Page 57 of A Curse So Vile

Julian looked ahead, paying no mind to her words.

“You knew…” The thought struck her like a spark hitting tinder, igniting fiery rage. “How did you know of my curse?”

“You speak as if it is I who lacks logic, when you, yourself, do not know of what you speak.”

“Funny how I didn’t give Ossorians enough credit to speak in riddles. Never mind that they’re nonsensical.”

“Soon you will understand just how much power you hold, and when you do, you will rain death upon those you once saw as your kin, for it is with your blood that my people will be restored to their rightful place in the land.”

The Ossorian was mad, obviously, but something about his confidence set Brenna on edge.

He wasn’t acting crazed or rash. He’d calculated his every move, and now he was speaking as though he were a prophet, which scared her more than she’d like to admit.

“Worry not, ancient princess. Your time will come.”

Her jaw dropped. Surely he was mistaken. He couldn’t actually think that she was…

But the look on his face told her everything she needed to know. He honestly believed she was a princess.

18

COLE

Through day and night, they rode hard, facing perils unknown to the Heartlands. Luckily, the further south they went, the safer their journey became.

They couldn’t afford to slow. Not with what was at stake. Brenna was willing to sacrifice herself so they might live, when she hardly knew them, and Cole would stop at nothing to get her back.

“Do you see it?” Fiona pointed in the distance, bouncing on the bench excitedly.

He glared, seeing a wooden post, but he could not make out the words.

“It says Felwick, like she said it would!”

He narrowed his brow, surprised she could read from such a distance.

“We’re almost there!” Fiona chirped. “Hurry! I need to eat.”

Fiona’s appetite had grown worrisome during their travels. She was always hungry, even after she’d just eaten, and once, when they broke from their travels, he’d found her hiding behind a tree, blood smeared across her face. She’d just devoured a squirrel and was looking for another.

Thankfully, that was the only thing that had changed with her, aside from her now excellent health. She was the same vibrant girl she was from before she was cursed.

And he’d forever be thankful to Brenna for that.

An old man with a carrying pole across his neck, a bucket on each end, walked slowly towards them.

Cole pulled the reins, bringing the horses to a halt. “Good, sir,” he called down to the man, “I am in dire need of assistance.”

The man looked up at him suspiciously, then looked towards the back of the cart. “It appears you’ve lost your way. Turn back now, because night here will not be kind.”

Brenna had said they’d try to scare them, and how to respond. “It is the unkindness I seek.”

The man stood, taking them in, edging Cole towards impatience.

“While I respect your reservations of me and my kin, it is of the utmost importance that I hold court with your neighbors. The consequences of your hesitation reach further than you could imagine.”

The man pointed towards Felwick. “Just before you arrive at town, there will be a slope to the right. You’ll travel down and down some more until you reach what you’re looking for.”

Cole dug into his pouch and produced a silver. He pitched it to the man. “My thanks to you.”