Page 24 of Secrets & Curses of Cerithia

“I would still like to go to Exile to see for myself that it doesn’t exist,” I spoke without looking at my father.

“They are all dead, Thea, and Exile does not exist,” Jesper was the one to answer this time. “I sent Kizar guards to the Forbidden Wood where you said they were. They found nothing.”

“Maybe they didn’t go far enough...” I started to argue.

“They found a large oak tree with the X carved into it. But there was no boundary, no homes or buildings, no Exile. I promise, I made them scour the woods for days. It’s not there.”

Jesper's voice was gentle, like he was trying not to hurt my feelings. All it did was confirm to me that my father was likely lying to me. My father had already said they didn’t find anything at all, especially not the tree marked with an X. If Jesper had found it, then that meant I was there, and Exile had existed at some point.

I dropped the conversation and ate at this realization. No one said a word. My father had been laughing before I joined them, and now the table seemed so tense. Anger returned to me whenI realized that they hadn’t actually invited me to eat with them. Couldn’t they at least have pretended to enjoy my company? They could have acted like they missed me. My darkness raged a war inside of me. It wanted me to explode at them. It wanted me to demand answers, but I also knew that they wouldn’t tell me anything if I asked.

“Did I have friends before I disappeared?” I asked. Maybe they could fill in the gaps for me. There were so many things that didn’t make sense, and I trusted no one at this table with me.

Mae and Tally laughed like it was the most ridiculous thing they had ever heard. Then the queen laughed at me. Guess that answered that question. I stood up, my darkness not taking their disrespect a second longer. My hands slammed down on the wooden table to silence them. Our glass plates clunked under the force.

They all froze as the swirls on my skin glowed more brightly. Shadows and fire mist swirled around me in an angry cloud. My fire magic burned the imprints of my hands into the top of the table.

“Is there something funny to all of you sitting here about the fact that I can’t remember anything?”

No one spoke.

“Why does my own family think it is acceptable to speak to me like this?” I hissed. No one said anything, but just gawked at me. “Answer me!” I yelled so loudly that the guards all lifted their weapons at me. With a flick of my wrist, their weapons evaporated under my fire mist. Fear now laced everyone’s faces. It made my darkness happy to see it.

“Thea, you better calm down now,” my father tried to sound authoritative, but it made me chuckle.

“How about you stop letting everyone here disrespect me? Is this why the fae in the city believe it’s alright to treat me terribly? Because they know my own family does the same.”

“Thea…” Jesper started, but I leveled him with a glare that had him shutting up immediately. I gripped my dagger in my hand.

“I suggest you shut your mouth,” I warned him.

“You betrayed us!” My father stood and slammed his fists down too.

“You mean I was tricked by Cassius? You even said he enchanted me, and I figured it out and came back. I fought for you, and he killed me! How did I betray you?”

No one said a word. Liars.

“I suggest you guys start showing me respect if you expect me to fight for this kingdom, because I can still decide not to.”

I turned from them without another word and left quickly.I needed air and fast. My darkness whispered that I should hurt all of them as I headed away from the castle and to the woods. If everyone here thought I was a monster and they could treat me terribly, then I would give them a real reason too. I didn’t make it far before I heard someone moving behind me.

When I turned, my father stood with his guards. I didn’t wait for him to say anything before storming away from him. However, it only took a moment before I heard him catch up to me.

“Thea!” His tone demanded that I stop, but I didn’t. I honestly didn’t care if he was upset. My eyes flickered around for Wisp out of instinct, but I didn’t see her. Where was she?

“Thea.” He ran ahead to cut me off, and I glanced at him. “Your behavior is uncalled for. The girls were cruel to you, and I assure you I will talk to them. You must understand that we are all in an awkward position. When you disappeared, you were still not on good terms with us. I thought I could just understand that you didn’t mean to betray us and that Cassius tricked you. I thought we could move on like it never happened, but obviously there are still resentments. We will do better as your family to forgive you.”

“No one here has tried to make me feel welcomed. Why should I want your forgiveness anymore?” I snapped back as my blood ran cold at his words.

“I want to apologize for how your return has been handled,” my father sighed. “We have not made this transition easy for you, and I’m aware that we must do better. Please forgive me for not knowing how to support you.”

I fumed at his words. I was his daughter, and he did not know how to make me feel welcome.

“There is another reason why I find it difficult to trust you.” My father’s green eyes glanced over my shoulder as he seemed lost in a memory. “Your mother betrayed me too. I thought she loved me like I loved her, but I didn’t know that she was such a cruel and manipulative woman.”

I froze at the mention of my mother. I was desperate to learn anything about her.

“What did she do?”

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