The Aldean Chronicles: Spotlight (Part 2)

I go to bed the night of my party thinking about a lot of things.

My feelings for Tristan. My feelings for Arin. And my conversation with Sterling.

I dread going to sleep if I'm just going to be haunted by nightmares of the woman who tried to murder me.

I lay awake in bed till 2 am. No matter how tired or weary I feel, I just can't sleep.

At 3 am, I summon my tiara and take it off my head.

My room isn't very bright, but I can still make out the intricate designs on the piece. It's weird to think it's the cause of so many problems.

I shudder when I remember how close I was to giving it up. If Arin and Maeve hadn't walked in, Cara would be in possession of this. And probably wiped out half the continent by now.

Seb is right. I shouldn't have this. I wish I never got it in the first place. I wish I picked a simple bracelet, or a ring. Why did I have to pick the only crown there?

The piece feels warm in my hand. I place it back on my head and feel a sudden bout of fatigue.

I lay my head gently on my pillow and drift off.

My dreams feel different. If anything, they feel more like memories than dreams.

I'm back in the cave, staring at all the pieces. Everything looks so real and vivid. I stare at myself and gasp. I'm in the same dress I wore at my pledge ceremony.

I don't have time to process that because different thoughts start to swirl in my head.

They come to me all at once and I have trouble picking them apart. I place my hands on either side of my head and groan.

There's a piercing pain in my eyes and the thoughts finally come together. Unfortunately, they're louder and come fleetingly.

At first, all I hear is a young girl's thoughts.

Don't pick the tiara. Don't pick the tiara, Delia. How would you explain that to father? He'll accuse you of trying to upstage your brother.

The next thoughts are from another young girl.

Mother and father expect nothing from you. Why would the tiara choose you?

After her is a male voice.

You're already too different. Why would you take it? Why would you do that to yourself?

When I open my eyes, I'm in a bedroom that's not mine.

A man opens the front door and takes off his wool cal. He has a candle in his hand and is wearing an enormous leather and fur coat.

"Solana?" He calls.

The little girl on the bed wakes up. "Father." She rubs her eyes.

He kisses her forehead and searches for something in his bag. "I have a gift for you." He shows it to her. My breath is taken away. It's my relic.

"It's very pretty." The child says.

"And very powerful." He smiles. "You see these Chrystas?" He points at them. "They were a gift from the first dragon."

She's transfixed by the jewels. "They are?"

He nods. "He breathed his fire on them. I had them made as a crown for you."

Someone else enters the room. It's a woman.

"Adolphus, it is time."

The child looks worried.

The man shushes her. "I will be back, my darling. But I need you to keep this safe. Tell no one what it is, can I trust you?"

She nods slowly. He gives her another kiss, then leaves her staring at his gift.

I suck in another breath and open my eyes. I'm back in my bedroom.

I check the time, it's just after 5 am. I don't bother going back to sleep.

All I can do is stay in bed and hyperventilate. I calm my breathing and lay still in bed. I remain like that til the sun comes up.

I think about my life. All the choices I've made up till that moment, and the implications they've had.

After all that contemplation, I ask myself what I'll do next.

As much as I try to steer it away, my mind keeps wandering back to professor Cara. The thought fills me with dread. But I know it's something I have to do.

Somehow, it feels like the final chapter of all this. The final stage of trying to solve the year-long problem with my magic.

I pick up my phone and send an early morning text.

***

A few hours later, I get dressed in a pink summer cardigan with blue jeans. I put my phone in my pocket and walk to the ground floor of the palace.

The staff who pass by smile at me. I return all their pleasant smiles.

I'm soon in the ante-room before the main hall.

Dent is there room giving instructions to one of the equerries.

I silently curse.

He looks confused to see me there. "Princess Cassandra, you should be in breakfast."

"Uncle Max wants me in Intelligence." I don't stop walking.

"The General is in Mallone till Tuesday."

I rush out of that room and into the first hall of the building.

I smile at the guards there. "If you don't mind."

They open it before Dent can walk in and tell them I'm still not allowed out.

I smile at the warm summer sun. How have I been cooped in here for so long?

Dent bursts out and bites his tongue.

I rush down the steps.

Past the front gates are the usual summer tourists. This year, they're not allowed in cause of the restrictions.

I yell and wave for their attention. They cheer loudly.

"So nice to see you all," I say in a fake Aldean accent.

I walk to the side of the main gate, to the little footpath that's almost never used.

I get the key I stole from Kat out of my pocket and unlock the door.

It takes the tourists two seconds to notice me.

I rush away from them and straight into the main road.

I jump into Arin's car, narrowly avoiding the mob. I tell him to drive.

And just like that. I escaped.

"Your aunt is going to murder you." Arin is laughing. "And then she'll actually murder me for helping."

"Just keep driving."

We get to Intelligence in no time.

I don't have to talk to the person at the gates. They just open for me.

"Was that good or bad?" Arin asks.

I don't know if they flew here, but six royal guards are waiting for me at the front door of Intelligence HQ.

"Shit. Are we gonna fight for entry?" I look around the gated compound. This place is far less public than Sandringham. That gives the guards more leeway.

I step out of the car with Arin.

The guard in the middle looks pissed. "We are under orders to escort you back, your highness." He says the last two words with malice.

I loop Arin's hand in mine.

"The General said I can be here." I lie.

"Her Majesty, the Queen, did not." He gives a signal to the others.

My phone starts ringing. It's Seb. I answer it.

"What's up?" My breath is hitched.

"Do you know what you just did?" He asks.

"I'm sorry."

"You broke out. You made this place look like a jail. Do you know what people are saying?" He's telling.

I roll my eyes. What people are saying isn't at the top of my mind.

"Keri and Dent are smart, they'll spin it." I stare down the guards. "Hypothetically, how much trouble will I be in if I fight a few guards?"

He screams in frustration. "How? How are you even more trouble than Grey?"

That stung. "I'll call you back." And turn to Arin. "Ready?"

We slowly walk up the steps, expecting an attack at any moment. But it doesn't come.

The guards don't exactly move for us, but they don't stop us either.

I don't dwell on that and instead, take the elevator to the top, and walk to the control room.

A few officers give me side eyes, but don't say anything.

Arin nods. "Okay then. The next time I do a heist involving Sandringham and Intelligence. I'll do it with a crown princess."

I walk up to Sterling's computer.

"Hey."

He almost spills his tea on himself. "Princess Cassandra. You are not who I was expecting. Why are you here?" He sees Arin at my side. "Hi."

"Hey." Arin isn't looking at him, he's looking at all the computers in the room.

"Sterling, I need to talk to Pearl," I say to him.

"I don't have access to the prison. It's really just this computer."

I groan. My phone goes off again. It's uncle Max.

"What the hell did you do?"

"What I needed to do. I'm having nightmares. They won't stop if I don't do this."

He's silent for a long time.

"Your father and aunt are pissed. Sebastian's on his way to collect you. I'll talk to one of my colonels and Dr. Golding. You don't have long."

My heart is filled with relief. "You are my favourite person in this family."

I end the call and turn to Sterling.

"He said yes."

Sterling smiles. "Good for you. I'm sure I'll find out how you got here without the General's permission very soon in the media."

"I'll stay here." Arin's staring at the live video of Cara on the screen. "If you're fine by yourself."

"I am. Thanks, Arin." I give him a big hug. "You're the best."

He rubs his eyelids. "Remember that when you're a witness in my trial."

Dr. Golding walks into the controls room and smiles at me.

"I'm really happy you're here, princess." Her face reflects that. "Follow me."

***

She swipes her card on a panel and we walk into an elevator. She swipes her card again and presses the O floor. I don't ask her what it stands for.

The elevator opens to a special floor. The floors are made of metal and the walls are brick. Military personnel is stationed everywhere.

We walk down the floor, our shoes making thudding sounds with each step. When we reach the wall, she swipes a different card and the panel flashes green and slides open.

"Don't look at anyone." She instructs.

I do the opposite of that and stare at the cells we pass.

She stops suddenly and I notice we're at Cara's cell.

I suck in a deep breath. I was not ready for that.

"Miss Hanchez." Dr. Golding calls.

Cara is staring at the wall.

"I brought you a present."

Still nothing.

Dr. Golding hands me a piece of paper. "Only questions from this list."

I nod and she walks to the bottom of the hall. She takes a seat, readies her pen and paper, and urges me to go on.

"Professor Cara?" I say softly.

Her back goes rigid. Then slowly, she turns around.

She faces me fully, and her face is hard.

It's hard seeing her in person. And so different than she always was.

Her hair is straight and lifeless now. Her face is gaunt and exhausted. And she seems weaker.

She stares at me, and her face changes completely.

"Cassandra," her voice is low. "How lovely to see you, my dear."

She leaves her bed and walks closer to the glass wall. Two inches from it, she sits cross-legged on the floor.

"Come on, sit. Let's form an energy circle."

That's something she made us do twice in class. She said it harmonizes our magic and makes us stronger. Seeing Derek so creeped out made my day.

"I'm fine." I clear my throat and glance at the paper. "Um... Where were you born?"

She rolls her eyes. "Where were you born? When did you change your name? How did you come in contact with the insurgents? Why did you come to Brimstone? Who are your other leaders?" She moans miserably. "It's so drab, don't you think? The same questions over and over again. No room for creativity."

I gulp.

She points at me with a bony finger. "But you, you're here to break the mold. You're here to be interesting. Come on, what do you really wanna know?"

I look back at the sheet. She asked everything in order. I press forward with my list. "Do you have any family?"

She groans again. "A few months back with your family and you've fallen into old habits. What happened to being special? What happened to being exemplary? What happened to being memorable?"

My heart beats faster and I begin to lose my breath. I search the list for another question to ask. I can barely concentrate on them. This feels too much.

"Come on, Cassandra." She whispers. "What do you want to know? What do you really want to ask me?" Her voice becomes sterner. "Why are you here?"

I squeeze the paper and throw it on the ground. "How could you do that to me?" I yell. "How could you try to kill me? You were my friend. You were the closest thing I had to any adult encouragement. I trusted you. I believed you. And you betrayed me."

She bites her lip. "I hoped you wouldn't take it personally."

I scream again. "You're sick. You are an unhinged, sick...bitch."

She throws her head back and laughs. "That's not very royal of you, is it?"

Dr. Golding gets up. "I think that's enough." She hands me a tissue and that's when I realize I'm crying.

I don't clean my eyes. I give Cara or Pearl or whatever she calls herself a murderous glare. "I hope you rot in here."

She smiles ruefully. "The tiara. Do you still have it?"

Dr. Golding places a hand on my shoulder and leads me away.

"They're making you return it, aren't they?"

Dr. Golding and I reach the glass door.

"Ask yourself this, Cassandra," Pearl's voice is smooth and controlling. "If your aunt had it, if anyone else in your family had it, would they be forced to give it back?"

The glass door slides close and we get into the elevator.

We get back to the controls rooms and it's empty except for Seb, Sterling, and Arin.

I expect Seb to be angry. He looks pained.

"I'm sorry. That you did that." He gestures at the screen. Cara's back on her bed, staring at her wall.

"I shouldn't have run away. I'm so sorry." The full weight of what I did comes crashing down on me. "Two weeks to the pledge and I've created this scandal." I start crying again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being so difficult. And I'm sorry for giving you problems. And I'm sorry that I always make the wrong decisions."

He crosses the room and takes me in his arms. "Don't cry, Cass." He smooths my hair and shushes me.

I cry all over his shirt for a few minutes. When I'm done, he wipes my tears with his thumbs. "It's alright, Cass. It's alright."

I sniff.

"The press. They're already talking about my jailbreak, aren't they?" A fresh wave of tears appear in my eyes.

Seb turns to Arin.

The latter steps forward. "That's my job, our job. Keri and Dent already spun it." He chuckles. "You left so you could go on a date with me."

"What?"

"Yeah, it's a weird teenage forbidden lovers thing."

Seb clears his throat.

Arin shakes his head. "Except it isn't real, of course. We'd just go to a few places, then dinner, then I'd take you back."

"That's a lot of media exposure. Do you want that?"

"It's my penance for... everything." He laughs softly. "And besides, what are best friends for if not to fake date you?"

I hug him next. "You're the best, Arin."

He sighs deeply. "I know."

When we let go of each other, I turn to Seb.

"I'll see you later tonight, okay?" He asks.

I nod. "Okay."

He leaves the room with Dr. Golding.

"Well, that was...interesting." Sterling rubs his glasses on his shirt.

I keep sniffing. "I can't believe you all watched that. Was I that pathetic?"

Sterling shakes his head. "You were hurt. She was your friend. And she betrayed you."

I stare at her defeated frame on the computer screen. "That woman is not my friend."