Cursed by Malignant Magic (Once Upon A Curse)

Chapter 21

Chapter

Twenty-One

H oled up within the walls of the fortress, Legacy and I finally had an actual conversation, and I wasn't sure it was worth the wait.

"Why are you still here?" Legacy asked as I carefully helped her clean her wounds.

I gave a soft snort. I still didn't have an answer for her, but she didn't seem to be willing to let it go.

As I gently cleaned the wound, her hand suddenly closed around my wrist with a firm grip. Startled, I turned to look at her and saw the pain etched on her face. Without a word, she tugged me towards the bed, and I gladly followed, letting myself drop heavily onto the mattress next to her.

Her breathing came ragged and shallow, matching the rhythm of my own heartbeat. I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the heat of her body curling against my side.

"I told you. I don't know. Best I can guess, we're on the same side, at least for now, because it seems like everyone wants to kill us," I pointed out.

Her people and mine thought we were traitors. I was being hunted by Tannin because I knew he was a traitor, but because of him, Ehuna thought I was a traitor. I needed to bring him back to her in chains in order to clear my name, which was getting harder and harder. But unfortunately, I didn't have a better plan.

Not only was I being hunted by my own people, but now Legacy and I were in danger because she knew about me and my escape. Apparently Tannin had some sway on her side as well, or someone else did, because they were going to great lengths to ensure that no one knew about me. Because I could sniff out magic? Or had they already known I could do magic without a gauntlet, even before Tannin’s bird had flown over and possibly seen me?

I tilted my head. "You said the advisors on both sides. Do you know who it is on your side?"

I had no idea how her visions worked, but there was certainly some value to them if she could say things like that with such complete certainty. I would have preferred having gotten some warning before we were attacked, or before I had been shot in the leg with a crossbow bolt, but I didn't have any visions at all, so beggars couldn't be choosers. Still, I was curious.

"I do," Legacy said slowly. "But I don't know his name. Just his face. What about yours?"

I didn't see any reason not to tell her. If we were going to trust one another, we had to start somewhere, and it might as well be with this.

"His name is Tannin," I said. "He's one of the high-ranking advisors, Ehuna's commander. He came to see me when your people held me captive the first time."

"How did you know his name?"

I shrugged. "I've seen him around before, but he told me his name then."

Lips pursed, Legacy reached for the cloth next to her, and I slapped her hand away so I could do it. She was the one who had stopped me from cleaning it in the first place. She smirked as I went back to work.

She seemed to be thinking hard about something, and I wanted nothing more than to reach out and shake her until she told me. I'd told her what I was thinking, not that there was much going on inside my head at any one time.

“Hey,” I prodded her, and she jerked her head toward me.

"Yes. Sorry. Just thinking."

I rolled my eyes. I had figured that out for myself. "Share. I want to know too."

Legacy sighed. "Just thinking about my visions. With everything I've seen lately, it's starting to make a little more sense. Our own people have turned against us because of what we know and what we can do, or not do, for them."

"It's taken you this long to figure out that they're using us?" Again, a bit tart, but not a bad point, I thought.

She snorted, nudging my hand with the bloody cloth away. "Yes and no. It's taken me this long to put together what my visions have been showing me. It doesn't make me feel any better to know that we're being used as weapons by people we should trust. I can't trust anyone."

Her breath hitched, and I raised my gaze to hers, our eyes connecting.

I swallowed, unable to look away. "You can trust me. At least for now."

She looked away first, and my hand tightened around the damp cloth. I shouldn't have said it that way, but I couldn't lie, not right now. For now, we were all each other had. I was the closest thing she had to a friend, as unfortunate as that truth was, and the same was true for me.

Something jangled outside, and I jerked my head toward the open window, my heart pounding.

Legacy and I were both bleeding a bit, and we had both used magic to attack those chasing us. If it came down to having to do it again, I was fairly sure I could use my magic, but I was far less sure that I could control it without a gauntlet or a bracelet.

Attacking a large group was easy. Not accidentally killing myself or my strange new ally with the magic? Not so easy.

I stood and turned toward the window, holding my hand out to help Legacy to her feet. "Well, whoever that is, we need to get a plan together. Get thinking because we probably don't have much time."