Page 181 of Kingdom of Death and Hope

“He found out that I reopened my cut but he doesn't know how,” I reply.

“What did he say?” Mother sits down in front of me. “Did you get into trouble? What happened?”

“He told me not to get hurt again,” I reiterate for the second time.

If only I could have everyone in the same room so I could update them all at once instead of telling them one by one. I didn’t realize how exhausting it was to explain it to everyone over and over again.

“He also said that he would hate to postpone the wedding again,” I finally tell her.

“You are still going to marry him?” Mother asks.

“Hopefully by the time the wedding comes around they have found out how to break the curse. It could be any day now,” I say. “They are working on it actively. I trust that they will figure out how before the wedding happens. He won’t allow it to happen.”

“I’m surprised he agreed to it.”

I wince and rub the back of my neck. “He didn’t really have a say in it,” I mumble.

“Right, you made the deal in the heat of the moment and he couldn’t say anything.”

I nod.

“Let me get you some food and then you can go lay down on the bed.” Mother stands up.

“Mother,” I call out.

“It’s not in your room. You will be sleeping in my room. Everything is going to be okay. You don’t have to worry.”

I don’t think she really grasps how bad this whole situation is. If the witch can come in my dreams, then how would it stop her from coming to me right now?

Avira must have slipped you something and gotten into your dreams that way. She shouldn’t be able to do that, Kieran says.

How did you know I was thinking about that? I ask.

You were broadcasting it to me. He chuckles.

Again? I groan.

It’s cute and I’m glad that you do it.

Then why don’t you do it with me? I inquire. It seems like I’m the only one who does it and it doesn’t seem fair.

Because before the curse was placed, I could communicate with my parents and a couple other people so I had practice not to blast my thoughts to everyone. You on the other hand can only talk to me and you haven’t had practice, he explains.

How long did it take for you not to do it?

Several years. Thankfully I was really young so my thoughts weren’t much of anything, but I didn’t get away with anything back then. I don’t want you to stop doing it. I find it cute and it makes me feel like I am right there with you as if you were talking to me about anything and everything.

But what if I want to keep a secret from you?

We shouldn’t be keeping secrets from each other.

What if in the future it’s for your birthday or our anniversary or something? I ask. I need to practice so I can keep those things a secret.

Hmm, I don’t know if I like that. If you learn then I won’t hear it any more.

Chuckling, I relax into the chair even more.

“Talking to him?” Mother asks. “You just saw him.”