Kingdom of Death and Hope (Kingdom of Bellhollow #3)

Chapter 1

An intense, searing pain spreads throughout my body as Avira takes another step toward me. How does she know I took the magic book?

“What are you talking about?” I ask.

“You know that you took the magic book from my room,” she says.

“Avira, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never been in your room in the palace. I don’t even know where it is, and what magic book? Is there even such a thing?” I continue on with ignorance.

How did she find out about it so fast? Can she track where it is right now?

Kieran, be careful with the book, I tell him. I know you already know, but don’t let anyone you don’t trust hold it or get close to it at all.

I take a deep breath and slowly let it out as Avira and I continue to look at each other. I thought we were still going to have time before anyone found out that the book was missing. A day at least… not a couple of hours.

Are you okay? Kieran asks. Your emotions are all over the place.

I’m okay for now. Avira is asking me questions.

Is Henry still with you?

No. My voice cracks, showing how I truly feel.

Nerves and terror run through me with each passing thought. What if Avira finds out that I actually took the book? There are so many things that could happen to me. I have no doubt that she will turn me in to the witch.

We might be sisters but we aren’t that close, and she always chooses work over family.

Take a deep breath and calm down. Nothing bad is going to happen to you.

Just continue with what you have said and eventually she will leave you alone, Kieran tells me.

Everything is going to be okay. You said no one saw you enter or exit the room besides Henry and he won’t tell anyone. You’re safe.

But I don’t feel safe. The glare Avira is giving me tells me she is not going anywhere until I tell her the truth.

Okay, I whisper.

Kieran tugs on the bond and relief washes over me, my shoulders dropping.

“Don’t play dumb with me. You know what book I’m talking about. Your scent was everywhere in the palace when we got back,” Avira says.

She takes another step closer to me and I take one back, trying to maintain the distance between us.

“Avira, you have to believe me. I don’t have it,” I practically beg her.

“I was in the palace earlier with Henry because the prince wants me to get familiar with the layout before we get married. I knew he wasn’t going to be there so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity since he wouldn’t be able to stop and distract me. ”

“The smell of the book is all over you. I know you have it so tell me where it is right now,” Avira demands.

I clasp my hands together, taking a shaky breath in. “I don’t know what book you’re talking about.”

I have to keep up with this lie and hope that soon she will forget about it and everything will go back to normal.

Avira cocks her head to the left and searches for something on my face. “I don’t think you’re telling the truth.”

“Avira, I would never lie to you about something like this. I didn’t take anything from the palace. I don’t want anything from there,” I lie again. “You know that I don’t want to be anywhere near the palace so why would I take something from there?”

“Because you are trying to help the Fae,” Avira declares.

I suck in a breath, everything around me is muffled and blurred as I look at her.

Shit.

Have I not been good enough at hiding what my true intentions were the whole time? I have never mentioned anything to Avira about wanting to help the Fae. The closest I got was when I talked about liking someone else that wasn’t the prince.

“I’m not helping the Fae. I don’t talk to them at all,” I reply. “I don’t like you accusing me of things that I clearly have not done.”

Her eyes narrow on me.

“You know me,” I whisper.

“I know that you have sympathy for the Fae. Any time they get whipped, I know that you want it to stop and have begged for it as well,” Avira points out.

“And you know that I do that for humans as well. You know I do not like violence one bit, so it’s not just toward the Fae,” I explain.

“I have always been like that and it will not change. I try not to care about the Fae when they are getting whipped or killed but I can’t help it when I don’t want to look at it. ”

Nerves run through my body, making me nauseous as I wait for her answer. Please believe me so I don’t have to continue to lie right now.

“I know there is something up with you and the Fae and I’m going to prove it.” Her voice is hard as she speaks. “I know you took the magic book.”

“Avira, I didn’t take any book today like you said I did.”

“Today?” She raises an eyebrow.

Shit.

Adeline? What’s wrong? Kieran asks.

“So you took a book a different day?” she asks, cocking her head to the side.

“Avira,” I take a deep breath. “I—”

“What book did you take?”

“There was a book lying on the floor of the palace one day and I didn’t know what it was.

I was going to give it to someone so they could figure out who it belonged to, but then Prince Archie stopped me and I hid it in my bag in case he accused me of stealing,” I quickly explain.

“I don’t even know what the book was about but I knew when I saw you next that I was going to give it to you because I knew you wouldn’t accuse me of stealing. ”

Adeline, answer me. Kieran’s voice is fierce. Answer me right now. Where are you? Are you okay? I can feel your panic like it is my own.

Please believe me.

I’m okay. I’m still talking to my sister, I reply.

Go home. It is not good for you to be outside this late. You are going to get sick, he says. Promise that you will tell me when you get home safely and away from your sister.

Okay.

“So where is the book now?” Avira asks.

“It got lost when I went to Hellhollow last time. I went hunting and I fell down a small hill and I must have lost it there,” I explain.

How am I going to keep all of my lies straight? I don’t even remember some of the lies I told Prince Archie and the king.

“Really?” she asks.

I nod.

Avira takes a step forward. “I think you’re lying.”

My eyes widen a fraction before I school my expression. “I promise, I’m not. I really did fall down with my bag when we went to Hellhollow.”

“Grab her,” Avira commands.

I look around right as hands grip my biceps on both sides, holding me completely still.

“Avira, please don’t do this. I promise I’m telling the truth. I didn’t take the book on purpose,” I beg her.

She takes another step toward me, our faces inches apart.

“I don’t believe you. Do you want to know why?” she asks.

“Please, Avira. I’m your sister,” I whisper.

She chuckles and shakes her head. “You aren’t my sister.”

“Don’t say that. Please, Avira. We were getting along. We have a bond together!” I raise my voice.

“You just don’t get it, do you?” she tsks. “That’s okay. I’ll show you.”

My eyebrows bunch together as I stare at her.

“You aren’t making any sense. Please, just let me go home. Someone in town probably has the book. Maybe one of the other hunters. They would have found it whenever they went hunting,” I try to reason with her. “But I don’t have it any longer.”

Avira looks me dead in the eye and snaps her fingers. Before I even know what is happening, everything around us changes to a damp, cold, concrete room and I’m sitting in a chair with my wrists bound to the arms and my ankles tied to the legs.

“Wh-what?” I whisper.

Avira is still standing in front of me with bars behind her.

“What just happened?” I ask. “How did we get here?”

She chuckles and takes several steps toward me. “You really haven’t put it together yet.”

“Avira, let me out of here. I have done nothing wrong!” I raise my voice.

“You took something that belonged to me. My precious spell book,” she says. “I told you already. I’m not your sister. That was all a ploy.”

My head swirls as she says those words. “What do you mean?”

Avira just stares at me, a smirk forming on her face as the silence between us stretches.

“I’m the witch.”