Page 34 of Secrets & Curses of Crimson

“Watch him; I’ll be back shortly.”

My shadows wrapped around me, and within a moment I was standing in the forest of Crimson, listening for the rider. I didn’t hear him, so I moved through my shadows several times until I finally came upon him. The Kizar guard had made it a lot farther than I thought he would in a short time, meaning Palo was a fucking liar. This man had probably left Thea’s camp a half day ago. I knew the moment he saw me standing in the darkening woods, blood dripping down my hands and chest from Palo.

The guard widened his path around me like that would protect him from me. I shot my shadow magic out and clotheslined him. His horse kept running as he scrambled to his feet, trying to grab a weapon.

“I’ve been looking for you.”I smiled.

He tried to run, but I used my shadows to move in front of him quickly. He ran into my chest and fell to the ground.

“We need to talk.”

My voice was laced with venom as I reached down and grabbed the man, moving both of us with my shadows to the dungeon. I tossed him to the ground by Palo’s feet.

“That was fast,” Haden chuckled.

The guard tried to scoot away, but he wouldn’t escape me, especially knowing that he was going to report Thea, and that would have cost her life. But before I started questioning him, I walked to Palo, yanking my dagger out of his arm so I could cut off three fingers. When I inspected my work, I slammed my dagger into his other forearm.

“That is for lying about when you traded places with him. He was almost to Cerithia when I found him.”

Palo was crying hysterically. I glanced up at Haden, who was leaning against the wall, flipping his dagger in his hand, watching. Something vacant filled his features before he looked at me and stepped forward, coming to my left.

“You’re going to tell me what you planned to relay to King Luren.”

The guard’s dark eyes widened as he looked to Palo for guidance. Palo nodded for him to tell me.

“That I saw you two having a conversation and you kissed her,” he muttered, terrified of me. He should be. He almost cost me my wife.

“You’ve already kissed her?” Palo sneered.

I smiled at him. My fists clenched tightly at my sides. Gods, the rage that was coursing through me was enough to make me spiral and go on a killing spree. I could hunt down everyone who kept Thea from me and slaughter them. To hell with the prophecy.

“We’ve done more than kiss.”

Palo’s face reddened with his anger.

“What’s wrong, Palo?” I teased.

“Didn’t take long for the Crimson whore to spread her legs for you, did it?”

“That was very fucking stupid to say to him,” Haden muttered.

My shadows crept toward Palo, grabbing his hands and twisting them until they snapped at the wrists, but that wasn’t good enough. I kept twisting and twisting until his hands pulled from his body. My chest was tight with rage as he screamed to the gods to save him.

“The gods won’t save you, Palo.” Haden smiled. “She is on our side.”

The Kizar guard had run to the corner farthest from me, coweringin the corner.

“I will skin you alive if you disrespect my wife like that again.” I moved toward him as his sobs filled the space. I knew the moment my words sank into him. His eyes were wide with confusion.

“Wife?”

“That’s right, Palo. Thea Valeska. My wife.”

Palo started praying to the gods again, and it made me laugh. I turned my attention to the Kizar guard.

“Who else saw or knows that I kissed Thea?”

“No one.” He was a mess, crying with snot running down his round face.

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