Page 106 of Secrets & Curses of Crimson

We stopped about 20 feet in front of Luren and Jesper, who had a ridiculous amount of guards behind them. Like I couldn’t kill all of them with my shadows within seconds. My eyes met Luren's, and all I thought of was Thea’s green eyes. Then I glanced at Jesper and smirked when the image of Thea and I on his throne hit me.

“What are you smiling about?” Jesper hissed.

“It’s a secret.” I smiled.

Jesper’s face reddened in his anger.

“We weren’t sure you’d come,” Luren spoke.

“If you’re offering peace, then of course we would come. We do not want war.” My father’s voice was clipped. He hated Luren long before Thea and I were ever born. The man had killed his father to take his throne. Besides that, he was a terrible leader. Letting his fae starve and die because he was greedy.

“We—” A loud noise stopped all of us. Luren sighed when he realized what it was. “Thea.” He acknowledged her as she walked up to us quickly. Her eyes were full of confusion when she saw me. Her body was tense as she glanced around us like she had no idea what she had just walked into. Her dagger was gripped in her hand, but I was confident it was to kill Jesper and her father if needed. Gods, she looked confused. What did she think was happening?

“What’s going on?”

“Prince Cassius and King Rylan came to discuss peace negotiations.”

Her eyes met mine.

Why would you offer peace now? What was he doing?

My eyes narrowed on her. Thea wasn’t talking, but I could hear her plain as day in my mind. I stared at her as she tensed even more.

Fuck. This is a trick, Cassius. Why are you here? You’re in danger by being here.

My body went still, and I couldn’t stop staring at my wife as her thoughts flitted through my mind. Her eyes flashed red.

“It’s alright, Thea; no need to be upset about it,” Luren spoke.

Fucking moron, I wasn’t upset about that. I hated that he acted as if he knew me.

“We will postpone our war for a year and try to reach a mutual agreement during that time,” Jesper proposed.

“Six months.” My father countered.

I couldn’t even pretend to care about their conversation. We knew this was a ploy. Thea looked up at me, and I saw her flinch. Suddenly an image of me being killed played in my mind.Cassius will die.

My heart beat wildly in my chest as more images of me dying played through her mind. I closed my eyes and groaned as the images came in flashes.

“Are you alright?” Jesper asked me.

“Yes.” I lied.

“Fine. We will agree to six months,” Luren sighed. “It will be nice to focus on the wedding this week instead of wondering if you’ll attack.”

Thea stilled at this. A flash of her in a dress fighting flittered through my mind. Then it showed me getting hurt and Thea trying to save me, but she was too late.

The fuckingwedding. I need to tell Della I know when Cassius is supposed to die.

When she looked at me this time, she didn’t look away. I could feel an itch in my mind like she was trying to read my thoughts. But I don’t think she could by the frown on her face. I was supposed to die. How did she know this?

“Deal.” My father agreed. “We will pull back our troops immediately, and so will you.”

“Deal.” Luren stuck out his hand, and my father hesitated before shaking his hand back. Thea was staring at me, but I tried not to look at her. Jesper was watching me closely. I tried to read his mind but couldn’t. When we were about to leave, I looked at her again. Her hand gripped the dagger in her hand tightly.

I will slice off his fucking head right now if he hurts Cassius. I will burn the whole realm down if my husband is taken from me.

Husband.

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