Prologue
Queen Celene – Optimus Unit Prison, Cell Level C
I stared at the wall, trying, once more, to use my power.
Nothing. I’d been too long from the citadel, the bond grown too weak to use as I once had.
The last time I’d truly used my gift, it had saved my life. It had often felt like yesterday when I’d had to flee, but now… it felt like a lifetime ago.
I needed to return to the citadel. Reconnect. Become strong, as I was long ago. My daughters needed me. Alera needed their queen. First, I needed to escape.
The cleric b***h who’d threatened my daughters was gone. Had been for days. I had no idea if she were dead or alive. I’d been well-treated since then, strangely so considering the misery when I’d first been taken. Not that it mattered. I had to get out of here. Time was ticki
