A Crown of Cursed Hearts (Kingdom of Blighted Thorns #3)

11. Tempest

11

TEMPEST

“ H ow did you know they have wings?” I asked.

Her head cocked, and she studied my face. “How long do you plan to remain here at the fortress?”

“I’m leaving shortly.”

She stood. “Let me show you something before you magic yourself away.”

I followed her outside. We crossed the compound and continued past the training areas where riders worked with dragons even now. I wanted to stop and watch them, to grasp a tiny fragment of my past to hold onto—no, some normalcy—but it was already too late. I was the Lydel heir, and my role in our terrifying future had changed.

Iasar told me I’d soon start down a new path, one overgrown with danger. If only I could ask him if I’d find my way through it to something better.

We walked down the slope, and Jessia led me through the sparse woods between the common training areas and the cages we’d only rarely used.

She stopped at the gate of the one farthest away from the fortress and flicked her hand toward a big mound lying in the center of the caged area. “We captured that a few days ago.”

A dreg lumbered to its feet.

My breath freezing in my lungs, I fumbled with my leathers, scrambling past my pockets to pull my blades, while drawing up a large amount of power. Something shifted by my feet, but I ignored it.

They may have been powerless people at one time, but they no longer were.

These eight-foot-tall creatures were tough to kill, though I’d eliminated my share of them over the years. They were monsters, craggy, beastly things with long gray hair and vicious claws. Sharp tails they were eager to drive through our hearts.

Their ability to fly made them nearly indestructible. We’d only gotten lucky while traveling from Bledmire.

This one unfurled its wings, stretching the webbing out to form almost picturesque beauty—if I didn’t know that the spikes at the top of the wing segments would be plunged into every villager’s chest if the creature was given half a chance.

As it flapped its wings and released a feral cry, I tightened my grip on my weapons. It scrambled toward us, the drag of its claws flinging sandy soil in all directions, lifting itself off the ground only to smack back down when its wings wouldn’t extend fully. Undeterred, it galloped our way.

Jessia remained where she was, glaring at the dreg, not bothering to pull a weapon. I had to hand it to her, this woman epitomized bravery.

“We clipped its wings,” she said softly, as if speaking in this tone would subdue the massive creature snarling toward us. “And let me tell you, that was a challenge. We had to dart it multiple times with a sedative one of the dragon healers gave us. Even then, it still tried to kill those who volunteered to attach the clips.”

When would they be told to stop killing us and instead, pack us in cages to be brought to the king?

Once Kerune had taken complete control.

The beast slammed into the fence hard enough to make it shudder. A boom rang out. It clung to the mesh and roared, yanking at it, struggling to break out. It would rip through us with its claws if it escaped.

“We reinforced the cage before it woke up.” A frown filled Jessia’s face. “It’s strange . . .”

“What is?” The dreg snapped its head back and forth, growling and gnashing its fangs, trying to bite through the metal.

“I used to wear them like every other rider.” She tapped her shoulder where, in the past, she’d pinned one of the largest clusters of bone coins I’d ever seen. Twenty or thirty of them, at least. “When I entered the pen after we’d clipped its wings and while it was still sleepy, it groaned and reached toward me. I thought at first the light caught on the jewels, and that was why they drew its attention, but then I realized it was trying to touch them. I got away from it fast and disposed of them not long after that. Did you know that if a fire is hot enough, it can burn bone coins?”

I shook my head.

“We all know what happens when dregs get a hold of one. I couldn’t let that happen.”

“I don’t know what happens.”

Her frown deepened. “They reinforce this in many of our classes.”

It was too late to regret that I hadn’t paid attention. I’d grown up since then. “Tell me.”

“They say that if a dreg swallows a bone coin, it’ll give the creature incredible strength. I’ve heard of cases where they’re twice their size after, where they’re so vicious they can wipe out an entire flight of riders all on their own.”

A shudder ripped through me. “Have you seen it happen?”

Her hand flicked to the dreg inside the pen. “Look at this beast. Can you imagine how deadly it would be if it was larger? We can barely restrain it as it is now.”

Did Kerune plan to give them coins?

“The Lieges wear them,” I said.

“I think they use them to control the dregs.”

“Magically binding them?” An interesting idea.

“Something like that. Have you ever seen what happens to the coin if you don’t steal it off the dead Liege? There’s magic there, for sure.”

I shook my head. “I’ve killed three, and I took all their coins. I didn’t leave any behind.”

“The coins melt and are absorbed into the ground. Only the bony Liege and their shredded cloak remains. ”

“Why absorbed?”

“It’s all part of their magic, I guess.” She shrugged. “Just another mystery about Lieges and dregs.”

And the coins they wore at all times. “We shouldn’t wear them out in the open like we do. We’re battling with dregs on a regular basis. Any of them could grab our supposed trophies, and the rest of us would have to deal with the ramifications.”

“We never used to.”

“We have for as long as I can remember.”

“It’s a new thing. Someone . . .” Her head tilted. “I can’t remember who, but one of the riders thought it would be fun to wear them as trophies. The idea caught on, and here we are, with many riders carrying them in their pockets or on a chain around their neck as if the horrifying things will bring them good luck.”

When they could make things worse if the dregs got a hold of them. Ticking weapons, they were poised to explode.

“I’ve spread the word about them,” Jessia said. “But some riders still cling to the idea that they’re safer if they wear them. It’s hard to counter superstition.”

I nudged my chin toward the dreg. “Why didn’t you kill this one?” One dead dreg was one less I had to battle, and many villagers’ lives saved.

“Oh, I plan to. But I felt it was important to study it first.”

“And what have you concluded?” Determined to keep an eye on the dreg, I only turned partway toward her.

“Not much more than what you see here. This was one of five that attacked a village almost a week ago. We killed the others, though we lost three riders doing it. When this one’s right wing was injured and it couldn’t fly, it spiraled to the ground. Because it just laid there, we thought it was dead, but it was only unconscious. That’s when one of the team leaders got the idea to bring it back and secure it in a cage, I assume to taunt it before killing it. They bound it and brought it here, and honestly, I nearly plunged a blade through its eye the moment I saw it. It hadn’t woken yet, however, and I opted to wait and think it through. When it started waking, we darted it. Clipped its wings. And now we observe it. I plan to eliminate it soon.”

“Hold off if you can.”

“Why?”

Good question. “Let me think about why, and I’ll tell you.”

The dreg stopped rattling the wall of the cage and squinted at us, its glowing eyes locking on mine.

I was swallowed into . . . something.

A blade will be forged in light, torn away from thorn’s blight,

And veiled beneath the gaze of eternal right.

The first two lines of the riddle whispered through my mind. Why was I thinking about it now?

Eternal right . . .

I sunk deeper into the dreg’s gaze. It stole me away, taking me . . . somewhere. Images flashed through my mind. A vast plain with wavering grasses. A village full of people. The laughter of children. A feeling of peace and contentment.

They didn’t know what was coming. They weren’t prepared. And oh, how they burned as they were torn asunder by fire.

No, they were torn by a thunderous wave of burning magic , changed as it swept over them. Swept through them. As it consumed them .

A blink and I returned to myself. I wrenched my gaze from the dreg, though I still felt its stare locked on my frame.

Jessia sent me a solemn look. “How many has Ivenrail created?”

She didn’t appear to realize I’d been away for a moment.

“I assume an army large enough to sweep across our territory and capture every single Nullen they can find,” I said.

“I want to say we can defeat this new threat, but I’m not as confident as I’d like to be.”

“I’ll help all I can.”

“With your Lydel army,” she said dryly. “I heard they’ve been turned to stone.”

“I’m not giving up. I’m going to do everything I can to stop him.”

Turning to face me, she braced my arms and stared into my eyes. “Then I’ll support you. I have nothing to lose.”

“I need to leave soon.” A feeling kept hitching down my spine, telling me there was one more thing I had to do before I could return to Weldsbane. A compulsion? I’d soon find out. “I’ll create a device we can use to communicate.” How? This wasn’t magic I’d heard of before, and I had no idea if there was a spell that could make it happen.

“Let’s go back to my office, and we can discuss it.”

“I can get us there quickly,” I said.

“I assume you speak of the magic you displayed in my office? Alright.”

After sheathing my blades, I took her hands. “Don’t let go.”

“I don’t believe I will.” She released a shrill laugh.

One flit took us there .

I wasn’t trying to impress her, but my time here was limited. Each moment I was gone from Weldsbane could make a difference. We needed to travel to Lydel, though I had no idea what waited for us there. Aunt Vera and an eager army?

I let go of Jessia’s hands.

She staggered, her gaze sweeping down my body. “You truly are one of the wicked fae.”

“I am.” This time, I lifted my chin. “And I’m going to use all my wicked fae magic to protect the Nullens I still claim as my own.”

“We need an ally among those fiends.” She rounded her desk and sagged in her chair.

“My blade is yours.”

“And mine is yours.”

Drumming up a bit of power, I paused, thinking about how I could best use it. With a flick of my finger, I created two journals like those I’d used here at the fortress during my classes. I magicked pencils to go with them.

Jessia stared at them lying on her desk. “What do you expect to do with these?”

“We’ll use them to communicate,” I whispered, though I was confident no one was listening. “The journals are magicked to reveal their contents only to us.” Striding around the desk to stand beside her, I opened one and wrote hello on the first page.

When she opened the second journal, the word appeared, fading after she’d read it. She reeled backward in her chair, her hands lifting away from the journals as if they were coated with poison. “This is . . .”

“Amazing, right?” I flashed her a smile that faded quickly. “ If I learn anything you might find useful, I’ll send it to you. Please do the same for me.”

“I mentioned that I’d played a bit with magic,” she pinched out. “But I’m not sure how I feel about it in general.”

“The thought of being fae and doing things like this not only stuns me but, in many ways, horrifies me. Like you, I grew up here with the same hatred of the fae and their abusive power.” We had good reason; we just hadn’t known exactly why, though we did now. Our feelings had been ingrained in us for many generations after they suppressed our power. “This journal and paper are weapons we can use to protect others. I’m not going to toss a chance like that away.”

She stared up at me before biting down hard on her lower lip. “Alright. I’ll stay in touch.”

“We’re going to defeat this threat.”

“Any ideas how?”

“That’s what I still need to figure out.” I tucked my journal and pencil beneath my leather tunic. “Do you need anything else from me?”

“I can’t think of anything yet.”

“Send me a message if you do.”

She sighed. “Things felt simpler when I took over this job. I understood my role here. I know how to lead. I also know how to kill dregs and Lieges. Despite their increase in attacks, it was more of the same. But things have changed.” A tremor came through in her voice. “I’m worried we’ll reach the point where we can’t keep them from overrunning us and swarming across the continent. It horrifies me to think that’s been the plan all along. ”

“We’ll stop him. We’ll survive.”

“And what will be left of us after we’ve finished?”

“I don’t know.” I wasn’t confident I’d survive long enough to find out, so I couldn’t give her the happy answer she was seeking. I’d do all I could to make it through this. There had to be something better waiting for us once this threat was eliminated, and I’d find it.

“At least you’re honest.”

“I’ll share all I can.” In that, I was much like Vexxion. I’d only hold things back if she was safer not knowing.

“I wish you luck.”

I was going to need it.

With a parting nod to her, I flitted from her office, landing in the channel leading away from the cave where Kinart was murdered.