Go or stay, what matters to me more than my freedom is to break the curse the False Queen placed on the Dragonstone Blade.
I saw the solution in a book called the Chronicle, which was written and illustrated by the Ferocie Scribes, an ancient fae tribe who infused magic into their artwork, much like the Lethians infused magic into their songs.
The message in the Chronicle was clear:to break the curse, break the blade.
What was done must be undone.
I must bring together the elements that were used to create the blade: the hammer, the dragonstone anvil, the coal, and possibly even a descendant of the fae who forged it.
The problem is…I found the hammer, but it crumbled to dust. That was after the dark runes etched on its side adhered to my arm.
Without the hammer…
Overwhelming helplessness sweeps over me. And then confusion, because a hammer so powerful shouldn’t have broken like that.
There has to be another way. A reason why thehammer crumbled. A way, perhaps, to reshape it, reform it, or even find a substitute.
I refuse to believe that all is lost.
Stellen’s breathing is deep. I’m not sure if he’s fallen asleep, but I speak softly. “I will make you a promise, King of Frost.”
“Promises…are dangerous things.”
His response is spoken slowly, but it confirms he’s still awake. Or maybe I woke him. He told me he doesn’t sleep through the night without listening for assassins, so it stands to reason he’s alert to the smallest sound.
I try to bring moisture to my mouth. “I want something from you and if you promise it to me, I won’t try to run. Not tonight. Not tomorrow. Not the day after. Not as long as your promise holds.”
His eyes open but only to narrow slits. His focus is dazed, his eyelids heavy. “What couldyouwant fromme, Thyra?” His lips twist. “I have nothing to give but pain.”
My hand cradles his face, my thumb brushing his temple.
He lies so still that I could believe he’s mesmerized by every breath I take…no matter how much pain he promises me.
Speaking slowly, I attempt to find a way to say what I need to say without directly asking for help. “You will enable me to break the False Queen’s curse.”
His narrowed gaze becomes piercing, although his voice is no stronger. “Enable…is a small step…fromhelp.”
“That may be true.” I clamp down on my bottom lip because it doesn’t change the reality of my situation.
I have no family to fall back on. I lost Antony to the darkness that was consuming him. I have no allies. Maybe, if I imagine for a moment that Antony’s sister, Cassia, would help me, even then, I have no way to find her while she’s in hiding.
I speak a cold truth. “But right now, you’re all I’ve got.”
Stellen closes his eyes. His breathing deepens. He’s so calm that I’m suddenly unsure if he was actually awake during our interaction just now.
Then his lips move, his voice nearly too quiet for me to hear. “As are you.”
I’m…all he’s got?
My eyes widen. He told me that promises are dangerous things, but so are admissions. I’m certain he can’t have meant to say that aloud. Or maybe I misheard him. Or maybe he cleverly avoided promising me anything.
I’m ready to question him, but his head rests so heavily in my lap, all tension gone from his limbs, that I’m now completely certain he’s asleep.
I guess that’s a good thing. He’s injured and he needs to rest.
But the absence of his voice opens a silence that fills with the unwanted memory of the False Queen’s first whispered words to me.
The three kings seek your destruction. You must destroy them before they can destroy you.
