by Cait Marie
“He’s gone,” Ada said on the bottom step, knowing it was the truth. “If he went out through the gardens, he’s long gone by now. It butts up to the forest.”
Half the crew turned to face her with warm smiles. The others glanced at her with similar greetings but kept their hold on the prisoners. In three long steps, Ren reached Ada. Even a step up, he towered over her. Lee took the flower from her before the large man could crush it. Ren wrapped her up in a hug that almost broke her down in tears again.
When he stepped back, he looked her up and down. “You look like hell.”
She let out a half-sob, half-laugh and pulled him back into a hug. After a moment, she let him lead her to the group. She glanced from face to face, the lines deepening between her brow as she took them each in.
“Where’s Phillip?”
A hand rested on her lower back as Lee stood beside her. “With your brother.”
Ada nodded. Good; he was with Shane. That was where he was meant to be. That was where she needed to be.
“You know who we are?” Lee asked the soldiers.
One man whispered, “The cursed ones. The Nihryst.”
“Then, you know we cannot be killed,” Lee said, raising his chin. “You will not follow us. Tend to your wounded, and let us go without having to take more of you down.”
The men’s eyes widened, and several nodded in understanding. Lee handed Ada the concealed case before leading the way to the front doors. She followed with Brienne at her side.
Brienne slid an arm through Ada’s elbow. “Welcome back, Princess.”
Ada smiled at her friend, unable to form words. They’d come for her. Well, more likely the flower, but somehow Lee had known to get her from the dungeon, and he went to find her first. Her throat tightened.
They reached the docks and ship quickly. The sun was setting over the crystal waters, and Ada took a deep breath as she stepped onto the familiar deck. For the first time in too long, she could fill her lungs. The weight of everything lifted from her shoulders.
“Get us out of here as fast as possible,” Lee said to Brienne. “We don’t have time to wait for a better tide.”
Brienne immediately began shouting orders as she ran up to the wheel. The crew moved about the ship in their practiced and routine manner. Merta patted Ada on the shoulder in passing. A hand touched her back, and she let Lee bring her to their cabin.
Once inside the room, Lee pulled open the chest in the corner. He removed clothes, papers, and a few old books to make room for the flower’s case. Ada slid off the cloth cover as she knelt beside him. He took the case and gently placed it inside the chest.
“We’ll move it near the window and leave it open so the flower can get sunlight,” Lee said. “But this will keep it from being smashed or broken.”
When he turned toward her, Ada let out a shuddering breath and moved closer. He didn’t hesitate to pull her into his arms. She collapsed against him, releasing the tears she’d fought to hide from Michel all week.
The last time she’d seen Lee, she’d said awful things to him. He’d left before she woke the next morning, and the emptiness that filled her had crushed any hope she’d had of a future.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean it—any of it.”
He pushed her back to cup the side of her face as he met her eyes. “I know, blodau. I knew you were lying and shouldn’t have left you.”
She shook her head. She’d initially meant the apology for more than their fight. But for now, she’d leave it. She’d talk to him in Detmarya and ask for his forgiveness then.
The ship rocked, and beyond the closed door, Ada could hear the sails raising to help them get away from the docks as quickly as possible.
“Lee,” she said in a quiet voice. “You said we didn’t have time to wait for a better tide… Why?”
He licked his lips once before telling her what she’d hoped he wouldn’t say. “Shane’s not doing well. It’s progressing faster than most cases. He can no longer leave his bed. He was barely conscious when we left.”
Ada pushed herself to her feet. She paced with a hand knotted in the top of her dirty hair. She was filthy. As if reading her thoughts, Lee poured a small amount of water from his pitcher onto a cloth. He walked over and gently wiped at her brow and cheeks, keeping one hand on the side of her neck as he did so.
“He has to be all right,” she whispered. She let Lee clean her up and help her into new clothes. When done, he pulled her into a hug. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t offer false words of comfort, for which she was grateful.
After some time, they made their way out to the deck. Ada watched the coast growing smaller in the distance. In a few days’ time, she’d be home.
In a few days’ time, it’d all be over.
She turned away from the rail, wrapping her arms around herself. Lee sidled up next to her, tucking her against him, and they both faced Brienne standing at the wheel.
With a huff, Ren jogged up the few steps to join them. “What’s the plan?”
“I think I know how to break the curse,” she said before Lee could speak.
Three sets of eyes bore into her as silence settled like a heavy blanket.
She took a deep breath, willing her voice to stay calm and steady. The last thing she needed was for them to not follow through the only plan she knew would work.
“There’s one final thing I need to see,” she said. “It’s in Ferda, but I’m pretty sure it’s the final key to breaking the curse—a hint at where to find the girl made of rose. I will go look for it while you bring the Heulwen to Shane.”
“What? No, you should go to your brother.”
She heard the silent just in case in Lee’s words and realized there was her excuse. “You said he was barely conscious, right? He won’t know if I’m there or not, and I can’t bear to see him like that.”
Lee kissed the side of her head, and Ren nodded in understanding.
“Besides, you need to give whoever is there permission to use the flower,” she added. “You bring it to him, and I’ll go look for the answer to the rose girl question to have ready by the time you’re done.”
They stood in silence for a long moment, and she worried he wouldn’t agree.
“I don’t want to leave you again,” Lee whispered.
“I’ll go with her, and we’ll meet you at the castle,” Ren said.
With a sigh, Lee nodded. “Fine.”
“What is it—the last clue?” Brienne asked, pivoting while keeping one hand on the wheel.
“The pendant with the two flowers on it… in the center was a ruby.” She fixed her stare on Ren’s shoulder, hoping they didn’t hear the lies in her words—hoping they didn’t remember the exact details on the medallion. If they remembered there was no such gem… “I think the last clue is on Ruby Street, on the east side of the O’ Chwedlau church.”
“I know that street,” Lee whispered. His grip tightened a fraction on Ada’s side. “That would make sense.”
Her heart raced. She hadn’t thought about him knowing that area. She finally looked up to meet his eyes. “How do you know it?”
“That’s where I grew up.”
“Shane,” a voice called. “Shane, please.”
The pleading. He needed to answer. The pain in the man’s voice was too much.
“I’m still here,” Shane managed to whisper as he met the hazel eyes of his best friend.
Phillip hovered over him, a hand covering one of Shane’s on his chest. He helped prop him up higher on a pillow. A few others stood around the bed, but Shane couldn’t focus long enough to distinguish who was there and who was part of his imagination.
Because another faint voice called his name too. One he feared following this time. He knew if he did, that would be the end.
Shane’s head lolled to the side. “Promise me something.”
Phillip stilled in his reach for a bowl on the small side table. He looked at Shane with tear
s in his eyes. The man who’d gone through so much—losing his father, seeing his mother and sister held captive—hid his emotions all too well. To see him look so scared and hurt… It tore at Shane’s heart.
“We are not saying goodbye,” Phillip said through a clenched jaw. As Shane went to speak, Phillip grabbed both sides of his face. “No. I won’t do it.”
He leaned forward to press a kiss to Shane’s brow before turning to the table once more. Shane faintly saw trails of steam rising from the bowl as his eyes drifted shut. The bed dipped beside him, and Phillip asked someone for help.
Shane didn’t have the strength to sit. He barely had the strength to look at his friend one last time before his eyelids became too heavy. The wooden bowl touched his lips.
“Drink,” Phillip said in a soft, begging tone. “Just drink this, and everything will be fine.”
Shane obeyed and was rewarded with a sweet, hot liquid unlike anything he’d ever tasted. The earthy flavor reminded him of tea, but it was something more. Something wonderful. It warmed him from the inside out, taking his chills with it.
But the second voice grew louder as he became more comfortable. She called his name. He tried to hang on, focusing on the rough hand covering his, but the darkness calling was too strong.
The room faded away along with the heaviness. Shane’s eyes snapped open, and he was alone on a familiar cobblestone street. He turned back and forth, looking for the source of the voice, knowing she waited for him.
“Shane.”
He twisted around to find his mother a few feet from him. As he took a step closer, he froze. She wasn’t glowing. The queen stood before him in a completely solid form, and the realization stole his breath from his lungs. His lungs that no longer felt constricted.
Walking closer, he reached out a hand. When she took it, he let out a soft gasp. He let her pull him into a hug as tears fell down his cheeks. She held him close, whispering, “My boy.”
“It’s time?” Thoughts of leaving Adalina and Phillip sent a pang through him.
“That is up to you, sweetheart.” Her sad smile lifted. “Your destiny is bigger than this. There is much for you to do still. But if you so choose it, you can come with me.”
“Destiny?” He’d heard the prophecy. The word destiny did not belong to him but his sister.
“You have a choice to make,” she said. “If you return, this will be the last time you see me for a while.”
He wrapped his arms around his mother. “I love you.”
When he stepped back, she smiled. “I’m proud of you, Shane. You will make an excellent king.”
Without another word, she faded, and images flashed through his mind. A rose. The cards of the Nihryst swirled around him. A bloody dagger fell to the ground, hitting the cobblestone street somewhere nearby as the clocktower chimed above him. The images repeated, whirling around him until it became overwhelming.
Just as suddenly, time froze. The cards stilled, floating in the air alongside rose petals. But before him stood Adalina. She looked through him to the wall at his back. He turned around, and she appeared in front of him once more.
“Ada?”
She didn’t respond. She gave no sign of hearing or seeing him.
Shane tried to move closer, but his feet wouldn’t budge. When he glanced back up, he saw the glinting dagger in his sister’s hand. He shouted her name over and over, but the chaos began again, carrying his words away on the wind.
Finally allowed to move, he swatted away flying cards and flower petals from his face as if they were bugs, trying to see Adalina. He heard the familiar sound of a blade hitting the ground, and fear gripped his insides. As he reached the spot where she stood, the street went silent. The cards disappeared with the flowers.
As did his sister.
All that remained was a bloody dagger lying on the ground.
“Find her,” his mother’s whispering voice floated through the lingering breeze. “Find Adalina.”
“You’re sure?” Ren asked, hesitating as he half-turned toward a nearby alley. Brienne had already started walking away.
“Yes.” Ada pointed down the way he looked. “Ruby Street is just one over. I’ll be there right after I check the clock tower. I’m sure I remember that symbol there, and I want to make sure I read the clues right.”
Ren stared at her. When he still didn’t move, she smiled and nudged him down the cobblestone walkway. His large frame didn’t budge, and for a second, she was worried he wouldn’t give her the time she needed.
“Go,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll be right there. Start looking for that symbol—it’ll probably be etched into one of the older buildings. I’d guess wherever Lee lived, if you know where that is.”
He nodded then turned away. “Ten minutes, then I’m coming back if you haven’t caught up.”
She watched his retreating form for a long second before taking a deep breath and heading in the opposite direction.
Convincing Lee to take the flower to Shane without her was easier than she’d anticipated. They’d parted ways at the docks. He’d headed toward the castle while Brienne and Ren insisted on going with her. Loyal Ren who’d fought for her from day one. Talking him into going on ahead and leaving her had been harder than with Lee.
The streets were quiet despite it being midday. With the Kald spreading, most were not leaving their homes unless necessary, she’d guessed. Ada turned the corner and walked along the familiar buildings. Children laughing caught her attention from an open window in an upstairs room. With tears filling her eyes, she smiled up at a small girl waving beside a fluttering curtain.
Ada stepped into the shadow of the tall clock tower. She glanced at the wooden sign on the corner indicating Rose Street. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she moved closer to the old building. It was one of the oldest in the kingdom. The chipped paint and stone showed its age.
She found it immediately—the matching rose and Heulwen symbol that seemed to be the key to it all. A shaky finger traced the faint outline, weathered with age. As soon as she’d figured everything out, she’d remembered this old painting. O’ Chwedlau was lodged right between Rose Street and Ruby Street. The bell tower sat at the edge of the hidden square—the hidden place the Nihryst had met and hid and collected goods to distribute to those most in need. The place where it all began.
Where he’d met Mariella as a child wasn’t more than a couple streets over. Where he’d met her in secret as an adult was within the secret section of the village.
All the pieces aligned. All leading to this moment.
Stars, even her middle name was Rose. This was her destiny. Her purpose.
She reminded herself that as she pulled the leather sheath free from her waist. The one Lee always seemed to carry just for her. He’d strapped it on her before leaving the ship’s cabin. Apparently, Phillip had picked it up after the guards took her, and he gave it to Loxley when they passed each other in Detmarya. Phillip had told him where to find her as well.
Ada’s ragged breath sounded loud in her ears, and she pulled the blade out. The sheath fell to the ground. With her thumb, she brushed the edge of the sharp blade. It would all be over soon. The cure was with Shane, and they knew how to replicate it. Breaking the curse was the final part.
“Ada?”
Her eyes closed as a sob escaped. She lowered the blade to her side, out of sight.
“Sweetheart? What are you doing here?” Lee turned her around and pulled her into his arms. “It’s going to be all right. Your brother has the flower; he’s going to be fine. I left as soon as he had it and was coming to find you.”
She leaned into him, her free hand going around his back and gripping the soft fabric of his shirt. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“Everything is going to be fine,” she whispered.
He leaned back to meet her eyes with a smile. “Yes, love. We did it. Now, we just need to break the curse. Did you find the last piece you were looking
for? Where are Ren and Brienne?”
“I lied about Ruby Street.”
“What? Why?”
Ada glanced to the carved painting in the wall beside them, ignoring the questions. After clearing her throat, she said, “The rose symbol, just like I remembered. At the clock tower on Rose Street. With the girl made of rose.”
Her words trailed off, but the corner of his mouth tilted up. “Your middle name.”
“Yes,” she choked out.
“Adalina, what is it?” His grip on her side tightened slightly as he stepped closer.
“Do you forgive me?”
His brow creased before sighing. He raised a hand to cup her cheek. “There’s nothing to forgive.”
She shook her head. The clock tower chimed the hour high above them, and she flinched. “Loxley, I need to hear you say it. Do you forgive me?”
“Yes, of course. I forgive you.”
A rush of wind blew through the street. Dead leaves scattered around them, and Lee looked around in wonder. For him, she could make the ultimate sacrifice. For him, she would do anything.
“I love you,” she whispered.
His sea-green eyes snapped to hers. She smiled through the tears—through the pain. He closed the small gap between them, brushing his lips along hers. And she let go.
Distantly, she heard the metal clink against the stone at her feet.
Warmth spread down her abdomen as darkness encroached. She watched as confusion replaced the adoration in Lee’s gaze. Then despair. Then anger.
“I love you,” she whispered again. It was barely more than a breath. She reached up to place a hand on his cheek, happy that his eyes—the eyes that haunted her dreams her entire life—would be the last thing she saw.
The room slowly came into focus. Sunlight filtered in through the tall windows. Shane smiled as familiar hazel eyes greeted him. He pulled his hand from the blanket and gently placed it on the side of his best friend’s face.
“You’re here,” Shane whispered.
Phillip beamed down at him, covering Shane’s hand with his own. “I told you I wasn’t leaving.”