Page 11 of Black Hearted (Cursed Fae #4)

Lorelei

I’d come to terms with the fact that I couldn’t physically overpower Queen Liliana, at least not without using my magic.

But I didn’t have access to the part of my magic that could help me.

Giving life and healing ailments were useless when you were kidnapped in a barren wasteland devoid of life.

Instead, I used a rusted nail I’d pried from the cell door and worked at the lock.

Lock-picking was not a skill a princess should possess, but our parents had taken to locking up the sweets in the larder.

When I was ten, I decided to ask one of the stable hands, who was known to have a colorful past, to teach me.

For two years, my parents couldn’t figure out how the sweets kept disappearing until my mother caught me with a hairpin mid-lock-pick.

I thought she’d be furious, but instead, she grinned, called me resourceful, and told me not to do it again.

Now, this nail was five times thicker than my trusty hairpin, but it fit in the lock, and I was determined to keep trying until my fingers bled.

My arms were shoved through the bars at an awkward angle, my hands cramping, but I wasn’t going to give up.

Every time Queen Liliana fed on my magic, I grew weaker and weaker.

If I didn’t escape—and soon—she was going to kill me.

I couldn’t let that happen. I had to find Zane and destroy this curse.

I was extra nervous because I hadn’t been able to reach my parents. Either they’d discovered I’d been taken and were sick with worry, or there was some other reason they weren’t sleeping much, leaving me unable to reach them.

I hoped my little sister had delivered the message I’d given her, but I just didn’t know. Daisey was so young. Who knew if she even remembered my visit—or if anyone would believe her?

The only thing keeping me sane right now was Zane. Seeing him in his dreams and knowing he was looking for me gave me the strength to keep fighting.

I was on my hundredth attempt at picking the lock when it finally clicked open. The telltale sound rang out, and I wasted no time pulling my arms back through the bars, shaking them to get the feeling back.

When had Queen Liliana been here last? How much time did I have to escape?

When I’d tried to overpower her before, I’d failed—miserably. She was ruthless, and I’d never been taught to fight. She told me that if I resisted again, she’d blind me with her sunlight magic, and I knew she was capable of it.

My heart pounded frantically in my chest as I yanked the old steel door open and bolted out of the cell. She always took me left to the study where she kept the mirror portal, so I went right instead.

As my bare feet padded soundlessly on the stone floor, I prayed to every star in the sky that I wouldn’t run into her.

I nearly wept with relief when I found a staircase leading upward.

I hadn’t seen the sun in days, and I wondered if that was another reason why I was growing so weak.

I wasn’t meant to be cooped up. I needed sun, fresh air, and earth to thrive.

It was always sunny in the Spring Court, with light rain and a cool breeze at night—perfect growing weather.

Oh, how I longed to feel the warm rays of the sun on my skin again, to reach down and touch the cool, damp earth. Being in the garden was my life, and without it, I felt … like I was dying.

At the top of the stairs was a closed door. I slowed my pace, hoping it wasn’t locked. If it was, I’d have to turn around and search for another way out. Picking the lock would take too long, and I couldn’t risk being caught.

When I reached the door, I twisted the handle, and to my immense relief, it turned.

I sighed quietly and began to push the door open, freezing when I heard voices. “She wants her soup warm but not hot, but also not cold,” a female voice grumbled to another as they passed by.

Peeking through the crack in the door, I saw two women walking down the hallway. One looked to be around my age, and the other was a gray-haired elderly woman. Both were wearing maid uniforms.

“When you serve royalty, you get used to these requests. Make two bowls at different temperatures and let her choose,” the elder maid said in a matter-of-fact tone.

The younger one groaned but didn’t argue as they turned a corner and disappeared out of sight.

I don’t know why, but I had thought I was alone here with the queen.

Part of me wanted to run to the maids and beg for their help, but if they were employed by Queen Liliana, even if her demands frustrated them, they were most likely loyal to her.

If she convinced them she was saving all of Faerie, they might just let her get away with anything—maybe even murder.

I had to get out of here.

Gently pushing the door open wider, I padded into the hallway and tiptoed toward another corridor lit dimly by a soft glow. I stopped at the threshold, carefully peeked around the corner, and then rushed down the hall toward a giant set of double doors.

My freedom.

Quiet muttering voices sounded behind me, but instead of stopping to look, I broke into a full run, my heart pounding in my chest.

Reaching the door, I yanked it open and slipped outside, shutting it quietly behind me. I stood there, panting, my heart slamming against my ribs as the panic of fleeing washed over me.

But there was no time to dwell on it.

As I surveyed my surroundings, my stomach dropped.

Spread out in front of me was a barren wasteland, worse than I had imagined. Dry, cracked earth stretched as far as the eye could see. Small black ash rained from the sky in an endless, suffocating drizzle. There wasn’t a single tree or bush anywhere in sight.

A world devoid of life.

It was my worst nightmare, but I had no choice—I had to run through it to escape.

Breaking into a sprint, I aimed for what looked like hills in the distance. The raining ash was so thick it blurred the landscape, making it hard to pinpoint any landmarks.

I scanned the horizon desperately, trying to get my bearings. It was daytime, but the sun was hidden behind thick clouds, its rays muted and weak.

Behind me, the large estate loomed, crumbling and decrepit, with a dilapidated barn sagging off to the side.

Where was I? Which way was the Spring Court?

I felt a wave of helplessness as I ran, pulling the bodice of my loose dress up to cover my mouth from the ash trying to invade my lungs. My feet pounded over sharp rocks, a jagged edge splitting a gash between my toes, but I ignored the pain.

As I neared the hilly range, the clouds parted for a brief moment, and I could finally see the shapes and details of the rounded peaks. They resembled a row of turtles laid out in formation.

The Turtle Mountains!

I was on the desolate side of the Turtle Mountains in the Summer Court. That meant I was—

A bolt of light shot past my head, barely missing my ear. I spun around in shock.

Queen Liliana was stalking toward me, flanked by three armed guards.

She shook her head, clicking her tongue. Her face was eerily calm, but fury burned in her eyes. “I told you what I’d do if you defied me again.”

Before I could respond or move, a beam of light—so bright it instantly brought tears to my eyes—ripped through the air toward me.

Falling to my knees, I screamed as pain engulfed me. Clutching at my face, I cried out.

She’d blinded me.