Page 108 of Secrets & Curses of Crimson

A new sense of longing hit me. Thea could remember me, her, and us and couldn’t even celebrate it with me. Is this why she had been hiding? A war stormed inside of me. I was so damn proud of her, but now I knew if she died, I would lose her for good.

“Are you going to tell her that you know?” Leer asked.

“No.” I frowned. “Thea has gone to lengths to make sure I didn’t know, and I trust that she is doing it for our safety. Della knows too, which explains why she was being weird. They obviously think it’s the best course of action, and I’m not going to question my wife.”

“I can ask Ardella what is going on,” Haden offered.

“No. Let’s not tip them off that I know. Thea is stressed out about this.”

If Thea was worried I was going to die, then I would stay away from the wedding.

Chapter 28

Thea

When my shadows moved away, Exile stood in front of me. It had been two days since my father called for a peace treaty with Crimson, and I was running out of time.

The shambled buildings and hot, sticky nighttime air felt like home when I glanced around. Emotions bubbled up as I glanced at the prison I lived in for years. My plan was almost in motion, so it was a good time to tell Sybil and everyone that I did it and soon they’d be able to go home. I gripped my bloodstone tightly in my hand, calling out to Lyra to come to me.

Slowly, I walked toward the town square, where Fallon held so many meetings. My heart was wild in my chest as I rang the bell. Excited anticipation coursed through me as I waited impatiently for everyone to arrive. Fae started spilling from their homes and towards where I stood.Gods, I didn’t realize that many of us survived. The number seemed off, like it was at least double what it was when I left.

They all stared at me with a sense of sadness, and I realized they thought I had died again. Sybil and the twins rushed to me, but I held up my hand.

“Hello everyone,” I yelled out to them. “I’ve come to share some exciting news with all of you.” I smiled at the crowd. “I broke—” My words died on my tongue when I saw her. The woman with her small child. The hair on my neck stood up as confusion hit me like an arrow. The mother with her small son, who begged me for food, stood in the crowd. Her son was holding onto the blanket I had stolen—the one I buried with them. They had died. Why were they here?

My eyes frantically flickered through the faces in the crowd. The man I had killed to protect Sybil in our home, whose eyes were white and possessed-looking, stared at me. The couple next to him made my chest tight with uncertainty. The woman who clung to her dead husband and took her own life was watching me. Was I in a dream? My focus moved back to the woman and her young son. The boy couldn’t have been older than five, but we had been here for eight years. Was that part of Exile—no one aged?

“Thea…” Kaz’s sad voice broke through my panic. “It’s alright, maybe next time.”

“I broke my curse,” I spoke to all of them. “How are all of you alive? I watched several of you die. Why do the kids never get older?” Something was wrong.

Their faces looked sad and devastated even when I called them out. Part of me had expected anger because this was some sort of trick. I stepped backward as if that would protect me from what they would say to me.

“Thea, we can explain.” Fallon was the one to talk first.

“I’ll talk to her.” Sybil stepped forward and grabbed my hand in a comforting way. “She deserves to hear it from me and the boys.”

Fear gripped me.

“Why is no one happy? You all get to go home and live a normal life.”

I was blabbering on, but my mind was not making sense. They all stared at me, and I felt a crushing sadness because something was wrong. Maybe I had broken the curse in the wrong way. Maybe I didn’t do it, and this was all a sick and twisted dream.

I pulled my hand from Sybil’s, worried that something bad was going to happen. No one left; they all watched as I sank down to sit on the makeshift stage. Sybil kneeled infront of me, tears already gathered in her pretty blue eyes. The twins each stood to one side of me like I might bolt.

“You did so good, Thea. We are so proud of you.” She started.

They didn’t look proud of me. No, they looked devastated.

“You’re right, you did watch some of these fae die.” Her eyes closed tightly, like it pained her to tell me what she needed to.

“I’m so sorry, Thea. I wish things could have been different, but they aren't, and now we can all move on.”

Confusion settled deeper into my mind. My eyes shifted to the light breeze I felt. Della stood by as well, looking somber and heartbroken. Her star-colored eyes filled with guilt when she saw me.

“Why are you here?” I demanded an answer.

“It’s alright, Thea; she is here for us,” Sybil whispered.

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