Page 36 of Cursed Crowns
Kai spread his arms wide. “You are looking at the proof of it. Three days ago, I managed to claw my way out.”
Rose’s mind reeled. How badly she wished Wren were here to help her navigate the enormity of what she was hearing. She reached for Shen, but he went to his cousin.
“Who else is down there?” he said, his voice hungry. Rose could tell that in that moment she had disappeared for him entirely, thatthe events in Ellendale had been forgotten. All Shen could see was Kai, standing in front of him, holding the answers to his past. “Is my mother—”
Kai shook his head.
Shen closed his eyes—and his fists—weathering the news. “And my father?”
Kai’s expression was grim. “The loss of your mother was too much for him to bear. He passed not long after.” He raised his finger, as if tracing Shen’s face. “You look so much like him.”
Shen dropped his head and drew a shuddering breath. Rose’s heart clenched painfully for him. It was one thing to wonder if your family had perished, but another thing toknowit. To let go of that last kernel of hope inside you. And yet to know that your home had survived, that there were people within it who still remembered you—whoneededyou—well, there was some comfort in that. For Shen, and for her.
“Where exactly is your kingdom buried?” she asked Kai.
Kai’s smile turned rueful. “When the desert spat me out, it was still moving. It hides the kingdom, with every crest, every quake. But with a witch on the throne and the resources of Anadawn Palace, we can track the currents of the sand. We can dig for it. We can finally unbury the Sunkissed Kingdom, and let it shine once again in the sun.” He reached for his whip, winding it around his forearm as he spoke. “In return, we can help you defend your throne.” His dark eyes flashed. “My offer couldn’t come at a better time, Queenie. From the looks of things back there, you could use all the help you can get.”
In a small clearing not far from the road, Rose sat with her back against a tree, watching Shen pace back and forth. Kai was down by the riverwith the horses, allowing Rose and Shen time to discuss his request.
On one hand, it was madness to consider riding into the endless, arid desert with nothing but a hunch about its lost kingdom. But on the other, Rose could not stomach the idea of going back to Ellendale to face the army who had failed to protect her. According to Shen, Captain Davers had managed to regain control, chasing off most of the Arrows and arresting the ones who couldn’t get away in time. But Rose knew word would soon spread of Barron’s ambush, and his movement would gain momentum.
After all, he had made Anadawn look weak. He had madeherlook weak.
Rose had never seen Shen so agitated. He wouldn’t stop moving, grinding his jaw and flipping his dagger as he paced. “We have to help him, Rose. There’s an entire kingdom of witches trapped in the desert.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to rescue them,” said Rose for the tenth time in as many minutes. “But we don’t knowhow,Shen.We don’t even know where to begin.”
Shen jerked. “So, that’s it? You’re just going to give up and go back to your golden carriage?”
Rose reminded herself that Shen was hurting. “I’m saying I want to help,” she said gently. “I just don’t know how.”
He slumped to the ground. The look of pain on his face was so raw, Rose’s heart clenched. She pressed a hand to the ache in her chest. Something crumpled beneath her touch. She sat bolt upright. “I think I have an idea.” With trembling fingers, Rose withdrew the map that Thea had sketched for her from inside her dress. She had carried it with her all this time, keeping her solemn promise to the Queensbreath. “It’s not a map of the desert. But it could be something.”
Shen was on his feet in half a heartbeat. “The Amarach Towers,” he breathed. “You have a way to the seers.”
“We don’t even know if thereareany seers left,” Rose cautioned him. “But we’re not far from their valley.” She traced the winding route. “It’s a day’s ride south from here. Maybe two.”
Shen came to his knees, touching his head against hers as he studied the map. “This is it, Rose. If there’s anyone in Eana who can help us find the lost kingdom, this is where they’ll be.”
Rose’s mind whirled. How badly she wished Wren were here, but then, she knew already what her sister would do. She’d have already left for the Amarach Towers by now, and probably stolen Kai’s fancy horse to get there.
Shen’s voice interrupted her reverie. “This isn’t just about my home. The sooner we find the Sunkissed Kingdom, the stronger we’ll be against Barron and whatever else he has in store. And we’ll have a fighting chance against Gevra. You saw what Kai can do. There are warriors trapped down there. Seasoned witches. People with powers unlike anything your soldiers have to offer. And you need them, Rose. Just as badly as they need you.”
Shen was right. Kai’s request was as much a favor as it was a lifeline. After all, a lost kingdom of witches was a kingdom of allies. And after Captain Davers had walked her into Barron’s trap earlier, she could do with as many of those as possible.
“This rediscovery would certainly be a wonderful thing for all of Eana,” she murmured. “It might just be the thing to unite everyone.”
“Better than a tour,” said Shen. “If you do this, it will go down in history.”
Excitement tingled in Rose’s fingertips as she tucked the map away.This was the perfect way to prove to everyone, dissenters and supporters alike, that she was the queen Eana needed. The kind not to be trifled with. The kind who ventured into the unknown, at great risk to herself, for the good of her people. She would be Queen Rose the Brave. No, theGlorious.
Oh, she did like the sound of that.
Rose pressed a hand to her hip as she stood up, relieved at the jangle of coins there. Clever Agnes. She always warned Rose to keep her coin purse close, just in case. Now she would truly need it. After all, Kai had dragged himself out of the Ganyeve Desert without so much as a shirt, and all Shen’s worldly wealth was contained in the golden dagger in his boot and the ruby ring that hung from his neck, which Rose knew he would never part with. Not that she would ever ask him to.
“Of course, it will be dangerous traveling so far south without my guards,” said Rose, more to herself than to Shen. “I’m currently the only queen Eana has to offer.”
“Rose,” said Shen with such seriousness she turned to face him. He curled her hand in his. “You know I’ll protect you with my life.”