The Royal Curse

Nineteen - The Need to Die

Zian Austruc

Adonia was finally in Entorre. Took her long enough. I was beginning to think that everything had gone to shit.

That was until... Somehow I could feel the tether between Nicholyn and I. The idiot was still alive. How? He had dodged the curse. He broke every aspect of the deal. He should be dead. More dead than what he was after the fire that Thresan started on my behalf.

But now that Nicholyn's worst enemy was out of the prisons and roaming Entorrean court... He would be forced out of hiding. Dialynne would come forward, too. Adonia would know.

She had to know.

Everything I did was for her. Everything. I breathed, fought, and would do it all for her. For once ever since that night years ago, I knew what my true thoughts were.

They would get what was coming. All of them. Every one who betrayed us.

The cells of Wendigo were some of the scariest things known to existence. Back when I was only five years old, Mother would tell me stories of the dead who sullied these halls. All of them betrayed the kingdom in some way.

Not me, though. Tonight was a glorious night, indeed. I was doing something for me, for once. When I unlocked the back door toward crown Prince Alice's office, I was met with four people: three men and a woman.

My breath halted.

"Come in," Prince Alice instructed, waving his hand toward a chair. I took the seat and readied myself to listen.

Today was the day.

"So you're Zian Austruc?" a man said, his voice low and articulate.

I nodded. "Could you not tell by my badge?"

His narrow eyes grew slimmer as he assessed me. I was used to interrogations and whatnot because of Dialynne. This was nothing compared to the hell I went through.

So when he began prying for questions, I met his stare with an even one. Nothing he could do would scare me.

"You think you're smart for staying quiet? Must I remind you that you requested this audience," the man said.

"I requested it only to inform you that"—I stood up and aligned myself to face him—"your daughter is alive."

From the corner of the room, the woman gasped and gripped on the edge of her table. "She was executed—"

"No, she was taken," I corrected, my voice turning raspy. "You never came for her."

"We couldn't. Prince Alice, did you know she was alive?" Adonia's mother asked.

"My sister informed me months ago, but we couldn't find her. We have a scheduled document of what we think she was doing throughout her life..." He paused and glanced at me.

"But I know what she's been through," I finished for him. "I haven't been through everything she has, but when she was sixteen and rescued—taken—by Dialynne, we met."

"Dialynne Navvario?" the brother asked, his body unwavering. "She was the one responsible for the clock tower explosion, yes?"

If only you knew... "Yes," I said, and I could imagine cool fingers holding my hand and tapping twice, "she is."