Page 111 of Cursebreaker

Owen nods slowly, concern crinkling his kind eyes. “I’m not sure Calantha sees it that way.”

Titus’s throat bobs. “Calantha wasn’t the only one who fed on my blood,” he says. “She bartered with it for favors within the court. Those people—that place—”

Understanding flickers in Owen’s gaze, and again I wonder what unspeakable atrocities he endured during his time with the Underlings. “Like I said, no one would blame you if you chose to stay behind.”

“I can’t,” he says. “Not if he’ll be there.”

My stomachs sours. Will. There’ve been reports he’s already made it to Castle Grim, aided by the Nightweavers aboard the Deathwail. Meanwhile, the Starchaser moves at a steady pace, hoping to give Mother and her fleets—aided by their own alliance of Nightweavers—a chance to reach the Eerie first.

“Will knew,” Titus says, his voice breaking. “He knew what she did to me—what those people did to me. He promised me once that he would be the one to make them pay for it. And now… now he’s working with them.”

He squeezes my hand tighter, and it’s only when I squeeze back that the pressure relents.

“Then it’s settled: We’re all going,” Owen says in an obvious attempt to steer the conversation away from the topic of Will and his betrayal. “Any ideas where the Sword might be?”

Titus blows out a tight breath, running a hand through his hair. “The graveyard, perhaps? It could be in a mausoleum, or a statue—”

“What about the Bloodrose garden?” Owen offers. “It could be buried there—”

The two of them go back and forth, tossing out possible locations, but my thoughts return to Will. What if he’s already found the Sword? No one knows the castle better than Will, having spent years of his life exploring secret passageways and hidden rooms with Titus.

Except for one…

“Hildegarde’s cavern,” I say, and Owen and Titus fall silent, their heads whipping in my direction.

“Bloody brilliant,” Titus murmurs, pressing a kiss to my temple.

“Of course!” Owen says, tapping his chin. “You said the water there spoke to you, right? And it glows, just like the water—”

“That led us to the cave in the Republic of Ruin!” Titus finishes, eyes bright with hope.

Warmth blooms in my chest. If I’m right, we could be one step closer to finding the Sword. Then all that’s left is the Key, and we’ll have all three Relics of Night. We’ll possess the means to enter Elysia—and more important, Morana won’t.

There’s a quiet knock on the door, and Lewis slips inside, his face grim.

He extends an envelope to me, nostrils flaring with barely contained frustration. “It’s addressed to you.” He hesitates, his teeth clenched. “The pages are blank.”

My heart drops into my stomach.

During my time at Bludgrave Manor, while Will was fighting with Titus across the sea, he’d written a letter to me—keyed to my blood so that only I could read it.

I take the envelope from Lewis with shaking hands and unfold the parchment.

My darling Aster,

Castle Grim has fallen. The nobility who supported Calantha’s rule are dead.

Consider this an engagement gift.

I crumple the paper in my fist.

“Well?” Owen asks, his brow furrowed. “What did it say?”

I swallow around the lump in my throat. “He’s been watching us,” I say. “He knows we’re engaged.” I turn to Lewis. “How did you get this letter?”

Lewis frowns. “Albert found it in the crow’s nest.”

I take a deep breath, my pulse pounding, and meet Titus’s gaze. “He’s killed them all—the nobility who sided with Calantha,” I say. “They’re all dead.”