Chapter 518
Candy slammed the door of her chamber so hard the hinges rattled. She pressed her back against the wood, her chest heaving. Her fists were balled tight, her nails cutting crescents into her palms.
That woman. That cursed, unchanging woman.
For a brief second on that balcony, when Cherry’s mouth was on hers and her laughter spilled against her neck, Candy had foolishly allowed herself to believe, just for one heartbeat, that Cherry had chosen her.
That maybe the exile years and the crown obsession had dulled her hunger. That maybe she wanted a home, a partner, a chance at something other than endless schemes.
But Cherry hadn’t changed.
No. She never would.
Candy stormed across the room, knocking over a vase on the low table.
It shattered, scattering water and petals across the carpet, but she didn’t care. She wanted the destruction. She wanted something to break as easily as her heart had.
Cherry had dismissed her, sneered at the idea of walking away. The crown mattered more than Candy’s love, more than their shared memories, more than the years Candy had been foolish enough to carry a torch for her.
And now Cherry wanted Amara.
The thought made Candy’s stomach turn. Amara, young, ambitious, beautiful. Fresh blood. A pawn Cherry would move across the board until she was either broken or discarded.
Candy had once been that pawn. She had once been the “darling” that Cherry had used and abandoned for her greater goals.
Not again.
Candy paced back and forth, her anger rising. A dangerous thought slid into her mind like a dagger unsheathed. What if I go to the Queen?
Rose. Regal, merciless Rose. Cherry’s sister.
The idea sent a sharp thrill through her veins. What punishment would Rose deliver if she knew her treacherous sibling was plotting? What chains would she bind Cherry with? What exquisite suffering would she create for the woman who had mocked Candy’s devotion?
It would be justice, Candy told herself. It would be deserved.
But deep beneath her anger, regret twisted. Part of her still loved Cherry, perhaps always would. And that love felt like a noose tightening around her neck.
She pressed her hands to her face and sank into the chair by the window. The moonlight spilled across her, painting her skin pale and cold. Her heart warred with her pride.
If Cherry thought she could play with Candy’s heart and win, she was mistaken.
A decision hardened within her. She would not sit idle. She would not let Cherry consume Amara the way she had consumed her.
And so, Candy sent for Amara.
Amara entered with the silent grace of a predator who knew she was watched. Her eyes, wide and deceptively innocent, flickered with curiosity as she stepped into the chamber.
“You called for me again?” Amara asked, tilting her head ever so slightly.
“Yes,” Candy said quickly, almost sharply. “Sit.”
Amara obeyed, though her lips twitched as if she half-expected another confession of love for Cherry.
But Candy’s tone was colder now, sharper. “I have a new plan. Cherry is not to be trusted. She is a betrayer. And if you tie yourself to her, she will use you and discard you when you no longer serve her.”
Amara blinked, though a faint smile ghosted over her lips. “You speak of betrayal, and yet you speak of betraying her yourself. Why?”
Candy inhaled sharply. The girl was clever, too clever sometimes.
“Because this is personal,” Candy admitted, her voice trembling with equal parts rage and wounded pride. “Cherry played with my heart. She promised nothing, gave me nothing, and yet she consumed me all the same. And you she jabbed a finger toward Amara, “you are next. She will feed on your ambition, your beauty, your cleverness, and then she will cast you aside as she has done to so many before.”
Amara’s eyes glittered with intrigue. “So what do you suggest?”
Candy leaned forward, lowering her voice. “We betray her before she betrays us. We go to Queen Rose. If you do this with me, you will never owe Cherry loyalty. You will never be her pawn.”
Amara studied her in silence, her expression unreadable. She seemed to savor the weight of Candy’s words, rolling them on her tongue before answering.
“And what would you gain by betraying your… lover?” Amara asked softly, her tone almost mocking.
Candy flinched. “Do not call her that,” she snapped. “She is no lover of mine. Not anymore. This is justice. And I would gain the satisfaction of watching her fall. Of knowing she could not twist me anymore.”
For the first time, Amara allowed herself a small, amused smirk. She leaned back, folding her hands in her lap.
“Very well,” she said. “Perhaps you are right. Perhaps Cherry’s hunger will never end. And perhaps aligning with you would be wiser than tying myself to her.”
Relief swept through Candy like cool water. She reached out, grasping Amara’s hand tightly. “Good. Then we move tonight. I will send one of my guards ahead to Queen Rose. He will deliver word of Cherry’s plotting. When the Queen knows, Cherry will be finished.”
Amara nodded slowly, though her eyes remained sharp, calculating.
That night, after the plans were whispered and the guard dispatched, Amara slipped quietly away from Candy’s chambers.
Her steps, however, did not lead her back to her quarters. They led instead to the shadowed garden balcony where Cherry often lingered.
Cherry was there, leaning against the stone rail, her eyes glinting like sharpened steel in the moonlight. She turned as Amara approached, her smile slow and knowing.
“Well?” Cherry asked softly. “How can I help you?”
Amara inclined her head, her dark hair falling like a curtain around her face. “She told me everything. She wants to betray you. She wants to send word to the Queen. She said it was personal, that you would use me if I stayed by your side.”
Cherry’s lips curved into a grim smile. She did not flinch at the betrayal; she seemed almost pleased by it. “Thank you,” she murmured, her tone low and deliberate. “I will handle it.”
She stepped closer, her eyes burning into Amara’s with a strange, dangerous warmth. “You chose the right side tonight.”
Amara said nothing, only bowed her head. But inside, her mind raced. She had betrayed Candy before she had even finished her plan.
And Cherry… Cherry rewarded betrayal with approval.
That alone told Amara everything she needed to know.