Page 23 of Between These Broken Hearts (Cursed Stars #2)

I almost feel sorry for Ezra. He’s spent his whole life trying to get out from his brother’s shadow and prove himself to his father. One memory of a family

hunting trip was enough to understand what makes him tick better than weeks of observation ever could.

“What if he changes his mind and doesn’t go to meet her?” I ask Misha as I adjust my tunic for the third time in as many minutes.

I underestimated the size of Ezra’s shoulders when I picked out the clothes I’d wear, and the too-narrow fit across my shoulders

is making me feel pinned in.

“Skylar is prepared to meet him, and she’ll let me know when he arrives.”

“I still can’t believe you talked her into dressing as Jasalyn’s handmaid.”

Misha smirks. “Does she always have such a temper?”

“Oh, always. That’s just Skylar being Skylar.”

“There it is,” Misha says, nodding to the gates ahead.

“It’s bigger than I expected.”

“Abriella says they guard their wealth more fiercely than Mordeus guarded the throne.”

I roll my eyes. “Of course they do.”

He gets a strange look on his face for a beat, then smiles. “Skylar says he’s there. She’ll let him wait a few minutes before

going in to tell him the princess is running behind. Ready?”

I nod, but I’m not. Even with all the coaching I’m still not convinced I can walk into this manor in the middle of the night

and walk out with an invaluable magical stone.

“I’ll be close—just keep yourself open to me. Share what you’re seeing and I’ll guide you.”

“Okay.”

Misha gives me one last look before riding away. He’ll loop around to the back side of the manor and stay there in case anything

goes wrong.

With a breath, I spur my horse ahead. When I reach the gates, I wave to the guards without slowing down.

“Back so soon?” the younger-looking of the two bald males asks.

“I forgot something,” I say, hoping Ezra isn’t the kind of person to never speak to the help.

“Flowers,” the other calls to my back. “If you want to win her heart, take her flowers.”

“Or jewelry,” the first says. “Females enjoy jewelry.”

This time I don’t respond but head through the gates and to the front stairs. I hop off my horse and toss the reins to the

sentinel standing there.

“Shall I take this to the stable for you, young lord?” he asks.

“I’ll be right back out,” I promise, striding up the steps, my heart pounding as hard as if I’d run here.

You’re doing fine. Misha’s voice in my mind steadies me. When you get through these doors, you’ll see a hall to the right. Go down to the end and take a left.

The doors open for me, revealing Ezra’s brother, Leon, waiting on the other side. “Why are you back already? She didn’t show,

did she?”

I did not count on him sharing the meeting with his brother , Misha says in my mind.

Me either, but I can’t change that now. “I forgot something,” I say. Then, remembering how the brothers treated each other

in the memory, I brush right past him and stroll down the hall.

Where am I going, Misha? I can’t exactly get the stone while he’s following me.

Next right is a sitting room with a small bar. Go in there, pour yourself a drink, and sit down. See if you can shake him.

When I turn into the room in question, Leon follows me, chuckling when I pour myself a glass of amber liquid from the decanter

at the bar. “You are such a coward. You can’t face her without drinking your face numb.”

He is really the worst , I tell Misha. No wonder Ezra’s so desperate for a way out.

I throw myself into the chair and glare at Leon over my glass. “Don’t you have somewhere better to be?”

“Look at you sitting there when the princess is waiting for you. What’s wrong, brother? Worried you won’t be able to perform?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mutter. The empty phrase was one of Ezra’s favorite defenses against his family

in my dream memory.

The amusement falls from Leon’s face. “You were lying the whole time, weren’t you? You never had a meeting with the princess. You just wanted me to think you’d bed her, so I’d stay back.”

This is going to be a mess when Ezra returns and has no memory of this conversation , Misha mutters in my mind.

Now, I can actually do something about that.

I bring my drink to my lips but make my hand so unsteady that I slop it onto my pants on the way up.

“Or maybe you’ve already had her. Just that quick. Maybe it was so bad she sent you away.” Leon folds over in laughter, delighted

by this possibility.

“Maybe she said she wants to get married first,” I say, slurring the words. “Maybe it’s just a matter of time, so you should

be more respectful to me.”

“Because you’ll be the next king of the shadow court. Right. Keep telling yourself that. She might be dumb enough to bed you,

but she’s not dumb enough to marry you.”

King? What is he talking about? Jasalyn’s husband would never be king.

I feel Misha’s anger through our connection. Unless something happened to her sister, forcing Jas to become the queen.

Claim the princess and control the court—do you think that’s what this is about?

“I don’t have time for your delusions.” Leon strides by me, swatting my glass on his way out and spilling most of the contents

onto my pants.

“Jackass,” I mutter.

Leon only laughs.

Placing the glass on the side table, I force myself to settle into the chair and not turn around to watch him go. I count to twenty, then do it again.

Any idea where he went? I ask Misha, who’s gone alarmingly quiet in my mind.

No. I can’t get into his head from out here.

Could you if you were in here?

I could if his shields are as weak as his brother’s.

Good point.

I push out of the chair and take my glass back to the bar, listening for the sound of anyone approaching, but all I hear is

the creaking of an old house and the groan of the wind in the trees out back.

I’m headed to the stone.

I don’t like this.

You’ve mentioned that a few times now.

Pardon me: I didn’t like it before. Now that we know they’re after more than just the princess’s hand, I hate it.

We still need that stone. The others are working on the tracking spell this very moment.

I keep my steps as soft as I can while still keeping my movements casual.

There, on your right , Misha says.

I risk a look over my shoulder before turning the knob, stepping inside, and closing the door behind me.

The room is bigger than I expected, with a table and four chairs in the center. Not just a room to store valuables but a place

to bring guests and show off your priceless possessions.

My gaze lands on the safe in the corner, a freestanding copper unit that reaches Ezra’s chest. My heart stumbles from its steady jog into a sprint.

Use your hand to open the safe, pocket the stone, and then get out of there.

I stop in front of it, something knotting in my gut and telling me to turn back. Intuition or cowardice?

Come on, Felicity. The sooner you get it, the sooner you can leave.

I position my hand—Ezra’s hand—against the outside of the safe, pressing my fingertips into the cool metal as the mechanical

bolt whirs, then retracts.

I pull my hand away and the door swings open, revealing gems and jewels of all kinds.

Did you know you block when you get stressed? Misha asks. Let me see.

I focus on relaxing enough to open the connection between us and look at the contents of the safe.

Misha curses. That’s a bigger stockpile of fire gems than I’ve seen in ages.

But where’s the stone?

I try to focus on the safe’s contents but can’t shake the sense of revulsion that comes over me every time I redirect my focus.

Something feels wrong about this. Could it be spelled to repel me?

It’s possible. Are you okay? Do you need to leave?

Not when I’m this close.

See the white box tucked behind the gems?

I feel dizzy, but sure enough in the back corner there’s a white box with a pearlescent sheen. My stomach surges into my throat as I reach for it, but I work past the discomfort and close my hand around it. Maybe this horrible feeling will fade once I get it away from this safe.

I drop it onto the table in the middle of the room, and Misha’s immediately in my mind. What are you doing? You need to get out of there.

I need to make sure it’s the stone.

I release the clasp on the side of the box and flip open the lid.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

My head snaps up as Leon strolls into the room. Misha. Trouble.

Leon narrows his eyes and sniffs. “I knew Ezra was acting strangely. Not like himself at all.” He cocks his head to the side.

“You don’t smell like a shifter. So this must really be my brother’s flesh.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I blink and his blade is at my throat. “Leon, what are you doing?”

“I heard about the creatures who take over their host’s bodies. Old magic, but if the stories are right, you’ll run from this

host if I cause you enough pain.”

I jerk away, ready to run for my life, but I can’t. He has me locked in place with his magic, and he grins the moment he sees

it register in my eyes. When his blade plunges into my shoulder, I scream.

He pulls the blade free before dragging it down my arm. He plunges it through my hand. “This is going to be so satisfying.”

If my body were in my own control, I would crumple. I’m not strong like my brother. I’m not fearless in the face of pain,

and this—this pain laced with anticipation of more to come—is brutal.

But then Leon’s blade clatters to the floor and he gulps like he can’t get air.

Misha’s eyes blaze as he yanks Leon off me, holding him with one hand on either side of his head. “You drank too much tonight,”

he says, staring into the male’s watery eyes. “You don’t remember anything after leaving the ball, only that you were so jealous

of the attention your brother was getting from the princess that you drank yourself mindless.”

“Heard something strange,” someone says down the hall, steps coming closer.

Misha releases Leon, letting him crumple to the ground. His eyes dart to the door for a beat before a blast of magic shimmers

through the room and a portal appears. I try to move toward it, but whatever magic Leon used to paralyze me still lingers

and my movements are strained and jerky.

The doorknob turns and Misha wraps me in his arms. In the next moment we’re tumbling into a grassy field. Misha lands on top

of me, and before I can appreciate the sensation, he rolls to sitting, resting his arms on his knees, breathing hard.

“We’ll wait here until Pretha can come open a portal for us,” he says.

I clutch my wounded arm to my side and look around. “Where are we?”

“In the pastures behind the Pandians’ barn.”

I want to ask why he can’t open a portal to get us back to the Midnight Palace, but something tells me he wouldn’t appreciate the question.

“You asked why I insisted on coming,” he says. “That was why. Lark told me to be cautious tonight.”

And since Lark has visions of the future, he would have very good reason to take her warning seriously. I cough out a laugh.

I feel practically manic. My blood is buzzing with the thrill of having survived while still pumping like I need to flee.

“Maybe just warn a girl next time?”

“What would you have done differently if I’d said, ‘By the way, my niece said the bad man thinks he can torture you out of

your body and to please not let him accidentally kill you’?” Exhaustion lines his face, and while I know he just expended

an exceptional amount of magical energy, I’m shocked to see him so spent.

“ You knew what that meant?”

His full lips quirk in amusement. “I had no idea what any of it meant, but that’s not unusual for Lark’s visions. I just knew

you were in danger. I figured it would be better if you weren’t alone.”

I shift, slowly testing my muscles before moving to sit up. “Thanks.”

“Look who can move again.”

I flinch. “The stone. I left it on the table.”

Misha pats his side. “I grabbed it before we left.”

“Leon’s more powerful than I thought if he could hold me still like that.”

Misha shakes his head. “No, I was starting to feel it even in the short time I was in there. You must’ve set off some trap when you entered the room. I’m guessing some substance the brothers are immune to.”

“Crabknot seed,” I mutter. “It paralyzes anyone who breathes in enough of it. If the family uses it for security, they probably

eat the roots regularly so they aren’t affected by the seeds.” I knew something was off, but I was so focused on my mission

I didn’t stop to think about what I was smelling.

Tonight could’ve ended very differently if Misha hadn’t been so close.

“I’m glad you came,” I say.

“Good to know my company is preferable to death. Even if only slightly.”

I want to laugh but the pain in my arm and shoulder are too intense.

He studies me, brow furrowed. “They have a healer waiting for you at the palace.”

“Leon won’t remember?” I ask.

Misha winces. “Not my best work, but it will do.”

“And what about Ezra? Will he be suspicious that Jasalyn never showed?”

“Skylar doesn’t think so,” he says. “She told him the princess changed her mind because she didn’t want her sister angry with

her. We’ll probably need you to take Jasalyn’s form again tomorrow to lock the story in.”

A portal appears in front of us, and Misha helps me stand, an arm wrapped around my waist as we step through it and into a

bedroom with the familiar black stone floor of the Midnight Palace.

Pretha’s waiting for us on the other side. “Are you okay?” she asks, looking her brother over. “Did you use too much magic?”

He cuts his gaze to me for a beat before looking back to his sister. “I’m fine. Is the healer on her way?”

Pretha takes in my arm and cringes. “I’ll hurry her along.” She slips out of the room, leaving me and Misha alone.

He rolls his shoulders as if his whole body is feeling the effects of draining so much magical energy. And his sister was

worried about him using too much?

This is the same male who moved us from the caves deep beneath Castle Craige and to my room in a blink. The same male who

conjured a whole thunderstorm just to show off for me and give me an excuse for my wet undergarments. Something’s going on

that he’s not telling me.

“Can’t you usually open portals at will?” I ask, if only to distract myself from the pain.

He scrapes a hand over his face and lets out a long breath. “Usually.”

The door creaks open and the healer bustles in, coming to my side, and I realize that even if there is something happening

with him and his magic, that’s as much as he’s going to reveal.