea Alepoú
"Umm, I am not sure, since she is a part of Queen Lydia's kingdom. You would have to ask the queen."
"Fine, I will."
The servant looked uncomfortable.
"Do I have to go this very second or can I relax?"
"Umm, I am sure she means for you to come now."
Melony sighed. At least, she wouldn't be going hungry. "Okay, well lead the way." She turned to Itsumi. "Don't hide and walk in with us." She thought about what she was asking. "Only if you want to. I don't want to force you to make a choice."
Itsumi moved quicker than Melony’s eyes could keep up, her hand pressing against Melony's cheek. "There would be no choice to make. I already know who I will willingly listen to."
She bent and kissed Melony on the lips.
Chapter Fifteen
Melony
Walking around the kingdom was liking walking through a museum.
"Where are we in the real world?" Melony asked as they followed the servant.
"In Nebraska," Itsumi said.
Melony stopped. "No fucking way. I'm pretty sure if this big-ass mansion—that’s basically a castle—was in fucking Nebraska people would talk about it."
Itsumi laughed.
"We are in the other realm. It's a part of the human world, but there is a line to keep things a little separate," Zola said.
"So we are in Nebraska but not at the same time?" Melony’s head hurt with the possibility… "Oh is this like the coffee shop area?"
"What coffee shop?" Itsumi asked.
"Where I met Zola. I saw something flashing, and next thing I knew, fireballs were being thrown and ghouls were trying to eat me and…" She stopped, the image of Denelle dead suddenly in her mind. She didn't know if the dreams she’d had were true, and honestly, she was too scared to ask Zola. And it wasn't like Zola would know for sure. She had been at the mansion with Melony.
"Melony," Zola called to her.
Melony shook herself and smiled as she looked back up at them. "So why Nebraska? Is there some type of magical tree here or land?"
"You almost sound as if you know nothing about the other realm," the servant said. She looked over her shoulder, and Melony shrugged.
"I'm not lying, but no one seems to get that part."
The servant shook her head and turned back. "Even after what Lady Isabelle did to you, you still hold to faking ignorance."
Melony's body tensed at hearing Isabelle's name. All of the memories of being tortured flashing through her mind. She closed her eyes and pushed it all away.
Shit.
"Well, what can I say? Can't change the truth, right?" Melony opened her eyes and followed behind the servant once more.
She shook her head, but Melony couldn’t care less what the woman thought. If the servant wouldn't believe the truth, then Melony had no reason to concern herself with her. She was being wrongly accused, and no one seemed to realize it. Except for Itsumi and Zola. She turned to look at them, wondering why they didn't jump to her defense.
She didn't ask in front of the servant.
The rest of the walk went quietly. The closer they got to throne room, the more doom Melony felt. In the pit of her stomach, she could feel dread and fear. The servant stopped outside huge doors that looked as if they were made for giants to enter.
Another question Melony would have to ask Zola and Itsumi—if giants existed.
Even the servant’s hands shook as she pushed the door open, and she quickly moved to the side to let Melony walk through.
Melony took a deep breath and walked into the room with Zola and Itsumi following behind her. She felt a little confident with them behind her, until she saw Isabelle standing next to the queen. Melony’s eyes zeroed in on Isabelle, and ice ran through her. Her legs no longer working, she was frozen in place. Isabelle grinned at her with a twinkle in her eyes. It made Melony's whole body shake with fear.
"Melony," Zola whispered, placing her hand on Melony's lower back.
It was a spot of warmth when Melony had felt cold all over. She couldn't do this. She was terrified of the little girl and everything she stood for.
"Melony, welcome. Don't just stand there, come in. A member of the council is here to speak with you," Lydia said.
Melony heard her, but she dared not move, her eyes still solely focused on Isabelle.
"Melony," Zola said her name again.
Melony started to move backward. No matter how much she pushed the memories away, the fear was still there. Seeing Isabelle only made things harder. She couldn't be there. There was no way Melony would willingly walk into a room with Isabelle.
Melony watched as Isabelle turned around and spoke to the queen. Words seemed to pass between them, but Melony could only hear her blood rushing in her ears. They could have been yelling for all she knew. Isabelle turned her face and smiled at Melony before walking out of the throne room. Melony didn't move until she saw Isabelle leave for sure.
"Melony," the queen called.
Melony stared at the door for a few seconds longer, before turning her attention to the queen. She still felt scared, but it was a lot easier to manage when the thing that she feared wasn't in sight. Melony leaned against Zola for a second for a little more comfort. She wished Itsumi would give her comfort as well, but she wasn't sure if it would be okay in front of the queen, since the queen was technically Itsumi's boss.
Melony walked farther into the throne room. Now that she wasn't occupied with staring down her fear, she could see why it was called the throne room. It was large, like everything else, but at the head of the room was a grand throne made of gold. It looked like vines of a tree the closer Melony got to it.
There was only one throne, and Queen Lydia sat upon it as if it was made for her.
"Leo, from the council of witches," Lydia said, pointing to the willowy man standing next to her.
Melony eyes flicked over to the man before returning to the throne. it was a thing of beauty.
"Ms. Melony, if you would have a seat," Leo said.
Melony looked around. She hadn't seen any seats in the room when they’d entered, but then again, she had been preoccupied. She still didn't see any until a chair magically appeared.
"You two are dismiss." Leo pointed to Zola and Itsumi.
"No, they will be staying with me," Melony said. She took the chair, still unsure where the hell it had come from. She crossed her legs and looked up at Leo. If she was on trial for something she hadn't done, then it was only fair she got to have people on her side.
Plus, she was pretty sure if Itsumi and Zola left her side, she wouldn't be able to function. She might just break down and crawl into a corner. With them behind her, she had a little bit more strength.
"Are you bonded to these two?" Leo asked.
Melony had the distinct feeling that Leo knew she was not, in fact, bonded to either of them. "No, but—"
"Then they are not allowed here. They have no business with you."
Melony stared at Leo. Fuck it. "Then our business is over." She stood, turned away from the witch, and started to walk away. She held her breath as she left, Itsumi and Zola following behind her. They had made it to the door before Leo spoke again.
"Wait."
Melony turned to face him.
"Queen Lydia has backed your decision to have your unbonded creatures here with you. It is unorthodox, but I'm the only one here for this, so I will allow it to pass."
Melony didn't want to show her surprise, so she covered her face by turning away for a second before walking back to the chair. She sat back down and looked to Leo. He didn't leave her waiting long.
"How do you plead in the case of setting sacrificial fires in the human realm?"
"Not guilty," Melony said with no hesitation.
He stared at her. "I will remind you of the witches’ law: if you lie to the council and it is found that you are guilty, you will pay the price of either death by fire or drowning."
Fucking great.
&n
bsp; "That rule sucks, but I'm telling the truth. I didn't do anything."
Leo stared at her for a long moment before starting to pace in front of her. "That is the only law you broke according to the witch’s council, however you broke many of Queen Lydia's rules. How do you plead regarding the use of fire magic, burning the woods, killing one of her nolveks, and killing one werewolf guard?"
Shit.
"I only did those things because they were chasing me, unprovoked. They also ki-killed my mom and… maybe my dad." Her voice was nothing more than a whisper at the end.
Leo had to lean over to hear what she was saying. He turned to the queen. "Is it true that her parents were killed?"
The queen shrugged. "I was not informed of this."
She put up a hand as if to pause everything. The next second, the man Melony had met the first day she’d arrived stood next to Lydia. He still had the same suit on.
Did he wash the suit or just magically stayed clean? Wait, did witches have to do laundry or was there a gem for that?
He vanished, and Melony focused back on what was happening.
"Yes, the girl’s parents were killed," Lydia announced.
Melony flinched from the news, and her hands balled into fists.
Lydia pulled a piece of paper out of thin air. "They were Egin and Snow of the Kakía coven. "
Melony was floored.
What?
Her parents had been a housewife and a retired college professor. Nothing more.
"I will need to check this for certainly," Leo said.
"Of course. Only Egin was recovered. Snow was consumed in fire."
Melony couldn't breathe. Everything that was happening around her was nothing more than a blur. It didn't make sense; her parents were normal.
"You're lying!" Melony shouted.
Leo and Lydia both turned to look at her.
"You are saying your parents are not Egin and Snow? Notorious killers from the disbanded Kakía coven?"
"No, they were just normal people. A college professor and a housewife, nothing else." Yes, those were her parents’ names, but they weren't the people they were describing. They were fucking normal.
Leo turned away from Melony. "I can see why she has not confessed to anything. She is truly delusional."
"Fuck you! I'm not delusional."
Leo waved Melony off as if she was some fly. "Until I can confirm everything, you can go." He turned back to the queen.
"Fuck what you have to say! My parents weren't killers. They were the nicest people ever, and they killed them in cold blood, because they mistook me for someone else."
The queen looked at Melony, confused. "You almost sound as if you believe that."
Melony practically growled. "I do fucking believe it, because it's true. I've been trying to tell you guys this the whole time."
The queen shook her head at Melony. "Are you sure you don't want to join my coven?"
"You offered her a spot in your coven?" Leo asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure. I don't want to be a part of a coven that kills innocent people," Melony yelled.
Leo looked to Lydia, and then back to Melony.
Lydia simply smiled. "You truly fascinate me."
Melony was in a madhouse. It was like everything she said was either ignored or treated like a science experiment.
"You can leave." She shooed Melony away.
"I do—"
Itsumi touched her shoulder, and Melony turned to face her, frustrated with everything. Itsumi squeezed, and Melony knew she was asking for her to leave, but it just didn't sit right with Melony. She turned back to argue with the queen and Leo, but they were gone.
"Son of a bitch," she said.
"Melony," Itsumi said.
Melony shook her head. "Don't say my name like that."
"Like what?"
"Like I'm crazy."
Itsumi said nothing.
"I'm not crazy," Melony said.
"I never said you were," Itsumi said. She put her hands up in a placating move.
Melony turned to face Zola. "Do you think I'm crazy for believing my parents were normal?"
Fuck. Only a crazy person would go around asking if they were crazy.
Zola looked as if she would rather be anywhere than there, answering Melony's question. "There was the trap in the kitchen."
"That could have been anyone's trap!" Melony turned away and started to leave the throne room, moving away from Itsumi and Zola.
"Where are you going?" Itsumi asked.
She had no fucking clue. "To a place."
"We should head back to the room so that we can talk things over," Zola said.
Melony stopped and whirled around, pointing at Zola. "Talk?" She took a step forward. "Talk about what? The fact that you think Lydia is right and that my parents were evil murders and deserved to die?" She shook her head. "Fuck that. I don't want to talk." She turned back around and headed for the door once more.
She saw the servant and grabbed her by the shoulder. "Where’s the bathroom with the waterfall in it?"
The servant looked scared, probably because Melony was manhandling her. Melony took a calming breath before letting the servant go. It wasn't the girl’s fault that everyone around Melony was pissing her off.
"I can show you," she said.
Melony nodded, not turning around. "You two can do whatever you want. I'm going to take a bath. Alone."
"Melony," Zola said.
Melony felt the urge to turn around, but fought it off. "I'll see you guys later." She needed to be alone, and what better place to relax than in the bath?
"Melony."
Melony heard the pleading tone, and she stopped. She knew what Zola had said made sense, but she just didn't have it in her to doubt her parents right then. She sighed and turned to look at Zola and Itsumi. Itsumi’s eyes were fixed on her. She may not have called out Melony's name, but Melony could see the plea in her dark eyes.
"Just going for a bath to clear my head, and since I'm not going to be drowned or set on fire, I would like to just enjoy some quiet for a bit. Okay?"
She waited for them each to nod.
"We should guard you, just in case. We will be quiet," Itsumi said
Melony wanted to say no, but she rubbed her hands over the metal cuffs and knew she couldn't defend herself. Even without the cuffs, she had only recently learned of magic. Someone more experienced could easily take her out. "Fine, but you stand outside the door."
Zola and Itsumi both seemed to be okay with that, their shoulders relaxing. Melony turned back to follow the servant to the bathroom. Her life was a whirlwind.
They were at the double doors before Melony knew it. Either they had walked really fast or she was so lost in thought she hadn't paid attention to anything else.
Melony walked into the bathroom and closed the doors before Itsumi or Zola could talk their way in. She knew they were worried about her, but she just needed a little space. Everything was happening all at once and way too fast.
She stripped her clothes off and walked into the water. It was warm, but Melony barely noticed it. It could have been freezing cold, and she would have still gotten in. She dunked her head under water for a while, trying to clear her thoughts.
She opened her eyes to see a glittering tail. She burst up from the water, trying to catch her breath. When she’d seen the tail, she had inhaled some water on accident. She spurted to the side, trying to breathe in air and a little less water.
The doors burst open, and Itsumi and Zola both barged in. Melony held up a hand, signaling she was fine, but both of them came over to her anyway. Itsumi eyed the water suspiciously, and Melony finally gained control over her air intake.
She turned to look at the water, but there was no one there. "I'm fine," she said.
"What happened?" Zola asked.
Melony sighed. "I'm fine. You two go back out."
They looked reluctant.
"Please?" She hadn't had enough time alo
ne and still needed time to just take everything in. It might be her only chance. So far, everything had been thrown at her, and she was expected to catch it all, and still remain upright and normal. It was getting harder and harder to do just that.
Zola opened her mouth, but honestly, Melony didn't want to hear it. No matter what it was. Zola must have seen that on her face, because she shut her mouth and walked out of the room. Itsumi still stared at the water, and Melony was sure she was searching for the mermaid, but she could go fishing another time. Melony cleared her throat, and Itsumi’s dark eyes shifted over to her.
"Don't soak for too long." Itsumi stared at the water for a second longer before walking away. Before she left, she turned back to Melony. "Call for us if something happens, okay?"
Melony knew they were worried about her, and deep down, she was thankful. She nodded. "Yeah, I will. Promise."
Itsumi left the room, and Melony was once again alone in the beautiful bathroom. She looked back down at the water. Well, as alone as she wanted to be at the moment. So many thoughts went through her head that she couldn't focus on just one. She stared at the water, wondering where everything had gone wrong.
A head popped out of the water, and Melony was so lost in thought, she didn’t even think to scream for help. Trinity's multi-colored eyes blinked at her.
Melony sighed and stared at her. "Do you think my parents could be killers?"
Trinity just stared back and said nothing. Melony hadn't expected anything, since Trinity hadn't been in the room with her and didn’t know what she was talking about.
"Never mind," Melony said as she sunk deeper into the water. Only her head stayed above the water as she looked up at the ceiling. Just like the walls, the ceiling was painted with clouds that looked as if they were moving. Melony lost herself staring up into the clouds. She didn't move again until she heard Trinity splash.
Melony looked over, surprised she’d heard the mermaid at all. Trinity still studied her, but she splashed the water again with her webbed hands, getting a little water on Melony's face.
"What are you doing?" Melony whispered. If choking on water could be heard through the doors, then she was sure Itsumi and Zola could hear her if she spoke at normal volume. To be fair, she had been splashing around a lot.
