Page 34 of The Cursed and the Broken
I had kissed many boys over the years. On my escapades to the human markets—even when I was younger and táltos boys were still with their mothers before they journeyed to the clan to start their new life.
Such was the way of things. The way of our people. It had never really bothered me before, but with the táltosok visiting our village and the way witches lit up around them, it made me wonder.
Why rip families apart? Why not unite as one community instead of separating witch from táltos? It was something I’d have to learn more about. With more knowledge, perhaps I could abolish some of these archaic constructs. Do some good in my position as lady of the Wolfblood Clan.
A gentle knock on the door revealed my sister, hanging on the threshold as if afraid of what might happen should she enter. Another pang of sorrow fired through me. Did she hesitate because of where I had come from, or who I was?
“You look like a mare ready to bolt,” I said softly. “I won’t bite.”
She padded in, lips still painted, flowers still coiled around her head. The young girl I remembered was set aside today. A beautiful woman stood before me, far too stern for my liking. Patting the bed, I watched her sink into the mattress, one hand drifting over Laszlo’s sleek fur as she looked at me.
We said nothing for a time, staring at each other as if locked in a spell. When it seemed clear she hadn’t the words to break the silence, I sighed, taking her hand in my own. “Eszter, everything Mama told us tonight … it doesn’t change our relationship. You are still my sister. My sunshine.”
Her eyes welled with unshed tears and she bounced into my arms, nearly crushing Laszlo in the process. “I’m sorry, Kitarni,” she sobbed. “I’m sorry for everything.”
“Shh,” I crooned, stroking her head. “None of this is your fault. You were left in the dark as much as I was.”
“I can’t imagine how sad you must be right now,” she said, her voice muffled from where she pressed against my chest.
I leaned back, looking at her big brown eyes as they lifted. “Sad? I’m not sad, Eszter. I’m furious. Mama lied to us both.About everything. All those years she watched me struggle to find my place in this village. Every damned day I would come home in tears from the bullying of others. From feeling useless. She could have prepared me. Might have taught me what to expect from my magic.”
My sister shifted in my arms. “Perhaps she has been lying to herself, too.”
“What do you mean?” My brows scrunched together, wondering how my sister could possibly be casting a line for our mother.
“I mean,” she said slowly, “perhaps she has been shielding herself from this knowledge all our lives. She loves you with her whole heart. You are not her blood, but you are more her daughter than your birth mother could ever claim. Maybe forgetting that was easier than facing it. Maybe she was trying to protect you from the pain of the truth. Once these things are said, they can’t be taken back.”
I sagged under the weight of that confession. Perhaps my sister’s statement was wise, but it didn’t make it right. It didn’t make it fair or just that she kept this hidden. The truth hurts, but I’d rather face that fire a thousand times than live in darkness.
“Is she still at the festival?” I asked quietly.
Eszter nodded.
“Was she angry I missed the formal introductions?”
“Mama was too upset to be angry with you. She went to commune with the gods in the temple. His lordship retired not long after. I’ve no ken where your betrothed was.”
An image of lips crashing together, wandering hands and arching bodies flashed before me. Anger flared once again, red and raw as I thought of Dante. “I do.”
Eszter’s eyes widened. “You met him?”
“Oh, yes,” I replied, teeth gritted. “You recall the stranger I met in the woods? Well … it seems our handsome táltos was the bloody heir to the Wolfblood Clan himself. Kept it quiet this whole time.”
“My gods,” she breathed. “But this is good news, right? You’ve formed a connection already, without the overbearing eyes of a chaperone. And youdidadmit he was attractive. I’m curious to see him for myself.”
I threw daggers her way. “Attraction does not mean he’s a good match. He lied to me, Eszter. I can’t help but wonder why. Is our marriage just a game to him, or is he hiding something deeper?” I huffed, shaking my head. One thing had stuck with me after my little tryst with Dante. My mind kept returning to it, and the more those words went through my head, the more ominous they seemed. “He suggested I run away. In his exact words, to ‘elude your prison before the chains bind you, and despair comes to destroy all you hold dear’.”
Eszter tilted her head, brown eyes searching. “What on earth is that supposed to mean?”
My eyes narrowed. “I don’t know. But I sure as hell am going to find out.”
PART TWO
The Blood of Monsters
FIFTEEN
Tea was the only thinggetting me through breakfast. The warmth seeping through my mug grounded me, keeping my anger in check. Mama had arranged a soirée in our home, putting on quite the spread for our guests, of which both were currently staring at me.
