Page 64 of Kingdom of Betrayal and Unknown

She can’t know.

“I go to the stream in the forest, where they live. Their scent is everywhere. In the palace, it isn’t, so you don’t smell them, but here they are everywhere. Maybe if you visited more, you would actually know that.” I can’t help but quip.

Avira gets on my nerves. She may be my sister, but there is something about her that I can’t pinpoint, but I don’t trust her at all.

Avira narrows her eyes on me even more. Does she know that I’m only telling a partial truth? She can’t. Mother doesn’t even know.

“They are everywhere. They help out with many things. One of our neighbors keeps one as a slave,” Mother chimes in.

I had forgotten entirely that our neighbor two doors down purchased one to help them around the house. How they afforded them, I am not sure, but I’m not one to ask questions like that.

“Why do you ask?” I give my sister an unimpressed look.

“You reek of them. It is all over you,” Avira responds.

My eyebrows furrow as I pull my shirt up to my nose and take a deep breath. The only thing I smell is my own scent. I brush it off and walk toward mother. She is kneading dough, and while I shouldn’t be doing that with my hand, there is nothing else to do right now. I need a distraction before I start snapping at Avira for being here.

After taking one of the balls, I gently place some flour on the surface and start to knead it. Avira looks between me and Mother before her eyes settle on my hand. I clench my jaw, waiting for her to say something snarky.

“What happened to your hand?” Avira asks.

I scoff. Like she doesn’t know what happened. She lives in the palace and hears everything. “I had lessons on how to eat properly, and I got a couple of things wrong. This was the result.”

Avira chuckles and shakes her head but doesn’t say anything. Good. We don’t need to hear her talk about how many times I make a mistake.

“How much do you know about the curse that was placed on the Fae?” I ask, setting dough to the side and taking another one.

“Why do you want to know about that?” Avira snaps.

I look at her, confused. I didn’t think it was that bad to ask that question, but she clearly doesn’t like it. It was a little random, but I am curious. She works closely with the king and has to know things.

“Why do you want to know? Are you being threatened and are trying to figure it out so they will stop harassing you?” Avira takes several steps toward me.

Shaking my head, I rest my aching hand. It burns, begging me to give it a break from using it so much for a week or more and let it heal properly before I use it. Sadly, I can’t give it that time.

“No, no one is threatening me. I am just curious. We are taught that there was a curse placed on them, but that is it. No one else knows anything, and I’m just curious,” I tell her somewhat honestly.

Kieran hasn’t asked me to look into anything. He just asked that I come back so he can talk to me. I want to know more. Maybe if Avira knows something and tells me, I can ask Kieran and see whether he’s really telling the truth or not.

“I promise. I don’t talk to them, and I don’t interact with them,” I lie.

“Never ask about that ever again,” Avira sneers and walks out of the house.

I look at Mother, confused. What did I do wrong? I didn’t think it was bad to ask about it and see if she knew anything. I’ve asked Mother, but she told me that her father didn’t tell her any stories when she was a kid.

“Let’s put some more gel on your hand.” Mother sighs. “Don’t worry about Avira.”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper as I wash my hands. “I didn’t think it would upset her.”

“Adeline, don’t worry. Your sister has always been touchy about anything related to magic or Fae. I don’t know why, but next time just answer her questions and don’t ask anything else.” Mother gives me a small smile.

I gaze out the window and see Kieran, looking at me. How did I not feel his eyes on me? Blinking, Kieran disappears, and I huff.

“Come on, Adeline. Let’s get this on your hand,” Mother calls out.

CHAPTER 16

“Mrs. Duvall.” Skylar raises her voice as she walks into the house.