Chapter 26
“Sit down and relax,” Mother urges me. “Ever since your leg has healed, you’ve been running around like crazy doing chores.”
It’s been a week since Kieran told me the good news of them finding the spell and I haven’t been able to keep still. Any day now he could tell me they figured it out and the spell will be broken.
Everything is going to change.
“What has made you so happy?” Mother asks as I sit down.
“Just some good news I got told last week,” I say, thinking back to that day. “Things are going to change and I can’t wait.”
Mother gives me a questioning look. “What do you mean?”
I shake my head. “I’ll tell you when things are certain.”
I’m just waiting for Kieran to talk to me. I didn’t think it would be this hard to not ask him every other minute if they have gotten closer, but I’ve stopped myself so many times.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“I’ll go get it.” I get up before Mother can say anything.
I open the door to see Henry standing there, his hand in the air like he’s about to knock once more.
“Prince Archie wants to see you in the castle,” Henry tells me.
My eyebrows bunch together as I look at him. “He does? Are you sure? He hasn’t wanted to see me for a while since I got hurt.”
Henry nods. “Before I left the palace today, he said that he wanted to see you after lunch.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” I ask rudely.
He shrugs. “By the time I got here, you were busy with chores outside and I didn’t want to interrupt you.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “If he ever does this again, you need to tell me right away. I need to mentally prepare for this. You know how he can be.”
“I’m sorry. If there is a next time I will make sure that I tell you right away.”
“No need to be sorry. I’m just on edge with everything,” I mumble. Does he know that we are so close to breaking the curse? “Let me get my jacket.”
“You do not need it. It’s warm outside.”
But it makes me feel better when I wear it. Like it covers my body so Prince Archie can’t see anything.
“We need to get going or else we are going to be late,” Henry says, rushing me. “You are going to gain attention if you wear the jacket.”
“Okay,” I reply, and we start walking.
Maybe it would be better if I gained a little attention in the town rather than being uncomfortable with Prince Archie. But it’s too late now to go and get it and I won’t be able to borrow one either.
Can you meet with me right now? Kieran asks. We found out how to break the curse.
My eyes go wide and I grip onto Henry’s arm. “Shit. Do we have to go to the palace right now?” I ask.
Henry nods. “Yes, we do. Prince Archie is waiting for you and you do not want to get on his bad side.”
I can’t meet with you right now. Prince Archie is expecting me, I reply. But once we are done I will come to you right away.
Stay safe, Kieran replies.
Why did they have to find out how to break the curse right when I’m needed somewhere else? Why couldn’t it have been a couple hours earlier or even a couple of hours after I met with Prince Archie?
Can you tell me through here? I ask Kieran as Henry and I start walking again.
I would rather not. There is a lot that I need to explain and I don’t want you going into the meeting with Prince Archie with a distracted or worried mindset, he replies. We will wait for you here, don’t worry. Nothing is going to happen until after I talk to you.
It eases my worries slightly, but I can’t help but wonder how they are going to break the curse. What does it entail?
I promise I won’t be long, I say. I’ll come back as soon as I can.
Don’t do anything irrational and make him suspicious.
I won’t, I promise. But he shouldn’t want that much from me right now. It’s nine months until the wedding and most of it has already been planned.
Now I don’t have to worry about the wedding either. Unless breaking the curse is going to take nine months.
Will it take a long time? I ask.
For what?
To break the curse. Will it take a long time or is it a simple thing and we will be done?
Please let it be something easy and quick.
It is something simple but at the same time it’s not simple or easy, he replies, his voice full of so many different emotions.
What do you mean?
“Adeline, is everything okay?” Henry asks. “We are almost there.”
“Everything is okay,” I mumble.
We will talk about it when you are done with Prince Archie. Think happy thoughts while you are there and don’t be distracted, Kieran finally says.
Unease fills me as we walk into the palace. What could be simple but at the same time not simple or easy? Why won’t Kieran just tell me how to break the curse?
“We are here,” Henry finally says after walking down so many different hallways.
“You said Prince Archie wants to meet me?” I ask.
He nods. “Yes, he said to bring you to the wing that you two will be sharing once you guys get married.”
Why would he want to meet here?
“Where is he?” I ask.
“Prince Archie couldn’t make it so I get to talk to you instead,” Avira says, appearing right in front of us.
I take several steps back and shake my head. “We aren’t supposed to be talking.”
“Who do you think told Henry that you needed to be here?” she asks, crossing her arms.
“No,” I whisper.
“Me.”
“Hen—” I stop talking as I look around the hallway, not finding Henry anywhere. “What did you do to him?” I demand.
Was he part of this the whole time? Did he know it was Avira and pretended like it was the prince?
No.
He has shown over and over again that he was loyal to the Fae. What changed?
Kieran? I call through the bond.
Adeline, what’s wrong? he replies.
“It was so easy to deceive him.” Avira chuckles. “Thankfully I remembered one of my spells to make me change forms.”
Sweets! Kieran screams through the bond but my attention is on Avira.
“For a second I thought Prince Archie was going to catch me as I am out of practice pretending to be a male. But alas, he did not,” Avira says.
I take several steps back, my eyes darting across the hallway for an escape route.
“There’s no way for you to escape.” Avira takes a step closer to me. “No one will be able to hear you scream or come and get you.”
Terror runs through me and before I can think of anything, my legs start moving on their own accord, running to the left. Avira’s chuckles echo through the hallway, making me pump my legs faster.
Sweets, what’s wrong? Kieran asks. Where are you?
I’m in the palace. It was a setup. Avira is after me! I yell as I continue to run.
Find a place to hide and I’m coming to you!
No! You can’t. You can’t come after me and get caught. I’m going to get out of this without you getting caught! I reply.
Adeline.
Kieran, please. I don’t need both of us getting caught and then everything going up in flames and the curse not being broken.
“Do you really think you can get away from me?” Avira asks.
I can try my best, I mutter in my head as I turn down a different hallway. The sound of fingers snapping catches my attention, making me trip over my own feet and fall to the ground.
“Got you,” Avira whispers as she appears in front of me.