She’s the reason for all of this.
He nods. “She took all her rage, her pain, and turned Kyrin into something monstrous with it.”
She destroyed Kaden’s family with her misplaced anger. How terrible of a being can she be?
“And then, when that wasn’t enough, she turned the Humans against the Fae,” Baris grumbles.
Her pain destroyed the world. Broke it into pieces, we were left to suffer her wrath.
“How does this help me save Kaden?” I growl. “How do I breakhiscurse?”
Grabbing my hands, my father pleads into my eyes. “With your blood, little one. Only Effy’s blood and true love can end the curse.” He wipes my cheeks—they’re wet with tears, but I don’t feel them fall. “You share her blood and your love can save Kaden. Free him from the shackles of his beast form and bring him back.”
Desperately, I search the cottage. The home that was meant to offer peace after so much pain, that was the beginning of Kaden’s family’s trials. “What do we do? Can we stop it?—”
“As long as we get to him before the next full moon, he can be changed back.” Together, we look to the sky and I curse loudly.
“We havedays, Baris.” Shoving off of him, I exit into the night. “We need to get to the Veridian Palace and hope Aoife can help us break the spell on the book so I can see what ritual is needed?—”
“There is no ritual,” he yells, cutting me off. “We need onlyyou.”
“Then why are?—”
“Listen to me,” he pants, forcing us to stop. The horses whine behind us and I glare at my father.If he doesn’t move…“Going to the Veridian Palace is necessary to break the curse over the book, yes. But there is no real ritual that will change him back. You only need to believe in your love.”
“Let me go,” I say, struggling out of his hold. “None of this makes sense. I trust in our love, but there has to be more?—”
Why else would Oslo use his last breath to tell me of the book? What was the point?
“You need the book to break the curseover the world,” he shouts, shaking me. “And you can only access it once Aoife breaks the spell on it. Once she does, the book can be read. You can save the world.”
Glancing around, I throw my hands into the air. “What aren’t you telling me?” He’s holding something back. “I don’t want to save the world—I only want to save Kaden!”
Baris runs a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, little one. You may want to save Kaden, but you are destined for more.”
“That’s it then? I’m to forget my husband, and in exchange, save the world?”
Baris sighs. “The Gods rarely make things easy.”
“Trust blindly in Gods’ Will?” I scoff. It’s sounds just like Taylay. I learned a long time ago, Gods do not care for us. “I can’t.”
There are too many things to worry about. I can’t willingly follow the God when I am the only one to save Kaden.
“If you will not trust the Gods, then trustme.” He pats his chest, right over his heart. “Trust that I would do anything for you, as my only daughter.”
“You want me totrustyou?” I scoff. “I barelyknowyou. How can I trust you when you tell menothing? How can I trust you, when you would have me forsake my mate?”
“It is because Iloveyou, that I tell you this. I would never let yourmate come to harm, but for the world?” His eyes are wide. “For the world, you must consider it.”
Scoffing, I walk away. “No. Never. I will not.”
Running a hand through his hair, he sighs deeply. “Then if you listen to anything I say, listen to this. When you meet Aoife, never trust her. She may act as if she is your savior, but she always lies.”
“What if she is the only way to save Kaden?”
He snorts. “She’s not. She will have you believe she is, but she is not. This comes from me andSeti.”
Unbelievable.
Grabbing the reins of the Coal stallion, I kick myself high into the air, staring down at my father. He’s almost eye level, he’s so tall. Of course, he’s a Fairy. How did I never see it?
“I don’t have time to play games, Baris. I have a mate to save, and regardless of what you said, Aoife is my only chance of changing him back.” Regardless of what the Gods think, my blood and love cannot break a centuries old curse with nothing more than a hope and a prayer.
Aoife will break the curse, the spell book will tell me what to truly do, and I will do it. Because I’ve trusted Gods’ Will too much, and now, I must take control of my destiny. I know in my heart, I will find my answers in the Veridian Palace.
Kicking the stallion, I don’t wait to see if he follows.
