Something inside of me is breaking. I can feel it tearing like the seams of a dress. Barely recognisable over the roaring sound in my ears. Everything hurts. My skin is too tight, my eyes burn as though I am staring at the sun, and my bones feel uncomfortably heavy. I grit my teeth against the pain and close my eyes. The darkness does not bring me the relief I'm craving, and I want to scream.

Owen is still talking to me. No doubt trying to persuade me he is a better man than he now seems. His voice is a dull murmur somewhere in the distance as I focus on everything else taking place in my body. My heart is pounding violently, trying to beat its way out of my chest and there is a pressure building in my bones. I am so afraid that if I don't try to contain it, then I could hurt someone.

The Undoing has not stopped screaming, part fury and part fear. I beg my sluggish body to respond and plead with the Undoing to calm and work with me.

It reacts as though it can hear me and I swear the screams are becoming clearer and I am beginning to understand what it is saying. It's not just screaming, it's speaking to me.

"Stand up, it's time to announce me as your betrothed darling." Owen says in a nauseatingly sweet tone.

"I can't." I whisper as he pulls me to my feet.

"Don't you want to protect your foolish little prince? I will not hesitate to kill him if you don't obey my orders."

The Undoing moans in distress. We cannot lose Ezra, but we cannot do this and risk our Kingdom.

Owen has pulled me onto the small platform where the musicians were performing and silenced them and the crowd with a wave of his hand.

He looks different now. His body stands a little taller, his face a little more angular and his eyes a little harder. How has he hidden this side of him all these years? How did I never see it?

I try not to double over with the pain as he stands to speak with an imperious smile playing across his lips. "Thank you, everyone, for coming to Queen Elora's betrothal ball."

More like a betrayal ball, I think to myself as a smattering of applause breaks out in the crowd watching us. None of the faces looking back at me seem aware of the danger we are all in. No one knows and there is nothing I can do to stop it. I am helpless and I hate it.

My eyes are swimming with unshed tears of pain and frustration, and it feels impossible to pretend that everything is normal.

"Now, our beautiful Queen will announce who she has chosen." He smiles and slips his hand in mine as though to confirm the crowd's suspicions.

I know, without a doubt, that I am about to make the biggest mistake of my life.

"I," I choke out and Owen squeezes my hand hard enough I feel the bones crunch together. "I, Queen Elora of the Light Court-"

Movement at the top of the staircase catches my eye and I look up blearily. Two figures are slipping through the door. Both beaten and bloody, but alive and clearly recognisable as Alessia and Ezra.

A dark figure cloaked entirely in black is dragged behind them, cuffed in silver chains. A small gasp escapes me before I can stop it. Silver chains are only used to neutralise the most powerful magic, and I cannot help but wonder who that is.

Owen notices the new arrivals at the same moment, and his hand moves up my arm, clutching it in warning. My body tilts back as it instinctively leans away from him, even in its delirious state. I feel Owen squeeze tighter, fingernails digging deep into my flesh, but all I can see is Ezra's face.

He looks uncertain, and I realise what it looks like. Although I know the truth about Owen now, he doesn't. He thinks I'm choosing him.

"It changes nothing." Owen hisses. "Do as I say, or I will kill everything you've ever loved. Don't forget what I have already taken from you. Your parents, your friend, your brother."

His words are meant to cow me into obeying him, but they have the opposite effect. The Undoing roars and the chandelier shakes. I could have sworn I could feel the ground trembling in anticipation.

The crowd shifts nervously. Even if they don't know exactly what is going on, they sense the change in the air.

Then, as suddenly as it all started, everything stops and still. With a popping sensation, the pain vanishes and I can hear normally again.

Thank the heavens, now it is time for us to teach that foolish boy why we helped to contain the Biotáillí scum in the first place.

I don't recognise the voice in my mind, but I know it as surely as I know my own. The Undoing is free, and she is not happy.

I look slowly up to meet Owen's gaze. There it is. That flicker of fear as he wonders if he is making a mistake. For the record, I am pretty certain that he is.

"Apologies, I think our Queen is feeling unwell. I will just take her out for some air." Owen says with a condescending smile as he propels me towards the doors.

I let him. Take us away from the audience and let him see what it really means to play with the Undoing.

I am not sure if these thoughts are my own or the Undoing anymore. It's hard to see where one of us ends and the other begins. I can hear her in my mind, cackling and discussing the many ways we could kill him.

"I don't need to marry you to complete my purpose." Owen hisses as we emerge into the cool night air. "It would have just been a fun bonus."

"What purpose might that be?" My voice is devoid of feeling, but Owen doesn't seem fully aware of how frightening that should be.

"To help them rise, of course. I just need your blood and-"

I sense him pull the knife before I see it and spin away before it ever pierces my skin.

"Fool." Owen snaps, brandishing the unusual ceremonial blade angrily. Its curved shape looks like it should slit throats, not whatever he was about to attempt. I decide not to point this out.

His next attempt is just as clumsy as he lunges for me, and I side step around a hedge. My body moving more fluidly than it ever has before. Like it has found its centre at last. "You're the fool Owen. You came into my home and threatened my people. Do you think I will ever believe another word that comes out of your traitorous mouth? You are a fool. A stupid, soon-to-be dead fool."

Something in my eyes has him paling and the knife in his hands takes up a more defensive position. As if that could help him.

"You wouldn't kill me. I... I'm your friend." He stammers, stumbling a few paces back from me.

The garden is quiet, and I am thankful for it. We don't need an audience for this. Owen is afraid now. I can taste his fear in the air. It's sour, with a bitter undertone. Like lemon. He doesn't sound sure now he's realising whatever he used on me is not sedating me the way he hoped.

I laugh as I prowl towards him. "I'm sure Duncan thought the same before I let her loose on him. You saw what the Undoing could do, and that was with the bind in place to hold her back. Imagine the damage she could do now you have freed her?"

"Elora." He tries to warn me off, but the Undoing has had enough of talking and waiting.

She rises inside me and strikes like a viper. I don't fully understand what she is doing at first, as Owen stands there, frozen. His eyes are wide with fear and his mouth hangs open as if to scream, but no sound emerges.

"You are a liar. An evil, disgusting monster. The worst kind as well. One who pretended to be a friend. You thought the memories of times spent together would keep me from hurting you? Perhaps they would have stopped Elora alone, but you awoke me. You freed me." I laugh, but it is not me anymore.

I am falling back into the darkness in my mind. Like a boat at sea in a storm. I am lost, but there is a peace to it as well. I fight it at first. Wading back towards where the Undoing wreaks her havoc. Then I still for a moment. There is no pain, no loneliness, and no worries here. I can just let go.

I am so tired now. So tired of fighting and plotting and worrying.

"Elora." A voice startles me.

It's familiar and yet not. It rings out like a bell through my mind. Perhaps it is supposed to mean something to me, I muse as I float through the blackness.

"Elora, this is not you. I know you are in there. Come back to me." The voice coaxes again, and this time, a burst of light catches my attention.

It isn't a familiar light. No warmth like sunlight, or orange glow of the daylight. It's cool, yet inviting in the distance. A small, glimmering star in a sea of black.

"Please Elora! Come back to me."

The star burns brighter and the call becomes clearer as I feel my body coming back to itself. I reach out towards the star as it leads me back to awareness.

You are not strong enough to do what needs to be done.

A voice argues and tries to push me back, but I can't let it. I need to get to the person calling me.

The first thing I realise, as I blink the eyes I have retaken control of, is that I am in the air. I am flying. Hovering just a few feet above the ground and out of reach of the spectators below. It sends a thrill through me to discover what my magic can do.

A crowd has gathered at the doors of the ballroom and pressed to the windows. It takes me a moment for me to remember why that is a bad thing. They watch me with wide eyes and hands over their mouths in horror.

My gaze finds my traitorous friend next. Streaks of red coat his cheeks and he writhes on the floor as the Undoing play with him. Undoing and redoing parts of him with deliberate malice.

"Elora, this isn't you." My eyes find the speaker and it's like my entire body relaxes.

Ezra. My guiding light and star in the night.

He's right. This isn't me. Without preamble I pull the Undoing back and Owen curls into a sobbing heap as I float to the floor beside him.

You are making a huge mistake.

The Undoing fades back into me, but I can feel its disappointment.

"That's it. That's my girl." Ezra's voice is low and calming, as though he still isn't sure which part of me is currently centre stage.

"I am not a hound, Ezra." I roll my eyes and delight as he realises it is me and is running before I can process his expression fully.

"It's you. Oh, thank the stars you are you again." He scoops me up and I bury my head in his neck.

Over his shoulder I see Alessia and Kyp cuffing a snivelling Owen and hauling him to his feet. Kyp gives him a sharp kick to the back of his leg, which almost brings him to his knees again, and Alessia snaps something has him giving an unapologetic shrug.

"I thought I had lost you." Ezra whispers in my hair.

"Lost me? You were the one being held hostage, apparently." I throw back, tilting my head up to look at him.

"A minor inconvenience. Alessia soon contained little Kage." He says dismissively.

Kage?" I raise one eyebrow and Ezra sighs disappointedly.

"Yes, a rather unoriginal name for a kidnapper, but apparently, his parents weren't that creative."

"Owen was behind everything, all this time." I murmur, reaching out a hand to touch Ezra's face and reassure me he is real.

"We guessed as much. At first, I thought you were choosing him." Ezra laughs, but I can hear the genuine hurt in his voice.

I shake my head violently. "Never. I told you I love you."

"And I love you. But I will never tire of hearing you say it to me."

"I love you, I choose you."

Loving him wasn't the end of anything, I realised. It is strange how the tales we are told as children are designed to make us believe that 'the end' are the words to follow 'I love you'.

It wasn't the end of anything. It wasn't even the beginning. Nothing had changed apart from the fact I was a little less alone and a little more aware of my power.

"They're all watching me, aren't they?" I ask, tucking my head under his chin.

I feel his body move as he turns his head to glance back at the castle, "Well, I'm afraid you weren't exactly on a subtle murderous rampage, my sweet."

"They all know what I am."

"Even if they don't know exactly what you are, I don't doubt they will work it out soon enough." He agrees.

"What would you like us to do with this scum?" Alessia asks, and I peek out at her.

Her hand grips Owen's shoulder as though she wishes her fingers were around his throat. I look at his watering, swollen eyes and bloodstained cheeks. He refuses to meet my gaze, but the panic rolls off him in waves.

I move so I'm stood up straight, Ezra at my back as I stare him down. "Lock him up." Owen flinches at the sound of my voice. "We will interrogate him and try him for his crimes."

"Of course, my queen." Alessia bows her head and moves to drag him away.

"I won't be the only one." He blurts out. "There are so many others who believe what I do. They will come for you and nothing you love, no one you love, will ever be safe until we get what we want."

"I'm sorry. All I heard was we should torture you until we have all the names?" Alessia hisses as she yanks him back towards the castle.

We watch him leave, silently. Ezra's hands gently rubbing soothing circles on my back.

"What now?" He asks.

"Now, we announce we are to be wed."

I can feel his surprise. "Are you sure that is such a good idea, my love?"

"There is very little I am sure of. But knowing that I need you at my side is one thing that needs no thought."

I link our fingers together as I speak and give him a reassuring smile. After all that we have been through, I think it's fair to say I have earnt a little happiness.

"There is nowhere else I'd rather be." He smiles as we make our way back to the party.

The guests fall back out of our path and worried whispers whip through the crowd. I wasn't sure how I would explain any of this. It wasn't something I fully understood myself.

All I knew was I was the threat was now contained. I was safe, my kingdom was safe, and Ezra was safe.

For now, at least.

Author notes
Thank you so much for reading The Heir and the Undoing. I've loved sharing Elora's story and discovering it as I go (yes I am a pantser!) I really appreciate every read, comment and vote. Your support of the story is everything to me ❤️