Page 188 of Kingdom of Death and Hope

“Do you know what she has to do?” Avira asks and I shake my head. “Poor mate of the High Lord. Hopefully, she is never found. The tragic fate she will have to go through.”

I keep my mouth shut, afraid that I’m going to give away that I’m his mate. Would she even believe me if I told her?

“Don’t you want to know what the High Lady has to do to break the curse?” Avira asks.

“Wh-what does she have to do?” I’m so afraid to ask.

I’m afraid to hear the answer.

“I’ll tell you since you’re going to die and won’t be able to tell anyone else the key information.”

But Kieran and his friends already know how to break the curse, and it’s all connected to me. How are they going to break the curse if I’m dead? But it’s not like I can do anything to get out of this situation.

“She has to die,” Avira reveals.

Everything around me goes quiet as her words replay in my head over and over again.

She has to die.

I have to die.

There will never be me and Kieran walking down the street, hand in hand, laughing, smiling, eating good food and making so many memories.

We will never have kids.

We won’t grow old together.

We won’t have a wedding.

Kieran will live alone for the rest of his life.

No.

Adeline! What’s wrong? Kieran asks.

He knew all along and wanted to tell me in person that I was going to have to die. And I know deep down that he was never going to allow that to happen. He was going to live the rest of his life with the curse over them because he doesn’t want me to die.

But I can’t allow that to happen.

They need to be broken from this curse and live a better life, even if it means I’ll never get to see it.

Adeline, talk to me! What’s going on? he asks.

But I can’t bring myself to actually talk to him for the last time. There are so many things I want to say to him and yet I don’t know where to start. I don’t have enough time to actually tell him everything.

“Too bad you won’t ever get to see what the High Lady will look like,” Avira whispers as she thrusts the sword into my stomach, twisting and turning it.

Screaming, it feels like fiery, burning pain slices through my stomach.

Sweets! Kieran yells through the bond. What happened?

I love you, I whisper through the bond. Find someone else to love. Don’t stay alone forever. Be happy.

Sweets, don’t you dare! Just stay alive for a little bit longer. I’m almost to you, Kieran begs me.

Avira lets go of the sword and my body hits the ground, blood gushing out of my stomach.

“Such a pretty sight,” she whispers and cocks her head to the side.