Page 68 of The Pureblood Princess
“A revolution, an execution. This doesn’t make any—”
He stops abruptly, and his body goes rigid beside Nadia.
“What is it?” she asks. Her gaze goes back to the book, and as she searches the yellowed paper, two words jump out at her:Prin?esa Nadia.
“What does this mean?” Nadia points to the words, but Theodore doesn’t respond. There’s a faraway look in his eyes, and his brow is wrinkled in focus. “Theodore, what does this say?”
“It says ‘Princess Nadia,’” he whispers, seeming to come slowly back to himself.
The word sends a jolt through her. “Princess? How can that be?”
Theodore turns to look at her, his green eyes appearing darker in the rapidly fading light. “Has anyone told you how the brotherhood came into power?”
Settling back on her heels, Nadia shakes her head, and Theodore continues.
“Centuries ago, long before our clans began emigrating from Moldavia, we were ruled by a monarchy.”
Monarchy.That word settles in slowly, much like sugar dissolving into a cup of tea.
“Some were displeased with the monarchs, and they called for arevolutie, a revolution. There was an uprising, and many lost their lives, including members of the royal family. The brotherhood rose up to take their place, and they’ve been in power ever since.”
“So, what does this mean?” she asks.
“I’m not certain, but I believe...” Theodore turns another page, then flips back. His gaze rises from the inked calligraphy to find Nadia’s face. “I think...” He shakes his head, looking bewildered. “I think you’re descended from the royal family.”
His words send a shiver down her spine, and for a moment, she feels she may once again become lost in shadow. But Theodore reaches out, and his hand on her arm grounds her, brings her quickly back into her body.
“My grandfather told me stories of the last queen when I was a young boy. She was said to have possessed a special power, something othervampiridon’t have. They called it...” He squints his eyes closed as if trying to remember. “Forma pura. The pure form.” Without saying a word, he shifts his gaze to Nadia’s hands, where the shadows are just barely tickling her fingers, wanting to come out and sweep her away.
“That’s what you think this is?” She holds her hands up and regards them through new eyes. “Forma pura,” she whispers, and it feels right on her tongue, like poetry or song. Then a bolt of lightning goes through her mind, and it all makes sense: the brotherhood, her abduction, Marek’s lack of surprise when he saw the shadows on her skin. “The brotherhood knows about this. If they rose to power after the downfall of the royal family, they must know about this pure form.”
Marek’s voice rings in her head.“So, it’s true...”
Her eyes widen. “Maybe that’s why they took me.”
“Because you’re the...” Theodore seems unable to say the word, to bring himself to believe it could be true.
Vera sent Nadia to this place, hoped all along for Nadia to find it. How she was able to step into her dreams, Nadia doesn’t know, but what shedoesknow is that this book was meant for her, and though it appears the Kazamirs tried to apprehend it, they failed.
It’s hers, as is Theodore, and as is the knowledge that she, NadiaAthanasiaMagdalena, is...
“The last princess.”
The End
