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

29. Tempest

29

TEMPEST

I flitted from the aerie to my room at the manor and collapsed on the bed, pressing my palms against my face. I wanted to block out the sorrow in Madrood’s voice, the sadness in his eyes. He clearly regretted what he’d done.

How could I forgive him for killing my mother?

Vexxion appeared beside me on the bed and gathered me into his arms. He kissed my forehead and pressed his chin to the top of my head like he’d done so many times when he loved me.

If—when—he loved me again, he’d tell me, so I didn’t ask.

I wouldn’t need to ask.

“Why are you sad?” he asked. “I took a long walk, but even from quite a distance, I felt you needed me.”

“I was with Madrood.”

“He told you, then.”

“Yes.” My eyes stung, and I let my tears flow. I had the feeling holding them back would break me, and I wouldn’t be able to put myself back together again.

“I’m sorry.”

“I grew up thinking my parents abandoned me or that they were killed by dregs. If I thought too hard about it, I’d tell myself they’d cared while they had me with them. Now to discover this.” I waved my hand to the world in general. “I saw her in a vision, and I wish I could watch it again so I could feel the warmth in her eyes when she looked at me.”

“What vision?”

I looked down to keep him from reading the thoughts in my eyes, but then I realized he didn’t need to steal this from me. I’d gladly give it to him. “I went to Ivenrail’s bedroom and freed pixies from a picture. They gave me gifts, three finger bones.”

His hand that had been rubbing my back in slow circles stilled. “How did you free them?”

“You taught me the spell. You suggested I could be a beast master.”

“Hmm.”

“When I touched each finger bone, it gave me a vision. I saw the king place the collar around your neck when you were a little boy.”

He held up his hand with the missing pinky tip. “Mine.”

“Another bone showed him revealing flying dregs to a Liege.”

“Whose bone was that?”

“I don’t know. The third bone is Vera’s, and I watched as she told my mother about our betrothal. They called the child Brenna, and I didn’t realize she was me. ”

“Where are these bones?”

I shifted away from him, hating to put a gap between us, but only long enough to tug the tiny pouch out of my pocket.

“Your pinky finger bone is here,” I said. “I can give it back to you.”

“I don’t want it. The pixies gave it to you.”

“But the king stole it from you. It didn’t belong to the pixies or him.”

“Keep it. You might need it.”

“For what?”

He shrugged. “I’m not sure. It’s instinct, I suppose. I don’t want to see it again.”

“Fair enough.” I was going to touch each of them soon. If they contained visions I needed to see, I’d face them head on. No avoiding whatever destiny chose to show me.

I snuggled back into his embrace, in a sense, stealing his affection. I’d have to pull away soon. His caring didn’t belong to me until he wanted to give it to me with all of his heart.

“You were there when Madrood killed my mother,” I said.

“The king always made sure I was with him when he carried out his form of justice in the throne room. Burning them or trapping them within a picture. Whichever he chose as his whim of the day. He enjoyed the small twitches of horror I couldn’t quite hide. Just as much, he savored torturing them. He knew it would serve as a warning not only for his entire court but for me.”

“You fought him even then.”

“From the time I saw who he was.”

“When he killed your mother. ”

“Even before then.”

“He’s a sick fucker.”

His snort rang out. “He sure is, which is why we’ll kill him.”

“Soon.”

“When it’s time.”

“It never seems to be the right time. I could flit there now and do it. You no longer wear his collar.”

“He’ll expect it. He’ll be waiting.”

“He already is. As we left, I shouted that I’d be back and that I’d kill him. I’m sure he heard.”

“If he’s wise, he’s hiding,” he said.

“I doubt that man ever hides. He believes he’s untouchable.”

“We’ll prove him wrong.”

I leaned back and looked up at him. “We.”

“I’m with you in this, Tempest. Always.”

But not with me in his heart. I told myself I’d do all I could to win him again, that I could make him feel what he had before he was drained, but perhaps the best way to woo someone was without pushing.

“You know everything now, don’t you?” he said.

“If I did, I’m sure I could end this. But I assume you’re speaking about your past and the secrets you kept from me. I hope I know everything.”

“I don’t know if I’m keeping things from you or not. I’ll tell you anything I can. I suspect I shouldn’t hold anything else back.”

“I need all the information before I can act.”

“I’ll help you. I want to do that.”

At least he still felt the same in this .

“Would you like to see something perfect?” he asked.

“Sure.” Maybe it could cheer me up.

He flitted us to a small garden.

My breath caught as I took in the beds surrounding us full of black roses with silver tips. I’d seen them in the courtyard but there were so many here.

“Your mother planted these, plus the ones in the courtyard,” he said. “I tended them for her after she . . .”

Burned.

“How did you get through the thorns covering the island?” I walked to the closest flower bed and stared. I didn’t dare to touch them—not yet.

“I think they never held me back because we’re betrothed.”

“Vera said the thorns allowed you and the others inside because you love Lydel.” I’d wanted to think that meant Vexxion loved me since I was the high lady of this court, but perhaps he loved the roses.

He came up behind me, standing close enough I could feel his warmth seeping into my back. He didn’t press himself against me, and he didn’t hold me like he would’ve in the past, which ripped apart my heart once more. I was holding on because I had to, but damn did it hurt. All the time.

“I know I love you,” he said softly. “It’s somewhere inside me. I wish I could touch it. Feel it, because I believe that feeling defines who I am and who I will always be.”

I closed my eyes, but while this cut the flowers from my sight, it did nothing to close off my emotional turmoil. Opening them, I stepped away from him. I couldn’t do this if he was close. It was a tease. Not on his part but by the fates. They held him out to me, but each time I tried to touch him with love, they yanked him away.

“When did you first come here?” I asked.

“When I was twelve. I knew we were betrothed, and I’d heard of the curse. I wanted to see it, I suppose. I’d been here once when I was very small. I could barely remember anything about that visit that must’ve come before the king took me and my mother. We went inside the manor, but I didn’t have the rooms solid in my mind. But these,” his hand swept out to the flower beds, “I remembered them and this garden. The thorns allowed me to flit through without a challenge, and that’s when I realized there may be no curse, but a spell placed by your mother. Because I saw she loved them when we visited, and I was equally enthralled by their beauty, I flitted here whenever I could. At first, it was an escape from what I faced at Bledmire, but then it became my purpose. I told myself that as long as I kept these roses alive, you would also live. That I would find you and things would be better.”

“You saw my image when you were five.”

He lifted his arm, revealing the mark on his wrist. My own tingled as if him calling attention to his generated a connection with mine. “This appeared, and I knew. I was just a boy, so I didn’t feel anything romantic, of course, but back then, I told myself that no matter what was done to me, no matter how horrible my life was, there was someone out there who was waiting for me.” His gaze met mine. “You.”

“And now we’re here in Lydel and together.”

“We’re betrothed.”

I didn’t want to marry him if he didn’t love me. Him wanting to love me was a completely different thing, and it wasn’t enough. If I’d grown up here, we would’ve met. Would we have fallen in love? I suspected no matter who he was or where he lived, our souls would’ve connected.

Why wasn’t his soul connecting with mine now?

I was too impatient. It hadn’t been long.

My goal was to raise an army and lead the charge to kill Ivenrail. Doing it without Vexxion by my side would gut me.

Such a selfish thought. The king needed to die to restore balance, and if that was all that came from this, I had to accept it. Maybe once this was over, Vexxion and I could find our way to each other again.

I carefully plucked a flower and flitted to our bedroom, where I placed the bloom in a vase. Picking them for myself instead of Vexxion doing it for me almost felt like a betrayal.

Or the beginning of me walking down a lonely path without him.

Because tears kept springing up in my eyes, I left the flower, striding into the sitting area where I picked up one object after another, mindlessly making my way around the room. Thoughts spiraled through my mind, something that could either be a good thing or the start of my ruin.

Vexxion didn’t follow me, and I wasn’t sure what to think about that.

I loved him. Was that enough for both of us?

The journal that matched the one I’d left with Jessia glowed. I’d left it on a table in the sitting area, and if I hadn’t been looking that way, I would’ve missed it.

Hurrying over to it, I flipped it open to read her message .

It’s happening, she wrote. Three villages near the northern most fortress were attacked overnight by flying dregs. Dragon flights beat them back, but they lost half their riders and dragons.

Damn. How many villagers were taken?

None, oddly enough. What’s even worse, her words scribbled across the page before my eyes, Is that they only took out a quarter of our attacking force. There were so many flying dregs, they couldn’t count them, but they turned and fled.

Why do you think they left? I wrote. They could’ve pushed forward and taken villagers.

One of the other commanders thinks it was a test. That they’ll be back and the next time, they’ll take as many of us as they can.

We need to figure out how to fight them and fast.

You’re right. Suggestions?

I shared my idea about darts, though it wasn’t much. I’ll talk to my friends and get back to you soon. I’ll also speak with the dragons. They might have suggestions. Or secrets they hadn’t yet shared.

How do you plan to speak with dragons? You were an amazing trainer, but as far as I know, no one can talk to them.

Oh, yes, I hadn’t mentioned I’d bonded with Madrood and that we could communicate in our minds. I’ve found a way, was all I said.

I always suspected there was more to you than just an orphan raised in a border fortress. You’re one of those they were looking for.

Ivenrail had sought those with power because he hoped to find the heir to Lydel.

I’m going to fix this, I wrote.

I hope you can come up with a permanent solution. We’ll do all we can to hold them off, she said, but he seems to have found a way to make more.

We both worried this could be the beginning of the end for us all.

Anything else? I asked.

I found a small pouch on the ground near where we kept the flying dreg.

What was odd about that? People lost things all the time.

There were a few bone coins inside, she wrote. I burned them, of course. I’m glad I found them when I did because . . .

What?

The flying dreg escaped the pen.

I sucked in a breath and stared at the words.

How did it get out? I wrote, the pencil shaking in my hand.

That’s the odd thing. I checked the locks myself each night before returning to my quarters, and they were always secure. But one morning, the dreg was gone, and the locks hadn’t been touched.

What do you think happened?

No idea. We’ve looked around, she wrote, but it’s not like this one had distinguishing characteristics. The flight I sent out saw a pack of dregs flying in the distance, but not wanting to draw attention, they didn’t go near them. They’ll attack us soon enough as it is. I assume the one that escaped rejoined the others and that it dislodged the clips on its wings. I could almost feel her sigh. One more for us to kill. I should’ve gotten rid of it while I had the chance.

One more won’t make a difference, I wrote. Let me know if anything changes.

Same. Take care. We need you.

We need you just as much .

She must’ve laughed. I’m a lowly commander in a border fortress.

And to most, I’m a lowly orphan who grew up in that fortress. The might of one can make all the difference.

Yes. You’re right. Thank you. We’ll talk again soon.

After signing off, I closed the journal.