Mention of my rival sparks my rage. My family couldn’t have done something as devious as whathedid. I open my mouth to say as much…but my words dry on my tongue. The truth is, I don’t know the full extent of what my parents have done in the past, what lengths they’ve gone to protect not just me but themselves. All I know is that they’re trying to do betternow.
But what good would that argument do with Nyxia? There must be something I can say to sway her. She clearly values wit and cunning…
My gaze slowly slides over the bodies. A chill creeps down my spine, but an idea forms. More like an angle I can appeal to.
Folding my hands at my waist, I don more confidence than I feel. “I assume storing so many bodies in some facility must be taxing, both on your time and the court’s coffers.”
“My time being the worst of it, yes.”
“And a battle for Lunar’s seelie throne is sure to cause turmoil for the entire court, as well as for your brother, the Unseelie King of Lunar. He’ll have to pick up the slack while the seelie reign changes hands, won’t he?”
“It isn’t something he hasn’t already been doing,” she says. “The humans prefer King Franco to your father. Especially those in the north.”
I clench my jaw. Even my father admitted to as much. “Even so, such a sudden change can’t be easy for the Lunar Court. Ever since the isle’s unification, sudden shifts in power have caused long-standing repercussions on the local economy, as well as the overall well-being of the people.”
She snorts a laugh. “You sound like a textbook.”
My cheeks flush. She’s right. I took the words straight from memory of my studies. “But I’m right, aren’t I? Having two rulers in each court is relatively new. Ever since that practice was put into place, there has never been an instance where the current ruler was fully indisposed while contenders battled for the throne. There’s no way to know how long the turmoil could last. What if the magic of the All of All refuses to grant a victor? What if my father is the truest monarch for the seelie throne—”
“Night above, enough already.” She shakes her head. “You really are Divina’s daughter.”
I open my mouth but I’m not sure whether to thank her for the compliment or take it as an insult. Either way, I dare not press my case further.
“Fine,” she whispers. Then she repeats it, louder this time. “Fine! I’ll entertain the idea of telling you how to break the curse, but only if you can explain how in the pitch-black hell doing so will keep the turmoil you mentioned from spreading over the court.”
My heart leaps with victory, but I keep it from showing on my face, for I doubt smugness will aid my cause. “If we break the curse, there will be no battle for the seelie throne. My father will awaken and keep his crown.”
She gives me a patronizing look. “Breaking the curse won’t be easy, and it won’t happen overnight. It’s going to take work, and not by me. You’ll need to break it.”
“Then I’ll do it.”
“And how do you intend to hide the fact that the seelie king is asleep while you do so? I know your family keeps the palace private, and from the empty state of this room, I assume there is only minimal staff on hand tonight. Still, you can’t close court for long. Petitions will build up. Citizens will riot against being refused an audience with their king. Rivals will get suspicious. Sooner or later, the people will learn the truth and I won’t keep it from them.”
Desperation claws at my heart. I’m close. I’m so close to a solution. I can’t give up now. “Just give me time, please. I’ll do whatever I must to break the curse and bring my family back. It doesn’t matter what it is.” The last part grates against my throat, for it almost feels like a lie. While I’m determined to save my family, I must recognize that there are things I simply cannot do. What if I’m required to shoot rainbows out of my eyes or defeat a legendary beast that no longer exists? Aren’t curses and countercurses usually something ridiculous like that?
I clasp my hands to my chest and bow my head. “Please, former Majesty, I’m begging you. Just tell me how to break the curse and I will try.”
Silence stretches between us for several long moments. I don’t dare lift my head until she speaks. Every second that she says nothing feels like a knife to my heart.
“You win,” she finally says.
I lift my head, and my heart thuds with another spark of hope.
“I’ll tell you how to break the damn curse, but only because I’m a kind sister and would rather not inconvenience my brother. He has enough on his plate now that his wife is with child. But I’m only giving you two weeks.”
My shoulders tremble and I manage a shaky nod. “I’ll do it.”
“Now…I’ll have to remember the terms. This stupid curse was so long ago…” Her eyes grow distant as she taps the side of her face. “Ah! I remember. To sever the curse, you must prove both families are no longer rivals.”
“How do I do that?” My heart sinks. Both familiesarerivals. What could I possibly do to change that? To prove it?
“When I created this curse, I wove in very specific terms to allow its dissolution. Together with your rival, sacrifice your own wants in favor of the other family.”
I pull my head back. “What does that even mean? What would that entail?”
She waves a flippant hand. “Basically, accomplish a task with your rival that neither of you wants to do yet that benefits the other clan. Only then will both families awaken from their enchanted sleep. And free up some damn space in the catacombs.”
My blood goes cold. “Both families.”
