Page 31 of A Curse of Breath and Blood (The Mind Breaker #1)

30 AELIA

‘ I knew you would be back, ’ the voice in the scepter hissed in my ear.

I rolled my eyes. “Who else can control the army?”

‘ One who binds their blood to my bones. But you are my chosen one, Aelia. ’

I relayed the message to the group, who stared at me in amazement as I held a conversation with a piece of bone.

“And who are you exactly?” I stared at the roof of the tent, expecting something to materialize.

‘ Long ago, before the Trinity, before the reign of Crom Cruach, they called me the Morrigan. Goddess of death and victory. All who sought success in war prayed to me. In the War of Three Faces, I tried to turn the tides, but he caught my deceit, scorching my body, binding my soul to these bones. ’

“So, you control the Army of the Dead?”

‘ When I died, my legion died. Cruach cursed them to serve him forever. ’

“How did Queen Nysemia come to control you?”

‘ Nysemia found me in the deepest part of the Mountains of Lenore, where I had rested for thousands of years. I saw a way back into the world through her. She treated us fairly. But now she is dead, and I require another master. ’

“And you want me to control your army?”

‘ Only one who has straddled both worlds can control me. ’

“What about Lucius? He’s half wraith.”

I did not want this responsibility.

‘ He is of the dead, yet he has not stepped beyond the veil. ’

“And what if I don’t want to be your master?”

‘ Then bury me in the earth and leave my bones to rot. My army will not fight for the powers of darkness conspiring in secret. ’

A bitter chill bit at my heart. “Do you know who is conspiring?”

‘ I can only speak of those on this side of the veil. But there are souls here who seek to reclaim what they lost long ago in the War of Three Faces. And some have waited longer… Since the Trinity first tamed this land. ’

I rubbed my temples. All I wanted was to get my sister, go home to Seaside, and disappear from the world. I needed time to think—time to sort through my feelings.

Caiden, Lucius, Roderick, and Amolie waited for my answer with bated breaths.

“I will think about it,” I said, putting the scepter back into its box.

‘ Be quick, Traitorous Queen, before another finds me. ’

The Morrigan quieted.

“With this power. You could rule Moriana,” Roderick said, touching the leather box.

“Nysemia had this power, and it got her killed.” I turned and threw myself on the bed, covering my face with my hands.

“But you are not Nysemia,” Caiden said, taking my hand and kneeling before me. “Become the queen you were always meant to be, Aelia. Rid this land of Gideon and the evil he carries with him before it’s too late.”

My breath hitched. “I’m not strong enough. I came here to save Baylis, which I intend to do. The dead can wait.”

“And what if she doesn’t want to be saved?” Lucius asked.

“There is no other choice, Lucius. That person I saw in the camp is not Baylis. Now, let’s make a plan.”

“Can I interject?” Amolie asked.

“What is it?” I said, my blood running hot.

“If Baylis has the power of sight, could she see us coming?”

“That’s not how sight works,” I said, tightening my braid. “It takes a great deal of magic to conjure a vision, and she needs to be looking into the future for something specific. Gideon knows we’re here. He won’t waste her powers on us. He’ll want her to be able to perform in front of the Alder King.”

Lucius and Roderick spread out a large map depicting a cross-section of the Alder Palace.

“All the courts and kingdoms who attend the revelry will present to the Alder King.” Lucius pointed to the throne room on the map. “This is where Baylis will be presented. We will grab her here as she walks off.”

I gave Lucius a puzzled look.

“It is the one time she will not be heavily guarded.”

“And you’re okay with this?” I shot Caiden a look. They risked damaging their fragile relationship with the Alder King.

Caiden shrugged. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

Lucius cleared his throat. “May I continue?”

I waved him on.

“Amolie will brew smoke bombs for us. We will position them around the throne room.” He pointed to four areas—two at the throne’s base and two on a balcony above. “When Baylis comes forward, Amolie will unleash the smoke. Roderick will grab Baylis and make a run for it. There’s a side exit here. Where one of my men will wait with a horse.”

“Everyone knows their duties. I think we should all get some rest before the ball. We’re presenting to the Alder King.” Caiden ushered everyone out of the tent.

Amolie lingered, biting her lip.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I think we should talk in private.” She motioned for me to follow her.

We walked through the snowy forest to her tent. Once inside, Amolie handed me a hot mug of licorice root tea.

“What did you want to tell me?” I asked, blowing on the hot mug.

Amolie paced back and forth in front of the small stove. “I examined the scepter. The speech is ancient, but I could decipher some of it.”

“And?”

“If you bind yourself to the scepter, it will eventually kill you.”

I arched my brow as I sipped. Magic demanded a price.

Amolie shook her head. “From what I can tell, it uses your life force to control the dead. Eventually, there will be no more life to take.”

“Nysemia had the scepter for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. She looked healthy before her death.”

“Nysemia never used the army. It has to be called upon to drain the user.”

“So, I’ll have an entire army at my disposal but won’t be able to use it?”

Amolie shrugged. “If you want to continue living.” She twisted her curls around her index finger. “I could do some research on how to break the curse. I once read of magical springs the Trinity placed around Moriana. The text said they were pools of pure magic the Trinity hid away to keep them from falling into the wrong hands. They are said to be able to reverse any curse.”

I set down my drink. “Let’s focus on tomorrow, and then we can decide if I should bind myself to a talking bone.”

Amolie nodded, her hands on her hips.

“Do you think Baylis is under a spell?” I asked.

“Did he put you under a spell when…” She grimaced.

Gideon excelled in manipulation. Even before our minds became entwined, he understood my thoughts—discerning my emotions from my body language and anticipating them before I felt them.

Endearing at first, I quickly learned how dark love could get. The manipulation started subtly, placing doubt in my mind over minor things, planting false memories, and using my father’s illness to make me question my sanity.

Seeds of doubt sprouted in my mind. Over time, he picked away at me, piece by piece, as if I were a painting he wanted to change.

I transformed into a specter of my past self, overly willing to fulfill his desires. He became the focal point of my existence, encompassing my entire world. Every breath I drew was dedicated to him. Consequently, I complied without hesitation when he requested me to betray my kingdom. I would have sacrificed my life for him had he commanded it.

“No,” I said, taking Amolie’s hand. “But that doesn’t mean she won’t need help.”

Amolie gave me a reassuring smile. “I can brew a clarity potion.”

Rubbing my thumbs in circles on her silken hands, I gave her a reassuring smile. “You are the smartest person I know. I wish I had some way of thanking you.”

“Promise me you won’t lose yourself in the darkness again,” she said, squeezing my hand.“I don’t know if I could bear to watch you slowly kill yourself again.”

I let out a long breath. “I’m sorry, Amolie. I shouldn’t have asked you to aid in my self-destruction.”

“I did it willingly. Better to have you half alive than dead.”

I gave her a smirk. “Still. I will not ask it of you again.”

“I am worried, Aelia. Worried about you and Caiden. Worried when the time comes for you to erase his mind, you will disintegrate along with the memories.”

I feared that too—feared I could not do what the bargain demanded of me. Feared I would float away with every memory I erased.

“I’ll be fine.” Clearing my throat. “Keep the whole scepter soul-sucking thing to yourself for now, will you, Am? I don’t want Caiden to worry.”

“If that’s what you want.” She raised her mug to me as I left.

Caiden brought two attendants from his court to help us prepare for the ball.

I winced as the attendant pulled my hair into an intricate braid, entwining fresh flowers into the strands. The sheer dress I wore left little to the imagination. In a Sylph Court, such attire would hardly draw attention; beings adorned solely in wings and sparkles were the norm. Unlike them, I lacked a fondness for exhibitionism, choosing instead to complement my outfit with a shawl crafted from the fur of a white rabbit.

The wings Itra fashioned for us hung heavy on our backs.

Placing a diadem on my head, I peered at myself in the mirror, baring my fangs. A creature of the blood stared back at me.

“You look stunning.” Caiden’s reassuring voice wrapped around me like a warm blanket .

“Thank you. I have never worn something so…”

“So, sylph?”

He wore a velvet doublet with streaks of lightning intricately embroidered into the fabric. A lengthy navy cape lined with wolf fur flowed down his back. Impeccably styled hair and a crown of silver lightning adorned his head.

“No wings?” I gave him a chiding smile. Wings were reserved for the women of the sylph courts.

“Not tonight.” He kissed my gloved hand.

It felt peculiar to have a layer of silk separating me from the world. Nevertheless, his lips touching my hand sent a rush of excitement through my veins.

“We better get going. We don’t want to be late for the Alder King.”

“Just a moment.” I pulled him in for a kiss. His body tensed and then relaxed under my grip.

His mouth agape, he blinked furiously at me. “What was that for?”

“I don’t know how many more times I’ll be able to do it.”

A smile pierced his lips, although his eyes told me the inevitability of our bargain scratched at his heart.

“Get a room,” Roderick said, standing in the doorway, dressed in his finest Stormlands armor, holding Amolie’s hand.

“We have one, and you’re in it,” Caiden said, giving Roderick the finger.