Page 86 of Cursed Crowns
“Andshe’s tremendous fun,” Anika went on, as if she hadn’t heard her. “I enjoy her company.”
Celeste smirked at Wren over a stack of pancakes. “I tend to have that effect on people.”
“Not me,” said Wren pointedly.
“That’s because you have a bad habit of doing stupid things. And I’m the one who ends up having to scold you.”
Wren folded her arms. “Is that why you’ve come here, then? Toscoldme?”
Celeste picked at a crumb on the table. “Of course not. I came to have breakfast with Anika. And to check in on you, I suppose. It was Anika’s idea to invite you down here to join us.”
Wren knew Celeste well enough by now to know she was lying. The wrinkle on her nose betrayed her true feelings. She was worried about Wren—and even more so than before.
Celeste reached for a pancake. “So, Wren, what have you been up to since I last saw you?”
“Oh, a bit of this. A bit of that. Have you ever watched snow fall for hours on end? It’s exceedingly boring.”
“She’s made a deal with Alarik,” Anika supplied. “I was against it at first, but he’s persuaded me to give her a chance at redemption.” Wren glanced sidelong at the princess, surmising from her casualness that she mustn’t yet know about Ansel. How peculiar.
“Oh?” Celeste popped a berry into her mouth. “What kind of deal?”
Anika had shoved Wren into dangerous territory. No possible good could come from telling Celeste about the spell. “Alarik has agreed to set Banba free,” said Wren vaguely. “I just have to... help him with a task first.”
Celeste set her fork down. “What kind of task?”
Wren cleared her throat.
“Go on,” needled Anika. “Or would you like me to do the honors?”
Wren threw her a withering glance. She was about to respond when the door to the dining room flew open and Prince Ansel lurched inside, saving her the trouble. “Good morrow! Do I detect the sweet smell of maple syrup? Ah! Dear sister, I see you are breakfasting with my future bride.” He grinned widely, his lips stretching and stretching,until Wren could see all the teeth in his head. “I think you two are going to be the best of friends.”
Anika screamed.
The fox hissed.
Celeste leaped to her feet, brandishing her butter knife.
“That kind of task,” said Wren, slumping in her chair.
32
Rose
Rose’s footsteps echoed in the darkness as she raced through the abandoned streets of Ellendale. Flames licked her heels, while arrows whistled past her ears. She could hear Barron calling out for her.Come back, little witch. I’ve got a special arrow for your rotten heart.
The air exploded around Rose. Fire rose up from the cobblestones and lashed out at her. She tripped over herself, but when she fell, her knees met snow. A sudden shock of coldness stole through her. She looked up, into a swirling blizzard to find her sister standing before her.
Wren,Rose cried, with surging relief.Thank goodness you’re here.
But Wren didn’t answer. She smiled as she raised the dagger in her hand, and brought it crashing down, straight toward Rose’s heart.
Rose woke with a scream trapped in her throat. She gasped a breath, reaching for the pitcher of water on the nightstand. She drank it down, trying to wash away the image of her sister stabbing her heart and the slow-burgeoning fear that in the snow-swept wilds of Gevra Wren was turning into Oonagh, and the twins’ curse would find new life in her sister.
Stop that,Rose scolded herself.It was only a dream.
And she was no seer. Thankfully.
A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her she had only been asleep for twenty minutes. She was surprised she had managed to nod off at all.