“We still need to keep our distance, until the curse over you is broken, but right now…” I closed my eyes for a moment, finding comfort in the blackness. “You’re the only one I can trust.” Since Morgana was locked away and not herself, it was true.
“My spies reported the men are being kept in the dungeons, and the lords and Vahaga are pushing for a swift execution.”
“I’m sure it’s one of them. They hate me enough and have the resources to have found out.”
“There’s a reason they haven’t taken you to trial and instead tried to have you assassinated,” he said, slowing his pace to meet mine. “They don’t have enough evidence. Such accusations could be considered treason without it. It’s why they want the men hung fast. Under torture, the names of those who aided them may slip.”
My adrenaline-fueled state had withered, bringing with it nausea and tiredness. I pushed on, walking Blaise through the orchard I frequented as a child. Apples hung from low branches. Many rotted on the blossom-coated ground where they’d fallen, and worms had left little holes. “I need to destroy the root of it all.” I thought back to André’s words. “Blaise, my brother told me to kill Vahaga not long ago.”
His eyebrows furrowed, scrunching his nose. “Your dead brother told you to kill the high priest?”
“I know how insane it sounds, but I saw him in his spirit form, in the veil. He was my spirit guide. He told me to kill Vahaga and to destroy something, then he was dragged into darkness.”
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“Honestly, so much has happened that things have slipped my mind. Can you blame me?”
“Is there anything else I should know?”
I shook my head. “No.” My stomach knotted when I looked at his hardened expression. “Don’t do anything rash.”
“We can go back to the castle tomorrow.”
“Adius wouldn’t let me leave, even under my command.”
“Smart man.”
I clenched my jaw. “I should be there. I’ll look like a coward.”
“You won’t, but we don’t know if there are any more men who went unnoticed. Give them a day, love.”
“I need to help Morgana too, and I don’t have the potion to keep him at bay.”
We emerged around the front of the manor house. “I brought some of the books, the oldest ones.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “At least I can do something while locked away here.”
“Some prison.” He smirked, looking over the rolling hills, wildflower-pickled grounds, and tall, thirteen-bedroom manor. “I brought the potion too.”
My stomach swirled. “When will you be leaving?”
He chuckled. “I’m not letting you out of my sight until this is over.” He pulled me closer, his fingers entwining with mine. The dim glow of orange slunk into indigo, the sunset over Magaelor. His gray eyes looked almost silver under the light. “Or ever.”
“Blaise, we can’t.” The feel of his fingers against mine sent prickles along my skin.
“I’m not going to stop loving you. It doesn’t matter if we’re this close or I’m an ocean away. Pushing me away will do nothing, apart from torture me further. If you don’t want to be with me because you don’t love me, then tell me. I’ll go. If you are trying to stop my pain, however, then relent, Winter. I’ve admitted how I feel. I’m all in. There’s no going back for me.”
“Why do you love me?”
“I just do. I can’t put it into words. No one has ever touched me like you have.” His gaze darkened. Flickers of touch ran between us as he pressed himself against me. Sweeping his hand through my curls, he smiled. “God, Winter, tell me you want this.”
I held my breath as he leaned down. He brushed his lips against my forehead in an unexpected move, kissing me softly. He rested his forehead against mine, and for that moment, I felt… dared I say it? Happy.
***
Blaise was spread out, wearing only his briefs. I pulled myself from his embrace, and he grumbled as he moved, but he didn’t wake.
Evil grasped at the manor, shadows of fingers grappling through the moonlit windows. Branches swayed as winds howled, pulling wisps of moss and leaves through them. My heart raced as I walked barefoot on the wood floor. Falling out into the dark hallway, I ran toward the front door. A guard was stationed there, watching, his staff in hand. A barrier spell had been placed around the building. I had to be safe, but something eerie coursed through the air. I stepped away from the door slowly, not to make any noise.
I jolted when the scream erupted and wailed through the night, screeching through my bones like a fork dragging against fine china.
“Morgana.” I gasped, her face floating into my mind. Her hollow eyes and sallow skin sent a shiver down my spine. I could see her as if I were standing in the dungeon with her. I blinked twice, and she was gone.
She’d said I had the gift of foresight years back, but I hadn’t believed her. The vision was far too vivid for me to dismiss. I pinched myself to make sure I was indeed awake, then pressed my lips together. Was she in trouble? Was that why I could sense her?
He sounded in my head. Let me in.
I shuddered. I knew that voice. “Go away.”
The potion drowned his next words. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to go back upstairs, to the bed where I could cuddle in Blaise’s arms and forget everything bad that was happening, but fear rooted me to the spot. The grand staircase I’d run down looked sinister under the shadows and slices of moonlight.
I veered left, carrying the heaviness that pushed down on my shoulders all the way to the library. Blaise and I had read through one of the books but found nothing before heading to bed, but there were three more. My eyes burned as I creaked the heavy door open. Shelves lined three of the four walls, with books of red spines and brown, then eventually blue. I paused by a shelf, running my fingers along the bridges between books. Gold titles stamped the spines. The smell of parchment and old books filled the room, and I smiled. The fire hadn’t burned out completely. Embers glistened red among the blackened logs and crumbling ash. I grabbed the poker, prodded the dying heat, and added some newspapers and a couple of new logs.
I grabbed two books, then sprawled myself over the ornate blue rug in front of the fireplace and carved-wood mantel. My eyes blurred from fatigue, but I forced myself to focus. I was all Morgana had to help her. A trickle ran through our bond, one forged with foresight or time. I wasn’t sure which. The fire hissed, crackling as it slowly came back to life.
I turned the pages of the ancient, leather-bound book, feeling the hours slip into each other, bringing a deeper blackness of night. I skimmed the words under the dim yellow of the oil lamps.
I found a line and connected it with two others I had read several chapters ago: Little is known about Evangeline, the firstborn of King Dorian, except for her death. Her body was found with the king’s in his study.
Sweeping the pages back, I found the line: The firstborn daughter of Princess Zalia of Berovia, Loretta, was found dead from a failed ritual of twelve sacrifices.
Then another similar: Several sons had been born before the beautiful Princess Tatiana was born to King Viktor of Berovia. His beloved firstborn daughter was murdered. It appeared she was a part of a ritual involving as many as twelve dead.
“They were all firstborn girls,” I said aloud, my breath fogging the cold air. They were all found dead in rituals, except for Evangeline, but she had killed her father, according to Blaise. She had defeated the necromancer. Blaise had said so.
Pain pinched through me, making me cry out. I gripped my nails into my legs, squeezing my eyes shut as a sharpness cracked through my forehead. Breathing through it, I rubbed my temples. I pinched the area between my index finger and thumb, a tip Morgana had taught me in some new-age medicinal technique. It helped, and the pain subsided enough to focus.
It was the necromancer. I could sense him trying to fight through the potion that forced a di
sconnect between us. I smiled. I’d come close. He didn’t like it.
He wanted power. Both the princesses after Evangeline had died during rituals with twelve dying. It couldn’t have been a coincidence. Both were princesses of Berovia, like Evangeline. I wracked my brain on their family tree, trying to recall if there were any more daughters, but I couldn’t think straight. I did know who the most recent one was though.
King Viktor was Xenos’s father, Kiros’s grandfather. Viktor was long dead, but Kiros and Neoma survived. Even if she was Kiros’s half-sister, as he had insistently pointed out more than once, due to their clash in beliefs and dislike for one another, she was still Xenos’s daughter.
Did that mean she was in danger of sharing the fate of the princesses before her?
I kept reading until early morning had birds tweeting. The sky lightened enough to see the pastel blue. I set the book down and hurried back to bed to get a few more hours of sleep before I’d be forced to awaken.
It had been worth the lack of rest. I knew something. I didn’t know how important it was, but I was willing to bet that Kiros’s sister had something to do with the necromancer. It was a start.
TWENTY-TWO
Lingering smoke from the fires was complemented by the scent of fresh bread wafting upstairs. Blaise stretched out, his body pressing against mine from behind. He moaned, running his hand around my stomach. I couldn’t help but smile. Turning, I twisted in the sheets to face him. “Morning.”
“I could get used to waking up like this.” He grinned, leaning in for a kiss. His lips pressed against mine. It was gentle, soft, unlike the ones last night.
“I did some thinking last night. I couldn’t sleep.”
He twirled a lock of my hair around his finger, gazing down at me. “Yes?”
“So much has happened, and I’ve not let myself have anything for me. I could have died yesterday. I could die tomorrow. Nothing’s promised.”
His expression darkened. “I’ll kill anyone before they get to you. You don’t need to be afraid.”
I pressed my lips together, smiling like a fool. “I’m not. I only wanted to say life is too short to leave things unsaid.”
His gaze softened. Vulnerability flashed in them, and my stomach dipped. I parted my lips, feeling the words I’d never said out loud form a lump in my throat. “I love you, Blaise.”
He closed his eyes and pulled me tighter. I buried my head between the blanket and his chest. His lips pressed against my collar bone, his fingers dancing through my hair. He held me as if I might disappear at any moment.
We crumpled into each other. It felt like hundreds of butterflies swarmed inside of me, dizzying me. I didn’t care about anything else at that point, nothing but him—us.
It was only when someone knocked on the door did we emerge back to reality. He growled under his breath. “We’re busy.”
“No, we’re not,” I whispered, then got out of bed. “It could be Adius.”
I rushed toward the door, covering myself, and swung it open. A guard I half recognized greeted me with a bow.
“Your Majesty, we have been called to escort you back to the castle.”
“Thank you. I’ll come down when I’m ready.”
The door clicked shut, and I looked at Blaise. “Get up and get ready. We’re going back.”
He sported a lazy grin. “We could just stay here for a little longer. The mayhem will still be there in a few hours.”
“We could.” I pulled my dress on but saw him wince from the corner of my eye when he thought I wasn’t looking. “You’re still in pain.”
“It’s worth it.”
My shoulders slumped. “Blaise.”
“I can manage it, love. Besides, my men retrieved the Amulet of Viribus. I was told they’re already on their way back with it.”
“Cedric has arrived in Berovia then?”
He nodded. I wondered if he’d seen my letter yet.
“He’s gone to the solis court.”
I blinked twice. “What?”
“He has gone there many times before.”
I bit my lip. “He broke me out of that castle. Kiros hates him. Why would he go there?”
He shrugged. “To make peace. Probably at the request of his parents.”
“You still have spies there?”
“Why, love?”
“It’s not just Cedric I need to keep an eye on.” I paused. “It’s the princess. Neoma.”
He arched an eyebrow. “You’re not telling me something.”
“Last night I continued reading.”
He sighed with exasperation. “Of course you did. I was a fool to think you’d want to get some rest for once.”
I gave him a look. “The firstborn daughters after Evangeline were found dead in rituals where twelve people died. Coincidence?”
He sat upright. “What book is it in?”
“I bookmarked the pages for you to read. Blaise, don’t you see? We have a lead.” I felt a little lighter, even without my morning dose of the potion. I had found a thread connecting the necromancer, and if I tugged on it enough, I could unweave everything about him. Help Morgana. Help myself.
“I’ll look into rituals needing twelve sacrifices when we return.” He devoured books like I did, a hobby I appreciated us sharing.
“I’ll find my mother. She didn’t get caught going into the sacred part of the forest, and she might have been able to contact André. I need to know what she knows. If it has something to do with Vahaga…”
“We will figure all of this out, love. I promise.”
I nodded slowly. “I’m glad you got the Amulet. I don’t agree with how you got it, but at least this stupid curse on the Objects of Kai will be over.” I didn’t tell him the rest of my plan. Once the mer king broke the curses, I planned on running him through with the Dagger of Ruin, for dragging down my ship, the Marina, and killing my men.
***
The castle was in disarray. Banners had been pulled from the walls and lay crumpled against the floor. People bustled around the freshly erected gallows outside the front of Ash Court. “What are they doing?” I growled. “Not out here.”
Adius looked at me apologetically. “The lords requested the men who attacked you be publicly executed at court as a show of force.”
He walked me inside. People looked, bowed, or curtseyed, then quickly averted their gaze. I was sure between the attack on my life and rumors of my relationship with Blaise, I was the talk of the nobles.
I clicked my tongue. We walked around the corner, staying in silence until we reached my office. He closed the doors behind us, and I walked to the window to stare out. “Do you think you can get me into the dungeons without being seen?” It was a long shot, but I needed to know who was behind the attack, and if they hated me so much, perhaps they would be so angry they’d spill their secrets to hurt me. “Or one of the prisoners brought to me in private?”
“They tried to kill you.”
“Which is why you would be there, and they will be in shackles.” Worry pinched my features. “It’s important.”
He relented. “I’ll bring you down to one of the cells.”
I swallowed thickly. “Thank you.”
“To see only one of them. I can’t take any more risks than that. I will have three of my most trusted men come with us, just in case.”
I didn’t want anyone else there but sighed at his hardened stare. He wasn’t going to budge on it and was already meeting me in the middle. “Come to my chambers once I’m settled. I need to talk to my mother first. We can go after.”
“Would you be willing to divulge why we must go undercover?”
“I’m going to need you to trust me on this one.”
“As long as I can keep you safe, that’s all I care about. Also…” He paused, fumbling his fingers, his eyes wide. “I know this is a bad time to ask, but there hasn’t seemed to be a right time.”
I leaned forward. “What is it?”
; “I was hoping to get your permission to marry Florence.”
I breathed relief. “Absolutely.”
His shoulders rolled back. “Thank you for your blessing, Your Majesty.”
“Now, if you would please find my mother and ask her to come meet me here.”
“If anyone else wants an audience with you, should I tell them you’re indisposed?”
“Thank you. Yes.”
My mother looked different when she took her seat across from me. A desk filled with stacks of papers sat between us. She placed her hands on the table, her fingers clasped and her knuckles a pasty white. Her hooded eyes had a radiance to them I hadn’t seen since before André’s death. There was determination in her tone when she addressed me. “Your brother came to me.”
I blew out a shaky exhale. “Thank the ancestors he’s okay.”
“Thank no one,” she spat, her expression twisting in disgust.
“What?”
She cast her eyes downward, then flicked them back to meet mine. “You were right about Vahaga. He’s behind the treachery.”
A shiver snaked down my spine. Was Cedric right about the spirit realm after all?
“Your brother.” Her eyes teared as she averted her stare to the window. She had always been uncomfortable with emotion. “He came to me at risk to his soul. There are no spirit guides, daughter. It’s a lie we’ve been fed to keep us believing in Vahaga and the high priests before him. They’re trapping souls there, lunas who have died. There is a spell cast over Magaelor. Any who die here, we go to a place created by our elders.”
I couldn’t help it. Tears welled in my eyes. Even with the clues here and there, hearing that the religion I’d defended and found solace in was a lie broke my heart. My mouth dried as I tried to find the words, but she continued, one heart-wrenching truth pulling into the next.
“The elders, the ancestors who created the spirit realms, remain immortal, along with the kings, priests, and priestesses. They continue keeping the façade, walking the realms as immortal. They wanted to live forever and found a way, in another realm, while the other souls are not at peace, drained of their energy we use for our magic. We are torturing them every time we use magic.”
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