Page 27 of Magic Cursed

“I’m sorry,” I say, my voice cracking. I’m sorry that my father took his away from him that dreadful night. I’m sorry I had to leave him. I’m sorry for our lost innocence. My father killed who we were as surely as he had killed the king.

Daimis’s eyes roam my face as if searching for answers. Then he must come back to himself, because he shakes his head, climbs off of me, sits back, and leans his arms over his bent knees. It’s a very casual pose for a prince, and one he used to do all the time. It somehow makes him look younger. “I’m the one who should apologize. You just–––” he runs a hand through his hair. “You remind me of someone I knew a lifetime ago. I don’t know why; you don’t even look like she did.” He glances at me again. “Except. . .your eyes.”

I drop my gaze from his, sitting up. I’m on very dangerous ground and need to convince him I’m Sky, not Sahra. “Your Highness, I’m not the girl you knew.”

“No, of course not.” He shakes his head again, and his voice almost sounds disappointed. Which doesn’t make sense, he surely hates me. Why else did he fail to meet me on the night of the Blood Moon? I waited two days for him, until my stomach ached with hunger pains that had me doubling over.

He gestures to the room. “There are a lot of memories in this cursed place that don’t want to stay in the past where they belong.” A ghost of a smile crosses his face. “Don’t worry, I’m not losing my mind. I know you’re not Sahra. You couldn’t be.” His eyes drop and he sighs. “She died the night of the Blood Moon.”

What?I suck in a sharp breath.He thinks I’m dead?

Daimis looks up and his lips thin. “Your injuries. I’m a fool. Did I hurt you?”

“No.” Then I remember that I should be hurting more than I am, so I add, “I mean a little, but I’ll be fine.”

His brows are still knit with concern, but he nods his head.

Why does he think I’m dead? It doesn’t make any sense. The Steel Guard has been hunting me ever since that night. But then Daimis has been away from Stonemount Keep since then. It was in the King’s living will that if anything happens to him, Daimis will be raised by the King’s sister and brother-in-law in Northern Thaaryn until Daimis comes of age. The memory of the missing posters in the market comes to mind. They must have taken them down just before Daimis returned. They lied to him. But why?

“What are you doing up here anyway?” Daimis asks.

“I couldn’t sleep and went for a walk,” I say. “I heard a noise and decided to see if anyone else was in here, and that’s when you attacked me.”

He huffs a laugh. “I attacked you?”

“You grabbed my shoulder.”

“Grabbed? Hardly. I was trying to get your attention.” He raises a brow. “It was you who attacked me.”

I think about the moment he grabbed my shoulder. Or was it more of a light touch? Perhaps I overreacted…a little. In my defense, I’m in a place where I’m constantly in real danger. I’m entitled to be a little jumpy.

I sigh. “Fine, I apologize for attacking you. But you were being a bit clandestine, meeting with someone up here in the middle of the night.”

His eyes widen but he quickly recovers and the casual way he was talking to me is gone, replaced by coldness. “What are you talking about?” He stands and brushes off the dirt from his trousers. “As you can see, I’m alone.”

He’s lying. I stand up, deciding to test something. “I distinctly heard two voices.”

“You were mistaken. I was just talking to myself.” He narrows his eyes. “Of all the places in the castle, your late-night walk brought you here? The conservatory is hard to find, unless you know precisely where to look.”

I fold my arms over my chest. “What exactly are you implying?”

He raises his brows. “Bluntness, then?”

“By all means.”

“Were you following me?”

I choke on a laugh. “Why would I be following you?”

“You tell me.”

I tilt my head. “Do you have something to hide, Prince?”

Daimis’s jaw twitches as he stares at me and I stare right back, refusing to back down from the silent challenge. He takes a step forward. “You’re the one hiding things, Sky. Are you ready to tell me how you survived the shadow demon attack?” Nice tactic. Trying to steer the conversation.

I take a step forward now. “I’ve already told you. I don’t—”

“Remember,” Daimis finishes. He leans in close. “You’re lying,” he says it like a growl.