Chapter Nine
Carys paid little mind to the prince's departure. The stunning shades stole her attention. Gorgeous green leaves rustled in the wind, beyond the black standing stones. A promise of bountiful beauty.
Her heart sank with the sun. The prince had wasted her precious moments under the sky. The setting sun brought new colors, but she missed the blue.
She might never see it again. Never breathe the pristine air or experience balmy breezes brushing her skin. Never feel the soft tickles of grass beneath her feet.
But she didn't miss the kiss between the royals. No anger sparked. It helped that they weren't kissing over a symbolic gravestone.
Something seemed different this time.
The gentle way he held her, the way she clutched at him, and the way they kissed like it was all they needed.
Confusion stirred in her. She couldn't understand why the prince wasted his time with a kiss. He should be breathing in the sweet scents of nature, staring at the spectacular shades of the sunset, and touching the rich earth.
How could anyone worth sacrificing this world of life?
She wasn't the slightest bit surprised when Meical broke up their tender moment. Giving them time at all may have seemed compassionate, but she knew her brother's reasons.
It was the worst thing he could do.
As her cheerful brother tore the prince away, the princess' face twisted in loathing. The prince's brother clenched his hands, barely holding himself back from leaping at Meical.
Carys grimaced. They should have behaved like royals and concealed their feelings. The reaction only fueled Meical's antics.
The prince almost topped into the portal. He righted himself and turned in Carys' direction. Fear shadowed his face, and she gritted her teeth. He deserved no pity, and she should turn away.
But she didn't move.
He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Meical struck him in the stomach. Too fast and fierce, the blow had magic to it, forcing the prince over the edge. Carys flinched as his anguished face disappeared and a scream followed before he was silenced.
Meical sarcastically bowed to the royals. He robbed the prince's loved ones of seeing him accept his fate with bravery and dignity. Their last memory would be of the prince pushed into hell as if he was nothing.
Her brother's spiteful act didn't go quite as planned. He wanted to revel in their hatred. But their hatred, especially the princess', focused on Carys. Honest eyes, full of loathing, fell on her. The prince's scarred knight appraised her in a cold manner, as though trying to plan her death.
The princess was the first to break the silence. "Shouldn't you go?" she asked Carys. "If you two are apart... well, you know what will happen. It's your wretched curse."
The harsh words meant nothing as the setting sun struck Carys. She had imagined that it would be sad to lose the blue, thinking when the sun went down, the Starlands would be no better than the Curselands.
It brought a new beauty.
But Meical never liked people insulting his sister. "Perhaps a Curse Creature consumed your prince, and the curse triggered? Of course, you're still alive." A cruel smile played on his face. "What if you live because your honorable prince loved another?"
If colors weren't captivating Carys, she would have reminded him that wasn't how it worked. If it triggered, she would be dead.
"You'd better hope this curse never triggers," the Dalon King said with a dark look. "Otherwise you monsters will suffer a fate that not even a hellish beast deserves."
Meical just laughed, but still took Carys' hand. "Come now. Let's allow these selfish royals to mourn in peace."
She breathed the sublime scents of life. "I thought nothing could be more magical than magic. But the sky..."
This was her plan. But her feet remained rooted to the earth. Her stomach revolted at the thought of returning to that wretched graveyard.
She would rather die in fresh air.
"I know." Meical's voice was never gentle, but the understanding in his tone bordered on gentleness. "You deserve so much, Nightshade. But we're so close. Just a little while longer."
With reluctance, she inched toward the portal, taking one last look at the greenery. The colors of the world were so overwhelming, so precious.
Then she met the princess' eyes. The righteous fury irked her.
She had been buried alive for so many years.
Bella's prince was only getting an overdue fate.
Her chest tightened, understanding her brother's need to hurt these people in whatever petty way possible.
She returned the hateful gaze and twitched her face into her best approximation of a smile.
"Do you know that many forget the Starlands once they descend into the Curselands?
I wonder...how long will it be before the prince forgets you? "
"He'll never forget me."
The conviction shook Carys. "Are you certain?"
The princess smiled. "Aidan isn't like you monsters. That wretched place will never steal his light."
Carys burned from the insult. "It would be a shame for your prince if he cannot change. Those who fight the influence of the Curselands often come to a worse fate. Many of the Curse Creatures were once men."
She didn't understand why the princess' horror wasn't satisfying.
The sight of the sky didn't soothe her dissatisfaction. Unable to bear the beauty forbidden to her, she flung herself back into hell.
The colors of the Starlands blurred into the ash of the Curselands.
Torches set around the portal gave the faintest hint of light and life.
A small crowd of mages lingered, and no beasts remained.
So many of the creatures were struck down during the conflict while wild ones now rampaged on the other side.
A commotion involving Curse Mage Bradon distracted Carys.
Rich brown hair, a strong chin, a statuesque body, and almost as tall as her brother, Bradon was one of the most attractive men in a land that made men ugly.
His charm wasn't marred by the swirling mists of black magic veiling his eyes.
But his actions detracted from his appearance as he struggled to chain the prince.
With no seeming awareness of what was happening, the prince kept craning his head while giving a wide-eyed gaze at everything.
His astonishment almost mirrored Carys' own upon arriving in the Starlands.
But horror tinged his astonishment as he took in the dark shapes of distant flying beasts, shadowy, swaying trees, and ash raining down.
Brandon, the most levelheaded of Meical's inner circle, had reached his limit. "Give me your hand, you miserable Starblood piece of—"
"Leave him be," Carys said, her voice as sharp as a dagger. "There is no need for chains."
Positive that the prince's shock deafened him, her skin prickled as he turned in her direction.
Despite the eerie, dim light, his eyes were an intense green.
The shade evoked the rich grass and vibrant leaves of the Starlands.
His people had a bounty of opulent colors, and they didn't even appreciate it.
The prince shook his head. "You're right. I've no need for chains. I'm already chained to you."
A chill crept through Carys, along with the realization they were both chained to each other. Her plan required the curse, but it sickened her to have a connection to this unwise young man. What sort of fool gave up a world of color for a girl?
She would have let her die.
Bradon glowered and shoved the prince. "Listen well! We haven't any royalty here. You aren't special. But Carys? She is the sister of Curselord Meical, and she is one of the greatest witches in either the Curselands or the Starlands. You aren't to disrespect her. You aren't to do anything to her."
Carys understood Bradon's severe reaction. Meical's authority only came from demonstrating iron strength. His enemies would smell weakness if he was treated with anything less than deference. As an extension of Meical, Bradon vigilantly ensured others granted her almost the same level of respect.
The prince couldn't possibly understand his reasons. Disgust crinkled his face. "Why would I do anything to her?"
His blatant disrespect provoked Bradon into striking him.
Magic infused the blow, knocking him off his feet.
Some mages stepped forward, as if the move signaled to attack.
Their expressions showed a vicious desire to inflict pain on a hated enemy.
It shouldn't bother Carys. She despised the prince and everyone in the Starlands.
They buried her alive. The prince kissed a girl on Carys' grave.
Why does it bother me?
Meical fell out of the portal, distracting her.
He landed on his feet with ease, and it only took him a moment to assess the situation.
"Enough." He nodded at Bradon to back off.
"Hit him if you desire, beat him into the ground if it will bring you merriment.
But no one is allowed to do any irreversible damage to the brat.
We need his magic. And I ask all of you to keep in mind that a curse bonds him to my sister.
After all, I am moderately fond of her."
Carys rolled her eyes. "Thank you."
Relief shot through her when Meical waved her over. She couldn't stand to watch them circle the prince like Curse Vultures. They took their leader at his word and began striking the young man. To his credit, he didn't sit around moping and tried fighting back.
But he was outnumbered.
She attempted to ignore the grunts of pain and focus on Meical's quick conference with his inner circle.
The important members were Bradon and Nyx.
A ferocious warrior whose visage sent terror into most men.
Nyx's face reflected her nature. The right half was delicate, beautiful cinnamon skin, an elegant cheekbone, and a stunning golden brown eye.
The left side was gray and rotten, little scars and dark blemishes adding to the hideousness, and a whirlpool of ebony Curse Magic served as her other eye.
"Nyx?" Meical turned to the warrior. "Is your beast still in the Starlands?"
"Aye."
Bradon folded his arms. "Hopefully it won't be discovered during the next year."
Nyx scowled. "Don't you think I know what I'm doing?"
Carys sighed. Nyx and Bradon would never get along.
He was cold and calculating and she was blood and passion.
Their different opinions made them valuable advisors.
But they hated each other. Nyx attempted to kill him more times than Carys could remember, and the warrior claimed he tried just as many assassination attempts.
Carys believed her. Nyx was one of the few in the Curselands who had trouble lying.
It troubled Carys that Meical's most loyal supporters wanted to rip each other to pieces.
Her brother didn't mind, believing their savage hatred as a reflection of loyalty to him. He encouraged it.
As long as it didn't interfere with his plans.
It baffled Carys that two of the wisest people in the Curselands could give into such pointless, poisonous rivalry. It would only end with one of them losing and deprive Meical of a loyal supporter.
"I will work on Seeing Water methods," Carys said before Bradon and Nyx could start squabbling. "As long as we have an idea about... Meical? Can you please stop that ruckus? I can't think."
He smirked. "You aren't enjoying the music?" he asked, referring to the prince's cries of pain.
She twitched, unable to tell her brother that the noise troubled her. "It's giving me a headache."
"Carys is right." Nyx rolled her eyes. "Not only is it immature, but it could attract Curse Creatures."
Bradon couldn't let Nyx have the last word. "It also undermines your authority, my lord. He belongs to your sister and they are damaging her property."
Carys didn't care for that argument. But Meical frowned. "Enough!" he ordered the attackers. "You'll bring the damn beasts upon us."
The thumps and cracks of the beating ceased, but she couldn't look back to make sure that the prince was all right. She held her head high and faced her brother. "My actions have eroded the foundation of the sealing spell. Even if they reseal it, I can shatter it forever in a year."
Meical nodded. "We need them to keep believing that is our only method for weakening it. They can't know about the forces that we are gathering or that we have a way of shattering the seal forever."
Bradon folded his arms. "I still think that we should have taken more than just one Starblood."
"How?" Nyx demanded. "Would any of us have been willing to undertake such a curse? Would you trust any of us to have a Starblood in our power?"
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We'd at least have some extra chances, and it wouldn't all rely on a weak prince."
"It has to be him," Carys said. "He willingly sacrificed himself without hesitation. That is already powerful magic. No one else in the Starlands made such a sacrifice. That will add power to the second sacrifice he will make."
He glanced past her, likely at the prince.
"And you truly think he'll do it? It's easy to make a sacrifice in a moment.
But we need more than a moment to gather forces for a true attack on the Starlands.
He'll have a whole year to reflect on the consequences of his choice before the next sacrifice. He could very well refuse."
She shook her head. "He won't."
"The prince is weak." Bradon shrugged. "Even to save his princess, I doubt he'll be able to do it."
"He will." Nyx wiped some fallen ash from her good eye. "Carys chose the right one for this sacrifice. Either he'll do it for his beloved princess or his time in the Curselands will bring out his more beastly instincts."
A screeching sound sent shivers through Carys' soul. She turned to find that the stone seal had covered the portal. All the runes glowed, the beautiful colors mocking her.
But the amber rune was fainter, tainted forever by her spell.
"This isn't the time to be discussing any of these matters.
" Meical rubbed his hands together. "We've a long journey back to Ghost Tower, and most of our beasts are in the Starlands.
I trust my sister. The portals will be opened permanently.
It's up to us to make the most of the next year in our preparations. "
Pride warmed Carys. Part of her feared she wouldn't live up to her brother's faith. But his unequivocal confidence filled her with determination.
Any contentment dissolved with one glimpse at the prince.
He had broken away from his tormentors and crept up to the portal.
Filth covered him from his scuffle, his red hair streaked with gray dust. In a matter of moments, he ceased to be the shining royal of a wondrous land.
Her stomach clenched at his dismayed expression.
His people hadn't waited long at all to seal him in hell.
She should mock him or revel in his misery.
A choir of mockery already sounded from the Curse Mages, enjoying his despair.
He was the right one to choose for the sacrifice spell, but she wished that he wasn't.