A cruel curse, a crueler magic, and a member of the royal family gone mad. This mysterious curse may be deadlier than Belline Paris could have foreseen.
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The Deadly Series
book 1: The Deadly Trials | complete
book 2: The Deadly Curse | complete
To deny that he had fought the intense urge to race out to the Crystal Caves atop Ryzel would have been a lie. Calling upon any strength he had, he forced himself to stay inside the castle. And he refused to leave until her return.
And so he paced, wandering the castle, hands clasped behind his back. Ignoring the flitting knot of nerves that tightened his chest. His eyes rebelled against his wishes: watching the windows for any sign of her.
It hadn't surprised him, really, that she had been so stubborn about his family's curse. In fact, her determination and compassion had moved him. It brought a sting to his heart and a bad taste to the back of his throat.
She was too good. He didn't deserve it.
Even though her pigheadedness had moved him, he found it foolish too. Fate had been correct to punish him and his father. The life sentence, as Belline had called it, had been deserved. He did not mind the fate assigned him. In fact, he and his father agreed: they preferred it. It was the least they deserved for what they had done or failed to do.
He peered out the nearest window. He pretended he could see her astride a dizayen, flying toward the caves. His shoulders straightened.
Fate would deny her wish. Of this, he was quite certain. For one, Fate was not known for reversing decisions. And for two, Fate was well aware that he and his father had willingly accepted the punishment. Almost encouraged it. Rune felt quite reassured that Fate would not be persuaded, no matter how persuasive Belline could be.
A wave of anxiety rippled across his skin. There did remain a chance, no matter how improbable, that Fate could side with her. She could succeed in the mission that had overtaken her life. Rune knew best of all how convincing she could be, how those eyes could inspire compliance without a second thought. Fate did not fall for such things as other beings did, though.
What if Fate saw some sort of logic in Belline's plea? What if Fate did agree?
Rocks settled heavy in his stomach, mixing with the quaking leaves of anxiety. It made him sick, almost faint. He gave a great swallow, trying to dash aside the possibilities.
No, Fate would not be won over by the Earth maiden. She couldn't be. For his sake, she couldn't.
To distance himself from the rising nausea, he rushed through the hallways. At the back balcony, he sucked in a lungful. The scents of Eternity wafted through his nose. For a second, however, he smelled burning grass, heard the cries of dying plants. He shuddered, closing his eyes to the memory. This wasn't far enough.
Through the gardens, flowers reached for him. Their petals nipped at his coat. Some buried themselves in the dirt, and he empathized. To bury himself away, vanish from the world for a moment. But as the Prince (and his kingship rapidly approaching), disappearing was not an option. He had an obligation to his father, to himself—to his beloved.
He may not have been able to abandon his status and duties, but he could escape just for a bit. And so, he hurried through the gardens and toward the tsulin herd.
His tsulin, Ryzel, greeted him by shoving his head into Rune's torso. The affectionate gesture lifted his worries for a second. After trailing a finger along the ridges of Ryzel's neck, Rune hopped up and flung a leg over. Sucking in a deep breath, he touched the protrusions on Ryzel's neck, and together, they took off.
They sailed across the ground. The world blended into smears of color and obscure shapes. The wind blew Rune's hair from his face. He closed his eyes for a moment, relishing in the whistle of the wind and its caress against his skin.
The sensation took him back to Belline. Her selfless desire to free them, her unwavering determination to succeed—all for them. For him. Her words ricocheted about his skull: "I love you, Rune." His heart leapt with elation and fear. He had known she possessed some kind of affection for him; but to love him? A part of him expected she would never reciprocate the love he felt for her. A part of him believed she still didn't.
Could he accept her love? Was he possibly worthy of it? If Fate removed his chains, would she still want him? Could she love him, even then?
Ryzel slowed at his prompting. The world reformed and his hair fell into his face again. A tingle buzzed in his fingers, probably from the adrenaline of the tsulin's high speeds.
If Fate relinquished his magic . . . what would happen to him?
His breath ceased with the harrowing knowledge that there was only one outcome. Please, he pleaded to the sky, please let Fate remain unmoved by her.
The tingle spread to his hands. He stretched them, shaking out his arms. But that only seemed to encourage the tingle farther: it slithered into his shoulders, along his spine, into his hips, past his knees. Soon, his entire being vibrated.
His pulse slammed, apprehension and dread pouring through his veins. Mixing with a foreign substance that wasn't actually foreign. He whipped Ryzel around and pushed the tsulin to his limits. Running on the toxic plumes of fear, he dismounted Ryzel, burst into the castle and into his room.
Locking the door behind him, he yanked the coverlet off the mirror. His lungs screamed for air, making him pant, almost hyperventilating. In the dark, he stared at his reflection, waiting. Praying that this wasn't happening. It couldn't be.
But as panicked eyes stared back at him, he knew. His organs sunk and his muscles tightened. He gave into the hopelessness, the fear, the cold truth. He was frowning. When the taste of acidic citrus crept onto his tongue, he collapsed to the floor. A shudder coursed through him.
Fate had given in.
His magic flooded his veins, his tastebuds . . . his brain.
Belline's wish had been granted.
And now it was he who would curse them all.
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a/n: theories as to what rune's magic is?? and will it really curse them all??
