Page 49 of Secrets & Curses of Cerithia

"You should go before your father tries to find you. Keep the portrait,” she smiled."And Thea, I think you know that this is not your home. But I think you are too scared to admit it, so I am telling you that it is okay to feel that way. Blood does not make a family."

I glanced down at the image of my mother, and when I glanced back up, I was no longer in the bookshop. I was standing in the hallway of Cerithia’s castle. I rushed inside my bedroom and shut the door.

My body collapsed on my bed, and I stared at the dingy space, realizing just how small and unkept it really was.

The silence of my room brought me no comfort. I just wanted someone, anyone, to help me understand. Everything my mother said in her letter was the opposite of what my father told me, but now I wondered if he had read the letter he took from Rosaline and crafted his own version of the tale. Rosaline told me to trust my instincts, and those instincts told me that I didn't want to be here. I wanted Cassius, even if I couldn't understand why. So I would trust those instincts and figure it out.

Cerithia and Kizar would crumble with the prophecy, that I knew for sure. My father, Jesper, Gwyn, and Cerithia would crumble at my hands because they had all lied to me. They had attacked Exile. My father and Jesper were using me. I would not bow. I would not bend. I would not break at the hands of men who didn’t truly care about me.

Chapter 15

Iwoke up the next morning groggy and sore from lack of sleep. My mother’s words and Cassius’ had replayed in my mind all night. After what I had learned last night, I didn’t think I could even pretend to be civil with my father anymore. My darkness had crept over me as I lay in bed and was now refusing to let go of me.My mind was spinning as a result of the decision I had made. But to pull it off, my plan had to be fool proof. I couldn’t just slaughter my family because I would still have an entire kingdom to face afterward.

I knew I could level Cerithia with a flick of my wrist, but I would never do that. There were too many innocent fae who lived here. My plan was to stay out of sight today and sort through my thoughts. When I snuck out of my room, it was with intentions to go get food, but then I saw Wisp. My heart began to beat rapidly in my chest because I had learned that she started showing up when there was something she wanted me to find.

She flickered quickly to me, twirling around me with her flames a stunning shade of purple.Wisp finally stopped moving around me and floated a few feet in front of me. Anguish spilled from her and wrapped around me tightly, making it hard for me to breathe, almost as if she were hugging me in her own special way. When she switched back to a dark green, I knew it meant she was happy.

Once satisfied with herself, she flickered away from me and back down the hallway she had been headed toward. My feet were following her before she could summon me. She moved slowly, letting me know she was worried there was a chance we would run into someone else. My eyes scanned around the corner, and I sucked in the small gasp that nearly escaped me.

Lavtan, the chief adviser to the king of Crimson, was walking into the throne room with my father, Jeb, and Jesper. What was Cerithia’s enemy doing meeting with the king like this?

There were no guards outside, which I found odd. My suspicions were raised. I slowly slipped forward and peeked into the crack of the door they had left ajar. There was no mistaking Lavtan’s cruel face once I saw him standing over my father’s map of Elloryon, which he had sprawled out on a table.

“How are you managing, Thea?” Lavtan asked. I couldn’t understand why he would be here and ask about me. Maybe he had been sent by Cassius to check on me?

“She won't be a problem,” Jesper sighed. “She hasn’t told us she remembers anything, so maybe being away from Cassius has stopped the memories.”

“I have found out that Cassius is not planning on attacking Cerithia. So, if you’re waiting for him to start a war, you’ll be waiting forever,” Lavtan spoke. “Cassius is worried that starting a war will make Thea come kill him without giving him a chance to talk to her, so he is avoiding it.”

“We will declare our plans at the meeting of the kingdoms. Are you sure it will be safe to take Thea?” My father questioned Lavtan. “Is Cassius planning to steal her away?”

“As far as I can tell, he has no plans to try to take her. He hasn’t spoken a word of her since she chose Cerithia. It’s almost like he doesn’t care anymore.” Lavtan spoke so casually, but his words were still a dagger through my heart. “What of the other elite magic fae?”

My ears pricked at the question. Was he referring to Exile? Wisp turned black, letting me know that she didn’t like this conversation either.

Jeb spoke this time. “As far as Thea knows, we checked Exile, and no one was there. She thinks that she just made them all up.”

“She will want to see for herself at some point. She’s a persistent bitch. Make sure they can’t be found.”

They glanced over the map for a few silent moments. My fire simmered in my chest in anger, heating me to the point that sweat beaded on my forehead. Gods, I didn’t know if I could hold out much longer on my plan to kill them. My darkness didn’t urge me forward at the thought, so it must have agreed with me that there was more to learn.

“You didn’t see her compete this year,” Lavtan sighed. “She is much stronger than she was seven years ago. When they were together, she was immediately drawn to Cassius, and he could hardly stay away from her either. You better get her over that attitude if this is going to work.”

What was going to work? Lavtan continued talking about Crimson’s defenses, guard patrols, and border patrols, proving that he was a traitor to Crimson. My body seethed at this news. It didn’t surprise me that he was a traitor. He had treated me terribly at Crimson.

“Well, we wouldn’t be in this rushed position if you had done your fucking job,” King Luren snapped at Lavtan.

“I tried everything to get her not to finish the trials. I gave her the worst team for the maze. I practically handed her to Riven, and the idiot couldn’t finish the job. I even invited Flora to the castle to try and seduce Cassius, but it did nothing. Nothing got to her this time. Even Nev fucked it up when he tried to handle her. I told him exactly where she was and how weak she was, but she still got free.”

“Because Haden turned his back on Kizar!” Jesper growled. Haden, he was something else. I smiled at the thought of him betraying Jesper to help save me. Lavtan nodded slightly as his cruel eyes drifted around the men in the room.

“We may have lost Haden, but I have a new ally in Cassius’ kingdom. He will do anything we ask, even kill Cassius if I say so.” Lavtan’s words chilled me. Who was betraying Cassius? Was it Kace, Zade, or someone else?

“I’ve been thinking, and I believe it’s time Kizar and Cerithia form a powerful alliance,” Lavtan said with a smile. “Make a spectacle of Thea at the meeting, but do not make it seem as if she’s a prisoner. Make everyone in that room feel like she wants to be there.” Lavtan’s warning rang through my head. Wisp flashed a series of random colors, trying to get my attention. “You better have control over her.”

Just then, I heard footsteps coming down the hallway and darted into the darkness of the corner. My lungs burned as I held the air inside, trying to make myself as invisible as possible. The queen and Tally walked past me and into the meeting room before shutting the door completely, cutting me off from whatever was going to happen next.

Fuck. I needed to get out of here.

---