Page 40 of Beneath the Flames
I didn’t really want to get to know him, didn’t want to find a reason to care about him, but I needed to know.I told myself it was for Nico and my sakes, not for Rhydian’s.
I stepped to his side, staring out the window as I asked, “Is this curse something that can be broken?”
Surprise lit his face in the reflection of the glass for a split second before he masterfully hid it away.
“Why would you care anyway?”he asked in return, derision lacing his voice.“You clearly don’t care whatmyfate is.You wouldn’t mind seeing me dead.”
I glared at him.“Stay out of my head.”
“I don’t need to be in your head to know that’s what you were thinking.”
Our gazes held in the reflection of the glass for a beat too long, but I refused to look away first.Finally, he broke and stomped back to the pedestal, resting his hands on the stone and fixing a glare on the flower.
“Can you blame me?”I asked softly.“You ripped me away from my family that needed me.It’s only natural to hate you.”Rhydian snorted, but for some reason I felt bad having said the words aloud.I tried to change direction.“Nico is nice.I might have an issue with you, but I have none with him.He’s so young.He doesn’t deserve your fate.”
“You don’t think I know that?”he spat, taking a step toward me.His gold-ringed eyes flared with barely restrained fury.
I lifted my chin, though my hands were trembling at my sides.
“Then answer my question, Rhydian.Can the curse be broken or not?”
“Why do you care?”
“If there was a way to save him, wouldn’t you do whatever it takes?”I asked and something flashed in his eyes at my words.
“Yes,” was all he said.
I clapped my hands together, the sound too loud in the quiet of the castle.“Great.How do we break it?”
He arched a brow.“We?”
I waited for him to answer.When he didn’t deign to respond, I cleared my throat and tapped my foot.
“Why?”he asked, shaking his head as though he were dumbfounded by this question.
“I’m going to help you break it.”
For a moment, Rhydian went utterly still.More still than any human I’d ever seen, and that was enough to remind me that he was not human, and was in fact very, very dangerous.
Did I really want to help him?Not really, but I would always choose to help the young who couldn’t save themselves.That was the whole reason why I stayed at home so I could shield Lila and Joey as much as possible.
Lila and Joey.
My heart panged, my gut twisting into knots.Were they okay without me there to be a buffer?I had no idea how much time had passed at this point.I missed my siblings, my mom, and I hated the thought of them thinking I’d abandoned them.
I needed to get home.
“I’ll make you a deal, Rhydian,” I declared, to which his brows rose up his forehead.He waited for me to continue.
“I will help you break this curse so that Nico has a fighting chance.”
I thought I saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared.
“Let’s say I even thought you could break an Avalean curse.”He crossed his arms over his chest.“What are you wanting in return?”
That was a good point…Could I even help him break it?What if it was something that required magic?Something I obviously was lacking.Or what if it required me to sacrifice myself, to die, for it to be broken?Would I still be willing to help if that were the case?
Cross that road when you come to it.Get as far as you can so that you can get home, Maren.
