Page 115 of Kingdom of Death and Hope

No.

She was never my sister. It was all a ploy to spy on the people.

How could I have been so stupid? I ask Kieran. How could I have not known? How did we not figure it out sooner? You told me so many times that you smelt her on me and yet I didn’t want to believe that it was my sister.

Adeline, it’s going to be okay, he replies.

I don’t know if I’m going to make it out alive. If I don’t, please continue on with trying to figure out the curse, I tell him. And tell my mom that I love her. She knows about you and is happy that I found someone.

Adeline, don’t talk like this. Nothing is going to happen. Everything is going to be alright. We are going to get you out of the dungeon and back home to your mother. We are going to find out how to break the curse, Kieran says fiercely.

Promise me that if anything happens to me that you will look after my mother. That you will tell her everything.

Adeline.

Kieran, please. Just promise me that you will. I don’t want her to second guess everything for the rest of her life if I die. I want her to know that I love her. I want her to know how proud I was to have her as a mother, I ramble. Just promise me that you will tell her if anything happens to me.

Nothing is going to happen to you and you can tell her yourself when you get out of the dungeon, Kieran replies.

Tears roll down my face as I take a heaving breath.

Kieran.

He sighs. I promise that if anything happens I will tell your mother. Don’t worry. But I also want to hear you say that you are going to make it out alive and get to tell her yourself.

I don’t know if I can do that, I whisper.

Avira was looking at me the whole time she explained everything with hatred. She hates me as much as she hates the Fae. I don’t think I’m going to make it out alive.

Adeline, I promised that I would tell your mother and now you have to repeat those words to me. Nothing is going to happen to you and you are going to make it out alive. Say those words. That you are going to make it out alive and be by my side.

I’m going to make it out alive and be by your side, I manage to get out.

But dread fills me after I say those words. What if I can’t keep the promise and I actually die in this cell?

Do not think like that, Kieran growls. Be positive. Be strong. You can make it through anything if you tell yourself that you can. I just need you to be strong and brave for me right now. Can you do that?

I slowly let out a breath as I think over his words. Will I actually be able to do that for him? I’m scared out of my mind, and I don’t know if I can find an ounce of strength right now.

Adeline, can you be strong and brave for me right now? You need to be strong for me, Kieran says.

Okay, I whisper.

I want you to believe it. I’m going to talk to Henry and we are going to get you out of there, Kieran promises. Just hang in there until we can.

Tell Henry to talk to my mom. Tell her that everything is okay. I don’t want her to worry about me. Tell him to come up with some type of lie so that she doesn’t worry. And Elias still needs to help out there once a week. My mother is going to be swamped with everything and the baby. She is going to need help, I rush to tell him.

I don’t know if we are going to have another situation where we won’t be able to talk to each other. I need him to know so that she can continue on with her life and not worry.

I’ll let him know. Don’t worry, we will take care of your mother the best we can. She is part of our family, Kieran replies.

I exhale and lean my head back, looking up at the concrete ceiling. I need to believe that I am going to get out of here alive like Kieran says.

I’m scared, I whisper, letting myself be vulnerable right now. She said she’s going to be back in a couple of hours and I don’t know what she has planned. What if she tells the prince and he calls off the deal and kills you? What if she goes after my family and decides to make them suffer because of what I did?

I don’t think she would risk telling the prince anything. That would put her in a compromising situation since you said no one but the king knows who she is, Kieran replies.

I promise I didn’t tell her anything about the book that would lead to you. I told her that I didn’t take it today and had found a random book on the ground several weeks ago before I went to Hellhollow and it fell out of my bag when hunting. I had to come up with a lie and I knew that this wouldn’t bring it back to you, I rush to explain. I made a mistake when I spoke and said that I had taken nothing today and she caught on. I’m sorry.