Page 74 of The Curse of a Kingdom
“Not many people come to this part of the garden anymore,” he said after they had walked in silence for a while.
Twisty trees with thick green foliage lined each side of the path with manicured symmetry. Her feet clicked over brick terracotta stone, still warm from the afternoon sun, and lightning bugs flew low to the ground, adding to the festive ambiance.
Her heart soared at the sight of it; it was magical being here on the castle grounds, surrounded by masked people in beautiful dresses. When she was young and prisoner to her mother’s strict rules, she had always daydreamed about attending one of these.
If she closed her eyes and forgot everything, Nava could almost fool herself into believing this was a normal courtship. That they had met at this age, not when she’d been a teenager. That their meeting and bond wouldn’t have sent her mother into a frenzy that had taken her entire family to a different continent.
Maybe Arkimedes would come and get her for the ball, and they would spend time kissing and hiding from prying eyes before a deeper engagement was announced. Maybe if she saw the positives of this terrible situation, she could enjoy falling for each other again.
Her eyes prickled as she focused on their intertwined fingers. A puzzle piece made by an expert, they fit just right, like their souls. Where she was weak, he was strong. Where he lacked confidence in himself, she had it for the both of them.
The string instruments played a beautiful ballad even here, and the percussion of the drums hammered along with her heart. She wondered if the king had a poor band hidden somewhere but didn’t care to try to find them in the darkness.
The path continued as they went under an arched gazebo that held white wisteria, hanging low enough to graze her shoulders, and soon people became less of a common sight; the few they crossed here were busy doing other things.
Cedar box hedges lined the perimeter, growing alongside flowers that vined over them. The grass grew wild and uneven, and flowers of all colors rose within the grooves of the rickety brick pathway. The beauty of this area in its wild state took her breath away.
They went under a tall arbor that could have been made of metal or wood, but she couldn’t tell with the platinum light of the moon. There, in front of them, was one of the most breathtaking images she had seen. A large pond with turquoise water, no doubt illuminated by magic.
Waterlilies floated above, and in the center, an island held a massive tree that stood twenty feet tall with a wide, knotty trunk. Its texture shimmered in silver tones, and its branches mimicked roots, twisting up in the air.
The sight left her speechless. She had seen this before—no, not this, but one that was made to look the same. Except that one had radiated death and suffering. This was beautiful and full of magic.
“My father brought me here a few weeks after I got to the Copper City.”
“How did he find you the first time?”
“I was asking questions, which called the guards’ attention.” He laughed, shaking his head. “They didn’t like that a Crow was nosing around town. Fael found me wandering around. Plus my aura gave me away.” He turned to face her and looked at ease while speaking with her. Not guarded. He looked like her Arkimedes, not Orion.
Her heart ached at the sight. “Did they bring you to see His Majesty?”
“Oh, yes. I mean, they had no grounds to arrest me but made it clear it wouldn’t go well for me if I resisted the invitation.”
“Little did they know,” she said with a shaky smile. “I mean, you look like a copy of your father. Same nose and eye shape. Even the lips are the same.”
“When you aren’t looking for it, it’s hard to see it. Especially because my father doesn’t like people looking straight at him.”
Nava did remember Fael’s warning the day she’d arrived at the castle. “Right.”
“I’m not sure if those memories are from this time around or the previous time I was here when in my twenties.” Arkimedes brought his hand over his head, frowning at the tree. “He wanted to show me my mother’s tree. He claimed the future queen will bring it back to life . . .”
Nava didn’t want to face him with those words. Oh, no, those were too scary for her to dwell on. Before tonight, Nava had nevertrulyconsidered the fact that he might want to stay, if not for Devon telling her Ark wouldn’t leave until he accomplished whatever he was looking for.
Even then, she wouldn't have believed it if she hadn’t seen the way his face had shone when exploring the city yesterday.
She’d been dreading that he might not want her if he learned who she was. Now she had gained that trust back, and he was within arm’s reach. What would she do if he didn’t want to leave with her? Would she feel okay bringing Cameron to this place? Away from the safety net of town?
Even if the king accepted that they were mates and wouldn’t just make her go away, would Cameron, Laurie, and Nava be safe in a city that hated humans? So close to the Society of Crows.
Arkimedes’s crown glistened under the moonlight, his feathers swaying behind him with the light breeze as they got closer to the tree. She needed a new plan, that much was clear. After the solstice, she would tell him about their bond. Then they could decide what to do together. Any other option was too heartbreaking to consider, and her mind wasn’t in the right place at the moment.
She reached the stone banister that separated the pond from the land, and her stomach fluttered when he got closer and the warmth of his body seeped through the fabric of her dress. She turned to face the tree once again. It was clear this was the muse for the kingdom’s emblem. And for the queen’s killer.
A giant dead-looking tree in the middle of a wonderful garden. So tragically similar to the one in the forest.
“So, this is the queen’s tree . . . ?”
Arkimedes nodded, and his brows pulled together as he took it in. “When we were together, did I tell you how I grew up?”
