The woman on the dais is lovely, with deep brown skin framed by luscious wavy black hair. Her eyes are a shocking metallic gold that sparkles even when there is no light. She's wearing a black and silver ball gown that is much to fancy for this cavern. There is a glittering crescent moon mark at the corner of her eye. 

        My eyes are instantly drawn to the crown in her hands. I can't tell what it's made of, it doesn't look like any type of metal or other material that I have ever seen. I can't even really say what color it is. It seems to shift and change colors depending on how you look at it. At first I think there's a design carved into it, and then I realize that there are human faces in the surface of the crown, twisted and screaming in agony.

       "Nyx," Chance says, taking a step forward, eyes trained on the woman. 

         "Who?" I ask, pretty sure I haven't heard that name before.

"She's Nikolaius' wife," Chance explains. "The queen of this realm."

        Nyx inclines her head in acknowledgement. I frown. "If she's the queen, why isn't she back at the Bone Court?"

       "I left," Nyx says. Her voice is surprisingly husky, rough and raw in a way that compels me to listen to what she has to say.

       "When your mages trapped my husband in your world, I tried to rule on my own, but... I couldn't. I have never really been a leade, just support for Niki, always by his side whenever he needed me. But I never wanted to be queen. I married Nikolaius because I loved him, and he loved me. And besides, there was the matter of Antimony."

          Chance narrows his eyes. "What about Antimony?"

"He can't be controlled," Nyx says, her eyes pained. "He's a wildfire that cannot be contained. He burns villages to the ground just because he likes to watch the flames. He will not stop until he has destroyed everything in his path, just because he can. He stands for nothing but chaos."

           "But if we bring Nikolaius back," I take a step forward, "which is what we're trying to do, by the way, won't he be able to handle his brother?"

         "Not for long," Nyx warns. "Antimony will start working behind his back."

          "So what are we supposed to do about it?" I ask, looking to Chance. His brow is furrowed, and I can practically hear the gears turning in his head. 

        "Antimony can't be that bad," he says. "I mean, my best friend loves him, and I trust Tristan's judgement."

          Nyx smiles sadly. "That's just it," she explains. "He's not bad at all. It's just his nature. He doesn't understand what he's doing, and I don't think he can be made to."

       "So what you're saying is that Antimony needs to be taken out?" I demand, crossing my arms over my chest. "Look, Your Majesty, we came here to save my friend and seal the mirror portal. We didn't come here to assassinate a prince."

        "You don't need to kill him," Nyx tells us, meeting Chance's eyes. He nods tightly. "I understand."

        "Understand what?" I whirl to him. "Chance, what is she talking about."

       Chance squeezes his eyes shut and describes what his reflection showed up, Nico with dark eyes, no longer the person I know.

         I look from him to Nyx, my mind racing. "So that's the King's Bane?" I ask, pointing to the twisted crown. She nods. "Yes. It is made of the lost souls of humans, of their agony and emotion. Place it on the head of any member of the royal family, and they will become human themselves. It's a powerful magic, and can only be used once before the power fades."

       "So how does this work?" I approach the dais, glancing at Chance. "Do we just take it? Is there some sort of test we have to pass?"

          "Not at all," Nyx says with a kind smile. "You can take it. You are entirely human. If you were not, there would be a layer of spells you would have to fight off. But you are, so it is yours." 

          She holds out the crown to me, and I take it cautiously, looking to Chance again. He nods. 

         The King's Bane is surprisingly light in my hands. I hold it up to my face and study it, peering into each of the anguished faces in turn. Nyx sighs when I take it from her, like a heavy burden has been lifted off her shoulders.

       "Will you come with us?" Chance asks her. "Back to the Bone Court?"

       "No, I don't think so," she replies. "I've been down here for a long time. I think I want to take some time to just... become reacquainted with this world, travel a little. And then when I am ready, I will go back."

           She gives Chance and I another blinding smile. "You seem like truly good people," she says. "It was lovely to meet you."

And with that, she vanishes into thin air. Chance and I share a look. I shrug, and he nods. When did we get to this point, where we can communicate without speaking? It just feels.. natural. Suddenly I'm back in the moment before we were interrupted, when I kissed him, and I can't help but blush a little. 

       "We did it," he says quietly. "We got the King's Bane. We really did it."

        "We're not done yet," I remind him. "We still need to get it back to the Bone Court and use it."

       "Alright then," he says, reaching out and touching one of the crown's spikes. "Let's finish this."