Page 98 of Cursed Crowns

Rose recoiled, like she had been slapped. “I’m trying to protect you. I healed you.” She resisted the urge to shove him, and instead pressed her hand against his chest. “Can’t you tell it was me?”

For the briefest moment, Shen’s face softened, and she thought she had finally got through to him. Then his eyes misted, and he looked away. “I know you need my army. But trying to come between me and my own family isn’t the way to get what you want.”

Rose ripped her hand away from his chest. “What kind of monster do you think I am? Do you even hear yourself right now?”

Shen was stone-faced. “I thought I knew you, but maybe Kai was right. Maybe you are a spoiled queen who only thinks about herself. He warned me about this, you know. He said you’d try to turn me against him. And I didn’t believe him. I defended you,” he said ruefully. “And now all you’re doing is proving him right.”

Rose clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. “Of course he told you that! He knows I saw him. He’s going to try to stop me from telling you the truth! If you’re stupid enough to believe him, then the Sun Walker’s Crown won’t be on your head for much longer.”

Shen scoffed. “It’s not up to you who wears the crown here, Rose, and you can’t stand it, can you? You hate that I’m no longer beholden to you. And you thought if you told me lies about my family, you could getme to leave this all behind. Go back to being the Shen who serves you, who pines for you. Who will never be your equal.”

“I’ve always thought you were my equal.”

“Oh really?” said Shen. “Then why wouldn’t you let us be together?”

“Because I have responsibilities!” she fumed. “And a kingdom to run!”

“Well, now so do I.”

Rose stamped her foot. “You sound like a child!”

Shen smirked. “Says the girl stomping her foot.”

Rose desperately wished for a goblet of wine to throw in his face. “We can fight about this later. But right now I need you to believe what I’m saying. You’re in danger here. We both are. We have to leave immediately.”

“You don’t command me here.”

“Please, Shen.”

He held her gaze for a moment, his lips twisting as he considered her plea. Then he turned away. “Go home, Rose.”

“Not without you.”

“I’ve told you. This is my home now.”

“At least do something to protect yourself against Kai and Feng,” begged Rose. “They’ll try again. Don’t let yourself be alone with them. You can’t trust them.”

“The only person I can’t trust is you.” Shen strode to the door and opened it. “I think we’ve both said everything we need to say.”

Blinking back furious tears, Rose returned to the hallway, flinching as the door slammed behind her. Her breath punched out of her as she rushed back to her room on the other side of the palace, looking for Kai around every corner and jumping at her own shadow.

Back in her bedchamber, she locked the door behind her, then threw her slipper at the wall.Arrogant, stupid Shen.He was going to get himself killed! Why couldn’t he see that she was telling the truth?

She whirled around in a panic, her gaze snagging on her dusty satchel in the corner of the room. A thought exploded like fireworks in Rose’s mind. Maybe there was someone else who could talk some sense into Shen.

With trembling fingers, Rose dug the sapphire mirror out of her satchel and gripped the handle.

“Wren,” she whispered. “Please, Wren. I need you.”

A minute passed, and then, all at once, the sapphires began to glow.

37

Wren

Wren listened to her sister in horrified silence as she recounted everything that had happened at the festival, and the argument with Shen that had followed. By the time Rose was done, her cheeks glistening with tears, Wren was fizzing with anger. She was so furious, she forgot all about the undead prince in her bedroom as she pressed her hand against the glass. She let the wind carry her away from Gevra, and into the scorching heart of the desert.

She landed on warm tiles, in a room so shiny it made her wince. There wasn’t a minute to waste. She leaped to her feet, mirror in hand, and unlocked the bedroom door. Then she stalked out into the hallway and headed east, following the hurried directions Rose had given her. She stopped in the magnificent entrance hall to pocket a fistful of orchids.

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