The Aldean Chronicles: Spotlight (Part 2)

The tables are metal and there are two chairs on either side.

Arin is on one side, and Seb and Max are on the other.

Dr. Golding closes the door behind me.

"Really, Seb?" I ask. "Is the interrogation room necessary?"

"Sit down." He orders.

I sit next to Arin.

Uncle Max hands him back his phone.

They stare at both of us for a long time.

Finally, Seb asks. "What the hell did you two do?"

Arin stays silent.

"We didn't do anything." I insist. "This is ridiculous."

"Cassandra," Uncle Max looks like he's barely containing his anger. "I feel like you're not seeing this for what it is. We are not your Father and Uncle having a chat with you. We are the General and the Infante demanding answers for why you're helping insurgrnts."

"She tried to kill me," I yell. "She put me in a coma for five weeks, and physical therapy for two months. She would have killed me if Arin didn't show up when he did."

"Why you?" Seb asks. "That's what we wanted to know."

"Easy target?" I answer for them.

Seb produces a file from his lap. He opens it and lays the papers in front of us. It's Cara's files on Kaili, Delia, Enrich, and me.

I close my eyes briefly.

"That's why you wanted the page from the book," Seb asks. He bangs his fists on the table and I jump when he hits the table. "That was in January. It's been four months. Damn it, Cassandra.

"And I talked to Tristan." He adds. "Your magic has been bad since the Pledge. Why didn't you tell me?"

I can be honest. I can tell him about all my insecurities, all my fears. Confess my apprehension at being treated less in this family.

Or I can say the worst thing instead.

"I don't think telling the Infante my personal problems is very appropriate."

He gives me a hard look. "Do you know how much trouble the two of you are in?"

"Trouble for what exactly?" I ask. "It was a personal problem I had with my jewelry. And I got it solved."

"Except it's not just a piece of jewelry." This is Uncle Max.

"Yes, it's magic. We all know this." I roll my eyes.

"No." Uncle Max is livid. "Our intelligence team, an actually competent one, did extensive research." He points at the tiara. "And there's a reason Ryppers are willing to do so much to get it."

My head feels heavy.

My mouth is dry when I ask, "What's special about it?"

Seb laughs bitterly. "That's an answer you could have gotten months ago, if you talked to us." He's shaking his head. "Why couldn't you do it? Picked up your phone, called me, said "hey Seb, my magic is acting weird, can you take a look at that?" Would that have been so hard?"

I laugh shrilly. "That would have been hard because you never pick up your phone. And you never call me back. Never talk for more than two minutes."

"I..."

I cut him off. "One short call every few weeks won't make you father of the year."

Uncle Max clears his throat and arranges the papers. "Let's focus on why we're here." He taps one document. "The piece was first worn by Delia Beltane. She disappeared after her brother was killed."

"I knew that," I mumble.

"Did you know that she ruled the kingdom in place of her brother while he actively tried to bankrupt the country?" Okay, that's news to me. "She advised him not to marry his wife. He didn't listen. Unsurprisingly, he got killed at the reception. She ran away so she wouldn't be part of the bloodbath. She lived the rest of her life tending to the Percival."

"What about the relic? How did she get it back to the cave?" I ask.

"She delivered it personally to the castle. Died two days after dropping it off." Uncle Max answers. "The next person it picked was Kaili Griffords."

"It made her ill?" I guess.

"The magic the piece holds is different than what the rest of us have." Seb jumps in. "It wasn't made for our kind of fire. That's why your magic didn't work. The relic was rejecting it like it did to Kaili."

"I don't understand. What's the difference?"

Uncle Max and Seb share a look.

"What?"

"We don't know," Seb reveals.

"I thought your team did extensive research," Arin speaks up. Uncle Max and Seb give him hard looks. He shrinks back into his chair and fights the eye roll. "Sorry."

"Kaili's parents weren't able to trace the crown's origins. And neither can we." Seb continues.

I exhale and adjust my hair. "Great." I look around the room. "All this was for nothing. I didn't learn anything today."

"The one thing you should have learned today is that you possess something very powerful. Something our enemies are willing to sacrifice greatly for. It's why they keep attacking you." Uncle Max leans forward. "You knew why you were being targeted. You always knew. But for whatever reason you deemed fit, you said nothing."

I look away briefly. "At least we know now. What's the next plan? Take it away. Lock me up in prison for the rest of my life?"

"We're not taking it away," Seb announces.

"Why not? It's dangerous and I clearly can't be trusted with it."

"Yes," Max says simply. "But it can only be returned at the next pledge ceremony. And that's not till July. We can't open the cave ourselves. All we can do is keep it safe till then."

"And it's safest with me?"

"Unless you willingly hand it to someone, it's safest with you." He admits begrudgingly.

"Okay, then." I sit up.

"This isn't over." He's not done berating me. "You can't use it, for any reason. Don't call on it for the next three months."

"And if I get attacked?" They don't need a reminder that the entire Rypper army is after me.

"That is why you're a Princess. You have royal guards. Rely on them for your protection."

"And till I can return it? Never go anywhere by myself, never leave the stupid palace?"

"Stay safe, till we have this problem sorted." Seb stands up.

"Great, just great."

He notices my mood. "After you return it, you can pick another piece."

I massage my forehead. "Wonderful."

He gestures for Arin and me to stand up.

We follow him out the door.

"Arin, there's a car waiting to take you back to your grandfather's."

"Thank you, Infante." He can't keep the bitterness out of his tone. "Cassie." He gives me a pointed look and walks off.

Seb sighs after him. "Say what you want about Tristan, he wouldn't have left you carry on this long."

I rub the exposed skin on my arm. "I'm going home."

"You still have a full day working here."

"What happened to protecting the crown jewels and getting ready to spend the rest of your life locked in a tower?"

"You can leave at 5." Seb goes back inside to talk to Max.

I check my watch. It's just noon. It's not even time for lunch and I've already been accused of toppling the government.

I go back to the controls room and sit next to Sterling.

"I'm sorry."

I don't look at him. "Did you know they were watching me?"

He winces. "I did."

"Great."

"Forgive me for saying, but if any other person actively kept secrets from the government, they'd be...well." He points at the screen.

I want to explain to him that it's less about keeping secrets from the government and more, my family doesn't need to know everything I do.

I take a deep breath and sigh softly.