Page 9 of A Curse of Breath and Blood (The Mind Breaker #1)

8 AELIA

I opened my eyes to find Caiden crouching over me, his muscled arms pressing on my chest. “Focus on me, Aelia.”

Despite my hazy vision, I tried to keep my eyes on Caiden—tried to focus on every piece of stubble on his olive skin, but the darkness crept in.

“Turn her over,” Amolie commanded.

Frigid air kissed the wound as they ripped the shirt from my back, sending a shiver down my spine.

Rubbing healing salve into the wound, Amolie clicked her tongue with worry. “That should hold her until we can get her to a proper healer.”

My eyes flickered open.

“Aelia, chew this.”

Something hard and chalky filled my mouth.

“It’s charcoal. It will help to clear the iron and ash from your blood.”

I nodded as best as I could.

“She can ride with me,” Caiden said, mounting his gray mare. Lucius and Roderick lifted my broken body onto the horse. Pain ripped through my every muscle as I lay against Caiden’s warm chest.

The charcoal worked its way through my system. I craned my neck to see the dismembered bodies of the Blood Riders and their mounts.

We rode into the Court of Sorrows territory, setting up camp along the river Nyrinx. Caiden and Roderick gently helped me off the horse.

“When did Gideon gain the Blood Riders?” I said, propping myself up against a rock.

Caiden did not look up from where he built a fire. “Lord Greaves gave them to him in exchange for a stewardship over Elyria.”

“I should’ve known.” I rested my hand on my chest. Elyria had been my home. The crown jewel of the Midlands. The breadbasket of Moriana. Gideon needed it to feed his growing army.

As for the new steward of Elyria, Lord Greaves had once been an advisor to my father, the owner of the largest private army in Moriana, including the Blood Riders—half men, half monsters bred from an elite line of sylph warriors and human mothers.

“What else has happened since I’ve been away?”

“Nothing good.” He sighed. “The Sylph Council is divided. It’s every lord for himself. Some have partnered with the elves, others with humans. Gideon is considered the unifier.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Things must really be bad if the sylphs are willing to partner with their former masters.”

Caiden took a seat in front of the fire. “The sylph and elven war ended five hundred years ago. Despite our long lives, sylphs have short memories.”

“I hope they remember the Treaty of the Three Faces,” I said, wrapping my arms around my knees, trying to hold on to any warmth. Humans partnered with the sylph during their rebellion, and, in return, the sylph pledged to protect the human kingdoms from invasion.

Caiden gave me a coy smile. “Oh, you don’t want to go back to old ways when sylph prayed on weak humans for fun?”

“I prefer things the way they are.”

Caiden poked the fire with his stick, bringing the flames to life gilding his chiseled features. “Well, if the Wild Courts have their way, you’ll be back to glamoured slaves in no time.”

I laughed. “Trinity be, I hope not. What about the Fates? Are they still scheming, too?”

“They are always scheming,” he said, flicking an unruly piece of hair out of his eyes.

“I’m sure Erissa has her hand in that as well.” I held my hands up to the warm flames.

“I suspect she’s had a hand in everything since the reign of Crom Cruach. There’s no telling how old she is.” Caiden tossed another log on the fire. “Elven mages are revered for their magical abilities. I’ve never heard of another being banished from their order before.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. “Dealing in blood magic is a dangerous thing. I imagine there is more to her story than we know.”

“I hate talking about her.” Caiden grimaced. He had his own history with Erissa, and it tore at both our hearts. Another scab to be picked at.

“You don’t think her name turns to ash in my mouth?” I asked.

“That was a long time ago, Aelia. Let it go. I told you what happened. I’m sorry.”He grimaced at the memory festering in his mind.

“It doesn’t make it hurt any less,” I hissed at him.

An elongated lifespan didn’t make it any easier to let things go. It amplified the pain. When you have an eternity to think about something, you turn it over and over in your mind until you know every facet, nook, and cranny of the memory.

“You were married to someone else!” A heat grew between us. Old wounds ripped open. Anger and frustration boiled to the surface.

I pushed on it.

Holding my hand to my heart, I smothered the tears welling behind my eyes. “You were supposed to love me. You were supposed to protect me.”

I never loved you. You are nothing to me. I never want to see you again.

“I wanted to save you!” His cheeks flushed. Chest heaving, lightning flashed in his eyes. “You know what? Let’s make the deal, Aelia. Once we rescue Baylis, you will erase every memory of us from my mind.”

“Gladly,” I said, holding out my hand, knowing the laws of the land would bind us to our words. We could not come back from this.

He grabbed my hand. Magic burned hot as it sealed the promise. I would have to erase Caiden’s memories of us—a solution to the hurt that rotted our hearts.

Once, we belonged to each other, heart and soul.

A memory floated to the surface of my mind.

The day we met—Caiden nursed a terrible hangover. I had been running late to a meeting with him. My hair tousled from riding, and with no opportunity to change, I arrived in a white riding tunic paired with leather riding pants.

Normally, emissaries were old men, ready to be put out to pasture. Not Caiden. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him.

The chair scraped across the stone floor as he stood to greet me, stumbling over his words. “Hi, um, er, you’re her… and I’m him. ”

“Princess Aelia Springborn.” I curtsied. “But you can call me Aelia.”

Dimples cut into his cheeks as his face brightened with a smile. “Caiden.”

What started as a lustful wanting turned into something deeper as we got to know each other. My father’s illness made it impossible for him to travel, so my mother made me the royal emissary. Meaning Caiden and I saw a lot of each other. Often the youngest at state dinners, our friendship was born of proximity. We created a signal system for when one of us needed rescuing from a winded dignitary: Four taps on the right side of our nose with our ring finger.

He got me through the tough times when my father’s illness consumed everything in our lives. I counted down the days until I could see him again—the smile on his face—the whistle as he walked down the halls.

For five years, we kept our true feelings hidden from one another. It wouldn’t be prudent for a human to marry a sylph. Although the sylph and the humans had a treaty, both still preferred to keep their bloodlines pure. Deep down, we knew our fates would never intertwine. Ostara offered us a chance to indulge in our desires. The one night a year when all carnal acts were permitted among humans. A night to honor the goddess Ammena and her fertility. It was a fleeting moment of freedom when we could glimpse a future that would never be ours.

Our love burned and died like a candle being lit and blown out—a life forever out of our reach.We savored the night. Our fates were sealed before our lips ever touched.

“What are you two doing?” Amolie’s face turned to a grimace as we made a promise bound by magic older than the world itself.

Caiden pulled me in closer, gripping my hand. “One more thing.”

My eyes widened .

“You will get off the dust.”

“It’s medicinal,” I spat back.

“Aelia, please…” His eyes were as hard as stone.

I swallowed hard. For five years, it had been my crutch, a way to erase the pain and guilt tearing me apart inside.

Caiden saw the hesitance in my eyes. “I will help you, Aelia, if you care to remember. I, too, was addicted to drowning my sorrows.”

“It’s not the same,” I said. But our hands were locked. The magic bound me to the promise.

“I’ll help, too,” Amolie said, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder—a knot twisted in my chest. I didn’t want to let go, but I had no choice.

“Fine, but with one caveat. Once I am erased from your memory, I will no longer be bound to the bargain.”

“Deal. I won’t be around to watch you kill yourself.”

The taste of copper filled my mouth as magic swirled around us, binding our words. We were playing a dangerous game. Magic demanded balance, and it took its payment one way or another.