Chapter 12
I awoke to the morning sun shining over us, brilliant and beautiful. Warmth cascaded over my body, still naked, but no longer curled into Madden’s side.
In fact, I didn’t see Madden anywhere. I slowly sat up, rubbing my eyes and getting dressed, which wasn’t easy without someone to do up all these ridiculous laces.
I couldn’t believe I loved dresses so much at one point.
Now they just seemed like a nuisance. A beautiful nuisance, but still, I missed my practical trousers and tunic I wore in the curse.
My little stone house stood in the distance, and I wandered toward it when a hand grabbed my arm.
“We need to leave,” Madden said behind me.
I pressed a hand to my heart. “You scared me.”
I leaned in and kissed him, but he pulled away, the kiss far shorter than I’d have liked. “Where are Ephira, Shira, and Elexa?” I asked.
“They’re not back yet, and we can’t afford to waste any more time. I’ve packed us satchels of food, clothes. With any luck we can flee Gilraeth and—“
I stepped back. “Flee Gilraeth? No, I’ve spent so much time running. I won’t do that anymore. I’m going to find Helena and face her. I’m winning back my court. I thought you knew that.”
He put out his hands. “I do. I do know that. But we need a plan. Being here isn’t safe. As soon as word spreads that you’ve broken your curse, she’ll come for you. Others will come for you.”
My brows knitted together. “Why does it feel like there’s something you’re not telling me?”
He ran a frustrated hand over his jaw. “There are things I need to explain, that I want to explain, but I haven’t had a chance yet. I—” He blew out a breath. “Fuck. Can you just trust me? Please? I will tell you everything, but first I have to make sure you’re safe.”
“What are you so afraid of?” I asked, refusing to move. I’d given so much of myself to Madden, and it was time that he did the same.
“Well, well, well,” a voice said, a man stepping out of the shadows of the rocky cliffs surrounding us. “So it’s true. You did it, you bastard.”
More men and women stepped from the shadows, and I tensed. “Who are these people?” I asked Madden.
He swallowed. “This is the Band of Mercenaries.”
I looked from the small group to him, gaze flicking between them.
The man who’d spoken took another step forward.
“Please, Gareth,” Madden said, holding out his hands. “Just leave her be.”
Gareth’s bald head shone under the bright sun, tattoos stretched over every inch of his skin. “After what you did, I thought you were a lost cause. I thought you’d doomed us, getting that woman killed. But you’ve redeemed yourself. Well done.”
“What is he talking about?” My insides turned to stone as dread filled me at Gareth’s words.
“You haven’t told her?” Gareth asked. “Well, makes sense. She likely wouldn’t want anything to do with you if she knew the truth.”
“What truth?” I cut a sharp look at Madden, who was staring at me, so much sorrow in his eyes. “What did you do?”
“He promised you to me,” another voice said, this time a man stepping forward with gray hair. He was tall, muscular, wore fine clothes. I didn’t recognize him. “I’m Lord Vale, and Madden, here, was supposed to rescue my betrothed. Instead he got her killed.”
That was the woman Madden had told me about, the one he’d failed to save from the dragon.
“I cut ties with the Band of Mercenaries after that, was set on destroying them, really, but then Madden came to me with an interesting proposal: he’d bring me something better, a princess.
A cursed princess.” The man gestured to me, and my lip curled.
“Just imagine, a princess on my arm. We could defeat the sorceress together, and then I’d be king.
I contacted the Band of Mercenaries who had no idea what I was talking about. ”
Madden looked away. “That’s because I didn’t tell them. I didn’t want them to know in case I failed.”
Lord Vale tipped his head. “We all traveled here together, to the place where it was rumored you resided.” He looked at me. “You’re going to make a beautiful bride. My beautiful bride.”
“I’m not yours.” I spat at his feet.
“Oh, but you are,” he said. “I’ve paid good money for you, and who’s going to defend you? What army are you going to fight me with?”
This couldn’t be happening.
“Leave her alone.” Madden stepped in front of me.
“Madden,” Gareth said, a warning in his voice.
The mercenaries stepped up, their different types of magic swirling in their hands. Fire, water, vines, ice shards. So the mercenaries came from all over the continent.
Madden summoned fire in his hands. “Listen to me, Seraphina,” he said over his shoulder. “I did promise you to Lord Vale. I was so damn desperate to fix my mistakes, to prove myself. But you showed me I can be better. That I don’t need these people, this life.”
“No,” I said. “You don’t get to use me to make yourself feel better. You don’t get to be the hero here.”
“Oh, she’s feisty,” Lord Vale said. “I like that in a woman.”
Madden threw the fireball at Lord Vale, who raised a hand and erected a wall of ice. The fire crashed against it.
Magic exploded everywhere as Madden fought against the mercenaries and Lord Vale.
Tears welled in my eyes as I backed away, using the moment of chaos to escape.
I turned and ran, refusing to look back.
I ran past pillars, huge boulders, pumping my arms, my anger—and grief—fueling me.
He knew. He knew my biggest fear in recovering my memories was the pain I’d feel.
It hadn’t broken me like I thought it would because I’d had him by my side.
He betrayed that trust. It turned out it wasn’t the nightmares I had to fear all this time—it was the mercenary who lied to me.
It wasn’t the return of my memories I needed to fear at all—it was the mercenary and his lies.