Cursed

by Christina Bauer

  “Saturday. Barely.”

  “The Tsar arrives tomorrow. How far are Oni and Yuri?”

  “A day’s walk away from here.”

  Might as well be a month, with the way I was feeling. “I wish I were strong enough to cast a transport spell.” I sighed. “Or any spell, really. The Midnight Cloister still has some of my magick. If I cast anything at all, they’ll find me in a heartbeat.”

  “I can cast as transport spell to get you there and then, I’ll cast another so I can join you.”

  “That has you casting two transport spells just to go to the fair.” I remembered how exhausting it was for me to cast one transport spell, let alone two. “Until I can cast again, you’ll need to do spell-work for both of us. You can’t waste your energy on transport spells. We’ll just have to secure another way to get there. Perhaps we can find a new wagon?”

  “Something like that. I have a few ideas. Not to worry.”

  I didn’t worry about Rowan finding us a wagon, but I didn’t like way Rowan was staring into the fire. His expression was darkening.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  Rowan huffed out a long breath. “I have some news for you.”

  I didn’t like the note of worry in his voice. “What kind of news?”

  “It’s about your friend, Tristan. Jakob turned some things up.”

  I scrubbed my hands over my face. More bad news? I was still reeling over finding out that Tristan had traded my life for Quinn’s. “Whatever Jakob has heard, I’m not ready for it yet. All my focus needs to stay on ending m curse by Sunday.”

  “I understand. The offer is there when you’re ready.”

  “Thank you.” I shifted my weight, trying to find a better way to sit. My thigh felt like it was getting worse, but that might be a trick of my mind. In any case, didn’t want Rowan poking around my injuries right now. We needed to get to Oni and Yuri. “You said you had some ideas about how to get to the Sanctuary Fair?”

  “Yes.” Rowan stood up and stretched. “In fact, I already cast a spell.”

  I rolled onto my side and winced. I wish I could sleep for a year. “Horses?” As long as it was a short ride, I should be fine.

  “No, snow tigers. Remember when I told you about my familiars?”

  “Sure, you told me about them back at the oasis.”

  Rowan set his fingers in his mouth and let out a loud whistle. Two white tigers stalked into the cave. I’d never seen anything like them. Their heads came up to Rowan’s shoulders. They had great green eyes and red swirls painted onto their pristine white fur. Long fangs hung out of their mouths. “Elea, I’d like you to meet Radi and Umeme, my snow tigers.”

  “Aren’t you lovely?” Seeing them made me miss the presence of my little beetle, though. “I have a familiar, too.” I looked around. “You can come out now.” My tiny scarab didn’t appear. I nibbled my lower lip with my teeth. “I hope he’s all right.”

  “An insect familiar?” Rowan shrugged. “He’s fine, I’m sure. Those things could live through the end of the world.”

  I stood and realized that the tigers were almost as tall as I was. I eyed them warily. “How does this work?”

  “They pick who can ride them.” Rowan scratched the one on the right behind the ears. “Umeme has chosen you, I think.”

  “Ride, eh?” I rubbed at my inner thigh, which still burned from my injury.

  “They’re much more comfortable than a horse, I can assure you. Although, if you’d rather find a wagon—”

  “No, I can ride.” It was Saturday already, for the Sire’s sake. I had precious little time left before my curse struck. A queasy feeling crawled up my throat. I’d just spent a few short hours in excruciating pain. What would an eternity do to my soul?

  “Excellent. If we leave at first light, we’ll arrive at the Sanctuary Fair by noon.”

  “Are you certain that we can’t leave now?”

  “Positive. Besides, this will give you time to eat and wash up.”

  “I suppose so.” I tried to run my fingers through my hair, but it was nothing but a tangle. I didn’t even want to sniff my robes. “I suppose it wouldn’t do to meet the mightiest mages in the realm looking like this.”

  “Everyone feels better after some food and a bath.” Rowan leaned over a small basket that was set against the wall. “What do you think of hard tack?”

  “That’s a block of dried bread, right?” Tristan used to keep some on his ships. He said it was only for emergencies since it tasted so foul.

  “That’s the stuff.” He tossed me a small bar and I nibbled carefully at one corner. A delicious, nutty flavor filled my mouth. I stuffed in a huge bite. “This is good.”

  “Glad you approve. Once you’re done, I’ll let you know where to wash. There’s an underground spring in one of the caves that connects to this one.” He looked up at the moon. “We’ve a few more hours until dawn. That should give us plenty of time to heal that leg of yours.”

  I made a great show of scanning my arms and legs. “All the bite marks from the seekers are almost gone. There’s nothing to heal.”

  “You know that isn’t the injury I meant. I was talking about your inner thigh. It could use a little more magick.”

  “No, it’s fine.”

  “And you’re still a terrible liar.”

  He was right. I should let him touch and heal me. But last night was one-time situation. From here on out, I was healing on my own terms. “It’s not perfect, but it’ll get better soon.” I gave him a sly look. “My body does heal its own without any magick involved, you know.”

  Rowan chuckled. “I’ll try to remember that.”

  I stuffed the last bite of tack into my mouth. Now that I’d eaten, I couldn’t wait to wash up. “Where is that underground spring?”

  “Just down the passage. There are soap and things in one of the baskets, as well as a fresh set of clothes, too. I’m going to check things out with Radi and Umeme. We’ll return by dawn.”

  “See you then.”

  Rowan walked away down the outer passage. His huge frame seemed to dominate the entire cave. I cupped my hand by my mouth. “And thanks.”

  “Nothing to thank.” He glanced over his shoulder. “We’re a team, right?”

  “Right.” My heart began to beat at double-time. Last night, Rowan’s touch had felt so warm and right.

  Watch your emotions, Elea.

  This was exactly the kind of situation that could destroy a Necromancer’s focus. Of course, I’d have some intense feelings about Rowan. He saved my life last night. But I couldn’t let that distract me. If I didn’t figure out a way to kill the Tsar, I was in for an eternity of pain. I needed to take back my mental control and fast.

  Chapter Twenty

  I leaned forward on Umeme’s back as we scaled another sand dune. Her white fur felt lush and cool under me, which was a nice difference from the baking sun overhead.

  If I lived through this quest, I was visiting the woods. In the wintertime. For an entire year.

  “I can cast one for you, if you like,” said Rowan.

  His deep voice startled me. We hadn’t spoken much since leaving the caves for the Sanctuary Fair. I looked to my left. Somewhere along the line, Rowan had snuck up beside me on Radi. That man could be positively stealthy.

  “Cast what?” I asked.

  “A cooling spell. I put one on Umeme, and I know you can’t do any spell-work right now.”

  I wiped my forehead with my sleeve. I’d changed back into a Commoner’s dress before we left the cave and already, the fabric was sticking to me. Rowan didn’t have so much as a drop of sweat on his skin. Clearly, the man had cast a cooling spell on himself already. I fanned myself with my hand. “Is it that obvious?”

  His mouth slowly wound into a crooked smile. “Maybe.” I had the urge to brush my fingertip along the dimple in his cheek. The sun must be getting to me. Rowan was nothing more than a useful ally.

  “I’d like that,”
I said.

  “Won’t take long.” Rowan reached toward me. The veins in his right hand glowed red as he whispered an incantation. The air became heavy with the sense of magick. His palm flared with crimson light and then, the perfect level of cool air wrapped around me. Rowan knew his spell-work, that was for certain.

  I sighed. “Thank you.”

  “Anything else troubling you?” Rowan shot at a pointed look at my thigh. It was still hurting, but that would surely heal in time. I was having enough odd feelings just looking at his dimple. This week was doing strange things to my brain.

  “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

  Rowan raised his right brow in a movement that said ‘you’re a terrible liar.’ He opened his mouth, ready to push the point. Fortunately, I remembered a key piece of information that I’d forgotten to share.

  “Oh, in all the excitement, I didn’t tell you something.”

  “Really.” His flat tone said that he knew I was avoiding talking about my leg. It was true—I was attempting to change the subject—but that didn’t alter the fact that I had some genuine news.

  “I met a Changed One at the Cloister.”

  Rowan’s full mouth tightened into a thin line. “What did they look like?”

  “When you said your people had familiars, could those be huge insects?”

  “Easily. Insects are some of the most powerful forces of nature.”

  Like my little scarab beetle. My tiny friend was still missing, unfortunately. I feared that he had done his job in alerting Rowan and now, I’d never see him again. Such a shame. “Marlene brought me into her study yesterday and she’s holding a Changed One there.”

  Rowan’s face paled. “And you think he had an insect familiar?”

  “Yes, he had caterpillar arm that created bone crawlers. They’re put under the skin of a Necromancer and…” I wasn’t sure there was a way to put this gently. “They become the Tsar’s mark.”

  Rowan stared at me for a long moment. “Tell me what you learned. Everything.”

  So I explained about Sophia and how she was killed by the mark’s power and Marlene’s cruelty. Rowan asked many questions, making me repeat details over and over until he got everything clear. He already knew that Viktor was gathering Necromancer power in order to control the Changed Ones. The bone crawlers explained why the young Necromancers had aged so quickly, and how Viktor had managed to gather power without anyone noticing. Eventually, Rowan’s questions returned to the imprisoned Caster.

  “Did you notice anything about the man?”

  “He still wore a bit of a jacket. There was a large red swirl on the back.”

  “Linden.”

  “You know who that was?” How could Rowan could identify him so quickly? I hadn’t seen much but a walking skeleton in a scrap of fabric.

  Rowan ran his fingers down the line of swirls on his jacket. “All these symbols may look the same to you, but each one is unique to us. It’s a secret code we share. I wear all of them because I’m from the Imperial family. First sons wear them large and on their backs. Only the Alfajiri clan has centipedes and bone crawlers for familiars. Linden was their first son.”

  The symbols were something I didn’t know, but I’d heard how the title of ‘first son’ was like being a prince. The realization left me feeling hollow inside. Viktor took a leader and turned him into a slave. Was there anything that man wouldn’t stoop to? “I know where they keep Linden. When we leave the Cloister, he’ll come with us.”

  “We’ll get him if we can. If not, I’ll return later.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If we kill Viktor and there’s time to rescue Linden, then fine. But once this is over, you’re my first priority.” His gaze locked with mine. “I’m not risking your safety.”

  I straightened my shoulders. “I can take care of myself.”

  “I know. You’re the strongest independent Necromancer left. But you aren’t immortal. We lose you, Elea, we lose everything.”

  Memories of Linden’s vacant eyes haunted me. It wasn’t right to leave him. “That man was the last of his kind, too. That tribe doesn’t have any more Princes, you said so yourself.” Right now, Petra would tell me I’m working myself into an emotional state for nothing. In this case, Petra was wrong. “We’ll figure out some way to get Linden out, and that’s all there is to it.” Rowan’s gaze turned so intense, it made me squirm. “What is it?”

  “You. You’re not at all what I expected.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Necromancers are all about control.”

  “Oh.” A blush crawled up my cheek. He had me there. “Yes, I’m what we call ‘zuchtlos’.”

  “And that’s?”

  “Another way of saying I’m impulsive. It’s one of my worst traits. My Mother Superior worked on it with me constantly. Controlling emotion is the key to Necromancy.”

  “Why do they fill your head with such things? You’re one of the best mages I’ve ever met. I’d say ‘zuchtlos’ works fine for you.”

  My mouth fell open. “That’s not possible.”

  His gaze turned searching. “Why, Elea?” The question had become larger in a way that I couldn’t define. “Tell me.”

  “I…” I needed a way to change the subject. Things were turning too deep between Rowan and me. The words fell from my lips on their own. “I’d rather you told me about Tristan.”

  “Are you certain of this?”

  In truth, I actually was. It was time to talk about what had happened. As of tomorrow, I might be spending an eternity with the man. If Rowan knew something useful, I’d better find out. “I’m positive.”

  “Jakob found out about the other person, the one that the curse originally targeted.”

  “You mean Quinn?”

  “Yes, he was Tristan’s brother.”

  “I knew that. They were in the same Monastery.”

  “No, he was his biological brother, too.”

  “Oh.” I hugged my elbows. All of a sudden, Rowan’s cooling spell made me feel downright cold. “I didn’t know that.” Tristan never told me. I guess it made another item for the long list of things my supposed friend never said. “That does make more sense, though. Tristan wanted to protect his biological brother, and the curse went after whoever you loved the most. He got me to take it on instead.”

  “I thought you’d want to know. Just in case.”

  Right. Just in case I burn with the man forever.

  My hands balled into fists. Even if it were an attempt to save his brother, how could Tristan do that to me? I’m locked into a curse now. I steeled my shoulders and pulled on my Necromancer training.

  Emotion is the enemy. Focus on the mission.

  Rowan kept watching me carefully. “I hope it wasn’t the wrong decision to tell you.”

  “No,” I said calmly. “I had a right to know.”

  Our snow tigers paused and Radi let out a growl. This wasn’t an angry noise, it was more to get Rowan’s attention. My cat Lucy used to do it all the time when she was hungry.

  Rowan patted the tiger’s side. “What’s wrong, Radi? You smell people?” The tiger growled again and Rowan slipped off his back. “We’re getting closer to the Sanctuary Fair. We’ll need to make the rest of the way on foot. It’s best to keep a low profile and showing up on snow tigers won’t help that.”

  I dismounted from Umeme as well. “And you’re certain Oni and Yuri will be here?” After the scarab appeared in the storehouse, these two mages seemed more real, but I still had my doubts.

  “That’s what they told Jakob.”

  Umeme nuzzled into my hair. So sweet. I wrapped my arms around her neck. “See you soon.” She slunk off into the desert with Radi at her side. “Will they be all right?”

  “Don’t worry about those two. They can cast a little magick if they run into trouble.”

  I pursed my lips, interested. “How much of your magick have you given to them?”

  “Not too much
. I’ve only been working on them for five years.” He rubbed his chin. “I think I want to make a phoenix next.”

  “Phoenix? How many familiars does a Caster have?”

  “Depends on the Caster. Some have one. Others have a whole zoo full of them. I’m more the zoo type, myself.”

  I tried to picture Rowan with menagerie of animals. What had he created so far? “I’d like to see your zoo someday.”

  “If we make it past this mission, I’ll take you.”

  I grinned. After all the doom and gloom of contemplating eternal fires, the thought of visiting a zoo of familiars was a welcome distraction.

  Rowan and I finished hiking up a particularly high dune. At its crest, a long stretch of flatland opened up before us. Striped tents were everywhere, all of them in some combination of gray and black. A few curled low to the ground. Others soared with pennants flapping from their many peaks. A great crowd of Forgotten milled about the structures.

  “It seems we’ve arrived.” Rowan turned to me. “Have you been to one of these before?”

  “Never, but I’ve heard they aren’t very safe.”

  “True enough. Let’s stay close.”

  Rowan and I stepped into the crowd. The scent of charred meat filled the air. Bodies pressed in all around us. I thought the oasis was bad, but this place was far worse. I swear, sometimes the swell of the crowd was so tight, I could have lifted my feet off the ground and not fallen down. All the walking around didn’t help the injury in my leg any, either.

  Oh, well. It would heal on its own.

  After an eternity of shoving our way forward, we entered one of the main passageways through the tents. “Where are Oni and Yuri supposed to meet us?”

  “They said they’d find us. That was all.”

  Well, that was quite mysterious of them. It didn’t bode well for this being anything other than a waste of time. We pushed our way through mob after mob. It was a good thing Rowan was a head taller than me. At least, we could see where we were going.

  Hours ticked by and I started to lose my temper. Precious little time remained before I could kill the Tsar. Were Oni and Yuri some kind of prank? What kind of person poses as supernatural mages? I opened my mouth, ready to suggest that we discuss other options.