Page 53 of Children of Blood and Bone

“Inan, if you can’t handle this—”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you?” She trains her eyes on me. “Because if you think I’ve forgotten about your little episode, you’re sadly mistaken.”

Curse the skies.

Kaea was there the first time magic attacked me on the shores of Ilorin. The night it filled my head with sounds.

My gut clenches as I push the evil further down.

“I won’t have the prince die on my watch. If that happens again, you’re headed back to the palace.”

My heart seizes so hard an ache ripples through my chest. She can’t send me home like this.

Not until the girl dies.

I’ll make you a deal.Her voice crawls back into my mind. It’s so vivid it’s like she’s whispering in my ear.Leave me alone and I’ll keep your little secret. No one has to know you’re a dirty little—

“No!” I shout. “It wasn’t an episode. On the beach. I—I—” I take a deep breath.Relax. “I thought I saw Amari’s corpse.”That’s it.“I was ashamed at how much it rattled me.”

“Oh, Inan…” Kaea’s hardness fades. She reaches over and grabs my hand. “Forgive me. I can’t imagine how horrific that must have been.”

I nod and squeeze her hand back. Too tightly.Let go.But my heartbeat quickens in my chest. A turquoise cloud seems to radiate from my chest, billowing like pipe smoke. The smell of rosemary and ash returns. The shrieks of the burning girl surface again.…

The heat of the flames licks my face. Sweltering smoke fills my lungs. With each second the fire crawls closer to my body, eliminating any chance of escape.

“Help!”

I drop to the ground. My lungs reject the rancid air. My feet get caught in the blaze—

“HELP!”

I jerk on Lula’s reins. She lets out a menacing growl as we come to an abrupt stop.

“What is it?” Kaea whips her head around.

I dig my hands into Lula’s fur to mask their tremble. I’m running out of time. The magic’s getting stronger.

Like a parasite feeding on my blood.

“Amari,” I choke out. My throat burns as if it’s still full of smoke. “I’m worried. She’s never left the palace before. She could get hurt.”

“I know,” Kaea soothes me. I wonder if she speaks the same way to Father when his temper flares. “But she’s not completely helpless. There’s a reason the king spent so many years making sure you could both wield a sword.”

I force a nod, pretending to listen as Kaea continues to talk. Again, I shove my curse down, ignoring the way it makes the air around me thin. But even as my magic subsides, my heart still pounds.

The power burns inside me. Taunting. Tainting.

Kill her, I remind myself.

I’ll kill the girl. I’ll kill this curse.

If I can’t—

I force a deep breath.

If I can’t, I’m already dead.

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