Cursed Page 23

  Viktor held the wriggling insect right by my face. It smelled of rotting flesh. “Any final words, little assassin?”

  The bone crawler’s long antennae flicked down my neck. It took all my Necromancer training not to scream. “Elea. My name’s Elea.”

  “Such a proud little thing,” said Viktor. “I’d like to see you howl again, but this time in fear. Will you do that for me?”

  “No.” My voice came out level and even. Petra would be proud.

  “Everyone screams when I do this.” He jammed the creature against my shoulder. But it didn’t burrow into my skin. Instead, a shock of magick slammed into me, solid as a wall. Violet light flashed across my collarbone.

  Viktor’s eyes narrowed. “What was that? What tricks are you playing?”

  In that moment, I knew the truth. I could wield hybrid magick. When I’d touched Rowan’s dagger at the oasis… The day Sophia first set a hybrid snake onto my palm… and now, with the bone crawler. For whatever reason, touching an animal with hybrid magick brings out that power in me.

  Excitement bubbled up in my soul. I glanced at the stained glass windows lining the Basilica’s walls. A few sunbeams still shone across the floor. The day hadn’t ended yet. There was still time, and there was only one thing to do.

  Send Viktor into exile.

  I grabbed the bone crawler in my fist and began the words of a transport spell. The insect writhed in my hand, its husky shell glowing with purple light. I welcomed its power and movement. Violet colored bands of energy whipped off my arms and wrapped around Viktor like a mummy. He stared at the spell in utter disbelief.

  “What are you playing at?”

  “This is no game. You are being sent into exile.”

  “Exile?” Marlene stepped forward. “Who are you to say such a thing?”

  I looked to Rowan and began an incantation of freedom. The enchanted manacles fell away from his wrists. His face was bruised and bloody, but he still gave me his crooked smile. “I was hoping you’d do that.”

  “You’re welcome. Can you get us a little privacy?”

  Rowan began another spell. His hand flared brightly as a thousand red doves appeared. They flew around Viktor, Rowan, and me, creating a magickal shield from the rest of the Basilica… And Marlene. My thoughts ran to Rowan’s people. “Are the Casters—”

  I was about to ask if the Casters were protected. I didn’t finish my words before Rowan folded his arms over his chest and said “yes.”

  We were finishing each other’s thoughts again, but there was no time to worry about it now. I returned my attention to Viktor. He writhed under the purple coils of power, unable to escape.

  “This isn’t possible.” Viktor eyed me carefully. “Who are you?”

  I took in a long breath and held onto th moment.

  This is for you, Petra.

  “I am Elea de Braddock, a Grand Mistress Necromancer trained by Petra. You know the name?”

  Viktor gave me a simpering smile. “Release my bonds and I’ll cast a memory spell.”

  That would never happen.

  “Petra was a Novice that you kidnapped and experimented on many years ago.” I remembered the scars that wound about her ribs. “You used bone hooks on her.”

  Viktor looked annoyed. “I am the Tsar. I experiment on many people.”

  “Well, Petra has a message for you.” I stepped closer and grinned. “Rot in hell.”

  I finished the rest of the transport incantation. The cords of violet power that encircled Viktor now flared more brightly that ever before. A flash of brilliant violet light appeared. The color reflected in beautiful shadows off Rowan’s living dome of birds. When the brightness disappeared again, Viktor was gone. I looked at the bone crawler in my hand. It was dead.

  Rowan stepped closer. “Is he gone?”

  “Not sure.” I waited for a long minute. The birds encircled us in flight. There was no sign of Viktor. Last time, he had returned within seconds. I focused my attention on Rowan. “Yes, I think he’s gone.” Excitement prickled over my skin. “Do you think the sun has set?”

  The question was unspoken but clear. Is my curse over?

  “Let’s find out.” Rowan snapped his fingers and the crimson doves broke formation to fly away. I stared around the Basilica again. The guards were gone, as were most of the Casters. Only Laurel waited, her face was bruised and a tooth had been knocked out, but her smile still shone bright.

  “Hail and well met!”

  “Where did everyone go?” I asked.

  Rowan gave me a sly look. “I cast more tarantulas. Poisonous this time.”

  I couldn’t stop my smile. “I like that about you.”

  He set his hand on my shoulder and turned me to face the Basilica windows. “And look, the sun has set.”

  I stared at the colored glass, unable to form words. The sun has set. All those years of hard work and fear. Tristan’s suffering and sacrifice. Finding the Sire and Lady. It was all worth it. “I’m no longer cursed.” Joy bubbled through me. It was as if I could sprout wings and fly along with the doves. “Thank you.” I leapt up and wrapped my arms around Rowan’s neck. “We did it.”

  He slid his hand up my spine, leaving a trail of heat behind. “Yes. We did.”

  Laurel let out a low whistle. “I’m just going to see what Orion is doing.” She walked quickly away.

  Let go of him, Elea. Walk away. You’re a Necromancer. Take control.

  I didn’t move a muscle. Neither did Rowan.

  “There you are!” Marlene stalked onto the stage. We instantly broke apart to face her.

  “You.” Marlene pointed directly to me. “You ruined everything. You’re an assassin that I took into my home. A viper that I nurtured. And you stole my Tsar away. What am I without him?” She raised her hand and began an incantation.

  “I’ll say this once, Marlene. I’m a Grand Mistress Necromancer who just took down the Tsar. Do you really want to start a mage’s war with me?”

  Blue mist swirled around her hand. “You stole everything!”

  “No, you took from me.” My voice broke. “You robbed me of Nan.”

  A low hum filled the air, followed by a thwack. What was that? Marlene looked down at her chest and I followed her gaze. Rowan’s dagger was embedded in her heart. She turned to Rowan. “Why?”

  He stepped up to my side. “If you go after Elea, you pick a fight with me. Tell everyone in hell that when you get there.”

  Marlene stared at both of us, her mouth open in shock. For a long moment, she wobbled on her feet. “This isn’t over.” Her knees crumpled under her and as she fell over dead. I sighed with relief and sadness.

  That was for you, Nan.

  The other Casters crowded up on the stage around us.

  “I told you they were here,” said Laurel.

  “How are you feeling?” asked Orion.

  “Good.” I was exhausted.

  Laurel bobbed on the balls of her feet. “You cast with hybrid magick. Can you do it again?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know.” I certainly wasn’t about to carry around another bone crawler and find out.

  “You look exhausted,” said Rowan.

  And my head was feeling fuzzy, too. But we couldn’t stop now.

  “There’s more work to do. Someone needs to track down Gaspard’s carriages. The Tsar may have some allies still in the Cloister. The elder Sisters need someone to take care of them. And Linden must be set free.”

  And that was just what I could think of off the top of my head. If I weren’t feeling so woozy, I could probably come up with a dozen more.

  “Which is why it’s the perfect time to call in my Uncle,” said Rowan. “He loves saving the day once the danger is really over.” He gave me one of his crooked smiles, which only made me feel more unsteady. “Honestly, the man is very good, even if he is a King. And you do need to rest.”

  I leaned my head against his shoulder, and it was the deepest sense of calm that I’d
felt since Rowan had healed me back in the cave. “I’m convinced. Let’s get back to camp.”

  That night, I dreamed that I returned to my old kitchen on Braddock Farm. Tristan stood before the hearth, looking better than I’d ever seen him. The color was back in his cheeks and that devilish gleam had returned to his eyes. “Elea.”

  I smiled so hard, my face hurt. “Tristan.”

  I’d said his name before I went to sleep, but I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to see him or not. If he still appeared, then that might mean he remained cursed. Now that he was here and looking so healthy, my hopes were rising.

  Tristan walked around the room, something that he’d never done in my dreams before. “I can move now.” He stood in front of the hearth, staring at the flames. “And the fire isn’t changing. It’s not coming for me.” He turned to me and smiled. “It’s over, Elea. You did it. You broke the curse.” His voice cracked. “I knew you could.”

  My heart soared. “I did, didn’t I?”

  “I always said it. You’re the most powerful Necromancer I ever met.”

  It was so good to be near him, just like we had in the old days. I wanted more of that. “What happens after this?”

  “You’ll go back to your realm, and I’ll return to mine. We’ll keep our secrets for another day.”

  The realm of the dead. His words sent a chill across my skin.

  “What do you mean?” The joy at the breaking our curse gave way to other, darker memories. “You said before that there was much I didn’t know. I’d like you to tell me, Tristan. Can you do that?”

  “I’m so sorry, Elea. I can’t.” He sighed. “All I can say is that I love you. On the rest, you’ll have to trust me.”

  On the one hand, Tristan was still—and always would be—my best friend. On the other hand, he’d broken my trust and clearly was continuing to play games. I guess I’d leave it to the Sire and Lady. I don’t think they would have brought him to me if they thought he was a fiend. At least, I hoped they wouldn’t.

  “I’ll try, Tristan.”

  “That’s enough for me. I have to go now.” He crossed the kitchen and opened the door.

  “Good luck, Tristan.” The words stung my throat. It wasn’t fair that we had so little time together before we were parted once more.

  “Farewell, Elea.”

  As the door swung shut, I wondered if I’d ever see my best friend again.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Two Weeks Later

  I stepped up to the campfire and looked over the different bits of meat roasting. Laurel was cooking tonight, and that woman could burn rabbit in no time flat. I picked out a decent-looking skewer and took a seat next to her.

  “How is it?” Laurel asked. She nibbled on her thumbnail. It’s what Laurel always did when she was worried about something.

  “I haven’t taken a bite yet.” I chomped down and got a mouthful of charcoal. The stuff crunched on my teeth like sand. I forced myself to swallow. “It’s good.”

  “Are you sure? Orion says I burn it every time.”

  “Orion’s a baby.” Laurel beamed with joy, which was worth lying about a mouthful of charcoal any time. “You don’t know where the mead is, do you?” My mouth still felt gritty.

  Laurel’s smile faltered. “It’s the meat. You need to wash it down, don’t you? It’s terrible, isn’t it?”

  “I said it’s good and I meant it. I’m just going to find the mead now.” I quickly stood up and almost walked right over Linden. He was getting stronger every day, but even a heavy gust of wind could knock the man over, and I had more force than that. “Sorry, Linden.”

  He stared at me blankly for a moment and then shook his head. “Elea.” He wore a heavy duster these days to hide the stump from his amputated centipede arm. Lately, I even found myself forgetting that he was a Changed One.

  “That’s right. I’m Elea.”

  His eyes widened. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Every so often, Linden remembered what happened in Marlene’s office and tried to apologize. “My familiar, I—”

  “Linden, it’s nothing to worry about. Really.” I patted him on the shoulder and made my way to the edge of camp. I loved the view here. The night sky was filled with more stars than I ever thought possible. I could spend hours staring and counting shooting stars. There really was nothing like the desert at night.

  I was going to miss it when I left.

  Rowan’s familiar step sounded in the sand behind me. It was getting harder and harder for him to sneak up on me like he used to. “If you stand out here looking at the stars, you’ll miss out on dinner.” He stood beside me with a sly grin on his face. “It’s going pretty quickly, I hear.”

  “I already ate my fill.” And I’ll be picking charcoal out of my teeth for a week. “How about you?”

  “I’m fine.” The moonlight outlined his muscular frame. I used to think he towered over me, but now? Standing by Rowan always made me feel safe. “Have you thought about my offer?”

  I’d told Rowan some stories about Braddock Farm, and he volunteered to help me return. He even said that Rex would buy up Wyatt’s old land, if I wanted. Knowing a King is handy like that.

  “I can’t go back yet, Rowan.” Much as I’d love to.

  He rubbed his neck. “And why not? You’ve done so much already. The Tsar has stayed in exile—”

  “For two whole weeks.”

  “And Gaspard is a different kind of enemy. It’s a diplomatic war. That’s Rex’s territory, not ours.” He set his hand on my shoulder and moved his thumb in soft arcs on my leathers. I’d seen him do this with other Casters, but I liked to pretend it was meant something different for me.

  Control your emotions, Elea.

  I bent over to pick up a stone from the sand. It gave a believable excuse to break the connection between us. “I can’t go back yet, Rowan. Ada is out there with Gaspard.”

  “We’re getting closer to tracking down those carriages.”

  They were making no headway on the carriages, and we both knew it. Not that I blamed Rowan’s people. The Necromancers had been disappearing with Gaspard for years with no one noticing. The man was a marvel at hiding things. In the end, it didn’t really matter about the carriages, one way or another. Only one thing did matter.

  “Gaspard has that machine of his somewhere, and Ada is in it. I’m going after her.”

  “She’s got an ally in Veronique. They could escape.”

  I’d hoped that too, once. “It’s been weeks, Rowan. There’s been no sign of Veronique, Ada, or anyone else that Gaspard had taken. These are my people. I have to do what I can to find them.” I tossed the stone out into the desert. “After all, I am the last Grand Mistress Necromancer.” That’s what the other Casters were calling me. It wasn’t half bad, as names go.

  “There are others.”

  I rolled my eyes. “The last one under ninety, then.”

  “You have me there.” He chuckled. I’d miss that sound when I left. “Where do you plan to start looking?”

  “One of the other girls gave me a name. I’m going to try to track that person down. She may know something.”

  “Sounds very boring. Why don’t you try the joys of farm life and leave the spy work to others?”

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to hide me away.”

  “Only a little. I like to think of you as safe.” His eyes took on that intense look again, and it always made me squirm. This is another reason why I need to go.

  “I’ll be fine, Rowan.” I kicked at the sand. “How about you?”

  “Another mission with my Caster team. We’re working on infiltrating the Vicomte’s court.”

  “Oh. Well. Maybe we’ll cross paths.”

  “I hope so.” A long pause followed where I felt like we both had things to say, but for some reason, no one was talking. At last, Rowan broke the silence. “When do you leave?”

  “Tonight. I didn’t want to make a fuss. I’ve already s
tayed far too long.”

  “Figured you might be planning something like that.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out some silver bands. I smiled from ear to ear.

  “My totem rings.” When the Tsar cast a spell to remove them, I thought they’d be gone forever. I scooped the bands from his palm and managed to avoid touching him at the same time, which wasn’t as easy thing to do. Touching Rowan was one of the main reasons that I’d been staying at this camp instead of looking for Ada. I couldn’t afford to stay distracted. “Thank you. I thought they were lost at the Cloister.”

  “Rex turned them up.”

  I slipped them back onto my fingers. They were more lovely than I remembered. “I’ll have to load new spells on them now.”

  “And there was something else as well.” Rowan held up my mating band. The scarab stone glimmered in the moonlight. My breath caught. I never thought I’d see that ring again. “I didn’t know if you’d want this one, too. There isn’t any magick left on it.”

  “I’d like to have it.”

  “Good.” Rowan slid his fingers down the inside of my right down my arm. The touch was just the right mix of rough and light. He lifted my hand and slid the mating band back on my finger. Even though I only wore it for half a day, my hand felt empty without it. Now, it felt right to have it back on. Rowan and I stayed like that for a while, standing in the moonlight with our fingers entwined. I didn’t want it to end. It had to, though.

  Rowan slowly raised my hand to his mouth. My body froze with anticipation. Bit by bit, he brushed his lips across the back of my hand. “Be safe, Elea.”

  I opened my mouth and wanted to share a dozen things at once. All I’d earned from him. How much I’d come to respect and rely on his presence. The way I could still count every time he’d touched me. Nothing came out, though.

  Eventually, Rowan dropped my hand and strode back to the camp.

  Once he was out of earshot, I finally knew exactly what to say.

  “I’ll see you in the Vicomte’s court.”

  As I spoke the words, a shooting star streaked across the night sky. It was the first one I’d counted tonight. I took that as a very good sign, indeed.