Page 107 of Secrets & Curses of Crimson

I took a small step toward her out of instinct but stopped. I could feel her anger and devastation in our marriage bond. Her eyes were wet with unshed tears as she looked at me.

I need to go to Exile and tell them I broke my curse before the wedding.

Her words rang in my mind.

She broke her curse.

When? How? Why didn’t she tell me?

“Cassius?” My father pulled me out of my staring. I glanced at him. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” I glanced at them. “We’ll see you at the wedding.”

No, don’t come to the wedding. You’re going to die if you do.

My chest tightened with the sadness in her thoughts. But I wasted no time using my shadows and taking us all back to Crimson. As soon as my shadows disappeared, my father faced me.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I need to talk with you, Haden, Leer, and Zade in the throne room.”

I didn’t wait to see if they were following me. I began walking as fast as I could. My mind was reeling. My hands ran through my hair as I paced around the room. The door shutting jarred me from my racing thoughts.

“For fuck’s sake, Cassius, what is wrong?” My father’s voice was laced with worry.

“Thea broke her curse.”

None of them reacted at first, too shocked to say or do anything. Then they smiled and let out sighs of relief. Haden was the one to notice I wasn’t happy.

“Why aren’t you smiling about this?” Haden asked, making all of them frown at me.

“She didn’t tell me.” I frowned. “When we were meeting Luren and Jesper, I heard her thoughts.”

“Her thoughts?” Leer asked.

I nodded.

“Thea can read minds. It’s a power she picked up somewhere. But when she gives me the stone, I get some of her powers. I guess I have the ability to read her mind, but I can’t seem to read others.”

"Okay, that’s a lot, but why wouldn’t she tell you?” Zade asked.

I swallowed hard, looking at my father.

“I think she’s protecting me. She’s having visions that I am going to die at the wedding.”

The room fell completely silent. I couldn’t hear anyone take a breath.

“What the fuck do you mean?” Haden asked angrily.

“She showed me images of me dying over and over again. She always tried to save me, but she couldn’t. Thea doesn’t want me to go to the wedding. So, I’m not going.”

Haden began pacing back and forth. He was pissed.

“She’s obviously keeping this secret because she thinks it will protect me.”

“How long ago did she break her curse? And how did she do it without giving you the damn stone?” Haden questioned me like I knew the answers.

“I don’t know when. But she had to give me the stone at some point. It is the only way to break the curse. Maybe she used illusion magic to disguise it as something else. I have no fucking clue; it’s Thea. She is clever and smart. With her, anything is possible.”

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