Page 18 of The Prince's Curse

As they reached another sealed door, this one glistening with silver sigils Haldric recognized as various Protection glyphs, itoccurred to him there wasn’t much he could do about the curse either. There, too, his fate lay entirely out of his hands.

Fendrel and the guards remained in the hall while Janelle followed him into the hollowed-out interior of the turret. Shelves crowded with all manner of books and esoteric ingredients lined the walls, stretching from the floor all the way to the ceiling some forty paces above. Equipment that tugged at Haldric’s memories had been shoved aside to clear the center of the room, where a large ritual circle glowed with azure runeflame.

He tried to trace the spellwork involved and quickly gave up. He might be more experienced than Benjin, but this level of magic was far beyond him. Still, something about the pattern of runes etched in the ground tugged at his memory. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d seen something like it before.

For a brief instant, fragments of his recurring nightmares flickered before his eyes, revealing a vision of Benjin standing amid a raging storm of magic. Haldric sucked in a sharp breath.Thiswas where it had happened—he was all but certain of it. This was the spot where he’d fallen under the curse.

From beside him, his aunt’s concerned voice resounded as if from a great distance. “Haldric? Are you all right?”

He realized then that he’d stopped moving. Blinking back to the present, he shook his head to clear it and offered her a wan smile. “I’m fine. Just a little on edge.”

She studied the runic circle with narrowed eyes. “I don’t blame you. Powerful magic like this always unnerves me as well.” Haldric stumbled and almost fell as she clapped him on the back. “But there’s no need to worry. It will all be over soon.”

That’s precisely what I’m afraid of.

Two spaces had been marked on opposite ends of the circle, each containing a chair surrounded by a smaller circle of runes linked to the larger one that spanned the room. Haldricapproached the nearest chair and eyed it, wondering whether he should sit.

Before he could decide, the door behind them opened again. Grand Magus Dexil entered first, resplendent as ever in a midnight blue robe embroidered with silver stars. Benjin followed closely at his heels.

Haldric’s heart lurched at the resigned expression on Benjin’s face. Heavy manacles shackled his hands and feet together, glowing with temporary wards against magic. To add insult to injury, a gag covered his mouth.

The sudden urge to grip his face and kiss him properly overcame Haldric, the impulse so powerful he took a step toward Benjin before his aunt caught his arm in an iron grip. Ignoring the look Janelle leveled at him, he clenched his hands into fists, watching as Dexil helped Benjin into the other seat.

As much as Haldric longed to hold Benjin and reassure him that everything would be okay, he couldn’t—not when he didn’t know if it would be a lie. Instead, he settled for calling out, “Whatever happens, I love you, Benjin.”

Benjin’s only response was a wavering smile that faded all too quickly.

“Good, you’re already here,” Dexil said to Haldric. He rubbed his hands together, his purple eyes glinting. Perhaps he was eager for the opportunity to work such an unusual spell. He gestured to the chair in front of Haldric. “Go on, Your Highness. Take a seat, and we’ll get started.”

His stomach churning with nerves, Haldric did as commanded. He wasn’t certain if it was only his imagination, but he swore a faint jolt of electricity coursed over his backside when he sat.

“Before I begin, allow me to explain what you should expect.” Dexil regarded both him and Benjin as he took up position in the center of the larger circle. “While the ritual itself shouldonly take an hour or so to complete, for you, it will feel like far longer. The magic requires that you relive your most recent and poignant memories before the curse affected you. While I’ve never experienced such a thing myself, I’m told it can be rather…overwhelming.”

Janelle scowled at the mage. “Can’t you restore their memories bit by bit to ease them into it? The less risk there is to my nephew’s wellbeing, the better.”

The Grand Magus shook his head. “If only it were that simple. But this sort of magic can be finicky. Since a single spell suppressed their memories, a single spell must be used to restore them. Anything else risks causing irreversible damage to their minds.”

Still looking dissatisfied, Janelle grunted in response. She shuffled to stand along the edge of the room well away from the runic circle while Dexil raised his arms. Runeflame spiraled along his fingertips.

He glanced at Benjin. “Ready?” When Benjin nodded, Dexil turned his attention to Haldric. “Ready, Your Highness?”

Swallowing his fear, Haldric took a deep breath. Gripping the arms of his chair as if for dear life, he looked across the room at Benjin and said, “Ready.”

“Then, let us begin.”

Haldric resisted the urge to bolt from his chair as Dexil’s fingers danced through the air, leaving lingering runes traced in their wake. An accompanying incantation rose from the mage’s lips, soft at first but growing louder and louder until the words of power boomed throughout the chamber.

The smaller circle etched in the floor around Haldric flared to life, columns of runeflame spiraling upward until they nearly blocked his view. Across the room, he saw that Benjin’s circle had undergone the same transformation.

Their gazes locked. In Benjin’s pale gray eyes, Haldric saw fear and hope along with a certain weary resignation.

He believes he’s guilty,Haldric realized.He’s accepted it as a foregone conclusion.Even as his chest constricted, Haldric refused to turn away. Let Benjin be the last thing he saw, their love the foremost thing on his mind.

He didn’t know if they’d both still feel the same once they awoke or if the love between them would fade away like a forgotten dream. But as the Grand Magus’ magic erupted throughout the chamber and engulfed both of them, he prayed the connection they shared proved real enough to endure.

And then, all at once, he rememberedeverything.

PART II: PAST

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