Page 67 of Secrets & Curses of Cerithia

“Your father is a master manipulator. Cassius is not cursed in such a way.”

“Then how is he cursed?”

Brim’s cloudy eyes stared into the fire.

“He must watch the woman he loves look at him like a villain. He watches you die over and over. I would say that is a terrible fate.”

“But he killed me. I do not understand why everyone thinks it is justified. He loves me, but he stabbed me. He was cruel to me in the clearing.”That was the one piece I couldn't understand. If he killed me for a good reason then why was he so cruel to me?

“Love makes us do things we do not always want to. Sometimes, we love someone or something enough to hurt them in order to save them. You still haven’t actually talked with Cassius. That is another part of the curse: he is the only one allowed to tell you the truth. He must tell you himself why he killed you and why that cursed you with no memories.”

I opened my mouth to beg for more information, but he held up his hand to silence me. I didn’t dare breathe, as he seemed to be trying to hear something.

“You should go. They are looking for you in the forest,” he whispered. “Best of luck to you, my dear.”

Then, as if I hadn’t been in his home at all, I fell to the forest floor on my ass. I was sitting inside the shambled shed alone. No trace of his inviting home around me. Although I could smell the fire on my clothing. Heavy footsteps sounded close by, and I stood up quickly. My head poked out of the shed, and Jesper stood ten feet away, with a handful of guards behind him.

“What the hell are you doing?” he snapped.

“I was exploring the forest.” I stepped out of the shed, and he grabbed my hand, dragging me back toward the castle in a haste.

“I was told I couldn’t leave the wall, not the castle grounds,” I responded to his silent anger. “Is that wrong?”

“No, of course not,” he sighed. His fingers gripped me tightly. “I just get worried when I don’t see you for a while.”

“Can you stop hurting me?” I groaned as his fingers dug into my barbed wrists. Jesper looked over me before irritation took over his features.

“I’ll do whatever I want to you.”

He gripped me by the back of my neck and shoved me toward the castle, making me fall into the tall green grass.

He was one who aimed to cage me. He feared my power and hated me for it. The fear I could understand. After all, I could change an entire realm with a flick of my wrist if I chose. I, Thea Alzara, should be bowed to.

Through the haze of pain, I smiled at the words of the prophecy. I would have loved to see the faces of everyone when my name was called out.

My eyes caught sight of Haden standing in the forest of Cerithia as he watched Jesper forcefully rip me up by my hair. What was he doing here again? His clenched fists were covered in frost as he watched Jesper hurt me. Quickly, I glanced away because I didn’t want Jesper to see him. When I glanced back, I saw Wisp floating by where he had been standing.

Haden was gone, and within a moment, so was Wisp.

My eyes drifted to the training fields, where I spotted Leer. He was watching me, relief on his face that I was alive. I needed to go see him and his family tonight.

Chapter 21

Jesper had kept me close to him all day. His hand was clasped tightly around mine, as if he feared I would be snatched away at any moment, and I worried why he had this sudden attachment. Hopefully, he will leave me after dinner like he normally does. I ate in silence with him and my “family” like we did almost every night. Tally was staring at Jesper with a smile. Every now and then, he would look up and return it to her.

Good—hopefully, she’ll keep him busy after dinner so I can make my escape. I would make a quick stop at Leer’s home, then head to Exile. I knew that I would probably be caught sneaking off, but I had to try. I needed to know if my friends were still alive. I couldn’t wait any longer to go. Exile depended on me, and I would not give up on them until I saw the truth for myself.

?????

After dinner, everyone stood and went their separate ways. I thanked the stars as I watched Tally and Jesper disappear down the same hallway, then hurried downstairs to grab my cloak anddaggers before sneaking back out to the hallway. Guards had been watching me closely, so I knew I probably wouldn’t get lucky enough to avoid them.

I crept silently up the stairs, only to be met with two guards. As soon as they saw me, they were on edge.

“Where do you think you’re going?” one of the guards asked.

My eyes darted around to see if there were others. There weren’t.

“I’m sorry,” I said quickly as I stepped forward and killed one of them. The other immediately attacked with his sword. Stumbling forward, I fell face-first into the wall. Pain radiated from my eye. I turned and barely dodged his sword. The force of his swing made him stumble slightly, giving me an opportunity to stab him in the back.

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