Page 99 of Burning Crowns

‘I’ll go and get my things,’ said Wren, leaving the Gevrans to their conversation.

Willa followed her from the dining hall. As Wren left Alarik behind, that feeling of sadness worsened. It bloomed in her chest and prickled behind her eyes. It was the same ache she felt whenever she and Rose parted ways, or whenever she thought of her grandmother, now lost to her forever.

She rubbed her chest, trying to banish the discomfort.

‘It is the work of the curse, Queen Wren,’ said Willa, falling into step with her. ‘It has bound you and the king to each other. That meansallof you.’ Her dark eyes were all too knowing, but her words were gentle. ‘Your pain. Your souls. Your hearts. The bond hurts more when you are apart because it wishes to remind you that it’s there.’

‘Yes,’ said Wren, in a low voice. ‘It feels as if I’m leaving a part of me behind.’

Willa nodded, unsurprised by her revelation. ‘In a way, you are. The part of you that exists in Alarik. It is, after all, your magic. Twisted as it may be.’

Wren frowned. ‘Does that mean … What about …’ She trailed off, too embarrassed to say the rest.

‘Your feelings?’ said Willa.

‘I worry about him,’ Wren admitted. ‘I feel … protective of him. Drawn to him. I don’t understand it.’

The healer chuckled. ‘Some things are not meant to be understood. Friendships can bloom in the most unlikely of places. But thatpullyou feel …’ She looked meaningfully at Wren. ‘It is, in part, borne of the curse. It runs through the soul. And so it ties you two together.’

‘So, it’s not my heart,’ said Wren, quietly.

The Healer on High hesitated, weighing her answer. ‘Once you break the curse, you will know for sure.’

Relief prickled inside Wren. In a few simple words, Willa had made sense of the war inside her, the push and pull of her feelings, the strange closeness she felt to the king, even as she found herself yearning for Tor. If this confusion truly was part of the curse, then it would fritter away once they destroyed it. Wren would have full possession of heart once more. She hoped.

Wren left Willa and went to gather her things, before returning to the cavern above ground, where the waterfall was full and glistening. A slant of sunlight crept in through the entrance, painting the water gold. It bounced off the handle of Night’s Edge, which was still jutting out from the rock.

Wren contemplated wading through the water again but there were healers milling about now.It would be terribly rude to steal from them. At least in broad daylight. And yet her fingers itched. It felt as if the sword was calling out to her.

She was going to war, after all. And if she was going to kill her ancestor, she needed a weapon powerful enough to do it.

She jumped at a hand on her wrist. It was Willa.

‘From what I’ve heard, you are not one to do things by halves, Your Majesty.’ A smile danced across the healer’s face and, for a moment, she looked just like Thea. ‘You may as well finish what you started last night.’

Wren flushed. ‘It was an accident, really. I just … I wanted to see if it would budge.’

‘And after all these years, it finally has.’ Willa gestured to the glittering hilt. ‘Eana has spoken. Night’s Edge is yours to claim.’

Wren set her jaw as she stepped into the pool. Water lapped at her knees, cold and biting. She waded towards the sword, grabbing it with both hands. She closed her eyes, feeling her ancestor’s presence in the rush of water and the warmth of the hilt under her fingers.

‘Eana, help me,’ she whispered to the roaring falls. ‘So I may save this land.’

The sword groaned as it loosened, as if the mountain itself were spitting it out. Wren tugged and as easily as a knife sliding through butter, it yielded to her. She reeled backwards, pulling the sword free. And then it was hers.

Wren clutched the sword to her chest and turned around. The healers of the Mishnick Mountains had gathered in the cavern and were watching her now with expressions of awe and wonder. They bowed their heads as she waded towards them,offering respect to their queen and to Eana herself.

Wren spotted Tor standing among them, tall and smiling in his Anadawn uniform. Wren smiled back, the hilt of Night’s Edge warm in her hand. She felt stronger already, and more determined than ever. It was time to go to war.

Rose

CHAPTER 30

As the kraken sank beneath the waves, the pull of its current dragged Rose down with it. If she didn’t fight it, she would drown here in the icy sea, barely a stone’s throw from the island of Carrig. She kicked out, swimming with all her might. Her head pounded and her lungs ached, until it felt as if they would burst, but then she spied a glimmer of light above her. She kicked once, and then again, straining for the surface.

She rose to meet it, slowly, painfully. And then, there was air. She gasped, gulping in as much of it as she could. Her waterlogged dress was so heavy it was threatening to pull her back down. She had to swim, to survive. Remembering what Shen had taught her, she kicked her arms and legs out and arched her back, determined to float. She glimpsed Marino’s ship listing as it sailed towards her, but the distance was too far to swim. She twisted in the water, and saw the shoreline, winking through the mist. It was closer than she’d thought – close enough to reach. Yes, she could do it. Shewoulddo it.

Rose lay on her back and moved her arms in an arc, first one and then the other. Over and over again. She kicked her legs as she swam, tipping her chin to the sky so she could breathe.Her body was going numb in the water, but she didn’t dare slow down.

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