Page 92 of Curse of Thorns
“I was not always the best brother, Reveln. But I did love you. I still do.”
I swallow and close my eyes. My brother. My idol. My hero. My role model.
Is... a wraith.
“You are not a prince, you never were. But though our fathers are different fae, we share a mother. That makes you my brother. That makes you mine. And I will always fight for what is mine.”
“Mine,” I whisper. But it’s not Reahgan’s face that drifts through my mind. I blink the image back. “Tell me everything you know, Reahgan.” His name is foreign on my lips.
He wrinkles his nose like it’s an inconvenience to him. “You have a destiny, but she has a bigger one.” His voice is bored. This is no longer about his glory, his purpose. This is about mine and my mate’s. I narrow my eyes, attempting to read his expression—though on a wraith that’s rather challenging. “You can heal the land,” his voice lowers. Displeased, I guess. “She will curse it. Caelynn, and Caelynn alone, has the ability to destroy the walls that keep souls bound to this place.” His voice rises. He enjoys this part. He watches my expression in return, eyes lighting at a flicker of pain passes through me.
He enjoys my pain.
I believe him when he says he loves me. That he’ll fight for me. But he desires power for himself. No one else. Especially his little brother.
“It wasn’t revenge that drove me to kill her in the valley, Reveln. It was this. She must die, or else those monsters will use her to escape this place. And if the Night Terror and the Night Bringer are reunited, no one can stand against them.”
Caelynn
The wraiths halt rightat the edge of the Forest of Desires. At least my wraith friend was right about this place—it’s safe from my most pressing threat, the wraiths.
Too bad it’s creepy. As. Hell.
Music plays from within the treeline, soft and melodic. It’s the song Rev and I danced to the first time we met. Before either of us knew who the other was.
So, even though I refuse to look through the trees to see young Rev watching me with those big silver eyes, or offering me a glass of bubbling red wine, or kissing me beneath the soft luminescent light of the ballroom, I still picture all of it in my mind.
Part of me wants to give in and fanaticize about one of my only good memories. The other is terrified I’ll lose myself to the hypnosis of this place.
I’ve seen enough to know that I definitely do not want to die here. I do not want to be eaten alive by evil trees or join the thousands of souls within their trunks and limbs—no matter how lovely the images they show me are.
So, I light a fire, and I stare into the flames, remembering who I am. What I am. And what I’m here for. I don’t know where Rev is or how to get to him now, I don’t know if he’s in trouble or if I can save him, but I’m sure as hell going to try. And those evil spirits in this forest will not stop me.
It’s almost sundown when my wraith finally shows back up. He pushes through some barriers I hadn’t seen before.
I leap to my feet as he reaches me. “Where the hell have you been?” I shout rudely.
