Blood Red (90 page)

Red cringed at the words. She was nobody’s daughter. In her mind, she was an orphan. Her parents dead and forgotten.

“I am not your daughter.”

“Oh, but you are
our
daughter. We both lay with your mother twenty years ago. A wild and conniving woman, was your mother. She had ambitions, drive, and just enough ruthlessness to succeed. Sold you, she did, for her ambitions. Sold you to us for the price of ruling this kingdom, but she was not fit to rule.”

Red took in deep breaths. She tried to stop the words from entering her ears. But they seeped through and into her mind. She swallowed down the 178

Blood Red

bile that rose in her throat at the thought of her Granny, her mother, with these two men.

“Now you, my child, are very fit to rule.”

Red shook her head. “What?”

“Rule with us. You would make a mighty queen.

We are getting old. The world we created is too chaotic for us to control. But you. Who would know better than a woman who already controls it?” He stepped closer to her.

“Wait. Stop.” She put up her hand with the dagger.

“You are asking me to rule?”

“Yes, of course. We had it planned all along.”

The room was starting to spin. Red had to shake her head again to right herself. “But you wanted me dead. You hired Wolf to kill me.”

“Nonsense. Why would we do that? You are our daughter. Our flesh and blood. Wolf was hired to kill your ambitious mother and see to it that you made your way.”

“Made my way?”

“Yes, to make sure you grew up safely. That you grew into a strong vibrant woman. And you did. He was somewhat obsessive I think, though. Following you around. Sending people to kill you, to test your abilities.”

The room began to fade. Red’s head became heavy.

She shook it again. She could not hear these words.

They were lying. Wolf would never do that to her.

“I suppose he had to make sure. Make sure that you had the strength to come here and face us. And he was right. You do have the strength. You are ready to fulfill your destiny.”

179

Vivi Anna

Red stumbled. She dropped her sword and fell toward the desk. She gripped the wood and steadied herself. He was wrong.

Fulfill your destiny, Red.

Wolf’s words echoed in her ears. She shook her head. No she would not believe it. It was all lies.