Page 39 of A Kingdom of Broken Bonds

Eli is still watching me with an intensity that both ignites something within me and frightens me at the same time, and he clearly wants to close the distance I just put between us. He senses that I need a moment, though, and holds himself back, shifting his weight from foot to foot as if to expel excess energy.

Turning my attention inward, I let my tumultuous thoughts take over, desperately trying to figure out what is happening.

He wants me to leave with him right now. I have never dreamed of any other path but this one, because I knew there was no point. This is what I was fated to do, all for the good of my people, but now he’s saying he knows how to break the curse. He speaks so matter-of-factly, as though he expects me to agree and skip off to goddess knows where. It’s crazy. What is even crazier is that I want to go with him.

Pressing my fingers against my temples, I release a long breath and try to remind myself why I’m here. I meet his gaze and let him see the confusion in my expression. “What are you saying?”

He glances behind me, most likely making sure no one is around to overhear. “The prophecy that binds the land is in action, and I know how to break your part of the curse.”

I have never heard of the prophecy spoken about this way, and it makes me pause. Is he suggesting that as one of the brides, I am cursed? The way it was described to me my whole life was that the prophecy was a look into the future, spelling out what was going to happen if we didn’t do something about it. The seven brides would come together and complete what was needed, and we would save the land.

However, he seems to believe something different.

I hold my hands up to stop him from going any further, needing to clarify something. “Wait, you make it sound as though you believe we are all individually cursed.”

Raising a single brow, he looks at me as though I’m being deliberately dense. “You are one of the brides of darkness, the seven females who are cursed and have to discover how to save their people.”

Brides of darkness? I have never heard of us being called this before, but he has to be referring to the brides from each race, since it is the only thing that makes sense. He’s from a land beyond the mountains, so perhaps this is just what we are dubbed, yet he seems to know so much about the prophecy that it makes me wonder how much is actually being kept from us.

Eli’s expression shifts, and it’s clear he can see I have no idea what he’s talking about. Sighing, he glances around us once more, lowering his voice as he takes a step closer. “The prophecy is made up of seven curses, each relating to the land the female hails from. Together, if they break their curses, the land will be safe.”

Screwing my eyes shut, I let out a sigh as I press my fingers to my temples once more, my mind aching from the intricacies of the prophecy. “How is that any different?”

At the moment, other than telling me that I’m cursed, everything else he mentioned still sounds relatively the same. If that is the case though, then why is his urgency making me feel so jumpy?

Eli twitches in front of me, and I get the distinct impression he wants to reach out and touch me, yet he holds himself back. “The time frames are different for a start,” he explains. “You are all different ages, so some of the brides aren’t old enough to marry yet. There was never going to be a way you could all complete it together.”

This makes sense, and if I think about it, I realise the prophecy never stated that we all need to work together, it was just assumed. Eli takes a deep breath, seeming to prepare himself before he speaks again, which makes me nervous. He’s had no issues speaking the truth so far, so what is he going to say now that makes him pause?

“I theorise that each land is tied to the fate of their bride, so your actions will directly affect Trador and the vampires. The longer it takes you to break it, the worse the consequences will be for your people.” He speaks smoothly, and I hear the note of apology in his voice. He knows this news is difficult for me to hear and is trying to break it as gently as possible, yet he’s making sure not to leave anything out at the same time. He glances at my hand and slowly moves to take it in his, giving me the chance to pull away if I want to. I don’t.

“Anthea, I can break your curse and help you save your people at the same time. You wouldn’t have to marry that brute, Havoc.”

My breath catches in my throat at the notion of being freed from marriage to someone who clearly hates me. I cannot let myself get caught up in this idea or let hope bloom inside me when there is no chance of it coming to fruition. There are so many questions pressing for attention within my mind, but I force myself to focus on just one.

“How do you know all of this?” I ask, my voice tight with tension.

“Because I am fae, and one of my gifts is foresight. I can see glimpses of the future.” He shrugs as though what he’s saying is completely normal and a run-of-the-mill ability. Perhaps across the mountains, among the rest of the fae, this is the case, but here, foresight is an incredibly rare gift.

From what I know of it, foresight is a double-edged sword, as nothing comes for free. It can be difficult to differentiate between what is going to happen and what could be. Trying to alter what cannot be changed can lead to dire consequences for either the seer or the subject.

I’m not sure I want to know what is in my future, but there is one thing I need to know. Taking a deep breath, I prepare myself for the answer, telling myself it will not change anything, when really, it will mean everything.

“Do I save my people?”

He shakes his head apologetically, suddenly looking exhausted. “I am unable to see the outcomes of each prophecy. I have seen prophecies like this before, though, and know how they work.” His eyes suddenly glisten, and a small smile pulls at his lips in a way that tells me he’s sharing a secret. “I also have additional sensitivities around you.”

Whatever has made him smile like that is a mystery to me, but I wish I knew how to recreate it. “Me?” I ask, my voice breathy. “Why me specifically?”

He raises a brow again, but his smile stretches into a grin. “Because you’re my mate.”

The warmth I felt in my chest suddenly turns cold, the sensation spreading throughout my body. “That is impossible,” I croak out, a tremble running through my body as confusion, hope, and fear battle for a place within me.

I won’t run from this no matter how much I want to. Something beyond my comprehension is happening here, but we were brought together for a reason, and I need to see this through. Just because I do not understand something doesn’t make it dangerous. Terrifying, yes, but I have faced the unknown before, and I can do it again.

Eli stills, his expression dropping into one of careful neutrality, yet I know my reaction hurt him.

“You did not know.” It’s phrased as a statement rather than a question, and I realise this is news to him. He thought I was already aware of the fact we are mates, when all I knew was that I felt connected to him.

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