Page 72 of The Prince's Curse

“I don’t know.” His aunt drew her twin axes. “But I intend to find out.”

Haldric listened intently to the muffled sounds beyond the door. “I don’t hear any shouts of alarm. No guards entering.”

“And no servants…” Janelle’s lips tightened into a grim line. “Something about this doesn’t sit right.”

“A trap!” Haldric exclaimed, his eyes widening. “They were waiting for us to come here.” His gaze drifted to his father’s body. “You don’t think…”

“I don’t know.” She kept her gaze fixed on the closed door while her grip tightened around the handles of her axes. “But I’m beginning to suspect help won’t be coming.” She stalked toward the door. “Stay behind me, Your Majesty.”

“I can fight.” Haldric reached for his waist, grimacing when he realized he’d forgotten to grab his sword from his chambers in his haste.

“You’re the king now. I cannot risk your safety.”

“And I cannot risk yours!” he snapped, earning a surprised look. His hands glowed with runeflame as he pressed a hand to her armor. A thin sheen of energy enveloped her. “I doubtthis quality of Protection will be enough to halt an arrow, but it should turn aside lesser blows. Here. Give me your axes.”

Without hesitation, she proffered them up. Haldric ran his hands over both, taking the time to add the familiar sigils until each blazed with blue flame. If he couldn’t imbue his own sword, then he’d have to rely on his aunt to fight in his stead.

She gave him a fierce grin. The expression was almost ghoulish in the ethereal light flickering from her weapons. “Much appreciated. We don’t know how many of them are out there or what kind of weaponry they have. Crossbows and swords we can manage, but if they have any casters among them…”

Haldric swallowed. “Let us hope they don’t.”

She nodded. “Stay close behind me. We’ll head for the door, see if we can break past them. If we can make it to the corridor, we might be able to go for help.”

Haldric nodded his assent, concentrating on his enchantments as he crouched behind his aunt. With another flare of runeflame, he lent himself a Protection to match the one he’d given her. None of the spells would last long, but hopefully they’d hold long enough.

Benjin, I’m coming for you.

twenty-seven

Benjin

Benjin awoke in fitsand starts. Darkness enveloped him. His arms ached and felt strangely heavy. It was only when he shifted against cold stone and heard the rattle of chains that he realized he must have been returned to his dungeon cell after the ritual.

His head ached as he tried to sort through the jumble of memories and emotions, his time in the palace fresh in the forefront of his mind.

So…his love for Haldric hadn’t been a lie. What they’d felt for each other in that cottage had been real despite the domestic fantasy playing out around them.

Yet, in the end, Haldric hadn’t chosen him. He’d have rather erased all they had to flee from this life…and would have, if not for Benjin’s interference.

It was the Grand Magus who put him up to it.

Benjin clenched his jaw as he recalled Dexil’s schemes, how he’d locked Benjin in that storage cabinet. He’d known all alongthat Benjin was innocent, and yet he’d perpetuated this farce to save his own hide. If Benjin was still here in this cell, everyone must still believe he’d kidnapped the prince. And that meant neither Dexil nor Haldric had seen fit to save him.

With a loud grinding noise, the door to his cell creaked open. Benjin’s heart leaped to his throat. Haldric—it must be! Now that his memories were restored, the prince had come to set things right.

His chest constricted when he caught a familiar flurry of silk and jewels instead. “Grand Magus,” he hissed, rattling his chains. “What areyoudoing here?”

“I see the ritual worked.” Dexil stepped to the center of the cell, halting there and examining Benjin’s face. “Your memories have returned.”

“They have. Which is how I know this is all your doing!”

“Mydoing?” Dexil’s violet eyes flashed.“Youwere the one who interfered with the ritual despite my warnings. And it was Prince Haldric himself who requested my help to forget.”

Benjin’s stomach roiled with the truth of Dexil’s words. “Only after you planted the idea in his head!”

“Perhaps. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t for the best.”

Benjin snorted, shifting in his bonds. “Why are you really here? Come to silence me before I can reveal your part in all this?”

---