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

24. Tempest

24

TEMPEST

I tumbled through the mesh as if it wasn’t there. Not a single thorn gouged me, and I felt no impact when I reached it. As I kept falling, the thorny shroud sealed closed behind me, locking me away from my friends and cutting off their shrill cries.

Silence echoed in the stillness that followed.

My jaw unhinged as I took in a vast stone city below made up of buildings that gleamed silver in the sunlight. Numerous statues stood in the paths weaving through town, and a pall of disarray hung over the place. The echo of people moving with joy in their hearts and on their faces thrummed through me, but I sensed that this time had long since passed.

The sight of the brilliant blue sea glistening beyond the city jerked my mind back to the present.

After quickly drawing power, I flitted, landing inside the living area I’d seen in Vera’s vision. A mirror still hung on the wall to my right, the one my aunt had peered into. She’d done it to make sure I saw and remembered her face.

A large open living area as big as two residences back at the fortress combined surrounded me, and it felt as vibrant as it had the time I’d stepped into this room’s past in my mind. The ceiling rose three stories and stencil work in golden vines glinted around the upper parts of the walls. The same homey feeling I’d experienced back then persisted, perhaps borrowed from my and Layla’s toys that lay scattered across the gleaming floor. They waited for someone to pick them back up and play.

I stepped over to the fireplace and studied the carved wooden dragons caught in mid-flight, mounted on thin supports. They soared across the thick slab-of-wood mantle dominating the area above the fireplace. I wanted to touch the dragons, but I didn’t quite dare.

The cold hearth hadn’t held a fire in such a long time that the ashes had aged. There’d been no fire here for twenty years, to be exact.

Sunlight streamed through a long row of tall, narrow windows to the left of the fireplace, sunbeams skittering across the marble floor lovingly draped with ornate and still pristine carpets. Gossamer curtains fluttered in the breeze trickling in through the open windows, carrying with it the heady scent of roses, much like the perfume Vexxion left for me to add to my bath.

Roses . . .

I rushed to the window and stared out, gasping at the garden full of them. Black with silver tips. Were these the same roses Vexxion had plucked for me? How could he reach them if they were hidden beneath the thorns?

“Your mother adored them,” someone said behind me. “She planted them everywhere, much to the bemusement of your father. Their perfume made him sneeze.”

I whirled around to find Aunt Vera walking across the room, her long, pale peach gown swirling across her matching shoes. She’d tied her waist-length, gray-flecked hair at the nape of her neck, and if not for a few tiny wrinkles around her eyes, I wouldn’t know she was much older than me.

“They’re my mother’s roses?” I asked.

“She loved them, and now they’re yours. Welcome, High Lady of Lydel Court.” She dipped forward in a low curtsy, spreading her skirt wide and bowing her head.

“I’m still trying to get used to the idea.” I was no high lady. “I’m an orphan who grew up in a border fortress. A dragon rider and trainer. A soldier.” And the fated mate of the High Lord of Weldsbane Court who was betrothed to me when I was a small child. “Shouldn’t you be the high lady since you’re the eldest?”

Straightening, she gave me a brief smile. “My older brother, your father, inherited the court, and as his eldest child, it’s now yours.” Her low laugh rang out. “And I’m no elder.”

“You’re older than me,” I said as delicately as I could.

Her sharp gaze met mine. “The true elders are dead, murdered by that monster on the Bledmire throne. When the time comes, I’ll give you what advice I can, but I’m afraid you’ll be alone and without guidance.”

“Without guidance in what? ”

“Claiming your court’s core.”

“That time is coming.” The need for it slashed through me. “I don’t remember my father. Or my mother, for that matter.”

“Your father was murdered when you were three.”

“Ivenrail?”

She tapped her lips and shook her head. “There are names we shouldn’t speak unless we wish to call them to us.”

“I’m sure he knows I intended to come here.”

“But he doesn’t know you’ve arrived.”

I couldn’t see how that made a difference. When he was ready to attack again, he’d do so. Had he gorged himself on enough power yet to bash his way through the thorny mesh protecting Lydel’s last holdout?

“What should I call him then?” I asked. “The king?”

“A fiend. A murderer. A man who will soon pay for the horror he’s inflicted on others.”

“I like your term, monster,” I said with a laugh that came out a touch too shrill. Sweat trickled down my spine, and each of my breaths stabbed through my lungs. I was on edge yet thrilled by the intensity of this moment. Finally, I was here. What would happen next? Exhilaration spiked through my fear, leaving me trembling but feeling more alive than I’d been in a very long time.

She crossed over to a sideboard and poured two small glasses of wine from a crystal decanter. The liquid swirled and glowed as if it contained fire. Returning to me, she handed me one of the glasses, raising hers.

“To the rebirth of Lydel Court, and to our new high lady,” she said. “May your rule revive magic, vanquish evil, and free the souls ensnared by shadows of the past.”

“We’ll do it together,” I said.

We tapped our glasses, releasing a musical ping, then drained them. I tasted berries, magic, and starlight. An odd way to describe it, but it fit.

Heat from the wine swirled through me, and for an instant, I could swear the city hummed, but the sound fell off to nothing, leaving only the chirp of birds and the rustle of leaves in the garden.

“I knew you’d arrive soon.” Aunt Vera took our empty glasses back to the sideboard. “I have the gift of sight.” Her smile revealed a dimple in her right cheek I’d inherited. “I’m the first in my family to be born with the foretelling skill, though I hope there will one day be others.”

“You can see the future?”

“Some things.” Her brow knit with concern. “I wish I could see everything, but that would leach most of the joy from life, don’t you think?”

“Not if the knowledge can help others.”

“Sometimes it can, and sometimes, that knowledge tastes much too bitter. Sadly, my magic doesn’t allow me to choose.” She looked me up and down before enfolding me in her frail arms. “Welcome home, my little love. I’ve missed you terribly.”

I blinked past a veil of tears, though I spilled them for the child I’d been, not the woman I was now. “Why didn’t you tell me everything when I freed you from the portrait?”

“What you learned after I left had to unfold at the proper time.” Releasing me, she stepped backward. “I couldn’t tell you much, but I can share some things now.”

“I want you to tell me everything, but first, we need to bring my friends here.”

“Yes, you’ll see them soon.” Her cheeks sparkled with tears, and she swiped them away. “Your sister is well? I cannot wait to see her again. I imagine she’s as grown up as you.”

“I like her. We’re trying to find each other again, and there’s no forcing something like that.”

“I haven’t seen her since I left her in the queen’s garden.”

“Since you dumped her there, you mean.”

Her face pinched and her sad sigh rang out. She tapped her temple. “I knew she’d be safe. I knew she’d be loved.”

“You left her as bait for Ivenrail.”

“And it worked out as it should, now didn’t it?” she said sharply.

“That remains to be seen. She and Zayde are fated mates.”

Vera gaped at me.

“You didn’t see it?”

She huffed. “I told you I don’t see everything.” Her head tilted, and she appeared to gaze inward. “Now that could be interesting. Zayde and Layla? Delightful.”

“Not quite. The monster is still alive, and he and Layla are married. He’s still coming for us. He’ll kill me and take the core from her since she’s next in line. I’m sure he’ll slip through the thorns like I did and stalk through the city until he tracks down the court’s core.”

“He won’t be able to reach it. It’ll be yours by the time he could find a way through your mother’s magic. ”

“What’s keeping him from taking it from me once I’ve obtained it?”

“Your strength of will.”

Did I have much left? The battle hadn’t even gotten started, and my muscles ached, and my confidence flagged. “If he can steal Lydel’s core, Riftflame will give into his demands, and it’ll be over.”

“Which is why we need to make plans.”

I liked that I had family eager to guide me, but I’d learned I could only rely on myself.

“What about me?” I asked, unable to keep the sarcasm from my voice. “Did you know I would be safe and well-loved when you tossed me toward the fortress?”

“You were safe, and you are well loved, are you not?”

My shoulders curled. I was well loved by my friends, but no longer by Vexxion. My throat closed up as if I still wore the torturous vine collar. An ache gnawed at my heart, and I bit back the rising fear that I’d never feel his love again.

“Things have a way of changing quickly.” She gave me a pert nod. “Trust in this. You lost your Lydel family, but you formed a new one who will be true to you until your dying day.”

“Reyla’s like a sister. Brodine’s the best.”

Her head cocked. “Ah, they’re coming through now. I didn’t think it would take them long. Your mate is persistent.”

“He’s been here before.” Assuming this was where he picked the roses.

“Perhaps,” she said.

“Why did the thorns let me through but block my friends?”

“Because the Lydel High Lady needed to arrive here first. Do you feel it?” She closed her eyes, and her face seemed to shimmer. Only then did I hear a subtle, almost whimsical sound spinning through the air.

“What is that?” I whispered, peering around.

“The core magic of your court. I’ll guide you as best I can in claiming it. As for the thorns covering the island, only those who love Lydel can break through and only at the spell’s whim.”

“Break through the curse?”

“There is no curse, just thorns and wards that have protected our court for twenty years. We’ve all been waiting for you.”

“There’s no one here but us.”

“Oh, but there is. You’ll see.” She patted my arm and gave me a sad smile. “Your mother gave her life to cast the spell that covered the island. Did you know that? She protected yours and your sister’s inheritance because you were too young to do so yourself.”

I didn’t remember my mother. I’d seen her during the vision, but I hadn’t known how important she was to me back then. If only I could see her one more time.

“Tempest,” Vexxion bellowed outside.

My heart flipped over. “It’s him.”

Her smile widened. “And the others.”

Are you safe? Madrood snarled in my mind. You seem upset. If someone’s harming you, I’ll blast them with fire.

My laugh choked out. I’m fine. Vera’s here. No one else.

Vera.

Yes, my aunt .

I see. A long pause followed.

Is there a problem? Maybe he knew something about her I didn’t, which reminded me that I needed to be careful with everyone.

Not at all, he said in too jovial a voice. We landed in a big open courtyard in the center of Lydel Manor. I do hope there’s an aerie here and staff to care for my scales. The sea creatures marred them.

I’ll take care of your scales myself, I said.

As you should. You do the best job.

My laugh was still much too shrill. I’ve had plenty of practice.

Why haven’t you joined us in the courtyard? Your mate is looking for you, and I fear he’s going to rip apart this lovely, though overgrown garden to find you. Your friends are frightened. We’ve all been worried.

I’m sorry. I should’ve reached out right away. I’m fine.

“How do I get out of here?” I asked Aunt Vera. I’d climb through a window if I had to. “The others are waiting in the courtyard.”

“Good. You need your friends around you.” She took my hands and linked our fingers, squeezing mine to the point I almost winced. “I still can’t believe you’re here. The time I’ve waited for is finally at hand.”

“What exactly have you been waiting for?”

“For you to claim your inheritance,” she said, releasing me. “For you to free Lydel and restore the balance.”

“You speak of powerless Nullens.”

“Yes, exactly.”

“I want to see my friends, but you and I need to talk soon. There’s so much I have to know. ”

“I’ll share what I can,” she said brightly.

“I assume you’ll also hold things back.”

She nodded, biting down on her lower lip hard enough to drive out the pink.

“Soon,” her smile grew, “you’ll set the world on the right path.”

“Another path?”

Her brow narrowing, and with her eyes locking with mine, she tapped her chin. “Who else has used that term?”

“Iasar.”

Her smile fell, and her eyes spiraled wildly. “You’ve spoken with Iasar?”

“I freed him and Amronth from the front doors. Vexxion created fake images to fool anyone who looks that way.”

“I’m not sure that was a wise thing to do, but, as you say, it’s done. I’m sure he’ll get over his anger.” She clapped her hands and pressed for a smile again, though this one didn’t reach her eyes.

“Why is he angry?”

“For this and that. You stand at the start of the path you were destined for the moment you were born,” she said. “I saw this.”

“I’m not a tool. I’m no one’s savior.”

She tapped my shoulder. “Oh, but you are.”

“No.” I would happily kill the king if given another chance, but if anyone thought they were going to manipulate me into fulfilling their own goals for this world, they’d soon learn they were wrong. I wouldn’t be pushed into doing something I didn’t feel was right, not even for this woman who was family .

“Give this time.” She pivoted and strode toward the double arched entrance on one side of the room. “Follow me.”

She led me down a hall with a door that exited into an enormous courtyard with a big open, tiled area in the center. Planters overflowing with roses and lush beds with various other flowers peppered the outer areas, along with benches where someone could sit and enjoy the view. Tall trees swayed in the breeze, their canopies stretching above the four walls of the manor that had been built in a square with the courtyard in the center.

The dragons had landed in the open area, and my friends remained mounted.

Drask flew over and landed on my shoulder, leaning against my neck to peck my cheek.

“Sorry I worried you, little guy,” I said, stroking his feathers.

He squawked and pecked me some more.

Vera gasped and slipped behind me.

“Are you alright?” I turned to study her face. She was old. Frail. And she’d been locked inside a painting for a very long time. I’d only recently found her, and I didn’t want to lose her.

“I’m fine. Why is that thing here?”

I looked back at my friends who’d dismounted and were shouldering their bags.

“What thing in particular?” I asked, seeking threats but finding none roaring our way.

“Madrood.” The name came out in a snarl.

“He and I bonded.”

“What?” she barked, reeling away from me. “You bonded with the monster’s dragon? ”

“Madrood’s with me now.” A steel blade sliced through my voice. “Do you have a problem with that?”

She stared at him for a long while before her head jerked side to side. “Keep him away from me.”

“Alright.”

You and Aunt Vera have history, I said to Madrood.

Some might say so.

What do you say?

That I’ll speak of this with you soon.

Hmm.

Vexxion flitted to my side. “Are you alright?” he croaked. He reached toward me, but before he could touch me, he frowned and tucked his hand back down by his side.

My heart floundered, and it was all I could do to breathe through the ache in my chest. When he’d cried out my name, I’d hoped it meant he’d remembered what we’d shared, that this chapter of our life could end, and we could move onto the next. That things would finally be wonderful between us.

While he was no longer trapped in the ether, I’d still lost him.

“What happened?” he asked, and I was grateful to at least hear concern in his voice. A towering, thorny wall had risen between us now, one I might never break through. “You fell and the thorns let you pass before sealing closed. Even I couldn’t get to you after that.”

“There’s no curse,” I said as the others joined us. “Lydel recognized me and the spell my mother placed on the island let me through.” I reached toward my aunt, taking her hand and tugging her over to stand with us. “This is my Aunt Vera. You know Vexxion.”

She smiled his way. “Nice to see you again.”

“I remember you,” he said in a neutral tone. His gaze returned to me, and I looked for warmth there, but all I had was foolish hope.

Not yet. Not yet. He would remember me. I had to trust it would happen.

“You showed me an image of Tempest, and my mark . . .” Vexxion lifted his hand and tilted it to reveal the underside of his wrist. Late-day sunlight flashed across the mate mark that matched my own.

I didn’t share mine. Reminding him that I had the same mark would make no difference if he didn’t care.

My chest compressed, my ribs curling inward, gouging at my heart.

What we’d had was perfect. Sublime. I wouldn’t allow anyone to steal it away, not even him.

“Layla,” Vera said softly as my sister and Zayde joined us. Reyla, Brodine, and Airia hung back, and I’d bring them forward and introduce them soon, but this moment was for a reunion. If only I could remember more of our mother than a wisp of a vision. If I touched the bone, would I be sucked back to that time again? Then I could stare at her and savor the moment.

The two women hugged, though Layla looked more startled than excited.

Vera leaned back, bracing Layla’s forearms, and tears fell freely down her face. “I’m so happy you’re here. Welcome.” Her smile encompassed the entire group, and her voice lifted. “Welcome to you all. We have much to talk about, but it can wait until tomorrow.”

I introduced her to my friends.

“You’ll be quite happy here,” she said. “Let’s go inside.” As pink and orange rays gouged across the sky, her bright smile took on a worrisome slant. “It’ll be dark soon. I’ve prepared a small celebration. It’ll be just us for now, but soon, the city will echo with joy.”

I noted the dragons shifting on their haunches. “Where’s the aerie?”

“The cliffs are due north,” Vera said. “There are plenty of open stalls. The dragons left ages ago. It’ll be nice to have some here again.”

“They left with the people?” Airia asked.

“More or less,” Vera said brightly.

Airia glanced toward me. “Would you like me to take care of them? I can make sure they have food, water, and clean sand.”

“I’ll help.”

She shook her head. “Visit with your family. I don’t mind. It’ll keep me busy.” Her muted laughter slipped out. “I want to feel needed, and I imagine I will fairly soon. But for now, I’m happy to fall back to what’s familiar. Dragons. You know what I mean.”

She must feel as lost as me, still trying to find her footing on a new, uneven surface.

“Thank you,” I said.

“We’ll hold dinner for you, my dear,” Vera offered.

“Please don’t.” Airia’s eyes swept across our group, landing on Vexxion. A frown curled across her brow before it smoothed. “I’ll grab something from the kitchen later. I need to spend time alone if that’s alright.”

“Of course,” Vera said graciously. “The cold box is full. Eat whatever you’d like.”

“Thanks.” With a nod, Airia walked over to the dragons. She climbed onto the blue one, and they took flight.

I’ll come to the aerie and take care of your scales, I told Madrood.

Airia will do it for you.

You’re sure?

Yes. Please v isit me first thing in the morning, he said. We have much to discuss.

I thought you couldn’t tell me anything further.

Things have changed. His head snapped to his right, and he peered toward the opposite side of the courtyard. After releasing a low growl, he took flight, soaring behind the blue dragon, followed by Glim.

Vera started toward the back entrance, and we climbed the stairs with her.

A soft fluttering sound made me turn.

I swore someone stood among a cluster of spindly trees on the opposite side of the courtyard, hiding among the shadows.

When I blinked and squinted, I found no one there.