The Royal Curse

Thirteen - Mind Wanderer

Zian Austruc

One of the many benefits of being stuck in a lab with an insufferable group of scientists was that everyone trusted me. Whatever I said was what they did. If I told them to give me a report on the latest symptoms from the Dark Warriors, they would do it quicker than a lightning bolt. If I told them to fuck off, they would fuck off.

I wasn't a mean person. Well, I did totally ruin any chance I had with Adonia, but honestly, even if I didn't, who was to say she would like some monster?

Ah, well. Adonia was safe. I had eyes following her everywhere. Whenever she decided to arrive at Entorre, I would move my process along.

Thresan was tied up—to say the least. Pity. I would've loved to have seen him in chains.

And that other girl—whatever her name was—wasn't my problem. If she was as insignificant enough for me to not remember her name, then someone else could deal with her. Hopefully soon because my patience was running thinner by the minute.

It wasn't like this was entirely my fault. They knew what they did when they dragged me into this. This was his fault. Luckily, everyone would find out what he did.

I lifted my hand off the keys of the piano and leant back against the wall. Orders were being shouted in the room next door where the liquidated stones were kept.

I spent all night reviewing and listening to the voice in my head. The Cadice stones were priceless. Unbelievably invaluable. They could harness magic beyond what one was capable of. Usually if someone tried to use magic that wasn't their domain, it could drive them insane—or kill them. But the Cadice stones prevented that.

Dark Warriors were worse than the faeries. They didn't have limitations or boundaries. They did whatever they wanted and without control. They were the perfect warriors.

Unfortunately, the worst of my problems weren't over, because Nicholyn and Valarya were somehow alive. The Wall was still partially standing. How the hell could someone be burned alive and still survive?

If Nicholyn could do it once, I supposed he could do it twice. Selling his soul helped with that, though.

Mother placed a hand on the top of the piano and sighed. "Can you stop playing and help out?"

"You're hilarious," I mumbled, propping my forehead on a set of keys and nearly startling myself off the chair. "Just let me relax."

"We don't have much time, you know. King Lius is going to make the announcement about the Dark Warriors soon, and King Sartyr is getting impatient."

"He can stick a rod up his ass for all I care."

She shook her head and placed her clipboard down. "Can you be reasonable for just a second? You know it's important to get this done."

"I'm not stupid."

"Are you?" she muttered, pointing a finger at me. "Because I'm doubting you."

"I don't care if you doubt me. You get rid of me and you lose my skills. That was our deal, Mother."

"Then don't make me return you to your father, Zian." And then she lowered her voice and inched her face closer, almost touching my hairs. "And don't make me regret crossing the Aldorbans."