The Wraith’s voice dropped to a whisper as he added, “And I heard you talking.”
A thrill of fear dripped down her spine. If he’d found out about the mask, their quest was doomed. All her life, she’d heard rumors about the Wraith; about his ruthlessness and his ability to singlehandedly destroy the entire frontline of an army. Whatever her father asked of him, the Wraith delivered. And all her life, he’d barely deigned to look at her, let alone help her with anything. What made this situation any different?
The Wraith sheathed his dagger and braced his elbows on his knees. “I know who is bound to that mask by a curse blacker than the night.” He paused, his eyes shining beneath his hood. “And I know how to free her.”
“As do we,” Avalon snapped. If her father’s sickly guard thought he could trick them into asking for help, he was horribly wrong.
“And how do you plan on freeing her?”
“We don’t have to tell you anything,” Avalon growled.
Much to the princess’s annoyance, Hadrian went on to tell her father’s ghoul everything. She stared at him, open-mouthed and fuming, as he told the Wraith about the Book of Elements, the Seven Sacred Stones, their encounter with Kaia Stormblood in the House of Dreams. Even where they planned to go next!
When he was finished, the Wraith merely watched them for several long minutes.
Avalon threw her hands up in frustration. “Well, he might as well tie us up now!”
“Like I said,” the Wraith snapped, “I have no intention of carting you back to the Realm of Ice, though every word that escapes your smart mouth is tempting me to do otherwise.” After glaring at Avalon long enough to make her shrink a size smaller, he gave his attention back to the captain. “Your plan is missing one thing.”
Despite how he’d made her feel a moment ago, Avalon cut in again, her tone laced with impatience. “Let me guess: your creative genius?”
The Wraith stopped himself just before he would’ve completed a full eye-roll. “As much as I’d like to help you, we part ways from here. I’ll cover your tracks as best as I can, and hopefully your father will believe my failure to capture you is a result of my sickness. As for the curse, the stones and the book are a good start. But sometimes a curse can only be undone with an opposite.” He cut his eyes as he looked between them. “What brings a person to curse another is oftentimes hate. What would be needed to undo a curse sealed with hate?”
Avalon didn’t like the sounds of this. Trusting the Clan Hunter was hard enough, but to trust the Wraith? “You’re saying the stones alone won’t be enough?”
The Wraith blinked slowly, his patience wearing thin. “Answer the question.”
Sometimes a curse can only be undone with an opposite, he’d said. “Love?” Avalon guessed.
He nodded once. “Love.”
She chewed on her lip as she debated. He didn’t break her gaze once the whole time she mulled his words over, and to her intense frustration, he never once displayed any signs that he was lying.
“Why are you helping us, anyway?” Avalon demanded.
The Wraith pulled up the sleeves of his black cloak, revealing the iron bands on his arms.
Avalon’s mouth popped open. “I don’t understand. Why would my father take away your magic?” It was no secret that the Wraith was sick, but never would she have guessed it was because her father had shackled him.
He shook his sleeves back down and crossed his arms. He refused to make eye contact with either of them as he said, “To teach me a lesson.”
“Those bands…,” Avalon began. “They are the reason you’ve been sick?”
The Wraith said nothing.
“Because of the iron,” she prodded. “It’s leaching not just your magic, but your life.” The Wraith watched her curiously, waiting for her to continue as she struggled to find the right words. “Exactlyhowdoes it stop you from being able to use your magic?”
The Wraith shrugged. “No one I’ve met has known how it works.” He fiddled with one of the seamless bands. “No key. No way to remove it once it’s on. Only the person who put it on in the first place can take it off.” He considered his words, and then amended, “Or someone of higher power.”
Avalon shifted, uncertain of whether she should ask the question poised on her tongue. “Do you get awful headaches? Ones that make you dizzy, and cause nosebleeds?”
The Wraith blinked once, cocked his head to the side, and said slowly, “Yes.”
Avalon felt around in her pockets until she found her bracelet. “This belonged to my mother. My father gave it to me.” She carefully offered it to the Wraith.
But he only leaned forward far enough to look at it, his hands still buried deep in the folds of his cloak. “Why would your father give you an iron bracelet?” His frothy eyes flashed up to meet hers.
“I was hoping you’d be able to tell me that.”
