The door crashed open, startling the woman who looked up with dread etched across her face, only to exhale with relief when she saw the familiar figure.
"Lila..." The Fae Queen breathed out in relief, clutching the edge of her gown.
But Lila’s expression was anything but reassuring, and dread coiled tight in the Queen’s stomach.
"He’s here, isn’t he?" she asked, her voice strained.
Lila gave a grim nod.
The Queen’s hands began to tremble as she paced the small room, her gown sweeping the floor in frantic movements. "How did he find us so quickly?"
"I don’t know. I thought we’d thrown him off our trail." Lila glanced toward the door with growing tension. "We need to get the princess out of here."
The Queen’s head snapped toward the door, her features hardening as if sensing a presence beyond. "I’m afraid that’s too late."
A deep, guttural growl resonated from beyond the wooden frame, sending shivers through both women. The Queen rushed to the cradle, scooping up her sleeping child.
"Get behind me, my queen," Lila commanded, pushing the Fae Queen behind her as she took a defensive stance.
For a moment, the growling ceased, and silence fell. The women looked at each other but the hope was short-lived as a loud bang rattled the door, making both them jump.
The Queen clutched the child who stirred and began to cry, her distressed wails piercing through the air as if sensing the danger.
"Shh, princess. Please... not now," the Queen whispered desperately, rocking her in vain. But the child’s cries only grew louder as another bang followed, louder this time, and splintering the wooden frame.
Lila’s pulse hammered in her ears as she stood her ground. But deep down, she knew the door wouldn’t hold.
Then, with a final, deafening crash, the door burst from its hinges. The Queen screamed.
Violet woke up with a startled gasp, sitting bolt upright. Her heart pounded against her ribs, and her clothes clung to her damp skin. She dragged in ragged breaths, trying to make sense of the vivid nightmare.
What the hell was that dream?
Violet ran a hand over her clammy face. It lingered like a shadow at the edges of her mind and Violet swore she could still feel the fear, the urgency, and the terrifying threat that had gripped hold of her.
Could the dream have something to do with her Fae origin, or was it just a product of her imagination?
She tried to recall the faces from the dream—the Queen, Lila, and the figure behind the door—but the images dissolved like smoke in her mind.
Violet fell back on her bed with an exhausted sigh, covering her face with the crook of her arm. There were so many things going on in her life right now and it was not surprising it would manifest in the form of a dream.
But before Violet could dwell on it further, a loud bang echoed against the door, making her freeze in place.
Déjà vu gripped Violet. Her pulse spiked as she sat up slowly, her breath caught in her throat. Surely... it couldn’t be.
Another loud thud rattled the door, making her roommates stir awake with confused, fearful expressions.
For a moment, Violet considered ignoring it but the banging persisted relentlessly.
She squared her shoulders and stepped toward the door. There would be no running. No fear.
Taking a breath, Violet swung the door open—
A crowd of elites stormed inside, the door slamming against the wall with a loud crack. The rush of bodies knocked Violet off balance, making her stumble back.
"Hello, bitches!"
Elsie stood at the center of the chaos, firing a confetti cannon with a manic smile as colorful ribbons rained down around her. Her eyes gleamed with pure, unadulterated malice.
Violet’s stomach sank.
Fuck. It had begun.
She should have known.
"Rule 101 of being a Rogue," Elsie announced with theatrical glee, "Rogues are outcasts and have no place in pack houses."
She turned to her circle of elite friends, eyes gleaming with twisted delight. "Seize them!"
"What? That’s preposterous!" Ivy protested, but her words barely left her mouth before two girls rushed forward, grabbing her arms in an iron grip.
"No! Don’t you dare touch me!" Violet snarled, twisting violently to break free. But a sharp yank from behind had her gasping as one girl fisted her hair tightly, jerking her head back. Two others seized her arms, locking her in place despite her struggle.
The same fate befell Daisy and Lila, their protests swallowed up by the chaos as Elsie’s lackeys closed in like vultures circling carrion.
"Quickly! Grab their things!" Elsie commanded, her voice rising above the scuffle. "Sweep the place clean! Let’s show these rogues their new quarters." She cackled with glee.
And just like that, her followers descended upon the room in a whirlwind of chaos. Wardrobes were wrenched open, hangers clattering to the floor as clothes were yanked out and thrown into boxes with careless speed. The sound of zippers being torn open and drawers scraping against wood mingled with the girls’ shouts of protest.
"No, don’t touch that—!" Daisy cried as one of the elites grabbed her framed family photo from the nightstand and tossed it carelessly into her bag. The glass clinked ominously against other items, and Daisy’s breath hitched at the thought of it shattering.
A loud crash echoed through the room, freezing Ivy in place. She turned just in time to see shards of glass scattered across the floor which were the remains of her highly prized limited-edition crystal glass shoe.
"No!" Ivy wailed, her legs giving out beneath her as she collapsed to her knees, only to be yanked back up by the girls restraining her.
"Elsie! Stop this madness right now!" Violet shouted, eyes blazing as she strained against her captors. "You could have asked us to pack up and leave. We would’ve done so without all this destruction!"
"Oh, of course you would," Elsie replied mockingly, stepping forward with intentional slow strides until she stood before Violet. Her lips curved into a cruel smirk. "But where would the fun be in that?"
Turning away, Elsie tossed her hair over her shoulder and called out with giddy enthusiasm, "Keep at it, girls! Don’t leave a single thing behind! We wouldn’t want rogue energy tainting the place for the next occupants, now would we?"
Violet’s hands balled into fists by her sides. But there was nothing she could do. Above all, she had a sinking feeling that this was just the beginning.