“Usually I do not feel human emotions,” Morlet said. “But when I’m around you, Espen is there. The man I was before all of this, a man worthy of your love, he’s there begging for mercy. Begging to be released, set free.”
I heaved deep breaths, trying to regain my bearings. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”
“I just want you to understand that it can’t be controlled.”
Fear filled me. What if that raw magic filled my child? How would I teach him or her to tame such a beast?
“I have evil magic,” he said. “You have good. Our magic will be balanced in our child. Do not fear. Please, Kaia. I need you.” He grabbed my hands, clutching them as if his life depended on it. “You’re my wife.”
The words made my blood run cold. Even though we were married, I hadn’t thought of him as my husband. I refused to think of him that way. I’d only married him to save those men. This wasn’t a real marriage and before long, he’d be dead.
“I beg you to help me. When you’re near, the evil magic recoils.”
Since he’d been holding my hands, the dark blue veins below his skin weren’t as pronounced. I’d never seen this side of Morlet, and it unhinged me. He hadn’t asked for this evil magic to dwell inside of him. And I’d felt it. It had robbed me of reason. I didn’t want to justify the murders and crimes he committed. However, at least I understood him a little better.
A single tear dripped down his cheek. I wiped it away. “I don’t forgive you. But I’m here. And together we will end this curse and the destruction it has caused.” His arms wrapped around my body, clutching me.
My eyes flew open. Morlet was sitting beside me on my bed. The armoire had been pushed back into the corner of the room, the door once again visible. I sat up. “Why are you here?” I had fallen asleep on the sofa, not my bed. I rubbed my eyes, the dream communication too fresh. I needed space.
“I want to thank you.”
His hand cupped my cheek and warmth seeped into my body. I closed my eyes, reveling in the feel of it. Wait—what was I doing? I hated this man. I forced my eyes open. “You shouldn’t be in my room.”
“We’re married. I’d like to share your bed tonight.”
Warmth continued to flow into me. The power inside of me responded, wanting something. I’d only ever used my power to defend myself, strike my opponent, or locate others. So I wasn’t sure what it wanted. To join with Morlet’s magic?
“You feel it too, don’t you?” Morlet’s free hand came up, cupping my other cheek. He held my face between his hands ever so tenderly. Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead against mine. My head screamed that he was a depraved murderer. But my heart bled for him. I wanted to connect with him, to save him. The power inside of me danced with joy, and I didn’t know what to do.
“Stop thinking,” he whispered. “Let your feelings take control. Give in to your wants and desires.”
I didn’t want to be near this man. I didn’t want to feel sympathy, compassion, or anything at all for him.
“Kaia.” He said my name like a caress.
He brought his lips to mine, gently kissing me. I wanted to shove him away, but I couldn’t move my hands. He deepened the kiss. Confusion swirled inside of me. Was he using his magic on me?
“You have no idea how much our night together meant to me.” He kissed me again, my body relaxing as desire filled me.
Calling on my power, I urged it to my head, wanting to know if Morlet was using his magic to control me. My power sensed someone else in the room. I let my power flow out of me, seeking the other person. Morlet’s lips trailed to my neck. His hands slid down my arms and around my waist, gently laying me on the bed. He hovered over my body. The other person I felt in the room radiated shock. There was a familiarity to him. It was Anders.
I couldn’t let Morlet know he was here. Run, I thought to Anders. Get out of here! I’ll keep the king distracted so you can get away. I didn’t know if Anders heard me or not.
Another surge of warmth gushed into my body, relaxing me, telling me that I wanted Morlet. His lips crushed down upon mine, hungry and demanding. My arms still wouldn’t obey my mind, and I couldn’t push him away.
I felt Anders’s presence disappear.
Morlet chuckled and the link between us severed, leaving me suddenly cold. The reality of everything came crashing down on me. He’d been using his magic to seduce me, and I’d had no control to stop him. I shoved him off me and scrambled out of the bed, putting space between us. “What was that?”
Hurt flashed in his eyes. “You can fight your attraction for me all you want. You can blame it on my magic, or say that I made you do it. But there’s something you should know. It wouldn’t work if you didn’t have feelings for me. You can bury your desire because you think I’m a fiend and you know you should hate me. But you don’t. And that scares you more than anything.”
How dare he presume to know more about me than I did? I wanted to lash out at him. “Did you know Anders was here?”
“I did.”
“How could you use me like that?”
He stood and went to the door. “He killed my parents. I saw an opportunity to hurt him, so I took it.” Morlet smiled and left.
I closed my eyes as the gravity of the situation sank in. Anders had just witnessed me kissing Morlet. He’d heard Morlet say that we’d spent the night together. What must Anders think of me? I needed to go after him and explain what had happened. I needed him to understand that Morlet had been using his magic on me. That I’d had no control over my body. That I’d only slept with him so I could conceive a child and end the curse.
Running over to the window, I threw it open and peered outside. Anders and Vidar had both managed to gain access to my room this way. If they could do it, so could I. Feeling below the window ledge, the stone blocks weren’t even. I should be able to scale the side of the castle. Climbing out of the window, I lowered my feet until I found my footing. I looked for a place for my fingers to hold. This was going to be more difficult than I’d thought.
Something caught my eye in the moonlight. A rope was attached to the side of the castle. Letting go of the window ledge, I grabbed onto the rope. It was various shades of gray and black, blending in with the stone blocks. I clung to it and propelled myself down. When I reached the ground, I released it, watching it melt away. If I wasn’t looking for the rope, I’d never know it was there.
Remaining close to the wall, I surveyed the area. Anders couldn’t have gone very far. No soldats were in sight, and Anders was nowhere to be seen. I made my way to the northern end of the castle and peeked around the side. A hand slid over my mouth and my body was yanked back against someone.
14
I rammed my elbow back into my attacker’s stomach. He released me and I spun around, preparing to punch him. Vidar stood there waving a hand at me to stop.
“Must you always hit with so much force?” he asked.
“How was I supposed to know it was you?”
“A patrol is due by in less than thirty seconds. We need to hide.”
There weren’t many places to hide on the castle grounds. The trees and bushes were mostly dead and didn’t offer a lot of cover. I placed my hands on the nearest window and let my power flow inside. The room was empty.
“In here.”
Vidar pulled out his dagger, slid it into the window frame, and popped the lock. I pried the window open and climbed inside the dark room. Shelves with sacks of flour and spices covered the walls. Vidar entered, squatting on the floor below the window with his finger to his lips. After a minute, he relaxed his shoulders.
“I need to find Anders,” I whispered, sitting next to him on the cold, stone floor.
“Didn’t you just see him?”
“We didn’t have a chance to talk.”
He scratched the back of his neck. “I’m not sure what happened. I was on lookout when he came down from your window, running right past me without a word. Then I saw you cli
mbing down so I waited for you. Is something the matter?”
“Morlet was in my room with me.” I didn’t want to tell him about the kiss, but he was bound to find out. I quickly explained how Morlet had used his magic on me and that Anders saw us kissing on my bed. Then I told Vidar how Morlet had made sure to say something about sleeping with me so Anders would overhear. “Do you think that’s why he stormed off?” I asked, picking at the edge of my sleeve, contemplating what Anders must think of me.
“I don’t know.”
“He knew this was coming,” I said.
“Sometimes the reality is worse than we expect.”
I couldn’t sit here and talk with Vidar about this. “Now that it’s done, bring the Krigers here so we can end this.” I didn’t want to be in this castle much longer.
“I can’t.”
Surely I’d heard him wrong. “What do you mean?”
“We need to make sure you’re with child first.”
I rubbed my face. That could take weeks. And what if I wasn’t pregnant?
“Maybe you should spend a few nights with him, just to be sure?”
I closed my eyes. I couldn’t sleep with him again. Not after what he had done to those people. I couldn’t share myself with a man capable of such cruelty. “You want me to remain here?”
“Yes. Until we have verification that you are carrying Morlet’s child, you will stay in this castle with him.”
“Can’t I go with you? If I need to come back, I will.” He couldn’t leave me here.
“No. This is the safest and best place for you to be.”
I wasn’t safe living with a man consumed with dark magic. A man who murdered innocent people. “I need to be alone right now.”
He patted my knee. “I’m sorry it has to be this way. But you are worth protecting.” He stood and climbed out of the window, leaving me alone in the storage room. Even though he hadn’t used magic on me like Morlet did, I still felt used and belittled.
I refused to stay here with the king. I needed my bo staff. I needed my friends. I’d made the journey to the treehouse a couple of times. I should be able to find my way through the forest on my own. And if Vidar and Anders remained here in the capital, they would never know I’d left to be with the Krigers. Besides, the twelve of us needed to practice now that we could face Morlet. I was done sitting around and waiting. It was time for action.
I couldn’t use my power to guide my way through the capital. If I did, Morlet would be able to sense me and he would know I’d left the castle. Trying to figure out which way was east, I headed down the dark alley hoping soldats weren’t patrolling nearby. Anders had taken me out through the capital’s wall via a secret entrance. There was a place where a couple of the blocks came loose—just enough for a person to squeeze through. I was fairly certain this was the correct direction.
Something squeaked behind me. It sounded like a door opening on rusty hinges. Sliding against the building, I hoped to remain unseen. When no one materialized, I continued. Two hands latched onto my shoulders from behind, yanking me inside a dark room.
A door slammed shut, the person released me, and a candle came to life, illuminating Norill’s face. “Where do you think you’re going, little queen?” she asked.
“None of your business.”
She laughed, the sound dark and menacing. “We are linked, you and I.”
The treaty meant we had to work together to lead Nelebek, but it didn’t bind us in any way. “You can’t hurt me,” I reminded her.
“No, I can’t. And you can’t harm me either.”
In one of the corners was an unmade bed. “Where are we?” I asked.
“Does it matter?” She cocked her head, studying me.
“Why did you bring me here?”
“I was following you. When I found an empty room, I brought you inside so we could talk.”
It was hard to be in the same room with her. She’d stabbed Anders, kidnapped him, and tortured him for weeks. Anders never told me all he had endured at her hands. Even though she didn’t have her magic here in Nelebek, she was still a skilled fighter and much stronger than I was. I’d barely managed to survive her, and that was using my own power.
She paced back and forth in the small space like a caged animal. “What are your intentions?” she asked.
“None of your concern.” I stood flat against the wall, trying to stay away from her. My hands didn’t hurt, but she could turn on me at any moment.
She stilled, flexing her fingers. Her head slowly turned my way, her bright red lips curling in disgust. “The only reason you’re alive and I haven’t ripped your throat out with my bare teeth is because you’re the queen, I’m the head Skog Heks, and we are bound by the treaty.” She resumed pacing. “I truly hate your kind.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
“Ironic, considering you plan to have a child that wields Heks magic.”
“To save your race.”
“You’re not saving it by joining it with your pathetic human blood,” she snarled. “That’s vile and unnatural.”
“What do you want to happen?”
Her eyes flashed. “What I want is irrelevant.” She squatted down, pulling on her hair and rocking back and forth.
“Are you okay?” Not that I cared, but her erratic behavior unnerved me.
“Even though I am without my magic, I sense it all around me. And I feel every blood oath I’ve taken.” She clawed her nails down her cheeks, leaving streaks of blue. “I need to know what you intend to do with the mines.”
My breath caught. Did she know Morlet had unearthed Heks magic? “Nothing. Why do you ask?” Shadows moved near my feet.
“Those mines are on holy ground. You must return them to us,” she hissed, rocking back and forth.
What was wrong with her? She started yanking her hair.
I glanced up at the ceiling covered with cobwebs. The previous Grei Heks had told me that when the curse ended, both the Grei Heks and the Skog Heks of Nelebek would die because my child would serve as both. She’d specifically told me she cast the curse that way. Something to my right moved. I looked that way; nothing was there. I focused back on Norill and shadows swirled around my ankles, moving up my legs. They started whispering odd words—words from the old language. The language of Heks. Although I couldn’t understand what they said, their meaning was clear: they wanted me.
“No,” Norill hissed. “Leave her be. She’s human.”
The shadows intensified, now dancing around my head. It felt as if my body was being sucked into the ground, and there was nothing I could do to protect myself. Norill removed the medallion from around her neck and put it around mine. The shadows vanished.
Panting, I sat back against the wall, trying to catch my breath. “What was that?”
“The magic of the world is calling to you. It has been unleashed and it needs somewhere to go.”
“If you let me keep the medallion, I promise to return the mines to you to do with as you please once the curse is over.”
Her eyes flashed. “You swear, little queen?”
“Yes.” Because she would be dead then.
“Has that ever happened to you before?” she asked.
“What?”
“The magic. Has it called to you before?” She tilted her head to the side, watching me, blue blood still streaked down her cheeks.
I nodded, not wanting to talk about it.
“That means the sapphire has been found.” The veins below her eyes pulsed.
I clutched onto the medallion, thankful for the protection it provided. “How do you know it has been found?”
She pointed at me. “The magic is seeking out a Skog Heks and a Grei Heks to mate. Our kind does not mate like you vile humans. Unfortunately, Damaris and I do not possess our magic since it is residing in you and Morlet, so it is seeking the two of you. If you come together, and you have the three sapphires, you will be able to create a new Heks.”
; “Will that end the curse?”
“No. I’m just telling you what the magic is trying to do, what is happening, and what has been unleashed now that the sapphire has been found.”
“Do you have one of the pieces?” I knew she couldn’t have all three since Vidar had two of them. But did she have the third?
“No.” She rocked back and forth. Her eyes jerking wildly. “Do you?”
I didn’t answer, not wanting her to know what we had.
She stilled. Her eerie eyes narrowed. “You know where they are.”
“I don’t have them,” I quickly answered.
She smiled. “Do you know who does?” She leaned forward as if to pounce on me.
“Why do you want them?” I countered.
“Why do you think?” she snarled.
“I didn’t think the treaty allowed you to create more Heks.”
Her face darkened with anger. “You procreate, why can’t we? There is nothing that prohibits us from doing so except the lack of the sapphire.” She flexed her fingers, making two fists. Her head fell back, exposing her neck. “I want my magic back. Without it, I am not whole.” She slowly stood and looked at me, focusing on my stomach. “I feel life growing in you.”
Her observation startled me.
“I suggest you end the curse as soon as you can,” she said.
“I will once I return.”
“Where are you going?”
“To get my weapon.” And the sapphires. I planned to destroy them to ensure no more Heks were created. I didn’t care if it somehow threw off the balance of power. Some things were too evil to be allowed to live. Besides, I had created a child in order to help the Heks. That should be more than enough.
Norill placed her palms on the floor and closed her eyes. “Will you make a blood oath to help me?”
A chill slid down my back. I peered at the door. I would never be able to outrun her. “What help do you want from me?”
“I want you to swear to me that if you find all three pieces, you’ll surrender them to me.”
“I already promised you the mines.”
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