Page 50 of Secrets & Curses of Crimson

“How was I supposed to know!” Genia argued back. I could hear them bickering back and forth, but their words jumbled together.

My breathing was coming out in choppy breaths. Gods, I was going to pass out. I stumbled forward, and several of the women caught me before blackness overtook me.

Chapter 15

Thea

My head was pounding when I opened my eyes. Fuck, what happened? I groaned as I sat up and was startled by a dozen women staring at me. I was in bed, my boots and cloak gone.

“For the love of the gods, Thea, we thought we killed you,” Genia scoffed.

Her words came back to me quickly.

“Oh gods, Cassius..." I was hyperventilating again. “Cassius is my… my mate.”

“Breathe.” A witch who looked like Genia, only much younger, held my hand and fanned me with her free hand to help my sweaty forehead. I was going to be sick.

“Maybe you should lay back down,” someone else said.

I shook my head, trying to understand what this meant.

“Does my father know that Cassius is my mate?” I asked.

All of the women physically tensed at my question. Their eyes seemed to glow a violent red. Okay; they clearly hated my father.

"No, and if you tell him, he will kill Cassius.”

“Does Cassius know?”

The women smiled brightly.

“Yes, he knows.” Genia smiled. “Your mother said he would love you so strongly that the gods wouldn’t be able to keep him from you. A love so grand that it would break a curse, save a realm, and outlast time itself.”

My mind flashed with all my encounters with Cassius since I left Exile. Stars above, he seemed so happy to see me. He had never hurt me. My eyes drifted to Wisp, who was floating in front of me, her color a dark green.

My darkness swarmed inside of me as I thought of Cassius. It was happy at the thought of him, instead of being angry or disgusted like I was with my father. At this thought, Wisp burned dark purple.

“Fuck,” I whispered. “What am I supposed to do?”

I glanced at them expectantly.

A woman stepped forward from behind the others. Her blonde hair was in a tight updo, her figure was filled out, and her face was pretty.

“You break your curse and get your man.” She smiled. “We will help you any way we can.”

“Do I tell him that I know?”

“We can’t answer that for you.” She frowned.

Something inside of me told me I shouldn’t tell him. If I belonged with Cassius and Crimson, then he would try to protect me. Wait… I was supposed to kill the Crimson bloodline.

“You called him Prince Cassius.” I glanced at them.

“He is the Prince of Crimson.” Genia looked over me oddly.

No, no, no. I refused to kill him. I would give up all my memories if that was the only way I could get them back. Wisp burned a bright purple at me like she agreed with my thoughts. My father would demand I kill him. What the fuck was I supposed to do?

“Why can you guys tell me things and everyone else has magic tying their tongues?” I asked.

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