Page 55 of Beneath the Cursed Veil

He kept his back to me as I cautiously approached. “Corvo mentioned you were coming.”

“I don’t want to interrupt . . .” I paused, and he turned to look at me over his shoulder. I angled my head at thestatues, suddenly feeling like this was the worst idea. When Corvo said he was outside, he didn’t mentionthis. Invading a personal time of respect and grief to make it about myself? That felt gross, and it wasn’t my intent. “I should go.”

He returned his attention to the women in front of him, not responding to what I had said. “This is my mother and sister,” he said, holding his hand out to each one of them as though it were a true introduction. I took it as an indication he wanted me to stay, so I walked up beside him and admired the carved faces that looked down on us.

The taller statue had grand wings and soft eyes, small lips, and round cheeks. Her intricately braided hair draped over her shoulder and came down to a deep curve in her hourglass waist. Gentle hands looked as though they were conjuring a spell, but instead, a carved glass lily sat in one of her palms. There was a delicate nature to the way her features had been portrayed. The second statue was just a few inches shorter. She had no wings, and her features were stronger. Beautiful, but in a harsh way. Her hair was long and flowing in waves. It was the only soft thing about her. She’d been given high cheekbones and sharp eyes. Fuller lips curved into a smirk that likely held many secrets when she’d been alive. The names Lore and Maeve were etched beneath each figure, respectively.

“They were beautiful,” I said quietly, clasping my hands together in front of me.

“Yes, they were,” he agreed, the words barely audible.

I glanced to the left, wondering why they hadn’t been buried in the family tomb. I hadn't noticed it when I initially arrived, but now that I was paying attention, new details stood out. The mausoleum doors had charred marksaround the edges, traveling from the sides and marring the stone in what looked like black flames. The surnameEinarhad been carved above the entrance, each letter filled with a similar shadowy film.

“That's where my father is buried.” Vareck’s darkened tone startled me, and when I looked at him, a different man stood beside me. One I hadn’t seen yet. His jaw was clenched, and his icy blue eyes were filled with unspoken hatred. “I burned his coffin and everything else on the inside. I haven't opened the door since that day.”

Even having grown up in the human realm, I had been taught about his father. The Mad Fae King. He was the reason the land was cursed and the people suffered. The lands had once flourished, experiencing seasons and bountiful crops. Rumors spread about how it had all happened, and how he was killed, but my mother said no one knew what had actually happened or why he chose to curse the lands. The tales were only spoken in hushed whispers, and she would remind me that some secrets aren’t meant to be told.

“I’m sorry.” It was all I could say, and it was a weak consolation considering the kingdom was now Vareck’s to govern. It was his people that endured the continued effects of that day.

“Why are you here, Meera?”

I flinched at his coldness. He didn’t even look at me when he said my name, still focusing on his mother and sister.

“I . . . got your invitation.” I said stupidly, wishing I could suck the words back in the moment they left my mouth.

He turned, raising a brow as he looked down at me. “Don’t tell me you came all this way to tell me that?”

I sighed, shaking my head. I couldn’t fault him for being distant. “No, Corvo said you were outside, and I didn’t realize . . . now really isn’t a good time. I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“Well, you’re here now. What did you want to say?”

This wasn’t going at all how I planned, in so much as you could call it planning. I took a deep breath and tried not to lose my nerve. “I came to say that I'm sorry. Not sorry like I just said a minute ago about this,” I said, gesturing to the graves in front of us. “I meant I'm sorry for how I've been acting.”

Vareck rubbed his gloved hands together, fighting against the cold, but he made no move to leave. “What brought this on?”

I hesitated. “Kaia ripped me a new one, and Corvo agreed with her. She made me see something about this that I wasn't willing to admit. So basically I decided to pull my head out of my ass and come talk to you.”

Vareck huffed a small laugh, muttering, “Of course she did.”

“Look,” I began, turning to him slightly. “You have every reason to not trust me. I've done nothing to earn your trust, and she helped me realize that. Quite bluntly, I might add. I knew it already, but I got so caught up in us . . .” My cheeks heated, but I forced myself to keep going. “I lost sight of the reason I was here to begin with. I thought I was justified in my rage. It felt like a betrayal, but none of this would have happened if I hadn’t kidnapped Damon. So I might have overreacted a little bit. Or a lot. I've never had my powers bound before and I don't like it. The feeling . . . it doesn’t matter. That’s not why I’m here. I just wanted to say I’m sorry I've been blaming you for it, when I should be blaming myself.”

He looked down, nodding softly. “I didn't want to take your powers from you. That’s not the man I am. You left me with no choice.”

“You had a choice,” I said, tilting my head at him, giving him a tight smile. “You just didn’t have good options. And if I’m honest, I would have done the same thing if I had a nephew and he’d been kidnapped. I would burn down the world to find them. It’s part of the reason I've been so angry.”

“I don't quite feel that way about my nephew. But I see what you're saying,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I can’t imagine that. Truth be told, I’m surprised my own family hasn’t shown up and tried something crazy. They’d need to know where I am though, to do that.” I pulled my cloak tighter, swallowing the emotion that formed a knot in my throat. “I told Sadie I’d meet her at the safe house, but then I never showed. They’re probably worried sick.” Guilt ate at me, because this really was my own damn fault. I knew better than to work with Lou and yet I took every job he offered.

“You never said anything about wanting to get word to them.”

“I hadn’t thought . . .” I paused, thinking about my words carefully. “None of this was meant to happen. That's why I kept testing my powers. It wasn’t really to persuade you. I needed to know when they returned to full strength so I could find Damon and bring him back.”

“You were going to say you hadn’t planned on staying.” When I didn’t respond, he scoffed, looking away. “Still not telling the entire truth. You were going to leave. Once you gained the use of your powers, you were going to disappear without saying goodbye.”

Vareck returned his gaze to me, waiting for a response. Ibit my bottom lip. No matter how uncomfortable it was, Vareck deserved honesty from me. Looking away from him, I nodded. “Yes, I was going to leave.”

“Would you have compelled me to stay if I caught you?”

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