“Out.” The Queen’s voice echoed throughout the space, and hear her anger. But her fingers released my skull, and the hand now cupped my head. But I watched as everyone else in the room left the room without hesitation. I spotted Jessica standing in the doorframe, and once everyone was out, she pointed her stick at the door and said something. Immediately I couldn’t hear those out in the hallways.

Frustrated, I pooled my magic into my ears. Nothing. I felt my nose scrunch as I sat up a bit more and pushed more magic into my ears. I heard a high pitched whine coming from the doorframe.

“Stop.” The sound of the Queen’s voice so close to my ears ripped through my eardrums and screamed as the intense pain that shot through my skull. I dropped the magic and clutched at my ears. A moment later I felt the old woman’s hands on my arms and her magic swept into me. It was like a freezing river. At first it only soothed my ears, but then I felt the magic try to sink into my core.

I lashed out with my magic and tails and I opened my eyes to see the old woman a few steps away with a larger grin on her face. The Queen was practically vibrating with anger now. I started to climb from her lap, but her arm wrapped around my waist like a chain. My breath sped up as I fought her hold, my fingers trying to dig through her stone like arm. My eyes were on the old woman, and I suddenly knew I wanted her head. I wanted to rip her throat. Rage surged through me.

“Calm down.” The queen ordered, and I heard it. But my anger remained and I continued to try to twist my way out. Then I felt teeth on my neck.

I froze. I could tell she hadn’t broken my skin. But the threat was there. My anger washed from me in an instant, and I was filled with anticipation. Nothing happened for a moment, and I snarled. She broke my skin, and a shiver ran down my spine. But my eye remained locked on the old woman.

The old woman’s smile never faltered. She just watched us. The last vestiges of my anger had me whipping my tail, and a single strand of my magic floated in the air and landed on the old woman’s hand. Glee filled me, as her smile dropped and she looked down at her hand. I felt my magic push into her veins, it raced up her arm faster than she could react, and wrapped itself around her heart. Her eyes turned to me, this time in fear. I smiled at her and let my head fall to the side, giving control to the Queen. She licked the few drops of blood she had spilled and another shiver shot down my spine, but she sat back and her arm relaxed.

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“If you ever wish to have safe passage in my courts again, tell me what you know.” I adjusted my body to face the old woman a bit more, but relaxed against the queen.

“My granddaughter told me her theories about what your pet...” I tightened my magic “...your companion might be. I think you should reach out to the Greek courts. There is a branch of Nymphs called Lampad that she could be. It would also explain her foreign appearance. It would also explain why the Priestess of Serket was interested in her.”

“Very well. Get out.”

The old woman hesitated and her eyes turned to me. Her hand went to her chest and she opened her mouth as though to say something. I tightened my magic again. Pain flashed across her face and she dropped her hand and left. I closed my eyes, but even as the old woman left my sight, my magic remained embedded in her heart. I knew that I would always know where she was. She would never be able to attack me again.

Then I felt a flicker of my magic. Someone else's heart was bound to mine. I could feel it. I could feel them. My eyes shot open and I turned to the Queen. She merely watched me, her face impassive, but her fingers scratching my head and I realized I had been purring without thought.

“What is it, precious?”

“That old woman... she tried to take my magic...” her fingers stopped moving “but I stopped her. But I took my magic. I wrapped it around her heart. She is mine.” The last word was snarled, and I saw the Queen’s mouth quirk in a bit of a satisfied smile.

Her fingers tightened on my skull and my neck pulled wide. She licked over skin she had broken before, but I knew that her saliva earlier had sealed the wounds shut. “Mine.” She growled. I closed my eyes, I fought my instincts. They screamed that I was no one’s. My magic was free and wild. I suddenly knew that after my magic grew in strength, the Queen wouldn’t be able to claim me. I would wait. Then I’d be free. She relaxed her grip. “Continue.”

I licked my lips. I turned my eyes to the domed ceiling, worried that the Queen would see my thoughts and kill me for them. “When I looked at my magic, I felt more of my magic flicker. There is another. I have another heart. They will know me.”

“Who is it?”

“I don’t know. But I want to find them.”

“Very well precious. But not yet.”

I turned my eyes to her in anger that she would stop me. Her knowing look held me down. “Since you were brought here, you’ve antagonized my allies, set my wizards into a panic, and then set yourself on fire. Though you are healthy now, you will not survive out there. And only I get the pleasure of killing you. Shivers raked down my spine again as I stared up at her. Her mouth spread into a predatory grin and my heart started beating faster.