The Gender Lie(97)

Elena stepped close to me and reached out to stroke a lock of my hair. I flinched back, my skin crawling, and she smiled.

“So, thank you, Violet,” she whispered. “Without you, none of this would have been possible.”

I looked away from the queen and stared at Desmond for several moments. My brain now felt paralyzed, my mind stunned by all the revelations that had just been dropped on me.

But then, surprising myself and the women before me, my lips slowly curved upward in a smile.

I wasn’t sure why I was smiling. I just felt such a cold rage begin to consume me—over everything Elena had said, every lie I had believed—that I suddenly felt unpredictable. Dangerous. Manic, even.

Concern flickered in Desmond’s eyes, which only caused my smile to grow.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Elena’s head start to turn away, and before I could think twice, I jolted to my feet in one powerful, fluid motion. Elena jerked her focus back to me, and I felt a rush of pleasure at the alarm on her face as I lunged for her, my fist making contact with her nose.

She flailed back with a shriek and her foot caught on the train of her dress. There was a sound of fabric ripping as she tumbled to the floor. I whipped around and saw Tabitha coming toward me, her eyes flat and hard. I leapt onto the table and, before she could defend herself, smashed my boot into her face.

Her howl came like music to my ears. My kick wasn’t enough to bring Tabitha down, but she staggered back, blinded with pain and gripping her nose as trails of blood flowed between her fingers.

I jumped to the floor and raced over to Desmond, who had been distracted with helping Elena.

“I hope you’re listening up, bitch,” I hissed, glaring down at the older woman. “I’m going to get out of here, and when I do, I am going to tear down everything you have built piece by piece. I’m going to stop your war, free those boys from you, and then I’m going to grant your greatest wish.”

Desmond sneered and I heard the doors fly open behind me.

“And what would that be?” she asked.

I moved closer, feeling immense satisfaction as she faltered slightly, and I bared my teeth at her. “I’m going to reunite you with your oldest son,” I said, as I snapped a hand around the back of her neck and slammed her face into a table leg.

Desmond groaning at my feet, I raised my hands and took a step back. Turning, I found myself face to face with six wardens—each pointing a gun at me.

But I wasn’t finished here just yet.

I glanced over to where Elena was picking herself up from the floor. “And you. You, Elena, I’ll hand over to your younger brothers.”

I watched the queen give me a confused, yet vicious look, and then smiled when I saw the blood drain from her face as my meaning dawned on her.

I returned my attention to the six wardens eyeing me and gestured to the door behind them. “That way back to my cell?” I asked.

The wardens glanced at Elena, who was looking daggers at me, her face cold and hard. “Take her away,” she said as they slapped a pair of cuffs around my wrists.

“I’ll see you later,” I promised the queen, but in my heart I meant soon.

As the wardens led me out of the room and into the hallway, I knew my surge of rage-ignited confidence wouldn’t last and I didn’t know how I was going to escape this place or the execution.

All I knew was that I had to.

For the sake of Viggo, my brother, my family in Patrus, and every single citizen of our God-forsaken nations, I had to stop the war.