Page 123 of A Curse of Breath and Blood

“Erissa,” Tharan spat the name out.

“I am surprised you remember me. The last time we met, you were nothing but a twig. You have grown…”

“I was a child, and you took advantage of me.” A muscle ticked in his jaw at the thought of what occurred long ago.

“You were seventeen. Marriage age in the human lands. There is nothing wrong with an older female teaching a young male the ways of love.” She ran a slender finger down his neck.

Tharan gritted his teeth in disgust. “Do not speak to me of love. For you know nothing of it.”

An urgent tug pulled at his heartstrings.Aelia. “Where is she?” he growled.

“I guess you’ll have to come find her.” Disappearing into a cloud of smoke, Erissa’s cackle shook the room.

Something hard thwacked his skull.

The world went dark.

46AELIA

I tuggedat the enchanted iron shackles binding me to the table. The magic-laced iron burned my skin and blocked my powers. I recognized this scene, this table, these shackles. This is where Erissa made me the monster I am today.

She clicked her tongue at me. “Now, now, you know you can’t escape these.”

“What do you want from me?” My voice shook with rage.

From between her spindled fingers dangled a ruby encased in gold. “Is this what you were looking for?” The pendant sparkled. An engraving I couldn’t make out carved on its glassy surface.

Pulling against my restraints, I howled in pain. “Just let my sister go! Why do you want her in the first place?”

“I don’t. I needed you, and I knew you would come for her.” Erissa twirled the pendant as she paced the room.

“For what?” I shook the shackles around my wrists, earning me a punch to the face from Ramus, splitting my lip. The taste of metallic blood filled my mouth.

“You do not question Mother,” he said, stepping back into the shadows.

Tightness consumed my chest at the familiarity of it all.

“Thank you, Ramus.” Erissa pulled a beaker containing a bright pink liquid from its burner and set it down on a little table next to me, then she uttered an ancient language.

The mixture swirled like a dervish before taking the shape of a scorpion.

My stomach turned sour as the creature sprung to life, crawling up Erissa’s pale arm.

Stroking its back, she whispered something to the creature.

Suddenly the door behind me swung open, and Gideon entered, leading Caiden in chains. My heart stopped at the sight of him.

Caiden’s head hung low.

“Excellent, our first guest of honor is here,” Erissa said, motioning for Caiden to take a seat on a bench.

“What is this all about, Erissa? Who is this?” He nodded his head in my direction.

Caiden’s indifference to me cut like a knife. I bit my lip to distract myself.

I hoped Tharan did the smart thing and headed back to the Woodlands.

My hopes were trampled a few moments later as Remus led in a bloody-faced Tharan.

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