Page 11 of Secrets & Curses of Crimson (Secrets & Curses Trilogy #3)

Chapter 11

Cassius

A movement in front of me in the woods had me tensing. Someone was already spying on Thea’s camp. Silently, I moved through my shadows, so I was directly behind them. I stared at the back of Palo’s head until he felt my presence. He turned quickly toward me. His eyes filled with terror when his mind registered who I was. I had come alone tonight, not expecting to see anything—except Thea.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Cassius?” Palo stood up and stared me down.

“Spying.” My eyes narrowed on him. “Why are you in the woods?”

His body tensed slightly.

“Scouting.”

I gave him a vicious smile.

“You’re scouting your own men? ”

Palo clenched his jaw tightly as if to say he wouldn’t tell me anything. Fine by me. I punched him in the face as my shadows wrapped around him.

“You’re coming with me, Palo.” I grabbed him by the collar of his uniform as my shadows took me home. Palo was yelling and thrashing around once he realized I had taken him to Crimson. My father and Haden came running to see the commotion.

“Cassius?” Haden questioned.

“I found Palo here spying on Thea, and he will be telling me why he is watching her instead of trying to protect her.”

“Fuck you.”

My chest rose and fell quickly as I thought of all the reasons he would be watching her. Had he seen her and I talking? Did he tell Luren? I would get my answers one way or another.

“I’m going to the dungeon with Palo. Haden, would you like to help me beat the shit out of him?”

“Fuck yes, I would.”

My father let out a long sigh before giving me a look that let me know I was becoming unhinged, but he wouldn’t stop me. My shadows forced Palo to lie down on his back. I didn’t say anything to my father as I dragged my prisoner behind me. Haden followed eagerly. I didn’t give Palo the decency of lifting him down the stairs that led to the bottom floor of the castle.

I made sure his head hit every fucking stair on the way down. He was already whimpering by the time we got to the room I would torture him in. I set him in the chair that was bolted to the stone floor. I used the leather straps on the armrest and tightened them painfully to him, then did the same with his ankles.

Haden was smiling as I grabbed my shirt collar and slipped it off so Palo’s blood wouldn’t ruin it. Thea loved this tunic, which is why I wore it tonight, hoping to see her. Palo’s scared eyes watched me as I circled around him like prey.

“You’re going to tell me everything that you know. You will answer every question I ask; do you understand?”

Palo clenched his jaw but didn’t answer me. I smiled as I stepped forward and punched him in the face; his blood poured from his nose, spewing across the room and onto me.

“I suggest you answer me, Palo, or the next hit will be with my blade.”

“Yes, I understand.” He glared.

“Now,” I sighed, irritated. “Why were you spying on Thea? ”

Palo hesitated, and this time Haden stepped forward. His knife rested in his palm as he stared at Palo. Whatever Palo saw on Haden’s face scared the fuck out of him.

“King Luren has me follow her.”

“If you continue with these short, stupid answers, I will just start cutting your fingers off now. Details, Palo.” I stepped forward so I was at eye level with him.

“He wants to make sure she isn’t being strange." He stopped, and Haden stepped forward, slapping Palo across the face. “She was acting odd as soon as she got to Cerithia. Luren doesn’t trust her, so he made me follow her around.”

“How long was she in Cerithia?” She didn’t come to the trials, and that had never happened. Was she there for months, and I had no idea? What did her father fill her head with this time?

“We found her in the woods by accident when she lit it on fire. She was at the castle for only one day. Luren was worried she would notice things weren’t right, especially after she made the comment about her bedroom.”

I gave him a look that let him know he better keep talking.

“She recognized that her bedroom wasn’t hers because it wasn’t dark green. We’re assuming she was picturing your room. ”

Damn straight, she was picturing our bedroom. I gave him a knowing smile, so he knew that was exactly what she pictured.

"That, and she sneers at Jesper every time he speaks.”

I laughed softly. That’s my girl.

“What exactly are you hoping to find on this little spy mission of yours?” I asked.

“Luren wants to know if you two speak at all.”

“What have you reported to him so far?” I stepped forward with my dagger. Palo didn’t speak. I was done giving him warnings, so I plunged the dagger into his forearm and pushed it all the way through so that it stuck into the chair.

“Fuck!” Palo screamed into the dungeon. His screams made my shadows burst out in a frenzy. Scream for me, Palo; it only makes me want to hurt you more.

“Answer,” I demanded.

“Nothing. I just started tonight.”

I tilted my head as I watched the blood pour from him onto the floor. He didn’t continue to speak; he just sobbed like a baby.

“Was someone else spying before you?”

Palo’s eyes widened. This little motherfucker thought I would be so stupid to not ask that. I grabbed him by the throat and squeezed it until his face started turning purple.

“Who the fuck is it, and where are they? ”

He was desperately trying to breathe.

“I don’t think he can answer you.” Haden interrupted my rage. My black eyes flickered at him before shifting back to Palo. I released him.

“A Kizar guard. I relieved him tonight, and he is headed to Cerithia on horseback. He left Thea’s camp two hours ago.”

I looked at Haden.

“Watch him; I’ll be back shortly.”

My shadows wrapped around me, and within a moment I was standing in the forest of Crimson, listening for the rider. I didn’t hear him, so I moved through my shadows several times until I finally came upon him. The Kizar guard had made it a lot farther than I thought he would in a short time, meaning Palo was a fucking liar. This man had probably left Thea’s camp a half day ago. I knew the moment he saw me standing in the darkening woods, blood dripping down my hands and chest from Palo.

The guard widened his path around me like that would protect him from me. I shot my shadow magic out and clotheslined him. His horse kept running as he scrambled to his feet, trying to grab a weapon.

“I’ve been looking for you.” I smiled.

He tried to run, but I used my shadows to move in front of him quickly. He ran into my chest and fell to the ground.

“We need to talk.”

My voice was laced with venom as I reached down and grabbed the man, moving both of us with my shadows to the dungeon. I tossed him to the ground by Palo’s feet.

“That was fast,” Haden chuckled.

The guard tried to scoot away, but he wouldn’t escape me, especially knowing that he was going to report Thea, and that would have cost her life. But before I started questioning him, I walked to Palo, yanking my dagger out of his arm so I could cut off three fingers. When I inspected my work, I slammed my dagger into his other forearm.

“That is for lying about when you traded places with him. He was almost to Cerithia when I found him.”

Palo was crying hysterically. I glanced up at Haden, who was leaning against the wall, flipping his dagger in his hand, watching. Something vacant filled his features before he looked at me and stepped forward, coming to my left.

“You’re going to tell me what you planned to relay to King Luren.”

The guard’s dark eyes widened as he looked to Palo for guidance. Palo nodded for him to tell me .

“That I saw you two having a conversation and you kissed her,” he muttered, terrified of me. He should be. He almost cost me my wife.

“You’ve already kissed her?” Palo sneered.

I smiled at him. My fists clenched tightly at my sides. Gods, the rage that was coursing through me was enough to make me spiral and go on a killing spree. I could hunt down everyone who kept Thea from me and slaughter them. To hell with the prophecy.

“We’ve done more than kiss.”

Palo’s face reddened with his anger.

“What’s wrong, Palo?” I teased.

“Didn’t take long for the Crimson whore to spread her legs for you, did it?”

“That was very fucking stupid to say to him,” Haden muttered.

My shadows crept toward Palo, grabbing his hands and twisting them until they snapped at the wrists, but that wasn’t good enough. I kept twisting and twisting until his hands pulled from his body. My chest was tight with rage as he screamed to the gods to save him.

“The gods won’t save you, Palo.” Haden smiled. “She is on our side.”

The Kizar guard had run to the corner farthest from me, cowering in the corner.

“I will skin you alive if you disrespect my wife like that again.” I moved toward him as his sobs filled the space. I knew the moment my words sank into him. His eyes were wide with confusion.

“Wife?”

“That’s right, Palo. Thea Valeska. My wife.”

Palo started praying to the gods again, and it made me laugh. I turned my attention to the Kizar guard.

“Who else saw or knows that I kissed Thea?”

“No one.” He was a mess, crying with snot running down his round face.

“Good.” I released my shadows toward him and snapped his neck before turning my attention to Palo as his dead body hit the stone floor. Palo’s eyes were losing focus as his blood poured from where his hands used to be attached to his body. I slapped him to wake his ass up.

“What is Luren planning with Thea this time?”

“I’m not telling you,” he groaned. “I’ll be dead soon anyway; do your worst.”

Hmm. He had a point. Maybe I should have left his hands attached to him. A moment later I saw his eyes widen as a glow filled the space. When I turned, Della stood next to me. Her eyes were staring at Palo.

“You will tell Cassius what Luren’s plan is now.” Her voice was darker than I had ever heard before .

Palo shook his head no. Della pushed me aside and grabbed the man by the uniform, getting in his face.

“I will force your soul to stay in your body until you tell him. Do you understand me? I will refuse to let you die. As the Goddess of Life, I will stand here and hold your soul inside of you until Cassius has you begging for death. I will keep you alive until you give him everything he is asking for. I will not let you die.”

Fuck.

I looked at Haden, who was staring at Della in awe. She was fucking terrifying when she was pissed. Palo didn’t answer her, so she grabbed the dagger I speared through his arm and ripped it out. He cried out, but she stabbed it right back into the same wound.

It shot blood out and onto her fancy dress, but she didn’t move.

“I suggest you start using your words, Palo, or I will break every bone in your body one at a time.”

I crossed my arms over my chest as I stared at Palo. Haden stepped toward Della as if he couldn’t help it. Della glanced at him, and he just stared into her pure white eyes. But Della hardly gave Haden the time of day as she focused on Palo.

“He…” Palo gasped for breath, and his eyes began rolling back .

“I don’t fucking think so.” Della raised her hand before shoving it into his chest, breaking through his skin and bones. The sound made me flinch. “You see that, Palo? You were supposed to die just now, and I’m not letting you,” she whispered.

Remind me not to get on Della’s bad side. For fuck’s sake, she and Thea could probably kill everyone in the realm with their power.

“Luren told Thea that she has to kill the Crimson bloodline to break her curse,” he wheezed out barely. “Then he will kill her. She will be useless to him, and he will make a spectacle of her death to instill fear in the fae so he will control all of Elloryon.”

My eyes narrowed on Palo.

“He thinks he can control the prophecy and force her to kill Crimson, Falgon, and Akecia.”

“Well, Luren’s a fucking moron,” Della sneered. Stars I don’t think I had ever seen her so fucking pissed. Haden was still watching her closely as I glanced at him, taking a small step closer to her.

“Jesper is trying to convince him to just hunt her down each year and kill her so she will never break her curse.”

That little fucking bastard.

“That’s it?” Della asked. “Why is he so confident that she will kill all the royal bloodlines and not him?”

Palo’s nostrils flared.

“The witches are helping him.”

My shoulders tensed. We had already killed the witches that tried to kill Thea in Exile, but we could not figure out where the others were hiding or what coven it was.

“Yerma from the Ravenstone Coven, now let me die,” he begged Della.

She looked at me for permission. I nodded, and she yanked his soul from his body violently. She was breathing heavily and angrily. Della was losing control.

“Ardella.” Haden’s voice made her shoulders tense, but she still refused to look at us. Her breathing was uneven. Haden looked at her back worriedly.

“Little viper,” I called out. Thea’s soul appeared in front of me in the form of Wisp, her face smiling within her dark green flames. “I need you to make sure Thea finds out about the Ravenstone Coven. Can you do that for me?”

She flashed purple and disappeared.

When I looked back at Della, she was staring at me oddly.

“Sorry, I took over your torture session.” She frowned.

“It’s alright. How did you know what we were doing?”

She tensed again; her eyes flickered at Haden briefly before looking back at me.

“I just sensed that you needed help. ”

Haden was still watching her, but Della refused to look back at him.

“Do you know anything about Ravenstone Coven?” Haden asked her.

She shook her head. Her eyes were still solid white. She was struggling with something, but I figured it had something to do with Haden.

“I’m going to go introduce myself to Thea.” Then she left.

Haden stared at where Della had been for a long moment before looking at me. I was tense and fucking irritable. This time was different, and I wouldn’t let anyone stand in the way of getting Thea back.