Page 72 of Secrets & Curses of Crimson

“Yes,” they spoke together.

“Very well.” I gave them a curt nod and headed for my room. My darkness was not relenting inside of me. She was pissed. When my bedroom door clicked, I fell to my knees at the pain my darkness was causing. I let it out, and she swarmed around me, angry as fuck.

“What should I do?” I muttered.

My darkness stilled and seemed to be watching me. Its dark tendrils of magic darkened until shadows swarmed around me. I closed my eyes. My own magic was going to fucking kill me. I didn’t understand what I did topiss her off.

The temperature change had my eyes flickering open cautiously. I was kneeling in the snow. What the fuck? I whipped my head around. My mouth fell open at the beautiful white castle behind me. My darkness urged me to get up. Where were we?

My foot crunched into the snow as I started for the castle. A sound of pain stopped me in my tracks. Glancing around, I saw a guard lying in red snow. He was bleeding. Hurrying over to him, I kneeled.

“How many of them are there?” I asked frantically.

“Two,” he muttered.

“Is this Akecia?”

He looked at me like I had lost my fucking mind but nodded. Shit. Magic swarmed from me and toward the man who was dying in my arms, but it stopped. He had already died. I laid him down gently before heading inside. Two more guards were lying dead. My stomach churned. Gods, I hoped I wasn’t too late.

A moment later I heard the unmistakable noise of a dagger cutting through flesh. As quietly as I could, I headed up the grand staircase. When I got to the top, I glanced down the hallways on both sides of me. To the left, I could see two figures opening doors quietly. To the right, I saw nothing but darkness.

I turned to go after the two figures, but my darkness circled around me and forced me towards the right.

"They are this way." The man with brown eyes appeared in front of me. He had disappeared, and I thought I wouldn't ever see him again. His soft golden glow illuminated the darkness in the hallway. I nodded and kept silent as I crept through the dark hallway until I saw a room with two doors decorated in gold and jewels. Shoving the heavy door open, I slipped inside. When I turned, someone punched me in the face.

“Fuck,” I groaned as I stumbled into the door.

"Oh shit." My stalker muttered.

A light flickered on, and standing in front of me was a large male fae. Very large, with white hair and beard. His dark eyes widened when he saw me. A movement in the bed drew my attention to a petite woman with red hair and large brown eyes.

“Thea?” The man whispered harshly.

“I’m assuming you're the king.” I wiped the blood from my nose. He nodded. I sized him up. He was fit, and I wasn’t sure if he even needed my help.

“Whatever your father told you isn’t true. You don’t need to harm me or Petra.” He was practically begging.

It dawned on me then; he thought I was here to kill him.

“I’m here to help. Someone is here to kill you and your wife.”

There was an uncomfortable pause of silence.

“Did you break your curse?” The king looked oddly at me.

“No,” I sighed. “Your guards are already dead. The men will be here any moment.”

The king looked at me without moving.

“What?” I asked self-consciously.

“I just thought maybe you remembered us.” He frowned. I knew them. My gaze flickered to his wife, and she smiled and gave me a small wave. They seemed familiar, but I didn’t know why.

“Were we friends?”

He smiled brightly.

“Yes. Great friends.”

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