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

12. Tempest

12

TEMPEST

I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to come to this place again. But like back then and during the bone vision, I was drawn down the passageway by a flickering light. This time, I didn’t stop to spy into the small cave with the candle. With the hilt of a dagger in my palm, I strode into the cavern and over to the waiting Liege.

I’d wondered if any survived Kerune’s purge.

Like all the other Lieges I’d seen and battled, this one wore a torn robe over his skeletal frame held together by only sinew. The hood was up as usual, though his bony features poked from within the folds.

“Yes,” he hissed. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Why?” I remained far enough back he couldn’t snap out a hand to grab me. This one appeared uninjured. A leap, and he could take me down and consume me within an instant. I would not allow myself to fear him. I’d killed three Lieges, and I wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate a fourth.

“I sensed you needed me,” he said softly. “As much as I— we —need you.”

“I’ll never need one such as you, and I can’t see why you’ll ever need me,” I said with scorn.

“In both, you’re wrong.”

“Tell me why you called me here.” I tightened my grip on Vexxion’s family dagger. While I felt in control of this situation, I’d be a fool to relax my guard.

His glowing eyes fell on my hand. “That blade cannot serve your need.”

“My need to kill you?” I ached to do it, to wipe every single one of these monsters off the continent. Maybe if they all fell, the dregs would collapse along with them and Nullens would finally be safe.

“The need to fulfill your vow.”

The time for playing word games had passed. “If Ivenrail was here, I’d slit his throat with this inferior blade and be done with him.”

He cackled, a low, husky sound reminiscent of dry leaves skittering across rocky ground. “If Ivenrail was here, you wouldn’t get close enough to swipe your weapon across his throat.”

“I got pretty close once and I’ll do so again.”

“The fae king has not survived this long without discovering ways to protect himself that are unlike any other.”

“I’ll find a way.” With this blade or another. Or with magic. Was that what the Liege meant ?

“Perhaps yes. Perhaps no.” His low laugh scraped across my skin like a jagged blade.

“How are you made? In my lessons at the fortress, I was told that the dregs were crafted from the bowels of the wasteland itself, but I know that’s not true.”

“What have you learned, one who still does not know who she truly is?”

“Yeah, yeah, Lydel heir. I know that already.”

“There’s still more for you to discover.”

“What might that be?”

“I cannot tell you,” he said.

“Won’t.”

He shrugged, and the simple yet common gesture jarred through me, reminding me that in many ways, Lieges may not be much different from us.

“You’re powerless Nullens gifted with . . .” I flicked my hand toward his body, “this.”

“Sadly, in this, you are correct.”

Finally, confirmation of what I read in Ember’s Shadow .

I sensed Ivenrail’s involvement here. Or his father’s, since that was when this all started.

“If you hadn’t been twisted into this form or that of a dreg,” I said. “Would you appear the same as me?”

“It’s been so long now,” he creaked softly. “I’m not sure I remember.”

I would not feel sad for this Liege who’d grab me and hold me down while the king drained me.

“How many of you remained after Kerune’s purge?” I asked.

“Too few. Too many. ”

“Which is it?” I asked, my grip on the blade remaining strong. One wrong move from him, and I’d flick it toward him, drive it deep into his eye. I’d leap at the same time and land on his chest to shove the sharp edge all the way to the hilt. They may be powerless fae somewhere deep inside, but they’d been turned into monsters and there was no going back from that.

Would I claim his bone coin when he lay dead on the floor? I wasn’t sure I should. They felt like time borrowed.

“What will you give me in exchange for what you truly need?” he asked.

“Are you offering me a blade that will kill Ivenrail?”

“I offer you a future that is being stolen.”

“I can’t imagine making a deal with you.” Although . . . “Tell me what you think I need.”

“Something you crave above all else. Something that could truly make a difference.”

I’d be a fool to make a deal with a Liege. “I should kill you and seek out the others. Slash through this cave until none of you remain.”

“You don’t have what it takes to fix this, not yet,” he said.

“Fix what?”

“Everything.”

Like all the other Lieges I’d encountered, this one offered hints and tantalizing clues that could lead somewhere or nowhere, but very few words carried the weight of true meaning.

“You’re talking about restoring or centering the balance,” I tossed out there, watching him, though his bony face gave nothing away .

“You have learned,” he crowed.

My sigh rang out. “Can you see the future?”

“Only the past.”

“And what does the past tell you?” Without stepping stones, one couldn’t cross a river to reach the opposite side. Even clues from the past could send me on the course where everything , as he’d said, could be fixed.

“The past tells me that you’ll need what I offer. That we need what Lydel may one day offer.”

“Either give me what you believe I need, or I’m leaving.” I’d actually started to turn when his arm lifted.

“So you wish to make the deal?”

“I won’t consider anything until I see what you offer.”

“What about this?” His sleeve slid back on his arm, revealing the simple strand holding his bone coin . . .

. . . and something gray and twisted and otherwise dead except for the tiny red flowers adorning it.

I knew right then that there wasn’t anything—and I meant anything —I wouldn’t give to have that collar in my hand when I left this wretched place.

“What do you want in exchange?” There was no hiding the wispy tremor in my voice.

He curled his finger my way.

I reeled backward, having no interest in getting closer to this horrifying being.

“Speak the words, and I’ll decide if we have a deal.”

“If you wish to hear, you must come closer.”

After swallowing against the knot in my throat, I took one step and another, until we were so near, the flutter of his cloak in the light breeze clawing through the chamber made the material brush against my boots.

He curled his finger again, and I leaned near his mouth, my hand tightening on my dagger. It might not be what I needed to kill Ivenrail, but one gouge would eliminate this Liege.

His whispered words struck my ear like a blow.

My breath sucked from me, I flung myself away from him. “So much! Why do you want me to do all that?”

“If I tell you, it’ll change your path.” He plucked the vine collar off his wrist and dangled it out to me, pinched between two bony fingers. “Simple tasks for a paltry item you value more than anything.”

“I value honor. Integrity.” And my love for Vexxion. Nothing else drove me.

Yet I needed that collar.

“Do you have more of them?” I asked.

“This is the last. There will be no others.” His bony lips spread wide to reveal a gaping maw that led to nowhere. Did they eat or did they suck down Nullen power to keep themselves alive? “Do we have a deal?”

He knew we did before I arrived in this cave.

“Yes.” Oh, how bitter the word tasted.

“You won’t regret this.”

I already did.

I plucked the collar from him, and before he could say or do anything to entrap me further, I flitted from the cave.

Once I’d landed outside the cage penning the winged dreg, I tried to stuff the collar into my pocket, but I ran into an obstacle and pulled out my tiny pouch of pixie “gifts” .

My hands shook more than I liked as I stuffed it back into my pocket and placed the coiled collar inside another.

With a lift of my chin, I strode close enough to the cage to press my face against the metal. Night had fallen, and the dreg didn’t stir. It lay on the sand, its breathing even, as if it was like any other winged beast waiting to be tamed.

I spoke the words, and may the fates protect me, but they burned when they came out.

The Liege had made three demands, and this was only half of the first. As for the rest? That would take time.

Another flit took me back to Weldsbane.

I found Vexxion sitting in one of the parlors, alone other than Drask clinging to a perch near the window and Brodine sliding his fingertips along the spines of the numerous books lined up on the shelves. The murmur of the others speaking in a room nearby reached my ears.

When he saw me, Drask cawed and flew to me, taking his place on my left shoulder where he belonged. I stroked his back, and he pecked my cheek, his huffs telling me he’d missed me.

“You’re back.” Brodine strode over to stand in front of me. “I was worried.” He enveloped me in a hug like the ones he’d given me most of my life, the kind that told me our friendship remained solid. “I’ve been watching over Vexxion, keeping him safe.” His chest puffed. “I know you love him and . . . I’m trying to love him myself.” His lopsided smile was so like the old Brodine I adored that I had to grin along with him.

“Thank you. ”

His smile faded. “Was I like he is now, just sitting there, staring at the wall?”

“Yeah.”

“That sucks.”

“It sure does.”

“But you’re back. Safe.” His gaze scanned my frame. “I should’ve gone with you.”

I would’ve felt the same if he’d left on a similar mission. “Everything went fine.”

“I would’ve watched your back.” He held up his hand to cut off my protest. “I get it. You’re capable of taking care of yourself, but we’re family. We watch out for each other. Always have. Always will.”

My friend truly was back, and I couldn’t be happier. This time, I hugged him , and he rubbed my back in a way that felt warm, comforting, and amazing.

“I wanted to thank you for all you did to protect me at Bledmire,” he said, stepping back. “You and Vexxion. I’ll tell him when he . . .” He sucked in a breath and released it with his words. “When he’s back. Which he will be. You did it for me, and you’re going to do it for him. You won’t give up until he’s with you once more. That’s one of the things I admire the most about you, Tempest. Your dedication to friends.”

His support meant everything to me.

“I have a collar for him,” I said.

Bro’s breath caught, and his eyes widened. He traced a fingertip across his nape. “One of these?”

“Yes.”

Concern shadowed his eyes. “Where did you get it? ”

“I negotiated for it after I spoke with the commander. Jessia’s in charge now.”

“Really?” he gushed. “She’s perfect for that role.”

“I think so too.”

He gripped my arms, making me meet his eyes. “You didn’t endanger yourself to get that collar, did you?”

“No.” Thought I would’ve. Anything .

What had Vexxion given in exchange for four collars? The Liege drove a hard bargain for one. Was Vexxion’s deal complete? It didn’t matter. We hadn’t seen the last of that Liege.

“Did one of the fae give it to you?” Brodine shook his head. “No, that can’t be right. You went to the fortress. But Jessia wouldn’t have anything like that.”

“No, she wouldn’t.”

“I thought Lieges made the collars.”

“That’s what some believe.”

I wouldn’t tell him where I got it even if he pressed me.

Thankfully, he let it go. “You told Jessia about the flying dregs.”

“Right away.”

“Good. She’ll let the other commanders know and they’ll be on high alert. We’ve done what we can to help our friends.” His posture loosened, and he rubbed his palms together. “I bet you can’t wait to place that collar around Vexxion’s neck. Do you mind if I watch?”

“Why not?” Striding over to Vexxion, I stared down at him.

His gaze remained locked on nothing, as if he awaited directions to complete a simple task. A vise gripped my throat and cold claws sunk into my lungs. The air around us thickened, every word and touch Ivenrail had stolen from me worse than stinging grit in my eyes.

A storm raged through me, a cyclone of need. I was desperate to pull him back to my side, but so far, it felt like I was trying to grasp mist. I’d loved this man almost from the moment I met him, and my feelings would never change. Desperation settled on my soul, a heavy, unmovable weight.

The collar would work. It had to work. I couldn’t bear to see Vexxion like this any longer.

“I’ve got something for you, Vexxion,” I whispered, climbing onto the sofa beside him. “Something wonderful.”

“I’m here for you.” Brodine hurried over and lifted his hand toward me before letting it drop to his side. “You know, just in case.” He sat on the edge of the low table in front of the sofa, his hands loose on his thighs, his gaze fixed on Vexxion. “It’s going to work. I know it. He’ll be back, and then we can leave. We need to get out of here before more of those dregs arrive.”

He had that right.

I stared at the man I loved who was trapped in a world I couldn’t reach. Reyla hadn’t spoken much about the ether, stating only that it was as desolate as the dreg wasteland, that only sorrow and pain blew through that land, that she knew she’d die there if she didn’t escape. That she’d become one with the stars.

I tugged the collar from my pocket and held it out in front of Vexxion, though his gaze didn’t focus on the strands. “This is going to help you.” My swallow did not want to go down. “He won’t be able to use you any longer. ”

It couldn’t bring Vexxion back, though I’d keep pouring my magic into him with the spell that seemed to help my friends.

Why hadn’t I asked the Liege for a spell that would drag Vexxion’s mind from the ether?

Because I knew that with the collar, he’d no longer be bound to a monster, and that was the most important thing. Ivenrail had ensnared Vexxion in a noose from the time he was a child, and finally, we could remove the wretched thing and toss it away.

My spell had worked with Brodine and Reyla. I’d make it work with Vexxion. No need to make a second bargain with a Liege who saw too much and demanded everything in exchange.

My love was so much taller than me. I couldn’t reach, so I climbed onto his lap. Knowing Ivenrail would no longer be able to track him, that he could no longer manipulate Vexxion, made hope soar inside me.

I rose onto my knees and leaned into him, pressing my forehead against his. I drew up power and sent it to him with the spell. Over and over until my hands shook, and I could barely hold onto the collar.

“Do it.” Brodine leaned in, his hand landing on Vexxion’s arm. “Hey, um, Vex? It won’t hurt.” He lowered his voice for my ears alone. “I don’t think it did. I don’t really remember.” My friend sounded so lost and alone. I couldn’t imagine what he’d been through. “But if it was horrible, I would’ve felt it. You can trust in that, Tempest. What you’re doing is right and it won’t hurt him.”

I was grateful to have Brodine here with me .

After sucking in a breath and shooting it back out, I wrapped the collar around Vexxion’s throat. It sunk into his skin. When the old one was rejected, I didn’t burn it like I ached to do. I placed it in my pocket for another time.

Everything. I would’ve given everything to be able to do this for Vexxion.

And I still might have to.

Vexxion sucked in a breath. Another. His head tipped back, and his eyes—his gloriously beautiful and now clear eyes—met mine.

“Fuck, it worked,” Brodine crowed, wiggling around on the table.

Drask squawked and flew up, landing on the sofa behind Vexxion. The bird leaned around to peer at Vexxion’s face.

“Vexxion,” I breathed.

He looked down at me . . . and I saw the glorious, gorgeous, delicious man I loved there.

My face stung from my wide smile, and tears sprung from my eyes and trickled down my face.

Cupping his shoulders, I kissed him, savoring how wonderful it felt to touch him in this way. We’d find time for us soon where we could—

He wrenched backward and scowled down at me. “Who in the fates are you?”