Page 39 of Heirs of the Cursed

“It scares me to have them around. We live with the torment of not knowing if the monsters will decide to attack or not.”

Darcia sought her gaze with her boreal eyes. “Everything will be okay,” she promised her. “After all, there are no better assassins than those who serve the king.”

Caeli squeezed her hand. “How are you so calm?”

“Because I think the world harbors monsters worse than men in armor.”

Monsters like Conrad.

“It’s going to be all right,” Darcia assured her. “Soon we will be back to normal.”

“A normalcy where I hardly see you, Darcia. A normalcy in which I have to endure how your stepbrother mistreats you without being able to do anything about it. I’m not happy with this reality that surrounds us.”

“It’s better than nothing, Cally. You know that.”

Her girlfriend angrily dropped her fork, unable to believe what she was saying. It wasn’t the first time they had this argument, nor would it be the last. Caeli wouldn’t fail to remind her that there were better lives than the ones they had, that she deserved more . . .

Darcia looked down and bit her lip, before saying, “I fight every day. I’m still fighting to earn enough money to be able to run together, as I promised you. I’m sure we’ll have a chance to get away from Conrad, maybe with your mother, with my . . .” No, she wasn’t sure she could get Gion away from Conrad, but she couldn’t leave him behind either. “We can be happy.”

Caeli’s eyes teared up. “The world sucks.”

“It does.”

“And it’s hopeless,” she added.

“I disagree with that. I have a little hope.”

“Why?”

“Because I believe the world can be a better place, if people learn to love and protect it.”

They remained silent for a few moments, admiring the birds flying over the clouds chiseled in the sky. They ate, talked, and kissed to keep their worries away until it was time to return to the circus.

Darcia would never give up hope. For Caeli, to live a free life by her side. And for herself. Because she was convinced that the world beyond Dawnfall was still waiting to show her all the wonders that would make her feel safe at last.

In the city, the afternoon greeted Darcia without any warmth. The rain emptied the streets, leaving only a few soldiers lingering at their posts.

Since Conrad hadn’t yet returned, she made the most of his absence and her freedom to her heart’s content. Despite the insistent questions she’d asked her father about the cursed princesses, she hadn’t gotten a clear answer. Most of the time, it was an evasion; others, a vague warning making it clear that she should stay out of it. But Darcia wished to protect those she loved and the Dawnfallians from danger, and since she couldn’t find any answers at home, she decided to go out and investigate on her own.

Dawnfall looked like a ghost town under the black clouds that shrouded the sky. As if she was nothing more than a specter, she crept stealthily through the streets. A lightning bolt flashed violently across the sky, making some of the windows shake at the vibration of the coming storm.

Darcia arrived at a rickety wooden structure, where a sign read ‘The Poisoned Apple’. It was the biggest tavern in the city, the one where the soldiers had taken shelter until the storm passed. She could hear them through the wooden walls and the half-open windows, taking over the atmosphere and thus driving away the frightened citizens.

After a couple of heavy breaths, she pushed open the door.

The bitter smell of sweat and ale wafted into her nostrils. The brick walls held small hanging chandeliers that barely illuminated the faces around them but, surrounded by Royal Army’ soldiers, Darcia soon spotted Harg Koller.

Perfect, she thought.

She shook out her long cloak without undoing her hood and slipped over to the bar. Darcia set down two copper vramnias which the tavern keeper took before placing a huge tankard of ale in front of her.

Slyly, she moved the chair out of the way to get closer to the king’s soldiers so she could listen to their conversation.

“Any news from the capital, General?” she heard one of the soldiers ask. Feigning disinterest, Darcia took a sip before lowering the heavy tankard back on the wooden table.

“None that interests you, Galver,” the Chaser replied in a deeper voice.

“Oh, come on, boss,” another soldier said in a haughty tone. His brown half-haired hair was tousled, and his leg rattled against the ground restlessly. “We need to know. This mission appeared overnight.”

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