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

39. Tempest

39

TEMPEST

S hock washed over me, and I lifted my head. “It doesn’t want me to read.”

“That makes no sense.” Sucking in a breath and releasing it, Reyla took the book from me and scooted back to lean against the armrest, flopping the book onto her legs outstretched between us. When she opened it, utter bewilderment crossed her face. “It’s . . . I can read it.” Blinking fast, she scrolled to the beginning and ran her finger down the page. “Everything’s here, just like it was the last time I looked at it.”

From where I sat, the pages remained blank.

“Do you think . . .” A look of puzzlement settled on her face, her mouth turning down.

“That it doesn’t want me to read? Yeah. Yet it seems happy to let you scroll, though.”

She bit down on her lower lip, and tipped her head back against the armrest, lost in thought. “Why? ”

I shrugged. “Maybe because it only wants to reveal things you need to see.”

Her lips curled up in a sly smile, and for a ghost of a moment, she perked up. “So tell me what you want me to know.”

Clever.

There were so many things I needed to understand. Where to start? If the book caught on to what we were doing, it may go blank for her. Which was most important? Bone coins. The Lieges. The Blade of Alessa. I wanted to know everything, but I had to prioritize just in case. “Anything about the powerless?”

Yawning again, she flipped to the chapter and grunted. “It’s a short chapter, only a few lines.”

Had it caught on to what we were doing? Damn thing. “Tell me what it says.”

Her voice lifted as she read. “The powerless will center the balance between those behind the veil and the lesser fae on the main continent.”

“Does it call the lesser fae Nullens?”

Her finger traced along the next line as she read. “Yes. The lesser fae rejected their magic and will call themselves Nullens.”

One thing confirmed, assuming we could trust the book. “Anything else?”

She held up her finger but continued reading. “Trust their guardians to protect them.”

“Guardians?”

“The Eratis are the key.” Her shoulders curled forward, and she flopped sideways, landing on the cushion. “That’s it. That’s all it says.”

“Eratis . . . Eratis.” My skin prickled. “Iasar and Amronth are the last Eratis dragons.”

“The dragons you freed from the door.”

“When Delaine tried to kill me, Iasar came to my defense. He shot blue flames at the Lieges, but while the flames held them back, it didn’t appear to hurt them.”

“Because they can’t hurt those they protect?” she asked, her eyelids sliding closed before popping open again.

Maybe. I grumbled, wishing the book told us more. Why did everything have to be teased out of the fates? I was convinced they were involved with this. Were they watching, chuckling with glee as I floundered around trying to figure this out before Ivenrail killed us?

Reyla had dozed off but jerked awake again.

“You need to go to bed,” I said.

“Later. Promise.”

I could grumble, but I wasn’t going to get anything from that book tonight without her. “Bone coins.”

She scrolled to the chapter, finding it blank. “I think you’re right. It doesn’t want me to read anything from that section to you.”

Hardly surprising. “How about the Blade of Alessa?”

After looking it up in the table of contents, she flipped to that chapter. “Yay. Well, there are more than a few lines. Let me read.” Her soft voice drifted through the room.

The blade was ancient, a lost object from the fae past.

Only one person could wield it, the one with the will of a true hero. I’d read that before. Who would wield it; me or one of my friends?

Seek it in your time of need. Yup, I was seeking it. More or less. It wasn’t like I’d stumbled onto a trail leading to it.

“The blade can fulfill the will of the cursed heart,” she said, her head tilting. “Cursed heart?”

“That’s vague. It could mean Vexxion, who seems to have a cursed heart.”

“Or me since I lost Kinart. You could say my heart is cursed.”

“Or me,” I said. “Maybe I’m cursed to love Vexxion forever while he likes me one moment, then rejects me the next.”

Reaching out, she rubbed my arm. “He loves you. Never doubt that. It won’t end like this.”

But would it? We could be dead within a month. We might never find our way back to each other.

I couldn’t imagine stepping forward into a life alone after this was over. Stark emptiness would hollow out my heart until I was nothing but a shell aching for his love. Reyla wondered how she could go on without Kinart, and I feared I faced something similar. I hadn’t lost Vexxion to death, but I felt I’d still lost him.

“There’s only a little more in this chapter.” Reyla looked down at the book. “Deeper still lies the hidden breach; through a sapphire canopy beyond Nullen reach.” Her gaze met mine. “What does that mean?”

“It’s part of the riddle the Eratis dragons gave me.” I recited it to her, hoping she’d have insight. “A blade will be forged in light, torn away from thorn’s blight, and veiled beneath the gaze of eternal right.” The phrasing had repeated itself in my mind when I stared into the flying dreg’s eyes. Did the powerless play a role in this?

“Are we assuming that’s referring to the Blade of Alessa?” she asked, resting her tired head against the cushions.

“I suspect this is the only blade that can kill Ivenrail.”

“The fates are a pain in the ass.”

I snorted, grateful all over again to have my friend back. “They sure are.”

“Why not just lay it out for us?”

“They could want us to maintain free will.”

“What kind of free will sets you on a course to kill the person who’s determined to destroy our world? That’s a lot to drop onto anyone’s shoulders.”

“I’ll do what I need to.” In that, my resolve remained strong.

“Finally, revenge for murdering Kinart and so many others. I hope I’m there to see you drive this mythical blade into his chest.”

I hoped she was well away from the area, where she’d be safe, but I understood. If Ivenrail killed Vexxion, I’d want to slash the blade across his throat myself.

“Thorns,” she said. “They seem to play a role in a lot of this. Your mother cursed this island to protect it, covering it with thorns.” Her head tilted. “Do you think the blade is on Lydel Island?”

“If it is, it better reveal itself soon. The next lines say, where no foot treads and no eye shall see, guarded by silence, as if held within trees.”

“I imagine when the time comes, the fates will reveal details that’ll send you skipping down a pretty path where you’ll find the blade. Within trees, whatever that means.”

“I doubt this is going to be easy.”

“Nothing ever is. Is there more to the riddle?”

“Split between realms where the horizon meets the world beyond, half 'neath stars where dreams unspoken are drawn. It waits where a blood-red sun does sink. In dawn’s embrace—it's there you must seek.”

“This has to refer to where you’ll find the blade. Dawn. Morning. On the west, since that’s where the sun sinks.”

We both shrugged.

“Seek a land with a lady unjustly dethron’d,” I recited. “One you will find while chasing down the crow in silvery flames.”

“Your mother. Lydel. Drask was in the lead when we flew over the island.”

She’d figured that out so fast.

“Is that it?” she asked.

“Deeper still lies the hidden breach. Through a sapphire canopy beyond Nullen reach. As good gives way to blight and between two souls bathed in evil’s forgotten light—”

“We’re facing that right now.” She frowned down at her hands flopped on the top of the open book. “The two souls must be you and Vexxion.”

“I think so too. There’s only a little bit more.” I sucked in a breath and spit out the rest. “Whispers will reveal what shadows keep. To lose all hope or dare to take the leap. When nature bends and true love speaks with all its might; Only then will justice end this bitter blight.”

She thought about this part for a long while, her eyes closed as she leaned against the sofa. For a moment, I thought she’d fallen asleep again, but then she spoke.

“When the time’s right, you’ll understand. That’s how I interpret the whispers line. The second must mean you’ll face a challenge. Nothing new there. No idea what bending nature means, but I assume the rest is more about you and Vexxion needing to face the final battle together to end the bitter blight. That’s Ivenrail for sure; a bitter blight. No more?”

“That’s it.”

“It’s much too vague.” She glanced down at the book. “What else would you like me to try to read?”

“Nothing.” I rubbed her arm. “Sleep. We can dig into it tomorrow.”

Her slow nod jerked her head up and down. “I’ll keep it in my pack, and you can take it any time. It’ll be inside the closet.” She leaned back against the cushions and her eyes slid closed before she snapped them open again.

I slid off the sofa. “Go to bed. Sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“You’re claiming your court’s core tomorrow. I mean swallowing it.” Her head tilted and she studied my face. “What do you think that means?”

“I’m going to find out.”

“Yeah.” She got up and her body swayed. I latched onto her, holding her steady. She really was tired. So was I. All of us were.

And we’d barely gotten started.

“Watch out for yourself tomorrow,” she said softly, her eyes locking on mine.

“I will. ”

“Good.” She eased past me, and I followed. I stayed behind her until she’d climbed into bed, where I tugged the blankets up to her throat.

“A kiss on the cheek, Mother?” she whispered, her eyes already closed and a sweet smile on her face.

I leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Sleep well, Reyla.”

“You too, Tempest.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too.”

I swore she’d drifted off before I left the room.

Rather than flitting, I crept through the halls. There’d be little sleep for me tonight. I had too much to do and not enough time to get it all done.

Brodine was leaning against the wall outside my door.

“Hey,” I said as I approached him.

He turned, and relief spilled onto his face. “I knocked, but you didn’t answer, and I was worried. No way you could’ve slept through my banging.” His cheeks pinkened. “I figured you’d left, that you had something to do. I decided to wait.” He strode over to me, and we paused beside the railing. “Are you alright? You look sad.”

“I’m fine.” No, but I was keeping most of my mourning to myself.

“If you need to talk or just sit and stare at the fire, I’ll sit with you. I won’t chatter or make you share if you don’t want to. I just want to be your friend.” He sounded so earnest that my heart cracked wide open.

“Thank you.” What I had to do needed to be done alone.

“I wanted to tell you that. I know I . . .” His swallow worked its way down his throat. “I want our friendship more than anything. It means the world to me. I won’t push for anything else.”

“I appreciate it.”

His nod jerked out. “Remember that. Any time you want to talk or take a walk or make cookies or something, I hope you’ll come to me.”

“You know I can’t bake.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t make cookies. I’d still eat them. I need what we had before; it’s worth everything to me.”

I gave him a hug, grateful to have this friend back as well. With my family around me, parts of my life shone better than they ever had before. I let myself fall back into the wonderful feeling.

We pulled apart, and he rubbed my arm.

“Any time,” he said softly.

“Thanks.”

He shifted around me and strode down the hall and after sending a wave my way, he started down the stairs.

Something drifted across the landing below him, catching my eye. A wisp of a tattered robe? Nah. It couldn’t be.

Leaning over the rail, I frowned, studying the area, but whatever I’d seen wasn’t there any longer. Brodine swept through that section and strode down the hall below this one, disappearing from view.

With a shake of my head, I entered my room, locking the door behind me. I waited to make sure Brodine was truly gone before striding into the room. What should I do first?

The most frightening thing on my agenda, of course .

Before I lost my nerve, I gathered power and flitted to Ivenrail’s sitting area. My heartbeat slammed in my throat as I peered around.

My eyes and body were drawn to the Wraithweave board. What would I find this time? I doubted anyone was playing this game, not moving pieces from one position to another. The fates were running things now, and this deadly game was mirrored by me and my friends.

The master, his enforcer, and his defenders had moved to the portion of Lydel under his control, and they faced the island. Did this mean Ivenrail and Kerune were about to attack? I needed to finish here and return to my court. Free my army and stand ready to defend what was right and good.

The high lady now stood on Lydel Island with her defenders by her side. Even the dragon was there with her, though he’d moved to the eastern shore. Seeking other dragons to join our force? It must be.

Only one of the master’s pieces remained at Bledmire.

The white high lady’s defender stood not far from her, facing her way. For the first time, I dared to touch, lifting it and staring at the blank, smooth object. The color could mean everything and nothing.

“Who are you?” I whispered.

“That’s a good question.”

I spun to find High Advisor Adwarin sitting on the throne. “I knew you’d come here tonight.”

Could he see the future?

A flick of his finger, and I was flung into the wooden chair in front of the fireplace. Vines snapped out from the floor to pin me in place.

I drew magic and blazed it across the vines but unlike in the past, they didn’t burn. They tightened to dig into my skin.

My cry of pain shot up my throat, but I bit it back.

High Advisor Adwarin flitted to stand in front of me, leaning so close his sour breath coated my features.

“So nice of you to return.” His slick smile grew. “You owe me for two daughters, Tempest, and I’m calling my price due.”

The pad of his thumb smacked against my forehead.