The Test

A foot collided with my jaw bone as Luciana spun on me. My block had fallen a little too short. Without magic, I wasn't as strong as my mother. Yet I knew every trick she could possibly pull. Beating her at her own game would prove challenging, but not impossible. She had trained me for this moment. Lead me to this very point in time for a reason. Sonja thought I could do it, thus I would prove her right.

Plunging head first into the fight, I decided to change my tactics. Luciana would never see it coming. A wild card was something my mother hated above all else. No one knew what that person would do. How they would attack and react. So let's play wild.

Stepping away from her, I shook my head. Pain throbbed but I suppressed it and put up my fists again. Our eyes met and all I saw there was pure intent. This was really for my own good. At least she didn't break me the way Adrian had broken her. My mom wanted nothing more than for me to excel at everything. To be the best version of myself that I could possibly be. If she had to do it this way, I understood.

Don't follow any patterns. Attack where there are openings and don't stop. I could feel the mantra vibrating within my skull. I had to be faster than her, and light on my feet. Catch her off guard. And. Strike! Leaping forward, I swung a wild right hook, which she dodged. My left hand snaked up and caught her in the stomach. Luciana quickly got back to her stance again, but I was there. I kicked her leg from beneath her and shoved the other to the ground. But I made a mistake.

Before I had time to correct my error, Luciana had swung out her leg and swept it beneath me, sending me sprawling into the dirt. A leg was cracked over my back as I dare stand. Pain laced up my spine and I gritted my teeth in response.

"Work harder Katharine!" Mother growled from above me. As I tried standing again, mother aimed another blow, but I rolled onto my back, missing her foot with an inch. Fast thinking and light foot work was all that could save me. Steadying my breath, I glanced at my mother again. She had barely broken a sweat.

"You can do it!" Reverie shouted from somewhere beside me. They all wanted me to pass. For me to finally start a new chapter in my life. I needed this. Needed to be free of all the fighting. What I needed most of all was the opportunity to finally go out and try to find my mate. He would compliment me in the best ways and it was time I needed someone to cheer me on, besides my parents and siblings.

Kicking up my legs, I jumped upright and hit mother with a roundhouse she didn't see coming. I missed her block and landed the side of her head, tilting it to the right where I promptly stepped in and cracked my elbow against her jaw. For a moment she sagged. Just one. Then she looked up and I could see those hybrid eyes. A terrifying blue with black around it and black veins slithering beneath her cheeks. I almost paled. It was her primal side taking over. Another lesson to be learnt. Never underestimate your opponent, no matter who it might be. Even your own mother.

With fangs extended, Luciana lunged forward. Her claws had extended and I could feel them raking across my belly. Fresh blood coated the air. She tried again, but this time I elbowed her away, side stepped and slammed a knee into her stomach. She hissed, but kept coming at me. We were caught in a dead lock. A flurry of blows. Kicks would land and punches would sting, but nothing brought her down. Not truly. The perfect war machine that I had created. By my hands she had become this and by hers she pushed me to be more.

Finally, she had me in a hold. Our heads were inches apart. And she did the unthinkable. Her head smashed into my own. Blinding white light flashed before me. I could hear the Valkyrie gasp. Mother had never done this before. Who was the wild card now?

"You bitch!" I snarled and heard my mother cry out in pain as something snapped. "How fucking dare you!" My brain was my biggest weapon. Her hurting me there was unimaginable. Unthinkable. Who the fuck does she think she is?

Fury bubbled inside me. Darkness crept to my finger tips. Suddenly I was alone with this growing entity. This thing taking form before me. A creature so vile I could hardly fathom it. With an ox skull for a head and charred branches for wings. When it spoke every hair on my body stood upright. This was the face of true death, not the Killer Queen.

"Kill her." The command was so simple. Yet there was no denying him. This beast. This brooding being that had a hold over me when I lost my grip. So I did as I was told.

Snapping back to my reality, Luciana was clutching her broken leg with worry in her eyes. But I didn't care. She needed to die. Lifting my hands above my head, Luciana started rising. With the snap of my fingers, her arm broke. Another snap, her other leg spurted blood.

"Katharine!" I heard father scream in the distance. Then I heard the Valkyrie unsheathe their weapons. Before they could attack, I felt a syringe plunge into my arm. Daddy was here. The monster will be gone now.

"I told you she wasn't ready!" He yelled as mother fell to the floor. The Valkyrie said nothing. How could they? They were here to judge the fight and see to it that neither one of us killed the other. Simple.

Yet everything felt as if it was happening so far away. Almost in a dream that I could barely fathom. The medicine in the syringe was taking away my consciousness. Draining me of my will to kill. Even stay awake. Tranquilizers. That's what he doped me up with. The same ones he had used so many times before. Mother had thought this time was different, that Miranda had finally taught me something of value, but I had lost my grip the moment she did something I never thought she would do. I had erupted the moment that thing had told me to end my own mother.

"You should have known better than to have pushed her so hard!" Julian roared and I fell limply into his arms.

"It is for her own good!" Luciana argued back. Julian picked me up bridal style as my body grew heavier and heavier.

"You sound just like your father." The disappointment in his voice was horrible. Even in this state I knew how hurt she must be by his words.

Julian spun on his heels and started walking to the house. And I could vaguely make out the creature made of nightmares standing just in the tree-line, watching over me.

***

Luciana's Point of View

Julian was hot on my heels as we stomped through the palace walls. He had taken Katharine to Miranda, to help tame her episodes, as well as ensuring that she was fine. The Valkyrie had brought me in after he had stormed off. My arm was broken, along with a leg, but it barely took a few minutes inside the house to heal. New scars peppered the healing wounds and a stiff ache throbbed down the limbs.

Sonja had only apologized for not intervening, but I understood why none of them hadn't. They were afraid I might hurt them if they hurt my daughter.

"Maybe Julian is right, Lucy. Maybe she isn't ready yet," Sophie had told me, but I had refused to believe it. That was an hour ago.

Episodes like the one outside drained our daughter to no end. I knew I had pushed her too far. That I was probably the sole reason for her needing to be put to sleep. But I needed her to be ready. To take her place amongst us once and for all. If she is to pass my test then she will begin her training as Queen. So many things rested on her beating me in a fight. It would show us just how much discipline she had. From the looks of it, she had none.

"You had taken it too far this time, Luciana!" Julian roared from behind me as I rounded another corner. His anger vibrated through the halls.

"I was trying to do what is best not only for her but for this family as well. She needs to be strong." The explanation sounded weak to my ears as well. Maybe I had turned into my father after all.

"You know better than most that that statement is bullshit. Press her any harder and we might have a mass murderer on our hands. You know this!" Julian screamed again and banged our study door closed behind him.

"Her powers are controlled. Tamed. Miranda makes sure of that. What more could we possibly do?" I asked, my eyes flashing blue as I rounded on him.

Julian stepped closer to me. His eyes were soft. Inviting. He knew what I was saying.

"Maybe it would be best if Elijah takes the throne. Katharine is the rightful heir but she is unstable. Uncertain. Our people cannot live under the rule of a mad woman."

Fury settled at the bottom of my stomach. Hot and chewing at every cell in my body. He dare ask this of me. Usurp my daughter before she even ascends?

"You are mad if you think that will happen. She will be the greatest ruler of her time. The prophecy stated clearly that my line will continue on in this world and I will be damned if my only biological child doesn't come after me," I spat and shoved past him.

Throwing the door closed behind me again I walked towards Katharine's room, silently praying that she doesn't know the atrocities her father speaks of at night.