Cursed (26 page)

“Watch it, Uncle.” Rowan turned to me. “My esteemed relative is a terrible flirt. Consider yourself warned.”

Rex removed his helm, revealing an older version of Rowan. The King had a strong jawline and rugged features. His once-brown hair was now mixed with gray. He limped over to my side and sat down. I remembered how Rowan had said that Rex had survived an assassination attempt, but ended up with an injury to his leg. I hope it didn't hurt too badly.

Rex rubbed his palms together. “I take it we're here to plan a murder.”

“We've downgraded it to a permanent exile, Uncle.”

“Whatever for?”

“That was my doing,” I explained. “It was the only way to get the magick we needed.” I watched Rex carefully, wondering if he was the kind of person who'd lose his temper over a change of plans.

“Well, whatever stops that bastard Viktor from trying to control my people, that's all that matters.”

I shook my head in disbelief. While Rowan was intense, his King was incredibly easy going. The chemistry worked.

Rex gestured to Rowan. “Where are those plans you found?”

Rowan reached into his leathers, pulled out some folded sheets of parchment, and carefully unfolded them onto the rug. “These are maps for the Midnight Cloister.” He pointed to different areas as he spoke. “It has a square layout. Guarded wall. Four white towers, one on each corner.”

Rex nodded as he looked things over. “And the main entrance?”

I pointed to the appropriate spot on the map. “You'll come in through the gate here. It's right beside the Basilica.”

Rex rubbed his chin in an endearing movement that reminded me of Rowan. “We'll start the day at the main gate. The Examination Ceremony will be held in the Basilica.”

At the words ‘Examination Ceremony', the muscles in my neck and shoulders bunched up. That ceremony was when the Tsar planned to drain Nan and the other new Sisters. “You know that examination is a sham, right? He kills the Sisters.”

“Oh, we're well aware,” said Rex. “We're happy to get a chance at him in any venue. We've spent years trying to pinpoint when Viktor would be at a certain place. Must have sent him a hundred requests for an audience. All of them were refused. Finally, my clever nephew figured out that Viktor would be at the Midnight Cloister and also found you to help… All in the same day!”

Rowan gave me a gentle smile. “It was a good day.”

My heart warmed. “Thank you, but I'm not sure I follow. The examination is dangerous. Why risk it?”

“Viktor respects one thing,” said Rex. “Power. He didn't want to meet with us because he didn't think we had enough magickal ability to find him. Well, imagine his surprise when we tracked him down. I sent a request for a meeting on a particular date and time.” Rex was quite a storyteller. His face positively lit up as he spoke.

“And then, what happened?” I asked.

“Oh, you should have seen the letter Viktor wrote back. The man was enraged that we found him. No doubt, he accepted the request for an audience just so he could discover out how we tracked him before he killed us all.” Rex started to pick something out of his back teeth. The man was quite a character.

Rowan met my gaze and half-rolled his eyes. It was like teasing the King was our little secret.

“Back to the map,” said Rex. “The Basilica is a death trap. Our people can't go in there. I say we attack while everyone is here.” He pointed to the courtyard between the main gate and the Basilica. “Lots of room for attack animals.”

I didn't know much about Caster animals, but I did know about the various levels of mages. Casters had a similar system to Necromancers. “What level mages are you sending?”

“We aren't sending any at all, outside of myself,” said Rowan. “Viktor's killed off all our mages. We're trying to train new ones, but it will be years until they're ready.”

“And we're training women, too,” huffed Rex.

Here was that strange belief that Caster women couldn't be mages. I leveled Rex with a withering glare. “Afraid of some competition, Rex?”

The King stared at me, open-mouthed. “Well, you see… I…”

Rowan gave me a sideways glance. “I knew you wouldn't let the title of ‘King' go to your head, Elea.”

I met his sideways glance with one of my own. “It's a little frightening that you know me so well already.” Our stare held a little too long, so I went back to examining the map. “Moving on. We attack in the courtyard, right?”

“Yes,” said Rowan. “All the Casters there will be warriors. No mages.”

“Laurel and Orion will be there, too?” I asked.

Rex shrugged. “They're excellent warriors, if that what's you're worried about.”

“It's not that,” I said. “They just got mated, didn't they? This mission is incredibly dangerous.”

“They're warriors,” said Rowan firmly. “This is their job.”

“Looks like you're worried about them,” said Rex. “Perhaps it would be better to have another mage present.” Based on the pouty expression on the King's face, I think he had a pretty good idea who that mage should be.

“No, Uncle. I'm the only mage who's going. You're staying here.”

I couldn't believe Rowan was so forward with his Uncle. They were like any other family. At least, the little I remember from when I had one myself. Rosie was always complaining that I told her what to do.

“But this is our first chance to strike back at that bastard.” Rex pounded his fist onto the palm of his hand. “Do you have any idea how many of my friends I've seen tortured and turned into Changed Ones?”

“You're too valuable,” said Rowan simply. “It's out of the question.”

This conversation had the sing-song tone of something that the two of them had gone through many times. I wanted to get back to the plan to send the Tsar into exile. “And what about the Royals? Do we need to worry about them?”

“I wouldn't give them a second thought,” said Rex. “Gaspard has no magick. If he stays around, he'll be sentencing himself and his people to death. He'll run at the first sign of danger.”

“In that case, I say Rowan and I transport in here.” I pointed to the Basilica. “The guards never patrol the roof and it's covered with skeleton statues. They'll provide some nice cover for us.”

“I like that idea,” said Rowan. “After that, we can attack Viktor once he reaches the courtyard. Elea sends Viktor into the care of the Sire and Lady, and we're done.”

Rex narrowed his eyes. “What plans do you have for Linden, eh?” I was pleased that the King was concerned for the imprisoned Caster.

“He's in the Mother Superior's study.” I pointed to the right spot on the map. “Once we're rid of the Tsar, I say we go directly to Linden and get him out.”

“Agreed,” said Rowan.

“What do you think?” I asked the King.

“I like the plan,” said Rex. “But I'd rather be there in person.” Rowan opened his mouth, but Rex waved him off. “I know, I know. I've been seen on the road travelling here and that's a key part of the mission. But this is our first encounter with the Tsar. I don't like the idea of a double in my place.” He glared at Rowan. “I might be critical to the team, you know.”

Rowan didn't look up from examining his maps. “Forget it, Uncle.”

Their easy manner made me feel right at home. Turns out, it wasn't so hard talking to a King after all. As we continued making plans, a bubble of excitement formed in my chest.
This could really work
. In fact, I almost forgot about how I might die a horrible death in just a matter of hours.

Almost, but not quite.

Chapter Twenty-Five

The sky was starting to lighten by the time I left the tent. Rowan, Rex, and I had spent the entire night planning. I knew I should feel exhausted, but today was too important for me to be anything but buzzing with energy. After so many years of hard work, the time had finally come. I would either defeat the Tsar… Or suffer forever in fire. I rubbed my arms, imagining the flames licking over my skin.

And all this in a matter of hours. The time had finally come.

Rowan gently touched my shoulder, making me jump.

“I didn't mean to startle you,” he said.

I forced myself to look calm. “I'm a little restless today.”

Rowan leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “I am, too.” His grin was all things open, honest, and encouraging. It helped me to relax a little.

“Will Rex come to see us off?” I no longer thought of him as a ruler, but as a smiling man who overflowed with positive energy. I could use some of that this morning.

“No, he's being forced to stay in his tent.”

The way Rowan said ‘forced,' I got the idea there was more to the tale. “Don't tell me you put an armed guard on your King?”

A mischievous glint shone in Rowan's eyes. “I most certainly did. I've sent a double to the Cloister in his place. Now Rex is pouting like a six-year-old who must miss out on his own birthday party.”

I smiled at the image of Rex in a party hat. “We need to get moving. Dawn will be here soon.”

Rowan scanned the sky. “Agreed.”

The thought of leaving for the Cloister made my pulse quicken. I reached into my pocket, grabbed my ring from the Sire and Lady, and stared at it questioningly. We'd spent most of the night discussing battle tactics. I still wasn't sure how the whole ceremony worked. “Do I just put this on?”

“Not yet.” Rowan reached into his own pocket and pulled out something else that glittered.
My totem rings.
The silver bands shone like stars in the pre-dawn light. Since I left the Midnight Cloister, my life had moved at a non-stop pace. In all the excitement, I'd forgotten about my rings. Now that I saw them, my hands positively itched to have them back. As long as I didn't use them, they wouldn't alert the Midnight Cloister about where I was. And if all went well with the leveling spell, I could use them very soon without fear.

“Here's where they belong.” Rowan set the bands onto my palm. Wherever his fingers touched me, a charge of heat drew across my skin.

Be careful, Elea.

My control over my emotions was already paper-thin, and we hadn't even broken into the Cloister yet.

I stepped back and quickly slipped the rings on. It felt like a limb had been returned to me. “Thank you, Rowan.”

“You're welcome. I almost forgot about them.”

“Same here.”
And I spent five years making them.
It has been quite the week.

Rowan pulled out his band from the Sire and Lady. “Now, we come to these.”

At those words, two tiny mounds of sand appeared on the ground between Rowan and me. The scarab beetles peeped out from the tops. It was a little unsettling for them to show up now, but I suppose it was all part of the magick that Rowan has spoken about before.

Rowan lifted his ring. “The ceremony is pretty simple from here. You set your ring onto my right hand and say the following spell.”

My bond, my life, my one.

“That's it, eh?” I asked. “You Casters have very short incantations.”

“True.” The rugged lines of Rowan's face softened. “Do you want to start?”

“Yes.” I gripped the ring tightly. I knew this wasn't a real bonding, but somehow, it still felt huge to me. I mean, I'd never kissed a man before, and here I was, going through a marriage ceremony. “Have you… Have you ever done anything like this before?”

“No.” Rowan's answer was immediate and firm. For some reason, it also made me feel better. This was a first for him, too. I reached out and wrapped my fingers around the palm of Rowan's right hand. His skin was so warm, firm, and distracting. I centered myself with a deep breath.

This isn't real, Elea. Stay focused. It's just to finish your quest.

I spoke the incantation, set the band onto Rowan's finger, and waited. Nothing happened. “Did I do it right?”

“You did. The magick shouldn't begin until both rings are on.” Now, Rowan took my right hand in his. His green eyes met mine as he slid on the ring.

My bond, my life, my one.

This time, everything changed.

The desert disappeared. The world became nothing but Rowan and me surrounded by white light. Every aspect of Rowan seemed to be brighter and wrought with more detail. I could sense the weight of his muscles as he heaved in every breath. How the warmth of his body built out from his chest. And the way the green in his eyes shone in an intense color all their own. It was too much to take in, and not enough, all at once.

The scarab beetles flew onto our bands and hardened into tiny stones. Our mating bands were complete.

After that, our bodies transformed. Colored lights glimmered beneath Rowan's skin, like he was lit up from the inside. With every fiber of my being, I knew that I was witnessing the man's soul. I saw the red of passion, grey shades of determination, and deep amber hues of pain and loss. And it was so beautiful, I found it hard to breathe.

I looked down. My skin shone with the same colors. What did that mean? Was it some side effect of the spell?

The illusion disappeared. Rowan and I were back on the desert once more, standing nearby the Caster encampment. I'd never experienced anything like that before. A long moment passed before I could speak.

“So that placed our magick on the same level as Viktor.” I raised my left arm and pulled some Necromancer energy into me. “My powers don't feel any different.”

Rowan raised his right hand and did the same. “Mine don't either.”

“Is that… Is that how a typical bonding works?”

“Not that I've ever heard of. Normally, the rings empower you to cast major spells beside your partner without any worry that your magick would interfere with one another.” His gaze locked with mine. “That was extraordinary, Elea.”