It was my first time in the dungeons, and I was immediately hit with a rush of relief when I noticed they looked nothing like the ones from my vision. Although that relief was almost as quickly replaced with dread. It meant I wasn't being taken somewhere close where the others would be able to find me. I would still have to be on my guard just as much as usual.

Jasmine's horrified gasp drew me back to the reason I had come, and I looked into the cell before us. My mouth dropped open in shock.

"Susan?!"

Inside the cell was the woman from the kitchen, the one Jasmine had just been singing the praises of for her unique powers. Standing outside the cell was Evan, Lisa, and Ben.

"I see this comes as a shock to all of you," Lisa said, watching me and my friends.

"I don't understand..."

Susan only smirked.

Jasmine spoke up next, her voice barely above a whisper. "Ben?"

He looked like he'd been crying, his posture defeated. He and Lisa had probably already gone at each other; he clearly had no fight left in him. His gaze met Jasmine's. "I had no idea. I swear."

I looked at Lisa.

"He's telling the truth," she reported. "I've already interrogated him. He knew nothing about this."

As if freed from her position by his innocence, Jasmine ran to him. They held each other tight. I hadn't known they'd become so close.

I turned back to Lisa. "Have you interrogated her?"

Lisa shook her head. "It is the job of the king and queen in this world to see that justice is served. I find that to be much easier by letting the royals do the questioning themselves. I will remain, of course, to tell you if she starts spouting lies."

I groped at the air until I found Sebastian's hand and clung to it. I turned my head to meet his gaze, and he nodded, encouraging me to get started.

I took a deep breath to settle my nerves. I'd never really had to question someone like this before, but I'd seen enough police interrogations on TV that I thought I had an idea of what I was doing.

And yet, I could only find one word as my eyes met Susan's. "Why?"

She laughed bitterly. "That's all you can think of?" She looked at Sebastian. "Now do you understand? She can't even hold a simple interrogation! She isn't fit to be our queen!"

"I believe you'll find her quite capable if you would simply answer her question. We have ways of making you talk if you continue to refuse."

Something in me took over at Sebastian's words. I could feel my eyes change as I repeated the word. "Why." This time it was not a question, but a demand.

She began shaking, not quite trembling, but like she was fighting her own body to stay standing. "Because no one demon should have the power you possess. This power to completely dominate others! I felt it at the ball, and I know you're using it now. If we want to live peacefully and coexist with one another, there shouldn't be those who can control us with a single thought!"

I could feel myself growing steadier, braver, but my grip on Sebastian's hand only tightened.

"I may have a tremendous amount of power, but no one seemed to think the same about demons with the power to control others before I got here. Do you have any idea how many times I was brainwashed and controlled while I was still human? How many demons used their powers to try to make me fall in love with them so they could become the next ruler?"

She didn't say anything, though I couldn't tell if it was because she was speechless from the information or she simply didn't care.

"You didn't try to kill me. You had every opportunity, but you paralyzed me instead."

She was shaking violently now. Jasmine leaned over and whispered something to Lisa, who nodded. I didn't look away from Susan as Jasmine led an inconsolable Ben from the room.

"I knew I wouldn't have been able to," Susan responded. "And they understood. Said all I had to do was deliver you to them, and they would take care of the rest."

"Who are they?"

She dropped to her knees. "You may be able to force me to speak. You may be able to make me bow to you. But no matter what you do to me, I will never reveal that."

Lisa's eyes widened. "She speaks the truth..."

"How is that possible?" Sarah asked from behind me. I'd nearly forgotten she was still here.

"Either she doesn't know their names, or there is something else at play here. Perhaps a magic that forbids her from saying it." Sebastian's hand squeezed mine. "We won't be getting an answer to that from her. Continue, Chrystal."

"What do they plan to do to me? When will they strike?"

Her hands had released the bars of the cell, and now she was on the floor in a full bow. This hadn't been my intention, but somewhere inside, I was pleased with her submission.

"As far as I'm aware," she said, sounding breathless as she struggled, "you have already foreseen the answer to both of those questions. And that future, dear Chrystal, is set in stone."

Lisa stepped forward and stared menacingly at the prisoner. "You have no right to speak her name."

"Do you know where the dungeon is that they will take me to?" I could feel my power slipping. Fear was beginning to take over again.

Susan didn't say anything, and I couldn't think of any more questions. I felt my eyes return to normal, and became lightheaded as the power that was coursing through me dissipated. I swayed, but Sebastian caught me by my shoulders, holding me upright.

"You did well," he whispered.

I couldn't answer him. My eyes stayed on Susan, watching as she noticed the control over her had vanished and she stood again. She glared at me.

Now that I was free of whatever had come over me, I spoke again, though my voice was small. "You were so kind to me in your kitchen. The way you stood up for Ben was very noble of you."

Her expression didn't change. "I would kill anyone for my son."

I nodded. "As any mother would, I'd imagine. But even after that, you allowed me back into your kitchen."

"I had to get a reading on you. They wanted to know how strong you are. I had to take note of anything that might have been a weakness."

"And you noted that I still breathe. That's why you chose to use a gas."

She nodded.

"And I assume this is also why you didn't come meet me at the ball, not simply because you were busy with the refreshments." I smiled sadly at her. "I really liked you, Susan. You made me feel welcome when none of the other staff would let me near them. I promise we will take good care of Ben."

She paused. "I don't understand. You aren't using your powers on me."

I shook my head. "Just because someone has these powers, doesn't mean they have to use them. Coexistence is possible. Destiny may have led me here to become queen, but the human in me still wants to live as close to a normal life as possible with the people I love."

She seemed like something was beginning to click in her mind, but she didn't say anything.

I turned to Lisa. "Have Ben decide what to do with her."

"Chrystal-"

"Releasing her is not an option. However, if she is beginning to understand, then I don't want her killed."

Evan spoke up for the first time since I'd entered the dungeon. "Be careful taking pity on people, Chrystal."

"I think she might have earned it." I turned back to Susan. "I won't ask who, but did someone put you up to this? Convince you that this was the right path to take?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "He said that it wasn't natural for a demon who was once a human to have so much power, and that the amount of power someone has shouldn't determine their status. Maybe I believed him because I was once a human, too." She took a deep breath. "I have a lot to think about."

"I only came here because my powers were developing even as a human. They would have killed me. I don't want to do this. I don't want to become a queen of so many. I'm doing this because I have no choice if I want to stay alive." I turned to Lisa. "I think I'm done here. Fill Ben in and let him decide what happens." A thought occurred to me then. "I'm not quite sure on how, well, dungeons work, I suppose. What are the punishments that can even be given here?"

Lisa smiled. "Well, it can prove difficult to kill a demon, as I'm sure you've come to know by now, but we do have our ways. There's also sentencing periods, but most seem to go by in the blink of an eye to an immortal. Lastly, we can banish them to another realm altogether, and they can't be allowed back in under any circumstance."

I nodded. "I'll keep that in mind." I turned to go, Sebastian's hand still in mine.

"Please-" Susan called from behind us.

I stopped, but didn't turn around.

"My son. My sweet Ben. Please don't put this on him. Deal with me now, I beg of you."

Lisa's sharp voice filled my ears. "You have no right to beg for anything anymore."

"You have done him a great disservice," I answered Susan. "By turning on me and your kingdom, you have lost him his mother. He will forever be seen as the son of a traitor. I think it is only right that he has a go at you." Without another word or glance, I stepped to the door and out of the room, closing the door firmly on Susan's wails of agony.