Page 7 of Kingdom of Death and Hope

The right side of my lip twitches up at his possessiveness. He is going to have a lot of people to get revenge on when the curse is broken. But I don’t mind one bit.

“I know you took the book from my room today. The smell is all over you.” She waves her hand over my whole body. “Do you really think I wouldn’t put some type of smell on the book so I knew who took it from me? I knew the day would come that someone would take the book, and I was prepared.”

“I don’t have it.”

“I never thought it was going to be you who took the book,” she rattles on, ignoring me. “I didn’t think you were smart enough, let alone brave enough to go into my room and find it.” She takes a step closer to me. “Which begs the question. How did you know it would be in my room, and how did you know what it looked like?”

Adeline, if you do not answer me I am going to storm into the castle and find you, Kieran growls.

Don’t you dare, I reply. We have come so far and we are not going to waste this opportunity. She has done nothing to me yet but ask questions.

“Who told you what it looked like?” she asks, bending down to my eye level. “Tell me who and I will let you go.”

“No one told me what it looked like because I didn’t take the book. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say.

Intense fiery pain engulfs the left side of my face as her hand connects with my cheek. Tears prick my eyes as I move my head back to where it was.

“Stop lying!” she screams. “I know you took it so just answer my question honestly and I will let you go!”

Sweets, what was that? Kieran asks.

Tingles spread across my chest as I take in several deep breaths, trying to calm myself before I have a breakdown. Having Avira talk to me while Kieran also wants to know everything is getting overwhelming and I don’t know how much more I can take.

Avira lightly taps the cheek she slapped, making it ache even more.

“If you were just honest and told me where you heard what the book looked like then you would be out of here and back to your mother and younger brother,” she chuckle. “How did you even know there was a book? It must have been someone who told you. Someone who knew about everything that actually went down all of those years ago.”

Avira takes a step back, her eyes going wide as she stares at me. Ever so slowly a smile spreads across her face.

“I know who told you.” She sounds so happy as she says those words. “It must have been a Fae. Someone who was there back when it all happened and could remember everything.”

My stomach sinks at her words. She is figuring everything out on her own. Before I know it, she’s going to have all the information and I won’t be able to do anything about it.

“Who is the Fae?” she asks.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have told you countless times that I don’t talk to the Fae. I don’t interact with them, besides the man you got to help out with the chores,” I reply.

If there is one thing I can do before I die, it’s keep the Fae all safe from this. I don’t want them to be caught up in this and get punished for me stealing the book.

Intense pain forms in my stomach and I move forward, yelling out in pain. Wh-what is going on?

“With every lie you tell me, the more pain you are going to feel. Is it really worth it?” she asks.

The pain stops and I take several deep breaths in, trying to stop myself from puking.

Adeline, tell me when to come and get you and I will. I will stop everything to come and save you. I do not care what happens to me. I do not want you in pain, Kieran says. Please.

A single tear falls from my eyes at his plea. He sounds so desperate to come and get me.

“Is it worth saving the person you love?” she whispers in my ear.

I rear back, my mouth open as I stare at her.

She knows.

A wicked smile spreads across her face.

“I remember you talking about a person who you liked and it wasn’t the prince. You’re doing all of this for him, aren’t you?” she asks.