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The sorrow in Talin’s gaze thickened my throat and screams of frustration at his cousin exploded in my head. Was it too much to ask for Rek to love the princes? Goddamn, they were his family. I’d move the world for mydad.
Talin frowned and rubbed a hand across his brow. For that moment, he looked lost, as if he saw his demise and found it too hard to keepfighting.
“Why haven’t you gotten married yet? If that’s not too personal a question?” Maybe he hadn’t met the perfect woman—though to me he seemed like the perfect catch. Not that he’d be interested in me because I was a commoner, carried no royal blood, and I wasn’t a shifter. Three things that were probably on his future-wife list. Anyway, that kind of stuff only happened in fairy tales and I was being foolish for indulging in suchthoughts.
Seeing the rigid way he sat while staring at me blankly, I regretted my query. “Look,it’s—”
“In White Peak, wives gain equality and ownership of half their mate’s possessions. Father always told me to not rush into the decision and first make sure my mate’s love is genuine and she isn’t marrying me for dominance or wealth. Bear shifters mate for life. There’s no such thing as a separation. So I will not jeopardize this realm and those who call the mountains home to Rek or anyone until I find my rightmate.”
In the little time I’d been with him, he seemed like he’d be a fair and caring ruler. Not like the priestess over in Terra. What would he do with the guards who were harassing Dad and me? Maybe if Talin became king, the solution was for Dad and me to move into White Peak—after making some state-of-the-art bearrepellent.
And I remembered Ash explaining how Rek wanted Talin to marry a fourteen-year-old girl. Like that wasn’t an obvious power-grabbing decision. I couldn’t help but admire Talin for sticking to his principles despite the shitload of trouble they’d landed himin.
He slouched in his seat. “The same night I showed initial symptoms of the illness, all castle staff changed as if they were under a spell. They picked up and left without a word. They returned to their homes and even when we followed them, they insisted they couldn’t work for us. No reason, just a feeling they had to follow. It was as if they were mind-controlled. That’s why we have no one in the castle. I suspect Rek was responsible. He’s trying to force my hand to wed his granddaughter. That was three weeksago.”
So how was I supposed to ever get home if the rebels patrolled the woods to keep anyone from coming in or going out? I’d almost died reaching thecastle.
I tried to sift through everything I’d learned, the corruption within the family, the reason the castle lay empty, the atrocity Rek had thrown on the princes for petty revenge and to gain their throne. Fat chance of the cousin retracting his assault. Goddess, someone had to stophim.
Talin offered me a gentle smile, and my heart sunk. His world had shattered and it wasn’t just his life at risk, but his brothers’. He had to be gutted. I took a deep breath, reached over, and placed a hand on his, fear looping around in my head. I wanted to bundle him in my arms, take away the agony etched across his furrowedbrow.
“Let’s fuck up your cousin’s curse and send it back to him.” Here I’d thoughtmylife was complicated.Holycrap.
Talin’s fingers curled over mine, and his sincerity touched me. No wonder the townsfolk under his jurisdiction feared losing a compassionateleader.
“Do you have a mate?” he asked, the question so random, I tilted my head, facinghim.
“Nope,” I said, loathing the answer because who didn’t want to find their perfect match? That was all I wrote in my stories, happily ever afters. The longing to find someone to love me hit me in my chest like a spikedmace.
“When you encounter him, make sure he treats you as you deserve.” Talin broke our touch and picked up the blade. With a swift motion of the knife, he sliced the fleshy part of his palm, and red droplets rolled down his fingers. He clenched his fist over the bowl. Blood trickled onto the powderedpotion.
His words still haunted me. Despite our initial encounter. He couldn’t have been more opposite to the monster I’d met upstairsyesterday.
I was on my feet and unraveled the tie-cord of my shirt, my pulse fluttering in Talin’spresence.
He eyed me, his mouth widening. “Is stripping part of the spell? Because I’m forit.”
“It’s not what you think.” Yet my blood sizzled at his innuendo. But flirting with the up and coming King of White Peak wasn’t a smart move. I couldn’t take the heartache later. “I don’t want to dirty this gorgeous top I borrowed from the wardrobeupstairs.”
“The color suits yourhair.”
I drew the fabric over my head, pulling down on the white undergarment riding up mystomach.
“When my sister, Vivienne was alive, I promised to keep her safe. As the eldest, it’s my responsibility, but I ruined that. So I made myself a promise to put an end to the tension of the four ruling families in White Peak and unite the tribes. Now I’m losing thatchance.”
Placing my top on a chair, I pressed my fingers into the mixture, mushing it up. “That’s enough blood, thanks. And you wrecked nothing. The world is filled with fuckwits who take pleasure in tearing others down. You should see the idiots who live in Terra. I ought to convince Dad to sell our place and move to another realm.” Just thinking of Tristan and his idiotic guards had me tensing. Not to mention the guard I’d spotted near the Golden Lock tavern. I prayed he hadn’t seenme.
Talin rose from his chair. “Your honesty is refreshing. Most of the time I’m surrounded by those who say anything they think we want to hear. Never thetruth.”
“Ha, then you should meet my dad. He has an opinion on everything.” That was one of the many things I loved about him and I was happy to have inherited it andmore.
Raze entered the room carrying a small handheld mirror encircled by a frame of silver. He blocked Leven’s and Ash’s path as they drew up behind him, each carrying a large, round bucket filled withwater.
“Shit, Raze,” Leven growled. “Move your ass out of myway.”
“Ash, place the mirror into the water,” I said. “Then add the black salt. Then take it out in the main hallway. We’re doing thisthere.”
I turned to Talin. “I need to paint your face. The enchantment will look at your reflection and not recognize the person who’s been cursed, and instead return the hex to the one whose blood was used to cast the magic, placing the burden on them.” Part of me hesitated in doing this spell because it wasn’t white magic, or black. Maybe gray. But with no sacrifice required, I was happy to try it out. Curses weren’t easy to break, so sometimes that meant going a bit heavy-handed on thesolution.
“I can’t tell you how much you’re turning me on right now,” Raze said. “Not only are you sexy with your little white number, but if you’re about to slap Rek with his own spell, fuck yeah.” He punched the air. “Let’s dothis.”
I glanced down at my top, not sure what Raze referred to, and noticed my pebbled nipples pressing against the fabric. Okay fine, if it gave them a show to lighten the mood, I could live with it. Though at the back of my mind, I wasn’t fully happy with cursing someone, but technically, wasn’t I just returning something that belonged to them? And if the prince was in danger of dying, damn right I would help cleansehim.
Scooping the mixture with my fingers, I faced Talin. “Concentrate on me the wholetime.”
Sharp green eyes met mine, and he gave a slight nod. The stolen moment between us wasn’t helping me stay focused. I could picture myself chatting with him for a full day about anything and everything as he made me feel at ease in his company. But they were foolish dreams. After this spell, I’d help him get his life back, and then I would leave. Even if the knot in my stomach tightened at thethought.
I glanced over my shoulders at the others. “Once we start the spell, be ready to jump in if Talin shows any signs of transforming.” So many maybes rolled through my head, like the spell backfiring. Did the curse have too strong a hold on Talin for this towork?
