Chapter 57: Jealousy

Alice’s Point of view


I don't get it. What is she doing here?
The guards take her to the dungeon for questioning and Elliot and I stay with Ben to make sure no one else tries to kill him.
I pace around, racking my brain to figure out how such a sweet, innocent girl could be so intent on murdering the Prince. And me.
Elliot grabs me by the shoulders and takes my face in his hands, drawing circles with his thumbs on my cheeks.
"Hey. It's all right."
I giggle. "No, it's not all right! It's Rose! The most adorable little girl in the world!"
"You may not know her as well as you think." He tells me softly.
I shake my head, pushing him away. "No. I don't believe it. Something must have happened."
I hurriedly leave the room, heading for the dungeons, followed closely by Elliot.
Being the King's Generals has advantages because nobody asks us anything and we have access to absolutely everything.
The chief guard is already interrogating Rose in an interrogation room.
"I'm surprised. I expected him to take her to a room to, uh, make her talk." Elliot whispers.
I nod. I too expected him to torture her, not necessarily for answers but at least to punish her.
We move to the next room, watching them behind the tinted glass.
The chief guard promises her things, threatens her, yells at her, but nothing happens. Rose remains impassive as if she was absent and her body was empty.
It's only at the mention of my name that I see a gleam of hatred in her eyes, which disappears as fast.
"Did you see that?" Elliot asks.
I nod. "I know what to do."
He sighs. "So do I, but I don't like it."
I quickly kiss him on the cheek and walk out. I take a deep breath in the hallway and enter the room with an authoritative air. Step number one: figure out why she hates me.
"Thanks, I'll take it from here." I say in a cold tone.
The chief guard looks at me, surprised, and I give him a cold, contemptuous look.
"You think maybe you don't have to obey the King's General?"
I see him pursing his lips and walking out with his head down. I feel guilty for talking to him like that, but I know Elliot will explain everything to him.
I stand in my role and sit in the chair, holding myself upright.
"So. You tried to kill me." 
It's not a question but a statement and I wait desperately for her to tell me that it's not true and that it's all a misunderstanding.
But the little angel in front of me doesn't say anything, just gives me a satisfied smile that feels like a dagger in my heart.
I decided to push her to the limit. "I said tried. You should have driven faster, but then again, for a child like you, I guess being allowed to drive is already exceptional."
I saw her grit her teeth when I compared her to a child and internally smile. That's her weakness.
"Besides, you just took advantage of the situation: good place at the good time. What I don't understand is why. It seemed to me that I was being nice to you, a simple Omega. I guess you don't know what an honor it was for me to talk to you." I say in a contemptuous tone. 
And then she snaps.
"Because you think you're better than me?" She screams hysterically as she stands up and hits the table with her hands.
Her sudden behavior change surprises me, but I remain calm, sitting quietly.
"I don't think it. We both know I am. I'm more powerful, richer, smarter, more beautiful, more ..."
She cuts me off. "Bullshit! He should be with me!"
He?
Suddenly I understand why she is mad at me. I continue to play my role.
"What? Did you really think your mate would want you when he can have me?" I snicker. "My poor girl, you are so naive. Of course, he'd rather be with me. You weren't even able to kill me!"
She throws her head back and laughs like crazy. "Oh, Alice. I'm not as stupid as you think. The first time you escaped death because I ran you over in a hurry, unprepared and afraid to be seen. The second time I was much better prepared. But you were lucky. Very lucky, unlike someone else." She says with a wicked smile.
I gasp, the pieces of a puzzle had just fit together.
"The poison at the ball. It was you."
She nods, a Machiavellian smile on her lips.
"In the library, while everyone was looking for the sound of glass, I poured Black Delphinium into your champagne glass and pretended to search with you. But I got the wrong glass, a 50/50 chance I guess. I should have poisoned both of them."
"It wouldn't have done any good, neither one was mine."
She raises her eyebrows. "I knew it. I should have poisoned your dish, it was safer."
"Why did you use two different poisons?"
She raises her eyebrows and blinks, obviously surprised.
"I didn't know that. The witch didn't tell me anything about it."
So, she knows a witch who grows magic plants. We must know more, but there are more pressing questions. 
"I understand that you're mad enough with jealousy to try to kill me. Twice. But what does this have to do with Prince Benjamin?"
She suddenly shuts down and sits back down, crossing her arms.
* "She's doing this for him."* Elliot mind-links me. *"He rejected her but she can't stand it and is trying to earn her place. What better way than by achieving something he can't?"*
I change tactics and slowly stand up, looking from right to left. I pretend to check that there is no one behind the tinted glass and come back to sit facing her.
I lean over the table and whisper as low as I can.
"Is it a favor? Because you see, he asked me to be his mate and I was looking for something to please him. And unlike you, I won't miss it. I will kill the Prince."