I’d spent my last days searching for, was the one who’d appeared as randomly again, to champion the breaking of my curse. And that he’d be the only one who wasn’t for me. With my luck, I should have realized it sooner. I should accept it.
But I didn’t. I was angry. At fate. At him. For sweeping me off my feet, in every way. For connecting with me, then vanishing, making me question my sanity, and risking my survival for him. For appearing again, only for his quest to be for another girl. For not being the one at all, but being the only one I wanted.
But it didn’t matter what I wanted. Fate was making certain I believed this once and for all. Regardless of what I felt, I needed someone else to survive. And that was what I was going to get now. A king. A terrible creature I could never want or even bear.
Somewhere during the storm of misery that had wrecked me over and over, we arrived at the palace. This time, the guards let us through the gates. Robin, or Reynard, or whoever he really was, led Amabel to the platform where our companions, the king, and his sister had remained where we’d left them.
I dismounted from Amabel who was taken away to be tended to. I distanced myself from Robin as Theseus descended from his throne to greet us with open arms.
“I’m impressed! All my guards never slowed that particular beast down. Then you come, a wanted bandit and a cursed spirit, and you actually brought it down.”
Neither Robin nor I said anything. I didn’t want to talk at all. I wanted to cease to exist.
“I was counting on you losing. But you didn’t. And you did do me a great favor. So by my own rules, I have no choice but to honor our bargain. I have already given your companions the information they seek.” Theseus came before me and held out his hand for mine. “What do you wish of me then, Princess?”
Despite being boneless, I felt so heavy. Lifting my eyes from my feet to his face alone took all the effort left in me. I slipped my hand over his, feeling nothing. This should have been the moment I’d dreamed of for months. This was exactly what I had come here for. I should be happy. Relieved, at least.
I’d never known such misery.
But this melancholy would pass. Happiness was not a requirement for living.
I snuck one last look at Robin. He looked forlorn, but tried to give me an encouraging smile. The others, especially Agnë and Meira, seemed unable to wait for me to get this over with.
Steadying myself, I attempted to keep my voice from shaking. “I need you to declare yourself to me, say that you love me, and promise to marry me.”
With a little bow of his head, Theseus slid his golden gaze over me, and for the first time it seemed he liked what he saw.
Then he cleared his throat, and announced, “I, King Theseus of the Summer Court, love you, Princess Fairuza of Arbore. From here on out, I bind myself to you, and will make you my queen.”
My outline buzzed like my skin was awakening from an all-encompassing numbness. Next moment, I felt myself being sucked away from where I stood, the edges of existence blurring. In the span of a blink, the Summer Palace was gone.
It was working! My curse was breaking!
I was going to awaken in my body and be free, be alive and—
Everything went dark.
It could have been in the next blink or in another lifetime that faint light washed out the gloom.
I found myself standing in a twilit, washed-out field scattered with grey daffodil-like flowers that swayed in an airless breeze.
By me, a glowing purple river ran like curdled blood, and on either side of it, translucent forms floated about, moaning, weeping.
They were—were… Souls!
I was in the Underworld!
Chapter Twenty-Five
There were no words.
There had never been words to describe where I was. Or what I was feeling.
An overwhelming mixture of dread and despair, and a thousand other terrible emotions assailed me as I took in my surroundings. The place I’d been doing everything to avoid.
All the tales of the Underworld spoke of the River of Sorrow, where asphodel flowers grew in the Grey Fields, and souls roamed in desolation. And here they were, as real as anything I’d ever seen.
But this couldn’t be right. I shouldn’t be here.
I did everything everyone