Rowena’s eyes widened in fear. She shook her head repeatedly. "No... no, I can’t let that happen. I don’t want her to win. I don’t want to lose myself." Her breathing picked up again. "Please, if you have to help me stay in control."

Draven stood up. "This is beyond my control." He walked a few paces away from the bed, then turned back to face her.

"But you have powers." Rowena quickly stood up from the bed.

"Yes, but not as strong as you think. And if I help you seek help from anyone else, Zareth will kill me. If he ever finds out we have been spending time together, he will be furious. You know how he is." His expression looked troubled.

Rowena stepped towards him, her hands still clasped in front of her. "Zareth will understand. You would only be trying to help me stay in control. That is what he wants for me. I am sure of it."

Draven shook his head slowly. "You still trust him?" he said.

Rowena frowned. "Of course I do."

"You shouldn’t," he said.

Rowena’s brows furrowed. "What are you saying?"

Draven’s face was masked with concern. "You are still naive, my Queen. You trust him, but he is only pretending to care for you. In truth, he wants the Witch Queen’s spirit to take control. That is how he gets what he has always wanted."

"That’s not true," Rowena said immediately. "Zareth does care for me. He crowned me Queen. I have no reason to doubt him."

Draven stepped closer. He reached out and took her hands in his. His touch was gentle. "He crowned you Queen only because the Witch Queen requested it. Zareth does her bidding, not yours."

"That’s...not true." She stuttered.

"Listen to me, if the Witch Queen decided she wanted a different vessel, he would kill you without hesitation and take the spirit from your body."

Rowena jerked her hands free. She began to pace, her footstep quick and uneven on the stone floor. Her expression turned cold, and her jaw tightened.

"That’s not true," she said.

"I would never dare lie to you," Draven mumbled.

"Even if that is true, I would never let anyone take the spirit out of me. Not after everything I have been through." She seethed her teeth.

Draven watched her closely. A perfect opening. He moved toward her and guided her gently back to the bed. He sat beside her.

"Do not trust Zareth," He said in a low voice. "He only cares about what he gains. Only himself. Think about it. He promised to bring people to train you. Where are they? Why have they not arrived?"

Rowena looked at him. Her expression relaxed as she considered his words. "You may be right." She admitted.

"He is stalling," Draven said. "Waiting on the right moment that the Witch Queen would strike. And she did today." He paused, letting the weight of the statement settle. "Do not tell Zareth what happened today. Not yet."

He reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. His fingers lingered for a moment against her cheek. "Listen to me, my Queen. I’m not asking you to trust me. All I ask is that you believe what I’m telling you about Zareth."

Rowena looked up at him. Their faces were inches apart. "What does he want from the Witch Queen?" she asked.

Draven looked away. He let his shoulders slump, his expression shifting to one of fear. "I cannot speak of it, my Queen. Zareth is powerful. He has eyes and ears everywhere in the realm, in Drakwyne. Someone could be listening right now. And if he ever found out I revealed it to you, he would kill me."

He moved to stand, but her hand reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back down.

"I promise Zareth will never hurt you. I have not told him you approached me. So you also have to have faith in me."

"And do you plan to tell if he probes you?" Draven asked.

"No."

"Why?"

She hesitated.

"You are the only one I feel comfortable talking to. And I am starting to see you as a friend."

Draven lowered his gaze. "I am honored, my Queen. But I am only a subject. I do not deserve to be called your friend."

Rowena shook her head slightly. "I mean it," she said.

Draven let out a breath as if relieved. "I only came to you because I do not want to see you fall victim to Zareth’s evil plans. Like I did."

Rowena’s expression softened. "What did Zareth do to you?"

Draven hesitated. He shook his head slowly. "I was young and naive. I did not know better. I was offered a few coins for information. I thought it was really nothing...just information. Zareth’s men came, and they destroyed everything. The money I took was to betray my people." He looked down at his hands. "They killed everyone I had ever known. My family was slaughtered. The young boys were taken, and we were brought to Drakwyne and made to swear an oath to the Dark lord." His voice cracked. "That is how they work. They kill. They destroy. I still cannot forgive myself even after all these years."

Rowena felt a weight settle in her chest. She reached out and placed her hand on his clutched hands. "I am sorry for what you have been through. I do not yet know my full role in all of this. But I am not innocent either. I am as bad as Zareth."

"No. You are better."

Rowena shook her head in disagreement. "I have killed people. Innocent people. So I cannot promise that I will be any better than what you fear."

Draven looked at her again. "I totally understand what you are trying to say. I know the witch Queen’s spirit inside you is more powerful than you can imagine. But if we stay united, we can become something more than anything Zareth is offering." He reached out and touched her lips with his fingertips. The contact was brief.

He pulled his hand back quickly. "Forgive me, my Queen. That was inappropriate."

Rowena didn’t respond with words. Instead, she reached for him and kissed him.