"I know you took it!" Evelyn heard Siobhan shout as the portal closed behind her. She shut her eyes, requiring a moment to orient herself. "Return it at once, or I'll—"

"I have already told you, I don't have it." Luke.

"Then where is it? Tell me now!"

Evelyn crept down the foyer on the balls of her feet, feeling entirely too exposed, even though no common faeries were allowed on this level. The shouting continued. The commotion seemed to be coming from Brendan's chamber. When she reached the end of the hallway, she peeked around the corner. Reginald was standing sentry, his arms folded across his chest as he stared ahead. Evelyn pressed her back against the stone wall, contemplating her next move. She could feel her pulse at the base of her throat and pressed her fingers against it, trying to slow her heart.

She and Reginald had always been on friendly terms. Thank goodness he hadn't been one of the guards to escort her to the labyrinth. Perhaps he didn't know the queen had sent her away. Taking a chance, Evelyn rounded the corner and walked toward him.

"Reginald," she said, sounding as authoritative as possible. As the queen's handmaiden, the guards answered to her, as well.

Reginald smiled as she approached, raising no alarm. "Evelyn. How are you?"

She stopped in front of him. "In dire need of your help, it seems."

**********

"Answer me!" Siobhan demanded.

"Why do you want the vial so bad?" Maura said.

"Because it is mine!" Siobhan said through clenched teeth. "Luke had no right to take it. He manipulated me!"

Maura laughed. "Wow. Do you even hear yourself? Where was the informed consent when Luke took Katherine's essence or the girls' before her? Where was the informed consent when my father was doing your dirty work?"

"That is entirely different," Siobhan said.

"How so?"

"Maura," her mother cautioned from Brendan's side. Her eyes flicked briefly to Siobhan. "Maybe we should take it down a notch and discuss this like rational adults."

Maura raised her hands in mock surrender. "I'm just pointing out the queen's hypocrisy. She's the one throwing a fit."

Siobhan stamped her foot. "I want the vial!"

Maura took a step closer, rising on her toes to yell in the queen's face. "We don't have the vile!"

"Tell me where it is!"

The door opened, and they turned to find Evelyn standing in the doorway. She reached into her pocket and withdrew the desired object. "I have it."

"How did you . . ?" Siobhan said. She looked beyond Evelyn, toward the hallway. "Where is Reginald?"

"Reginald is occupied," Evelyn said. "As for how I escaped the labyrinth, I have my friends to thank for that."

Siobhan's face went red. She turned on Luke and Maura. "I should sentence you both to the labyrinth for defying me."

Luke sighed and reached out to her. "Mother, please. If you will only—"

"I am not your mother," Siobhan said. "Not anymore."

"Siobhan," Brendan said. "Think what you are saying. Surely you don't mean that. You cannot just abandon him."

Siobhan's expression hardened. "Do not speak to me about abandonment when that is exactly what you did to me all those years ago. That's right. You abandoned me, Brendan. You told me you loved me, and then you abandoned me."

Rachelle cleared her throat. "Siobhan, what you had with Brendan may have ended long ago, but Luke is your son. Speaking from one mother to another, that is a bond you cannot sever."

Luke's hand was cool and clammy in Maura's. She couldn't look anywhere but his face and so witnessed the moment it shattered when Siobhan answered, "Can't I?" She returned her attention to Evelyn. "Now, hand over the vial."

Evelyn stepped forward, her arm outstretched. She said nothing as she dropped the vial into the queen's open palm. "I will deal with you momentarily," Siobhan said. Evelyn nodded and seemed to shrink under the weight of the queen's scrutiny.

"What do you intend to do with that?" Brendan said, asking the question they were all wondering.

Ignoring them, Siobhan uttered the magical words that released the seal. Then, before their eyes, she held the vial to her lips and tipped it back, the muscles of her long neck rippling in graceful coordination as she swallowed the contents. She placed the empty vial on the table and turned to address them.

"Now," she said. "Problem solved. But there is still—" Siobhan stopped mid-sentence, her expression contorting. She grabbed her stomach and doubled over.

"Mother?" Luke rushed to her side, but she swatted him away. She stumbled and clutched at the bed, falling to her knees. "Mother, what's wrong?" Luke yelled. "Tell me what's wrong!"

Maura clapped her hands over mouth, watching in horror as the queen writhed on the floor. What was happening? Evelyn and her parents wore similar expressions of shock. Only Luke seemed able to move, and yet there didn't appear much he could do to help. He dropped to the floor and held Siobhan under her shoulders, supporting her head in his lap. "Mother . . ." he said, his words thick as he stroked her hair. "Mother . . ."

After several agonizing moments, Siobhan's body stilled at last and her face relaxed. The room was silent.

"Is she . . ?" Maura's mother whispered.

Maura stepped forward for a closer look. She swallowed hard. "I think so. What happened?"

"Her essence," Brendan said. His face was pale and his voice numb. "It was poison."

Maura placed her hand on Luke's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she whispered. As much as she despised the queen, she knew the pain of losing a parent. And no matter what Siobhan said, no matter how she acted, Maura thought she really did love Luke. She knew Luke had loved her.

Evelyn then in front of Maura and bowed her head. "My queen."

Maura stared at the girl, confused. "You're joking," she said. When Evelyn did not stand, she looked to her father. "She's joking, right? Please tell me she's joking."

Luke eased Siobhan's body off his and stood. His eyes were rimmed with red and shone like glass. He took Maura's hand in his and knelt next to Evelyn. "My queen. I pledge my loyalty to you."

Maura pulled her hand free. "No. Absolutely not! This . . . this wasn't supposed to happen. This isn't how the story ends!"

"When the people of The Otherworld learn the truth of what happened in this room," her father said, "they will recognize you as their rightful queen."

She looked down at Luke, still kneeling in front of her, and placed her hand against his cheek. "I was supposed to find a way to break the spell," she said. "Not just for us, but for all of the kingdom."

Luke stood. "It's okay."

Maura shook her head. "No, it's not. I don't want to be a queen. I don't want you to feel this burden anymore. I don't want to deal with any of this Essence crap. I don't want to . . . Oh, damn it all!" Without giving any more thought to what she was doing, Maura grabbed Luke by the shoulders, pulled him toward her, and kissed him.

Evelyn, still kneeling, gasped. Her parents made similar sounds of protest.

But Maura didn't stop kissing Luke. Frankly, she didn't want to stop, because at that moment she realized you sometimes had to throw caution to the wind and do the thing that scared you the most. Just jump right in. Kissing Luke was what scared her the most, becoming emotionally vulnerable, allowing herself to fall in love and risk losing her heart, her soul, her everything.

Luke wrapped his arms around Maura, seeming uninterested in stopping any time soon, either. Only the sound of glass shattering and Evelyn's exclamation tore them apart.

"Look!" Evelyn stood, holding a remnant of the shattered vial between two fingers.

Luke's hand went automatically to his neck, but the vial was no longer there. "What happened?"

"Did it work?" Maura's mother asked. "Did you break the spell?"

Before anyone had a chance to respond, the door burst open and several of the guards rushed in, Reginald leading the way. "There she is!" he exclaimed, pointing at Maura.

Luke's arm tightened around Maura as Brendan moved forward to intervene. "Stop!" he commanded.

It was then that Reginald noticed Siobhan. "My queen," he said, dropping to her side.

"My mother is no longer queen," Luke said.

Reginald stood, his gaze landing on Maura, and he recognized her at once for who she was. He, as well as the guards behind him, took a knee.

Maura didn't know what to do. "Er . . . You may rise," she said, more than a little embarrassed. And then: "Would you mind giving us a moment?"

Reginal bowed. "Yes, my queen."

Maura winced. "Thank you."

"Look, I can't be a queen," Maura said when the guards had cleared out. "I may be half faery, but I was born in the human realm. That's where I grew up, and that's where I intend to stay. I know nothing about ruling a kingdom and have no interest in learning."

She took Luke's hands in hers and squeezed. "I love you enough to let you go." Luke nodded but said nothing.

"A queen relinquishing the crown has never been done before," her father said.

Maura shrugged. "Maybe it's time for a change."

"You will have to appear before the people and appoint someone to take your place," her father added. "It might take a while to find someone qualified. We can help you make that decision."

"Thanks, Dad. But I don't need any help." She looked at Evelyn and smiled. "I already have someone in mind."

*****

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