Page 61 of A Curse of Breath and Blood

He pulled me from his chest. His eyes searched mine for a hint of a lie. “What? I had heard she went missing, but I never imagined…”

“She never showed her power to us. Until five years ago, we knew her as Queen Isadora of Elyria.”

Tharan’s mouth straightened into a thin line. “That’s how you survived the shock…”

I gave him a puzzled look.

He paced the room as he fiddled with his hair, tying it back in a low bun.

“In the cave with the kraken. Caiden sent enough electricity into the water to stun an animal the size of this city block, but you didn’t flinch. Do you possess other powers as well?”

“Nothing akin to our mother’s,”a half lie.

Tharan continued pacing and muttering to himself, holding his pointer finger to his lips. “If she could see the future, she would know the outcome of battles. Fix failure before it happens. My fatherwouldbe intrigued by that.”

A pit opened in my stomach. “Help me stop it. She is no seer. She is a regular girl who wound up in the wrong hands because of my mistakes.”

“It has been five hundred years since the war, and my father and I still have our differences. I don’t know what I can do, but if I can help, I will.”

The weight lifted itself from my chest. “Bind us to the words.” I held out my hand, and we shook on it, letting the magic tie us to the bargain.

As I went to leave, Tharan grabbed my arm. “You are brave to make a deal with the Lord of Nothing.”

To which I replied, “Perhaps it is you who is brave to make a deal with a known traitor?”

23CAIDEN

Caiden breathed deeply,happy to be back on neutral ground. “Ah, Ruska, never thought I’d be quite so happy to return to this city again. But after the past few days, it’s never looked better to me.”

Aelia twiddled her thumbs nervously as they walked toward Caiden’s townhome. “I hope Amolie and Roderick made it out alive.”

“Roderick is the finest warrior in all of Moriana. Maybe the world, but he knows when to cut and run. He wouldn’t let Amolie be harmed.”

“I know, but I hate being in the dark.” Aelia pulled her cloak tighter around her. “I just want to know if they’re okay.”

Caiden rubbed her back. “They are. I know it.”

They walked in silence the rest of the way. Both braced for the worst.

The door swung open, and Ernie greeted them. “Prince Caiden.” His whiskers twitched as he bowed. “The others have already arrived.”

Aelia pushed past the hob. “Amolie! Roderick! Lucius?”

Amolie bounded through the parlor, hugging her friend. “You’re okay. I was so worried.”

“Me? I was worried about you. I saw Roderick take on the hooded figure, but I couldn’t see you.”

Amolie glowered at Roderick. “This one would have stayed and slayed every goblin there if I had let him.”

Roderick blushed. “We’re fine. I wasn’t worried for a minute.”

Amolie rolled her eyes.

Aelia collapsed onto the couch. “I’m exhausted. I need to sleep before we discuss the mess that was the Court of Sorrows.”

“Come with me, and I’ll heal you properly.” Amolie pulled her friend into the kitchen, leaving the three men alone in the parlor.

Lucius waited until after the women had left to show himself. “We need to talk about the scepter.”

---