by Belle Malory
The next voice I heard surprised me. It was Salazar. He stood next to me, apologizing for giving away my identity. “My oath to this Order means far more to me than the throne. With your help, Estelle, even the stars are not beyond our reach.”
His voice was drowned out by the panic swirling inside of me. Aurelia warned me about Salazar’s allegiance to the Order. After everything, I should’ve known he wouldn’t keep his promise to me.
My eyes darted around the fire, roaming over the faces I could make out. There was no one else I recognized, no one else I knew.
A tall, thin man approached me, lowering his hood to reveal a sheath of pitch-black hair and pale blue eyes. His skin was hard and unusually fair for a Rom. There was no emotion in his face, just an empty quality that frightened me. I was terrified simply being in his presence.
The people surrounded the man as if he were their leader, as if he controlled everyone and everything. I dimly wondered if that were the case. “My name is Dimitri,” he announced, extending his hand to me.
When I didn’t immediately take it, someone shoved me forward, almost warningly. After regaining my composure, I let Dimitri shake my hand. His grip was strong, already making me want to cower. I held my ground though, meeting his cool gaze with my own icy stare.
“You are in the presence of the Order of Dracul,” he stated. His voice was formal, monotone.
“I guessed that on my own, thanks.”
He continued on as if he hadn’t heard me. “The legends of your capabilities have long since compelled us to search for you. We’d nearly given up hope before Salazar came to us. We are grateful the contributions you intend to give the Order. That being said, we’d like to get started immediately.”
“I haven’t agreed to any contributions,” I mentioned breathlessly. Everyone’s eyes were on me, watching, appearing hopeful for what I could give them.
Salazar nudged my side. In a hushed whisper, he said, “Dimitri is the son of Dracul, himself. You can’t refuse him.”
“Why not?” I whispered back heatedly. “I’m not acquainted with this Dracul. Why should I care whose son he is?”
There wasn’t time for Salazar to answer. Dimitri grabbed my arm. “I’ll do the honors,” he announced.
I snatched my arm away from him reflexively. A hush fell over the crowd. I looked at Dimitri’s hard face, noticing the slightest twitch of his jaw.
I needed to think of something quickly. Clearly, this man was intimidating for a reason and I didn’t want to test my limits. I said the first thing I could think of, hoping it would work. “I’m sorry to tell you this. However, I no longer have the capabilities you desire.”
Everyone stayed silent, my words echoing through the woods like howling ghosts. After a few moments, someone shouted, “Well, she’s obviously lying!”
I glanced up to see who’d called me out. Of course, it was Lettie. She moved to join Dimitri’s side, glaring at me in frustration. Rex picked a real charmer, that one.
Lettie urged Dimitri to test me. “Use Rex,” she told him. “He’ll find out whether or not she’s lying.”
The name immediately caught my attention. Dimitri spared a quick nod towards one of the cloaked members. The mysterious person stepped forward, dropping their hood. The firelight danced over Rex’s dark hair and stony features. My jaw dropped, seeing him standing there. It felt as if the ground was pulled out from under me, and I was falling, sinking.
Salazar steadied me, noticing I had swayed. I pushed his arm away from me, revolted by his touch.
“Rex, find out if the girl is lying,” Lettie ordered him.
I would’ve thought it would be hard for him to meet my gaze, but Rex’s eyes roamed over me openly. He slowly moved to stand next to his princess, ready to do her bidding.
I could hardly believe my own eyes. There he was, standing against me. The rest of the crowed blurred. All I could see was Rex, his dark cloak and Lettie’s form hovering next to him. How could Rex be here with these people? Was it for Lettie?
I fiercely glared at him, hoping the betrayal I felt would stab him like a knife. I wanted him to know how much I hated him-with just one look.
Something flickered in the amber depths of Rex’s gaze, surprising me. It almost looked like he was hurt. I probably imagined it. Either way, I decided I didn’t care.
“Say, it again, girl,” Dimitri commanded me.
“I’m not an oracle anymore,” I said, the boldfaced lie hanging off of my lips with no remorse. “And I can’t tell you how to get your land.”
Rex watched me intently for a few moments, making me feel extremely nervous. I hoped he wasn’t waiting for me to take it back. Because there was no way I would admit the truth. I didn’t care if they did force it out of me. At least I’d go down fighting.
Rex turned to Dimitri and said, “She’s not lying.”
I was ready for Dimitri to grab my hand and force me to give him what he wanted when it finally occurred to me exactly what Rex had said. She’s not lying.
What the hell?
My eyes flew to Rex again. He’d definitely known I was lying. I could see it in his expression. But why hadn’t he called me out?
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who’d been astounded by Rex’s statement. The entire crowd started to voice their concerns at once.
“Maybe she’s not really the oracle,” someone said.
“Or maybe the abandoner can’t really see past her lies,” another person mentioned.
Lettie’s beautiful face transformed into one of sadness. She looked truly disappointed to hear Rex’s news. The entire society had been counting on me to help them put a means to their ends.
An angry member shouted, “We should test the girl to make sure!”
“I agree, you should test her,” Salazar said. “I’ve seen proof of her abilities.”
Dimitri stroked his chin, considering Salazar’s suggestion. I spared a fearful glance at Rex. I couldn’t tell if he was worried, but I was assuming he should be. If they caught me in my lie, they’d catch him in his, too.
Finally, Dimitri nodded, agreeing with the council member. “We’ll test her,” he said and pulled me towards the fire with him. The crowd circled around us, waiting expectantly.
I didn’t know what to do at that point. All I could hope for was that the time I spent training with Aurelia would pay off.
Eight minutes, four seconds.
I was going to have to hold out a lot longer this time.
Gripping my hand tightly, Dimitri told me what he wanted. “We’ll start with something we’d all like to know,” he announced. “I want you to tell me if you’re lying. I also want to know if the former king is covering for you.”
No. This couldn’t be happening. Searing tingles ignited down my spine as the answer came to my mind. I clamped my mouth shut, afraid to hear the answer leave my lips.
I glanced at Rex worriedly, wondering if I’d just given him a death sentence. The symptoms took over, one by one. I fought against each of them, praying that I could hold out. I swayed again, overwhelmed by the dizziness.
“She looks as if she’s struggling,” Lettie said, each word more gleeful than the last. She wanted to see me fail.
I wanted to tell her I wasn’t struggling, I was perfectly fine, thank you very much.
But I remained silent, too terrified to open my mouth. I was afraid that if I did, the next words that would tumble out would be driven by the curse, giving Rex and me away.
Lettie kept watching me though. Our faces were only a whisper apart. A tiny sneer pulled at her lip, waiting for me to break. She knew I was under pressure. I breathed deeply and straightened my shoulders, trying not to give myself away.
I couldn’t help but note every little thing about her, wondering where Rex’s attraction to this girl stemmed from. She was graceful and demure, I’d give her that much. She held her head high, like a swan floating across a peaceful pond. Her golden hair was swept back into an elegant c
oiffure, with not one strand out of place. She carried herself well, unlike myself.
But what did Rex love about her? I wondered crazily. For all her beauty, there couldn’t be much to love. Could she make him laugh until his stomach hurt from it? Did she carry out his bucket list requests like he’d done for me? When he kissed her, did he feel as if the world stopped rotating just so that single moment would last forever?
I knew I would never be okay with being a second choice, even as miserable as it made me feel. I had wanted Rex to find his long, lost princess. But a part of me, a more selfish part of me, wished he didn’t want her anymore.
The time ticked by, and I wondered how many minutes had passed. I felt the bile rising in my throat. The nausea overwhelmed me, making me want to vomit all over the ground. I clenched my jaw, swallowing it back painfully.
Angrily, Lettie grabbed me by my arms and shook me. “Tell Dimitri you’re lying!” she yelled. She was frantic. Scared, too. She desperately wanted to be right about me.
I looked to Rex, seeing the pain in his eyes. I couldn’t call him a liar. Lettie was so passionate about the Order. She’d never forgive Rex for helping me.
The words were in my throat, then filling my mouth with their fervor to escape. The answer to Dimitri’s wants tore at my lips, demanding to be let loose. I fastened my hand to my mouth, trying to hold it back.
Lettie tore my hand away. “We know you’re lying,” she said. “Say it.”
I bit down hard on my lip, swallowing the answer down. Squeezing my eyes shut, I felt the force of the curse pushed from inside.
Rex’s beautiful face came to my mind. I saw him forcing me into wakeboarding, demanding I try something worthwhile. Guiding me up the mountain, and wiping away my tears with his shirt. Drawing stars on my shoulder, finding time to make something beautiful while being held prisoner.
I tasted blood from where I’d been biting down on my lip, but didn’t loosen my hold. The answer could not escape my mouth. I couldn’t let go of it.
The answer was mine to give. I tried hard to believe that. My voice belonged to me.
The force of the pushing curse felt as if it exploded, combusting like bomb inside of me.
Before I knew what was happening, I felt myself floating to the ground. My head fell slack against the dewy grass. There was a faint, muted sound, as if it were miles away. I realized it was Rex’s voice. He was calling my name.
“Are you okay, Essie?”
No time or strength to reply. I had to protect the answer Dimitri and Lettie were demanding from me. It had to stay locked deep inside.
The answer was mine to give.
Blotches of gray dotted my vision, just as they had that day in the closet after I saw the little phantom girl. I knew what was coming next.
Total blackness erupted and my world succumbed to the dark shade of sleep.
Thirty-Six
I woke to the fresh scent of lilies and orchids. The sun’s bright rays blinded me as I opened my heavy eyes. After focusing my vision, I caught sight of several huge flower arrangements surrounding me in the midst of a tiny room.
I blinked, trying to take it all in. I thought maybe I was dreaming. The last thing I remembered was falling into a dark void, empty and hollow of life. It had felt like I was dying.
I winced, remembering my last moments spent battling with the curse. I couldn’t remember the outcome. I couldn’t remember if I’d given myself up as the oracle, if I’d given Rex up as a liar.
Something stirred from across the room. I heard the sound of tiny footsteps padding their way across a marble floor. A glob of wetness smacked against my face and a curious nose sniffed at my hair.
“Abby?” I asked confusedly.
I wasn’t dreaming. My little Labrador puppy was at my side, showering me with kisses. Her black coat gleamed in the sunlight.
I slowly pushed myself up off from a bedroll surrounded in plush pillows. The puppy wiggled excitedly. I threw my arms around her, thrilled to see she was happy and healthy.
“It’s nice to see you’re awake,” said a familiar voice. Across the room Lola stretched languidly, appearing to also have just been awoken.
“Lola? What are you doing here?” My voice was scratchy from idleness; I must’ve been asleep for a while.
“Are you kidding me?” she asked, yawning. “I would’ve been here sooner if someone hadn’t stolen my passport.”
I winced, feeling slightly guilty even though Rex had actually been the thief.
Lola made her way to my side, resting her head against the wall behind us. “How are you feeling?” she asked worriedly.
“I’m fine, I think,” I replied. “What happened? The last thing I remember was. . .well it wasn’t this place. Where are we?”
“We’re in the castle,” she explained. “We brought you here last night.”
I held my hands to my foggy head, pressing my fingers against my temples. “Last night I was at a council meeting for the Order of Dracul.”
A spark gleamed from her blue eyes. “I heard all about it,” she said. “Seems you’ve been very busy since I last saw you.”
“It’s not funny, Lo,” I said seriously. “They had Rex with them. If they found out he was lying to cover for me--”
“Rex is fine,” she cut me off. “He’s here in the castle. I kicked him out of the room about an hour ago because he hasn’t eaten or slept since yesterday. He refused to leave your side.”
I stared at her blankly. None of this was making any sense. “Rex was with the Order,” I told her. “He lied to them. I think maybe to protect me, but-”
She cut me off again. “He wasn’t lying, Essie.”
“What do you mean he wasn’t lying?”
Lola smiled brilliantly. A wealth of emotion took over and tears glittered her eyes. She looked so incredibly happy, more happy than I’d ever seen her. “You did it,” she breathed.
I tilted my head to the side. “I did what?”
A new voice took over where Lola had left off. “You broke the curse, babe. Congratulations.”
I turned to face the doorway, sighing in relief at the sight of Rex casually leaning against the doorframe. I wondered how long he’d been standing there.
Verifying Lola’s claims, Rex appeared to be tired. Exhausted, actually, but nonetheless handsome. His hair was mussed and his face held traces of a five o’clock shadow. The long, black cloak I’d seen him wearing in the forest was gone. He was dressed in normal clothes, loose-fit jeans and a gray t-shirt.
Lola moved to stand up. “I’ll give you both some time to talk. Rex can probably explain better than me, anyway, since he was there.” She bent down to whisper into my ear. “Go easy on him. I’ve never seen him act this way before.”
Go easy on him? What was that supposed to mean?
Before I could stop her, Lola left the room, leaving Rex and me completely alone. I couldn’t help but remember the last time we’d been left alone with each other and what that had led to. I blushed in memory of it, wondering what would’ve happened if Xavier had never walked in on us.
Rex left his post at the doorframe and kneeled down next to me by the bedroll, resting his back against the wall in the same manner Lola had. He sighed loudly, linking his fingers together as if he were tense.
Suddenly very self-aware, I began fidgeting with my hair, combing my fingers through the knots. I wasn’t prepared to ever see Rex again. I had no idea what to say or how to act. He noticed my fidgeting and stopped me, taking my hand into his. “Can I show you something amazing?” he asked.
I slowly nodded, wondering what was going on.
He said, “I want a million dollars.”
I waited for him to continue or explain. But he did neither.
I was positive I looked like a deer in headlights. “What’s going on?” I asked, frustrated. “I really need someone to tell me what happened.”
“This is what happened,” he said. “You found a way to break the curse.�
�
“Yeah right,” I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes for emphasis. “I didn’t break it. All I can do is delay it. I’ve been training with your mother, actually, for a few weeks now.”
“I know about the training,” he told me. “I was the one who suggested it.”
My brows raised in surprise. “You were? So why did you send Aurelia?”
He looked downwards, guiltily. “Would you have wanted to see me?”
I hesitated, which we both recognized as an answer within itself.
“I just held your hand and told you I want a million dollars. Do you feel anything?”
Now that I thought about it, he was suspiciously right. There was no nausea, no blurred vision, no tingling sensations-- nothing! I widened my eyes, feeling my lips part in disbelief.
“What’s going on?” I asked, trembling. “Don’t mess with me, Rex. I would never forgive you.”
“I’m not messing with you,” he promised. “You never gave Dimitri his answer. You didn’t admit to being the oracle. Not one word escaped your lips. I think you broke the curse right then and there.”
A strangled sound of excitement was torn from the back of my throat. Tamping down my urge to scream like a maniac, I asked Rex, “How is this possible?”
“You tell me,” he said, smiling.
I thought back on that night, wondering how I’d managed it. I’d put up a hell of a fight, that was for sure. But it shouldn’t have mattered. The curse always beat me no matter how hard I fought against it.
I remembered not wanting to out Rex in front of the Order and his princess. The thought of hurting him sickened me to my core. I also didn’t want Dimitri to succeed, not after knowing what the Order had done in the past. I’d rather die than participate in an agenda that could lead to disaster for the Romany gypsies. Somehow, those reasons had driven me enough to break the curse. I’d found the will and strength all on my own.
“I’m happy for you, Estelle,” Rex told me. His tone was sincere. “You deserve this.”
It was just so hard to believe, so hard to take in. Did I really free myself from this nightmare? I wondered. God, how I hoped so.
