by Eva Brandt
“Queen Sarai looked unwell.”
“Will Prince Darius even live long enough to go through with the trial?”
“Countess Christensen might be right about this. That Hastings woman is bad news.”
“I wonder if Inquisitor Lindberg will return to his previous work as a guardian now that Prince Darius is gone.”
I didn’t know how I managed to safely leave the foyer. My head had already started to spin, the onslaught of projected thoughts too much for me to endure. I stumbled into the Palasion parking lot on automatic pilot, making a beeline for my car. I was about halfway there when another car passed me by. The incoherent thoughts of its occupants screeched through my head, wild, horrendously loud, and chaotic.
“I can’t believe they’re just going to kill Malachai.”
“Some days, I don’t think being a guardian is worth it. Declan served The Pure Kingdom of Alaria for decades, and they just abandoned him to Vandale.”
“Why are we even putting our faith in these people? They’re going to let their own prince die. If we make one misstep, they’ll kill us too.”
The people in the car were guardians and apparently furious about what was going on. It was nice to know that Malachai and Declan had some support, but it would have been nicer if they hadn’t bombarded me with their anger.
Clutching my forehead, I took refuge behind a parked car and dropped to my knees. I covered my face, desperate to drown the voices threatening to take over my mind. They faded on their own, but by then, I felt even sicker than before.
When my world stopped spinning, I pressed my overheated skin to the cool metal of the car door and cursed. I should have known better than to push myself so much when I’d brainwashed Cardinal Vaughn and his cronies.
I had been feeding exclusively on Alarian-provided serum for decades. I’d adjusted to it better than Malachai, and throughout that time, my skills hadn’t been in any way crippled or hindered. Even so, I had still grown unaccustomed to absorbing abilities and emotions. Between that, the almost overwhelming intensity of Lucienne’s mind magic, and the curse, I might just be in trouble. Incubi excelled at many things, but control was not one of them.
Well, whatever. I’d already made my choice and I didn’t regret it. This changed nothing. I’d just have to be more careful when using such skills in the future. Once the effect of Lucienne’s power wore off, I would be fine. It would undoubtedly be necessary to reinforce the command on the cardinal, but I could do that with my regular skills, or I could resort to Malachai once I released him.
I got up on shaky legs and stumbled to my still waiting vehicle. By some kind of miracle, I made it there without further incident. As I slid into the car, the prospect of venturing out into the city made me hesitate. If my mind had taken such a bad blow from the handful of people here at the Palasion, I couldn’t possibly face the thoughts of the population of a human megalopolis.
A surge of power suddenly erupted over me, and I gasped as strange, indistinct images flashed through my mind. I could see Prince Darius, standing on a white beach. Was that... Was that Mathias Vandale with him? What? Why?
I first thought the images might be a memory from the time Malachai and I had traveled into Vandale’s mind to save Darius and Lucienne, but then, I caught sight of all the things that were different about the place in my vision. Beyond the beach, I could see the Palasion and in front of it, the transparent figures of Darius’s parents, his subordinates, everyone he’d ever known. Lucienne and I were there too, and for unknown reasons, we were kissing.
Before I could figure out what was going on, the image vanished, and I found myself back in my car, slumped against the steering wheel. My head felt clear, the magic-induced migraine having completely disappeared.
For a few seconds, I just stared out at nothing in complete disbelief. There were several explanations I could find to the occurrence, but none of them were particularly encouraging. I could have imagined the whole thing, but if that had been the case, the episode wouldn’t have helped me recover. It was more likely that some kind of connection had formed between me and Darius due to me repeatedly absorbing his emotions and then going after him in his mindscape. The problem with that theory was Vandale’s presence. If what I’d seen was indeed a glimpse into Darius’s consciousness, why was the plague there?
A shiver coursed down my spine, and I had the urge to go back to Darius’s room and check up on his condition. Something held me back.
It was stupid, but that flash of me with Lucienne... I’d gotten the feeling that Darius wasn’t happy with the thought of me having a sexual encounter with his soulmate. I had no idea how he could have even found out about it considering that it had happened less than an hour ago, but whatever the reason, he clearly didn’t want me close to her.
Frustrated, I stabbed my key in the ignition and started the car. The healers had all my details and would contact me if something went wrong with Darius. In the meantime, I needed to fulfill my promise to Lucienne and hopefully find some sort of lead on Declan and the Garniers.
It was easier said than done. My brief mental foray into Darius’s mindscape--or wherever I had been--had healed me of my sudden affliction, but that didn’t give me any clear, miraculous solutions. As expected, when I reached the former residence of the Garniers, I found nothing but an empty house.
Distant flickers of magic lingered around the property, the only sign that an Accursed family had ever lived here. The gates were closed, but no electronic alarm system existed, so it was not difficult for me to sneak inside.
Inquisitors had already been here after the battle with Vandale. I hadn’t been included in that particular mission because I’d still been out cold after Malachai had fed on me. They had left some tracking enchantments behind, all of which I easily avoided.
In every other way, the house was untouched. Massive and opulent, it nevertheless gave off a vibe of ‘home’ that I’d never experienced at the Palasion. The living room on the first floor was almost as lavish as King Sterling’s receiving chambers, and yet, an indescribable feeling of warmth and openness still permeated the air. Sunlight filtered through the cream curtains, reflecting off the smooth surfaces of the mirrors and tables. The resulting display, while almost blinding, didn’t take me aback. Instead, it felt inviting.
I walked into the room and took a better look around, wondering if I could find some clues here about the true plans of the twice-blessed family. At first, I was unsuccessful. Despite its beauty, the furniture held no signs of magic, not even a tiny rune that would help preserve its pristine condition. Everything was as mundane as it could possibly be.
I’d just made the decision to leave the room and start exploring the rest of the mansion when I caught sight of something I hadn’t originally noticed. A silver-engraved picture frame lay on the mantelpiece, face down. I picked it up, and my heart skipped a beat when I took in the contents of the image.
The photo must have been taken by the matriarch of the family, because it depicted the Garnier siblings together, clustered around a small table with a birthday cake on it. The room they were in was nowhere near as luxurious as the mansion, but that wasn’t what surprised me.
Lucienne was right there with them, leaning against a blonde young woman who was playfully sticking her tongue out at the camera. She could only be Diane, Lucienne’s best friend. Pierce Garnier was behind them, grinning from ear to ear as he hugged them both. From an objective point of view, I would have called the photo a charming, but not particularly special, candid shot. But I wasn’t objective, and I was hypnotized by the fact that my soulmate was laughing.
The photo had captured her carefree expression so perfectly that it felt like I could reach into the image and touch her. It was only an illusion, though, and something I would never have. I’d never seen Lucienne look so happy and serene. I never would. That feeling—the pure joy she’d experienced with the Garniers—had now vanished forever. In the life of an Accursed, there w
as no room for laughter, silly, simple moments, and birthday celebrations. Lucienne would never have this again.
The thought sent a sharp pang of pain through my chest, but I quickly pushed the emotion aside. Whatever reasons they might have had for their actions, the Garniers had made Lucienne happy. Lucienne was obviously not ready to let go of that, of the moments they had given her. I could not blame her for it, but I could try to help her find some answers.
I brushed my fingers over the beautiful image of my laughing soulmate. “Oh, Lucienne. I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll keep looking. I won’t give up on them.”
I didn’t know why I made that vow. It wasn’t like Lucienne could hear it, or anything like that. Either way, I’d made the right choice--or maybe I was just lucky--because the words had an unexpected side-effect. The picture frame clicked open, and an envelope slid from behind the photo, into my palm.
I was so surprised that I almost dropped both the piece of paper and the picture frame. Much like every other item in the room, the photo hadn’t seemed to hold any magic. Apparently, I should have looked a little closer. The picture itself might have been as mundane as it could be, but the secret it hid was an entirely different matter.
Setting the frame back on the mantelpiece, I carefully swept my palm over every inch of the envelope. It buzzed with a magic so intense it almost felt alive. The enchantment poked and prodded at me, testing me, seeking answers to a question I couldn’t hear.
Whatever it found must have satisfied it, because the envelope lit up and vibrated in my hand. Two simple words appeared on the back, written in a cursive fluid script. For Lucienne.
The envelope slid open on its own, inviting me to reach inside. I hesitated since it was not my place to read my soulmate’s correspondence. But on the other hand, this could be important information that might help me in my quest to find the Garniers.
Making a mental note to apologize to Lucienne later, I pulled out the missive and started to read.
“Dearest Lucienne,
If you’re reading this, we’re probably dead.”
Oh, shit.
* * *
Lucienne
Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.
The sound of the ticking clock echoed against the ornate walls of the guest room, at an excruciatingly slow pace that reminded me of Chinese water torture. I paced to and fro, chewing on my fingernails and wishing for the first time in my life that I could channel Adam Sandler and find a miraculous remote with the ability to fast-forward through time.
It had only been sixteen minutes and twenty-two seconds—twenty-three now, ha!—since Bjorn had left, but I was already on the edge. I wanted to know if Bjorn’s plan had worked, if he and Malachai had truly managed to mind control Cardinal Vaughn. The more I thought about it, the more unlikely it seemed. Cardinal Vaughn was powerful, far more powerful than I could ever hope to be. What if he defeated Bjorn and Malachai? My two soulmates could have already been captured, maybe even killed. If that was the case, I might not find out about it until it was too late.
The thought filled me with such panic that within seconds, I was halfway to the door. If I left now, I could still track them down. I could still make it to the cell block and then...
And then what? What could I possibly do that Bjorn couldn’t? The whole reason why we’d gone through with the power transfer was because I couldn’t control my mind magic enough to make this plan work. Other than that, I had no remarkable skills. I doubted my incredible knowledge of human cinematography would impress anyone. If I went there now, I would just get in the way and put Bjorn and Malachai in danger.
Gritting my teeth, I crawled back into the bed and curled into a ball. I tried to visualize the relaxed mental space that the voice had once spoken of during my first and only lesson in using astral projection. It didn’t work. As soon as I closed my eyes, the flashes returned. All of a sudden, I could taste blood and ash in my mouth. I couldn’t move, and distant screams bombarded my consciousness with an avalanche of incomprehensible despair.
I could only feel it for a moment, and then, my hold on my magic faltered, and I was unceremoniously shoved back into my body. I buried my face in the soft pillows, shaking, tears flowing down my cheeks. “Why did this have to happen? This is so unfair. I hate it so much.”
It was stupid to complain about things being unfair. I knew very well that whining wouldn’t make a difference, and I needed to get off my ass and do something about it. Nothing about life was ever fair, and this was no different.
Except it was, and I felt trapped, trapped in my own head, in this room, in this palace full of people who did not and could not care. “Come on, Bjorn,” I whispered, clinging to my last hope. “Please. Make this work.”
As if triggered by my desperate plea, a knock sounded at the door, startling me from my bout of self-pity. It was so unexpected and sudden that for a few seconds, I didn’t know how to react. “Y-Yes?” I called out, hating the tremor in my voice, but unable to fully suppress my dread.
“Miss Hastings, this is Enforcer Serena Ayers. If you are available, I have a message for you from Cardinal Vaughn.”
My heart started to race and I stumbled out of the bed so quickly I almost tripped on the carpet. A message from the cardinal. That could mean a lot of things. The first option—and the one that filled me with terror—was, of course, the same possibility I’d been thinking about earlier. However, it was highly doubtful that Cardinal Vaughn would contact me in such a way while dealing with an attempted betrayal from my soulmates. No, it was far more likely that Bjorn’s plan had indeed worked.
Doing my best to put on a brave face, I opened the door to let Serena in. “A message? What is this about?”
“It appears your request to see Prince Darius has been approved,” Serena replied. She offered me a piece of paper. I automatically took it, although I already knew what it was. An official notice of what she’d already told me.
Reading the document confirmed my guess and revealed that I had received permission to see Malachai as well. Almost unable to believe my good fortune, I clutched the notice so tightly the paper crinkled. “Is this true?” I asked Serena. “I can... I can go now?”
Serena nodded. “Of course. You can go whenever you please. The paladins have already been notified to allow you to pass whenever you decide to visit both His Highness and former Guardian Braun.”
The change was so drastic and sudden that in any other place, people would have been reluctant to accept it. But the Alarian way of life was all about following orders. Very rarely did Alarian soldiers question things. It would not occur to them to doubt the validity of a superior officer’s commands. Before the battle with the plagues, Darius had taken advantage of that to pretend nothing had happened to him, and the only one who’d noticed a change had been Bjorn. Now, it was our turn to make use of this particular quirk.
“Thank you,” I told Serena. “If you would be so kind as to accompany me there, I would like to visit Darius.” Taking into account what Bjorn had told me and the success of this plan, Malachai must be, at least for now, unharmed. Darius had not been so lucky.
“Of course, Ms. Hastings. Follow me.”
The enforcer led me out of the guest wing, into the private section of the healing wing. I’d tried to get in here in the past, but I’d had even less success than in my attempts to visit Malachai. This time, the paladins allowed Serena and me to pass without questioning us. They saluted politely and granted us the access they had denied me countless times before.
I wouldn’t have been irritated at them had the circumstances been different. After all, I could understand their desire to protect their prince. The problem was that their so-called protection was only a sham, a disgusting charade meant to hide the true nature of the situation.
When we entered Darius’s healing room, we found him alone, with no member of the staff present to monitor his condition. Alarian healers used enchantments that would notify them of any changes,
but still, one would have thought they’d show more interest. They didn’t, and that spoke volumes of their take on Darius’s ultimate fate.
My heart clenched at the sight and at the knowledge that this was all my fault. Did I even have the right to be here, considering the fact that, had I not appeared in Darius’s life, he would have never suffered in this way?
A memory of Darius flashed through my mind, the way he had been during the few moments we’d spent together. The man I had met at the club had been so very different from my true soulmate, the person who had confronted Vandale while under the effects of a terrible curse.
Maybe the blame for this did lay on my shoulders, but uselessly standing around and feeling bad about it would not help. Bjorn and Malachai had earned this privilege for us, this precious moment of me being here, with Darius. I knew so very little about him, but I still believed that the truth of what we shared was too precious to dismiss.
Taking a deep breath, I walked up to Darius’s bedside. There were no chairs nearby, so I just sat down next to him, on the bed. “Would you mind stepping out?” I asked Serena without looking at her. “I’d like a moment in private with him. Please let the healers know as well.” I wasn’t sure if my closeness would disturb the enchantment on him, and I didn’t want strangers who didn’t understand to walk in on us.
“Yes, of course,” Serena replied.
The door opened and closed once again, signaling the departure of the enforcer. I didn’t immediately move. Instead, I kept looking at Darius’s pale face, all the while remembering Bjorn’s earlier words. “Is there really a chance to fix this, Darius?” I asked, even if I knew he could not hear me. “I don’t want to give up on you. I don’t want to give up on anyone, but I’m so scared.”
I didn’t expect Darius to reply, and of course, he didn’t. However, his fingers twitched, as if he was trying to reach out to me.
It should have been impossible. The healers had already said that he was in a coma, and people in such a condition didn’t wake up just because their loved ones sat next to them and asked them for help. The world wasn’t so beautiful and kind.
