“It’s a silly myth perpetuated by a witch, nothing you should worry about now.”
“Tell me,” I’d growled.
“You two could change the world.”
“How can two people change the world?” Even at five, I knew it would take an army to do something like that.
She was foolish to come to me. I sensed the king would kill her if he found her there.
And she could only spit out silly words that meant nothing.
“I can’t say anything further. When the time is right, you’ll know.” The woman nudged her chin to the small girl’s image. “Remember her. She’s the one you must seek, the only one who can do what must be done.”
The words my mother made me memorize before she died—before Ivenrail murdered her—floated through my mind.
When nature bends and true love speaks with all its might, only then will justice end the bitter blight.
As I studied Brenna’s little girl features, my wrist had blazed, and even as a child, I knew that this girl who was only a few years younger than me would one day mean everything—everything—to me.
In the image, she smiled, playing with a toy on the floor, happy while I lived with desolate sadness. But she was my fated mate, and I knew then that I would seek her for the rest of my days.
It was only when I grew older that I realized I had to put my dreams aside. If and when I finally met her, I’d have to shove her away. Loving her would only result in her death.
The old woman had left, and I hadn’t seen her until years later when Ivenrail brought her before him, calling her Vera. He thrust her to her knees in front of his throne and demanded Vera tell them where she was.
She’d refused to say a word, and he’d encased her with a frame and hid her somewhere within the castle.
I grew older. More bitter.
And my hope of anything better fled.
I had not found the child who’d grown into a woman—the very beautiful woman sitting beside me. If it happened, I’d remember.
How had I allowed myself to fall in love with her, to give her the hope for a future together I could see shining in her eyes? The same hope was trying to worm its way into my heart right now.
I cut it off. Ihadto cut it off.
Zayde settled in a chair and tugged Layla down onto his lap. She placed her arm around his shoulders and leaned into his chest. I didn’t miss the matching symbols on their wrists. How could I forget my brother finding his fated mate, let alone me finding my own?
“I’m glad you’re safe,” Zayde said, confirming that everything Tempest and the others shared was true. She must be right about the collar. I no longer felt it twisting and clawing around my neck. “And I’m glad you’re back. I was worried . . .” His gaze fell on my throat. Did he know the collar was gone? “What’s the plan?”
“We’re going to Lydel first,” Tempest said, her voice only a touch shrill. Her gaze jerked my way before she made her eyes point forward. “I’m going to break the curse, gather an army, then go back to Bledmire and finish what I started.”
Zayde frowned. “This sounds great, but I’m not sure how you’re going to do all that.”
“I’m not either, but it must be done.” Tempest peered toward the windows covered with sheer drapes. Night had fallen while we spoke. “As eager as I am to leave immediately,we should wait until tomorrow. I know where Lydel is, but I don’t know how long it’ll take to get there—”
“Four day’s flight,” I said. “If we leave first thing in the morning, we can stop partway for the night and continue the next day. After that, we’ll have to camp. We’ll reach the island late in the afternoon on the fourth day.”
“Sounds good,” Zayde said, and the others nodded.
Tempest told Zayde all that had happened since they parted at Bledmire, and my brother’s happy gaze locked on my throat.
After we ate dinner, I magicked the dishes away.
Tempest had respected my request not to speak to me in my mind, but her gaze never left me. She loved me. I could see that as clearly as the mark on my wrist.
Why didn’t I love her?
