Page 47 of The Curse Between Us

“Neither can be defeated, can they?” Alec’s voice was soft, contemplative, as he leaned forward. “If either triumphs entirely over the other—the balance is disturbed.”

Hadley smiled at him, a brief, approving nod. “Yes. You are correct, my prince. Your time studying with us has not been wasted, I see.”

Zephyr turned to Edric and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. He had never heard of Alec studying with the High Priestess, but Edric shook his head slightly, signaling that the topic would have to wait.

“It is exactly that kind of disturbance we fear,” Clara continued, picking up where Hadley left off. “For as long as we have known, Plenty has held the advantage. Our very lands are a testament to Plenty’s influence—the extremes of our climates and the stark differences between them.”

In a sudden flash of realization, Zephyr understood. "And this is quite literally middle ground," he said, his voice reverberating with the awe of his discovery. He waved a handacross the valley, as if trying to capture the entirety of the scene. "Between our two lands, both in geography and in temperament, so to speak."

"Yes," Hadley said, nodding slowly, her bright hair glistening in the sunlight. She seemed lost in thought for a moment before she continued, her voice tinged with something deeper. "When you and King Edric married, you forged a bond between what were once two opposing elements. Rafria and Eskarven, once distinct, now begin to blur. The mountains that have long separated you both are, in some way, beginning to change."

Zephyr’s eyes darted to Edric, who stood beside him, his expression unreadable. But there was a flicker of something in his eyes—surprise, disbelief perhaps, or even something more profound. Zephyr couldn't help but marvel at the implication of Hadley's words. Could their union truly have had such a far-reaching effect on the land? He shook his head slightly, still trying to process it all.

"Please," Edric interjected, holding up a hand in a gesture of disbelief. He shook his head slowly, his expression a mixture of confusion and skepticism. "You are saying that somehow, our marriage affected the very landscape? That we created this place?" He glanced at Zephyr, his eyes searching for some confirmation. "Forgive me, my lady, but as meaningful as our partnership has proven, both politically and personally, I have difficulty crediting this."

Hadley’s gaze softened as she turned to look at him. "That is because you only see yourself as a man. As a king, but no more." She held Edric’s eyes for a moment before turning her attention to Zephyr. There was something deeply compassionate in her gaze, and it set Zephyr’s heart racing with a mixture of frustration and understanding. "The prophecy we spoke of..." Her voice trailed off for a moment, then she spoke with quietresolve. "It tells of the war between Plenty and Abyss only ending when what once was sundered is made whole."

Zephyr closed his eyes, his mind trying to process the weight of her words. When he opened them again, the intensity of his gaze locked with hers. The tension in his chest tightened as he felt his voice crack the silence. "You knew this," he whispered, the accusation in his tone unmistakable. "You knew of this prophecy, and yet you said nothing when we married. Surely, in all your wisdom, you must have seen how it might apply to us."

He could not bring himself to look at Edric, knowing how this revelation might hit him. The knowledge that their union—one forged for peace—was not merely political, but perhaps even fated, felt like a betrayal in some ways. The weight of it set Zephyr’s blood boiling, and for a moment, he was consumed by the turmoil of it.

"I had my suspicions, yes," Hadley replied quietly, unflinching under his accusation. She did not back down or look away. "But it was not my idea. For that, we must credit another."

Both Zephyr and Edric turned to look at Alec, who had gone pale, his lips parted in stunned silence. "I did not know," Alec murmured, his voice barely audible. "I admit, I desperately wished for your union. But not because of this."

Zephyr’s heart sank, and his eyes locked onto Alec’s. There was no malice in his voice, only a depth of regret that made Zephyr feel as though the ground beneath him had shifted. The weight of this new knowledge was pressing on all of them, and Zephyr realized that everything they had been working toward—their marriage, their peace, their futures—had been more complicated than he had ever imagined.

“What’s done cannot be undone,” Clara said, her voice cool as ever, though there was a subtle sorrow in her eyes. She gazed out across the valley, her posture unyielding but with a quiet sadness. "What we have set in motion, we cannot haltnow. This,"—she spread her arms wide to encompass the valley around them—"is only the beginning. Something is changing, and we cannot control it."

"Change can be good," Edric said quietly, his voice softer than Zephyr had ever heard it. He stood straighter, looking only at Clara, his shoulders tense.

"Yes," Clara agreed, her tone equally subdued, but her eyes darkened with unspoken concern. "But not always."

“Speak plainly,” Ollie growled, breaking the silence that had settled over them. He crossed his arms and glared at Clara, his stance challenging. “Before we all grow old here.”

Clara turned her calm, piercing gaze on Ollie, but there was no hostility in her eyes. She merely waited for him to finish his challenge, then sighed, a faint look of resignation on her face. “If this is indeed the prophecy coming to fruition, there is much to be wary of. Deep below us, the rumblings of these mountains will have shaken the bars of Abyss’s prison. Though captive, it is not without power. It has rallied in the past, meddling in Plenty’s affairs.” She hesitated for a moment, then cast a sorrowful glance at Alec and Edric, before continuing. “The storm that came down from the mountains and took your mother’s life was one such instance.”

At her words, Edric’s body stiffened, and a startled breath escaped him. Zephyr’s heart lurched in his chest, the weight of Clara’s revelation hitting him like a punch. The implications of her words were staggering. If Abyss had been responsible for the storm that killed Edric’s mother, then everything they thought they knew about their histories—about their enemies—was shattered. Zephyr wanted to reach out, to comfort Edric, to tell him that it wasn’t his fault, but the depth of the realization held him frozen.

“If Abyss can do that,” Alec murmured, his voice shaky as he leaned forward, his eyes wide with shock. “What else might it do?”

Both Clara and Hadley shook their heads, the gravity of the situation sinking in. “I do not know,” Hadley murmured. “I know only this: we have ended one war, but another is about to begin.”

The words hung in the air like a heavy fog, settling over them all. Zephyr felt a chill crawl up his spine, but he held his silence, knowing there was nothing he could say that would ease the dread in his heart.

Pushing himself to his feet, Edric let out a muttered oath and strode off toward the far side of the valley. Alec called after him, but Edric didn’t turn back. The distance between them felt like miles, even though Edric was only a few dozen paces away. With a similar curse under his breath, Alec turned to Zephyr, his eyes pleading with an unspoken request.

“Excuse us,” Zephyr murmured, offering Alec a quick, apologetic glance before following after Edric. His heart pounded in his chest as he walked toward the lone figure standing beneath the drooping branches of a tree Zephyr didn’t recognize. Its soft white blossoms hung heavy in the air, releasing a sweet, intoxicating fragrance. Were it not for the clear tension in Edric’s posture, it would have been a perfect sight.

“Edric,” Zephyr called softly, his voice quiet as he approached, hesitant yet resolute. “I’m sorry.”

Edric turned to face him, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. “What, precisely, are you sorry for? For the loss of my mother? Or for agreeing to marry me and setting in motion an ancient prophecy neither of us had any knowledge of?”

Zephyr’s chest tightened, but he shook his head firmly. “The former,” he said with a strength that surprised even him.“Never the latter.” He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving Edric’s. “Never.”

Edric’s anger seemed to dissipate in an instant. He shuddered and ran a hand through his hair, exhaling deeply as the tension left his body. “I do not enjoy being toyed with,” he said quietly, his voice softer now, more vulnerable than Zephyr had ever heard it. “I have no wish to be an agent of fate.”

“Nor do I,” Zephyr said firmly. He moved closer, feeling the space between them narrow with every step. “I am as angry as you are, believe me.”

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