Cross to Bear Book 3

“You’re back so soon?” a voice asked, causing me to chuckle.

“Did you think I’d die?” I replied, patting his shoulder.

“No, but I thought there might be some blood?”

I looked at him and smiled.

“No, I couldn’t do that. Plus, I had something to give him before he left,” I explained as we ascended to the treehouse.

“And the girl?” he asked, causing me to pause and turn to face him.

“She’ll be okay.” I smiled. “And she’s in for more than one surprise when she gets home.”

“Surprise?” he asked, and I nodded.

“Yes, soon one of them will return and ask for my help. That’s when I’ll do what I need to do and put an end to their suffering,” I explained, smiling.

“Sounds like a wise plan,” he chuckled.

I walked over to my bed and sat down. With a sigh, I opened my hand and began to chant. A small yellow orb appeared in my palm. I looked at it and smiled, then showed him.

“Fairies know, my friend.”

“Damn demons!”

I clutched my arm as I hobbled up the steep incline. Glancing down, I groaned at the sight of demons closing in. Cursing under my breath, I chanted a spell and used my powers to fend them off.

I didn’t have my mana source with me, and all my men were dead. I had to find a way out of here before one of those demons got me. Grunting, I kept climbing.

The place was shrouded in darkness, filled with mist and demons. I couldn’t teleport due to the lack of mana. And I hadn’t anticipated that damn seeker would injure me so badly before I managed to kill him.

At least one was dead. Two more to go. It would take a while to recover, but I didn’t care. I had confirmed what I needed to know—my little queen’s power.

Who would have guessed the cursed queen was back and stronger than ever?

That little bitch who abandoned her kingdom years ago had everything planned out before her death. Poor fools, they had no idea she didn’t commit suicide.

And I never expected she’d have a daughter with cursed blood. Now all I needed was to get my hands on her and let her do what she was meant to do. And that was to kill the dragon king.

Hearing a screech, I spun around and dodged just as a demon lunged at me. Its long claws scraped against the rocks as I kicked it in the face.

“Damn it, obey me!” I commanded angrily.

With another hard kick, I continued my ascent.

“Wait for me, my dear Amari. Once I’ve regained my powers, I’ll bring you back where you belong,” I said, laughing.

I rubbed my temples, the crackling of the fireplace the only sound in my room. I sighed again, feeling drained.

I felt awful about what had just happened, but I had no other choice. It wouldn’t have been right. It wouldn’t have been fair.

Seeing the hurt on his face was painful. My heart ached as he turned and walked away from me. But who was I kidding?

Did I love him?

I was attracted to him, and I cared about him. But love? Could I really call it love?

A soft knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Who could it be now?

“Come in,” I murmured, staying on the sofa. Michael peeked in, offering a smile as he excused himself.

“Can we talk?” he asked, and I nodded tiredly. “You must be exhausted, right?”

I nodded again, but didn’t meet his gaze.

“Azriel is heartbroken, my dear,” Michael said, causing me to curse under my breath. “But don’t feel guilty. He’s the kind of person who understands and doesn’t take things personally. Especially not with you.”

I glanced at him. Michael just smiled.

He looked worn out.

“Just give him time, and everything will go back to normal.”

“Normal?” I muttered, my gaze fixed on the flickering firelight. “Nothing will be normal. My heart hurts.”

I rubbed my chest as tears welled up in my eyes.

“It’s the bond. You’re feeling his pain,” Michael explained. I lifted my head. Was he serious?

“His pain? What about me? Am I heartless? Is that what you’re saying?” I snapped.

Michael shook his head.

“I’m not saying that, but the one you feel the most is the one in the most pain.

“So if you shut your eyes and focus, you’ll sense that Azriel’s mark is pulsing with pain,” he said, his smile tinged with sadness.

“Now, the reason I’m here is to talk about what happened earlier.”

“You mean the witch?” I asked, turning my gaze away from him.

“Did you have to kill her?” Michael questioned.

“Was I supposed to wait for my own death?” I shot back, gripping the pillow under my arms. I closed my eyes, trying to steady my racing heart.

Ever since I killed Calandra, I’d been feeling off. My mind would fog up, and then something dark would claw at my thoughts, trying to take over.

I knew everyone was shocked when I killed Calandra. That was going to cause issues.

But she was going to die anyway. Killing her felt...right.

I glanced down at my hands. I’d taken a life for the first time. I never thought I’d be capable of such a thing, but it didn’t feel wrong.

Instead, I felt a sense of relief, a calmness washing over me. Was it because I transferred the curse to the stone before killing Calandra, freeing myself from the curse?

I was still confused, but I was free. What I’d been longing for my entire life was finally a reality. So why wasn’t I happy?

“The cursed blood is affecting you,” Michael murmured as I opened my eyes again. “You need to learn to control it.”

“Control it?” I snapped, my teeth grinding together. “You think I’m okay with this?”

Now I was pissed.

“I hate this!” I shouted, standing up and hurling the pillow across the room. “I hate what I am. It feels like I’ll never be free. Free from this curse that binds me like chains.”

“You can be free,” Michael said, causing me to whip my head around. “But to do that, you need to find the answer within yourself.

“Don’t let the monster control you. Show it that you’re the one who summons it, not the other way around. You’re the only one who controls who you are.”

Michael stood and walked towards the door. He paused when he reached it.

“If you need help controlling it, I’m here for you. Just call me,” he said, closing the door behind him.

I let out a frustrated groan and flopped back onto the bed. It was late, and I had some serious decisions to make before something happened to me.