by Belle Malory
“Let me guess, Rex’s life for mine?” I asked.
He considered this, then nodded. “He may live, should you decide to accept my offer.”
“What other option are you leaving me with?” I asked bluntly. “I won’t just let him die.”
“There is much more than Constantin’s life that comes with my offer. You see, I want your ability exclusively for myself. I don’t want to worry that one day you’ll attempt to escape or betray me. I’d like to offer you a home.”
“A home?” I asked, not expecting to hear that word. It was difficult, thinking of a home as something I could share with Salazar.
“Yes, a home,” he repeated. “Think about it, Estelle. My people will protect you. You won’t have to live on the run anymore.”
“And who will protect me from you?” I asked him. “Your men treated me as their plaything when they’d first discovered me on the train. They asked me question after question, tormenting me.”
“I’m sorry for that,” he said. He sounded sincere about it too, shaking his head, as if he had no idea what his men had been up to. “They’ll be reprimanded for their actions, I assure you. However, you don’t have to fear the same kind of treatment from me.”
I tilted my head to the side, wondering if I could believe him. At a glance Salazar seemed like an ordinary man. Not so very menacing. But something about him unsettled me, setting me on edge.
“There is only one thing I want, anyway,” he uttered softly.
I narrowed my eyes on him. “And that is?”
“My throne.” His voice had turned deadly serious. “Except this time, I want things to be different. I want to ensure no one tries to take it from me ever again.”
I sat back in my seat, surprised by everything Salazar had told me.
“So let me get this straight: You’re only planning to use me in order to rule again.”
He nodded.
“And that’s absolutely the only thing you’ll ever ask of me?”
He smiled, not surprised by my suspicion of him. “It’s the only thing I’ve wanted the last countless lives,” he explained. “So do we have a deal?”
I considered what he’d said, breathing uneasily. I didn’t want to go with Salazar, didn’t trust him entirely. But going meant Rex would live. I didn’t have a choice. “Do I have your word?” I asked. “You’ll never use me except to gain and keep your throne?”
He held out his hand, smiling. He knew he held me in the palm of hands. “I want our relationship to last, Estelle. I wouldn’t want to betray you for fear of you betraying me.”
I stared at his hand, afraid it would burn me by touching it. Was this considered making a deal with the devil?
Salazar lowered his hand, noticing my doubt.
“What is it that holds you back?” he asked knowingly.
“Constantin,” I answered honestly. “How do I know you’ll let him go?”
“I’ve told you I won’t kill him,” he reassured me. “Although I pretend otherwise, I’ve let go of what they did to me. In my own way, I feel a sort of kinship with them. They were forced into abandonment just as I was.”
I highly doubted Salazar felt any type of kinship towards Rex. It was more like he was trying to put me at ease. But…it was working.
I sighed warily, lowering my face into my hands. Going with Salazar meant never seeing Rex again. And he was finally starting to admit his feelings for me, too. At least I could consider what happened in the motel room as an admission of his feelings, even if he tried to deny it. Now I was just supposed to give up?
“Tell me what bothers you, dragă.”
I lifted my face, meeting Salazar’s gaze. “I’m assuming in order for you to rule, you’ll have to go back to Romania. Am I right?”
He nodded. “The palace is in Redwood Forest, but we wouldn’t stay permanently, just until I can regain my rightful throne…” His statement drifted off.
“You know,” he began. “Years ago, I knew Constantin pretty well. At the time, he was head-over-heels in love with a young princess. Tatiana, I believe was her name. She went missing, a few lifetimes ago.”
“I’ve heard of her,” I said sullenly. Why was he bringing this up?
“This power of yours, have you ever used it on the Constantin?” he asked.
I looked up at Salazar, confused. “What do you mean?”
“Well, your loyalty for him is evident. Were I you, I’d find out if he still wants the missing princess…or if he only wants you.”
“What are you getting at, Salazar?” I asked.
“I want you to be sure of the life you’re choosing, Estelle. I haven’t been lying this whole time. I sincerely want to build a home with you, but we can’t build a home on regrets. So go, and find out how the boy feels about you. I’ll join you, so you can both hear the truth about my supposed committed murder.”
I guess I would find out exactly what kind of person Salazar was once that happened. Scrutinizing Salazar distrustfully, I wondered why he was giving me this choice. It felt too easy, as if he had nothing to worry about.
Unless he knew something I didn’t. Did Salazar assume Rex could never want me, when compared to the legendary princess? I shuddered, realizing it was a very real possibility. I needed to find out for myself, needed to know how he felt once and for all.
“Ungag him,” I ordered the guards surrounding Rex’s bound body.
I was thankful to see Xavier never carried out his threats. Rex was still alive and unharmed. I breathed a long sigh of relief at seeing this for myself.
After receiving an approving nod from Salazar, one of the guards wrangled the cloth out of Rex’s mouth. Not a moment later, Rex was shouting expletives. “Bonjara, you slimy bastard, you stay away from her. Do you hear me?”
“Rex,” I said, trying to catch his attention. Once I finally had it, I said, “Salazar has something to say to you. I want you to tell me if he’s lying, okay?”
“What’s the meaning of this?” he demanded, looking confused.
“Just listen,” I pleaded, then stepped out of Salazar’s path.
He approached Rex slowly. “Constantin,” he greeted him.
Rex said nothing. He only stared ominously. In fact, he looked downright menacing. The muscles in his jaw were strained, twitching. If he hadn’t been so tightly bound, I was sure he’d already have Salazar pinned to the wall in a chokehold.
“I know you assumed it was me all these years,” Salazar began. “But I never killed your mother, not in any lifetime.”
Rex stared at Salazar intensely.
Then, something strange presented itself within Rex’s features. It was barely noticeable to anyone else, but I caught it. His eyes widened slightly, and in just the barest of movements, his brows raised.
Rex was shocked.
It could only mean one thing. I looked at Salazar in amazement. I, myself, hadn’t fully been expecting this to happen. Yet the truth was clearly written across Rex’s face.
Salazar told the truth.
Twenty-Three
The room fell silent.
Rex had been rendered speechless. We all had.
Salazar’s guards even seemed surprised. We all quietly waited, watching Rex and wondering what he would say.
He didn’t say anything. He simply stared at Salazar with a mixture of shock and disbelief contorting his features. It seemed as if he couldn’t quite wrap his head around this new information. He believed for so long the ex-king had murdered his mother. His family chose abandonment as a result of her death. To hear they’d been wrong all this time, and to find out Gabe took his revenge on an innocent man--the news could not have come easily. It must be completely devastating.
I was the first to regain my focus. Politely, I requested to have a few moments alone with Rex. Salazar granted me this, and ordered his men to leave the room. He followed them out, but paused at the doorway. “I’ll be awaiting your decision outside.”
I nodded. He left t
hen, closing the door behind him.
Rex finally found his voice. “What decision?” he asked me.
“It’s nothing,” I answered, waving it aside.
“Don’t tell me you’re actually considering going with him, Estelle. Please tell me you’re not that stupid.”
His tone was weary, but heartfelt. I wanted to lie and tell him I wasn’t going through with it. But of course, I couldn’t. I would never lie to Rex again.
“The man drives a hard bargain,” I joked, attempting a grin.
Rex wasn’t amused. “My life for yours?”
“That’s part of it,” I admitted uncomfortably.
“Don’t do it,” he said. “My life is a pittance compared to yours.”
“Is it?” I asked in a small voice. “Why is that? Is it because I mean something to you? Or because the curse means something to everyone?”
I knelt down to the floor, and helped him to sit upright. While I waited for him to respond, I worked at untying the knots in the cords.
“What I feel or don’t feel for you doesn’t matter,” he said. “Not in the grand scheme of things.”
“It matters to me.”
I finished untying the cord from his wrists, then looked up at him. Remnants of the smiley faces I drew ghosted Rex’s cheeks, reminding me of how much the mood had changed in this room. Tentatively, I reached for Rex’s hand, and searched his beautiful amber eyes. “If you could have anything you wanted, what would it be?”
The question had taken him by surprise. He merely shrugged, mumbling an indifferent “I don’t know.”
He lied.
Tatiana’s image struck me like a lighting bolt. She was his unspoken desire.
It seemed she always would be.
Rex’s face and the whole room blurred under the weight of welling tears, on the verge of falling. I looked away, and took a deep, unsteady breath. I did not want to cry again, and refused to let myself.
I could do this. I was strong enough.
I swallowed back the tears, leaving the bitter taste of hurt in their place.
“It’s better this way,” I said, trying to reassure myself at the same time. “For me to go with him.”
“What are you? Crazy?” Rex said, unaware of everything I’d just seen within his soul.
Crazy? Maybe. But my decision felt more like an act of desperation to me. Desperate to save Rex’s life. Desperate to end the running.
“Bonjara and his men are a bunch of scumbags,” he said, continuing his tirade. “How could you even think of going off with them?”
“Why?” I asked indignantly. “He didn’t murder your mother. You know it better than anyone now.”
“It doesn’t make him any less of a criminal. He was kicked out of the Royal Courts for countless other crimes.”
“And because I’m going with them, that means I’m either crazy or just as bad as he is, right?”
“You know what I meant,” he mumbled.
I sighed heavily. “Rex, I’m trying to save your life.”
“I’ve already told you it’s not worth as much as yours.”
He was being stubborn. And for the first time, I couldn’t stomach arguing with him.
While he reached down to untie the knot around his legs, I noticed a pen and pad of paper sitting on the dresser. I moved to grab them and scribbled down the information about Tatiana I knew Rex would need to find her.
“I have something for you. It’s sort of a thank you for everything you’ve done for me. You’ve given me so much, and I had the power to do the same. I just had to look hard enough for it.”
I slipped the folded up piece of paper into his coat pocket. “I once had a friend,” I explained. “Her name was Katie Sorenson. I gave her what she wanted without her forcing me. I’d almost forgotten I could do that. I’d almost forgotten I could look into someone’s eyes and see what they desperately desire, what they crave above all else.
“I looked into your eyes just now, Rex, and I saw what you want. The awful part is, I was secretly hoping to see something else. I was hoping that you would. . .that you could. . .” I paused, unable to get it out. My voice was breaking. Eventually, I finished by saying, “I was hoping you’d want me.”
I forced myself to look at him again, his amber eyes glowing in the moonlight. He finally understood what had happened.
“It’s okay,” I allowed. “How could I think to compete with a girl who’s held your heart for hundreds of years anyway, right?” I tried to smile and shrug it off, as if it were no big deal.
I stood, straightening my dress to regain some composure.
“Essie, don’t…” Rex’s voice trailed off. He raked his hands through his dark hair, looking surprisingly pained. Finally, he sighed miserably. “I’m not sure what to say.”
“There’s nothing you can say.”
He knew I was right. Deep down, he couldn’t deny anything I’d said. Besides, why would he want to? He’d told me from the beginning he wasn’t interested in me that way. I was the idiot who refused to believe him. I suppose I’d spent too many years in a cold, fortune and fame driven family. I’d forgotten what it was like for someone to think about someone other than themselves. Rex had done that for me. Regrettably, I saw it as something more than it actually was.
“Her name and address is on the paper I gave you,” I said. “I think it may surprise you. It definitely surprised me.”
I turned to leave, opening the door. I paused to look at Rex for one last heart-wrenching moment. “Out of all the people I’ve ever used my curse to help, you deserve it the most, Rex. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to stop me. He didn’t, anyway.
I think I may have rendered him speechless for the second time that night.
The cold night air hit me hard as I stepped outside. The door slammed shut behind me, echoing in the darkness.
I didn’t glance back again. I quickly headed towards Salazar’s limo. He was standing outside of it, leaning casually against the vehicle, his arms crossed over his chest.
I tried my best to feign indifference, but he saw right through me, guessing for himself what had happened. “I’m sorry, Estelle,” he offered softly.
Though his words were remorseful, I was almost positive I saw a flicker of victory in his eyes.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said. I held out my hand. “You have yourself a deal, Salazar Bonjara.”
He shook my hand firmly. “All of my friends call me Sal.”
Twenty-Four
Before we boarded our private flight to Romania, I asked Salazar if I could use his phone. I really wanted to text Lola, to let her know what was going on. Plus, I wanted to let Lina know I would send for Abby as soon as I could. I didn’t know how Salazar would feel about having a dog around, but I was prepared to beg and plead if it came to that. If I had to give up my entire life to serve him, I figured he could at least allow me to keep my dog.
But Salazar hadn’t granted my request. “Once we land, we’ll talk about the possibility of getting you a phone,” he promised.
I sulked over his refusal, but I understood where it came from. He already let Rex go. He had no other leverage to use against me now. Besides, Rex would contact everyone as soon as he could in order to let them know what happened.
A bubbly flight attendant showed me to my seat, which converted into a bed. She stuffed a fluffy pillow behind my head, laid a thick blanket across my lap, demonstrated how to work my miniature television and provided me with a menu of drinks and snacks available during the flight. The thing I found most interesting, however, was an MP3 player she handed me. “This is from Mr. Bonjara,” she explained. “It’s common Romanian words and phrases.”
It never crossed my mind that I’d have to learn a new language.
After the flight attendant walked away, Salazar approached me with a drink in hand. He noticed I was fumbling with the music player. “Most Roms speak English, espe
cially gypsies because we’re well traveled,” he told me. “However, it wouldn’t hurt for you to have a basic understanding of the language.”
I nodded in agreement. “Of course.”
“You’ve got some time on your hands, anyway. It’s going to be a long flight.”
He handed me the glass. “This is for you. It’s a Romanian wine,” he said. “A celebratory drink for the new addition to my growing tribe.”
I accepted the drink from him gratefully. I’d heard my sister more than once refer to needing alcohol to take the edge off. Flying to another country with a sketchy group of gypsies had to be an edgy scenario.
Salazar yawned sleepily. “I think I’ll get some sleep. I’ll be up front if you need me.”
I watched as he ambled to the front of the airplane, taking a seat next to Xavier. The closer I looked at the two of them, the more I realized how similar they were. Xavier could be Salazar’s son. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was.
The seatbelt sign came on a while later, and the pilot prepared for takeoff. After buckling up, I sipped at my wine. The odor was rich, the heady scent filling my nostrils, but it tasted sweet and went down smoothly. Within only a few minutes, I felt myself relaxing.
The engine rumbled beneath me and I felt the plane rolling across the airstrip. This was a new start for me, I reminded myself. The next chapter of my life.
I stared out my window morosely.
Truthfully, I wanted a new beginning. Yet I couldn’t stop thinking about everything I was leaving behind.
The early morning sun wafted above the clouds, rays of light streaking towards the heavens. A brand new day. A brand new life.
But did that mean never watching another sunset with Indie? Would I never argue with my mom again? College was out of the question for sure at this point. There was no doubting that. But everything else seemed to be disappearing, too.
I carefully inserted my headphones and turned on the player, waiting to hear my first Romanian lesson. Maybe focusing on the new language would take my mind off of everything else for a while. It was worth a shot, anyway.