Page 145 of War and his Queen

I force the tears off my face, clearing the emotion from my throat. I don’t even know why I’m crying. I don’t cry often, yet the thought of this being my fault, on top of what I’m already responsible for, is too much.

My hand flies to my mouth to conceal my sob but it’s too late. I’m too slow.

A blur of people charge to comfort me, but I wobble back, holding my hand up to stop them.

I can’t. I can’t say the words that I need to, not here. Not like this.

Dad has always been weird when it came to Pop. He always has been, and maybe he had his reasons to hate him. Scratch that, I know he had his reasons to hate him. But Priest and I don’t. I love him as much as any child can love their grandparent. Maybe I loved him even more because he was so messed up. But I knew. I knew that once everything came out, it would be catastrophic to the family, as much as it will be to the EKC.

A rule has been violated, and blood will be wanted.

War breaks the silence when he moves to the body closest to him, bending down and tearing off the ski mask. He flips him onto his back and lifts his shirt, as if searching for something. Probably ink, or anything that can identify who they are.

“Where’s Eloise?” I whisper, and just like that, Wars stops.

Everyone. Stops.

War

My eyes bouncebetween Halen and Eloise. Not everyone is out here. Eli, Kyrin, Luna, and Lilith are inside with Scarlet. Hector is seated on a stray pot plant, staying close enough to Halen, and for whatever reason, that makes me queasy.

“This about the curse?” I leave a bitter sound around each syllable.

“Curse?” Saint’s voice is careful, as her eyes take a moment to land on Vaden, Priest, and me. “Halen, are you talking aboutLaena Daraetha Tayir?”

Halen doesn’t answer. We’re not at all surprised. Bet she’s fucking shitting herself.

Saint continues, her fingers tucking her colorless hair behind her ear. “Laena Daraetha Tayirtranslates to The Curse of the Darkest One. Spoken in the language Laheamayac, which originated from one of the first settlers of witches back in the days of the Messiah, it’s said that during one of the many generations of Kings, a witch put a hex on Riverside for all the wrongdoings the Founding Fathers did. The curse itself is complicated, sure, but so is the way you obtain it.” Saint pauses. I think she’s giving Halen time to process, but it doesn’t work.

Halen doesn’t move, and every warning sign in my body starts going off. Why isn’t she saying shit?

“The curse is true,” Hector interferes from his spot. “The last generation it came for was the one before my father’s. They were, at the time, the worst reign we have had.” He swallows and the tattoos on his neck swell. “Until, I’m thinking, this one.”

The wind bites at the loose strands of Halen’s hair, and before anyone can say anything else, Hector whispers, “Princess?”

Halen

My tongue clings to my upper mouth. No. I can’t. I can’t do it.

I rush toward the back patio, passing the pool house before anyone can stop me. After closing the glass door, I turn to find Katsia sitting on the single sofa in the family room, her leg crossed over the other. That’s not what shocks me, though. I mean, having her in my house, yeah, but it isn’t that.

“I know you want to run.” The purr of her assumption grates on my nerves, as her arms visibly tighten around the baby she’s cradling in her arms.

A baby? From where? The only person I know who has a small baby lives all the way on the other side of the world.

She moves the blanket away from its face as if moving the curtain from my eyes.

“Whose baby did you steal?”

“I know you want to run,” she repeats, her tone harder this time.

“You don’t knowshit,” I snap back, even though I know that it’s not true. I don’t know what I want.

“You and I both know that isn’t true.” She hums a melody against the covered head of the small child as it jerks awake. “Halen. You can’t run.”

“Whose baby is that, Katsia?”

Her eyes swing up to my face, and I swear the seconds feel like minutes as she holds my stare. Acid rolls up my throat and my whole world flips on its ass. She doesn’t answer, but she doesn’t have to. I hear her loud and fucking clear.

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