Withering Rose (Once Upon A Curse Book 2) (23 page)

Asher doesn’t know how to help me.

I listen halfheartedly as he launches into a
quick explanation.

"My family's curse was to never find love,"
he confesses, gaze focused on the fire. An edge of sadness latches
onto his voice, a bit of darkness even this always happy man can’t
shake. "I'm not sure if you remember my mother's magic from when
you visited our kingdom so many years ago, but emotion was her
power. She could steal the feelings deep inside people's hearts,
leaving them empty shells. She used her magic to take people's love
and fear, their longing and hope, everything no one would willingly
give her. By the time I was born, she was so wrapped up in the
power, it had consumed her. She was beyond anyone's ability to
love. And when the earthquake merged our world with Earth, I took
the opportunity to run away, and I worked for ten years to try to
bring her down. A few weeks ago, Jade and I did what I thought
would be impossible. We put an end to my mother, and when the magic
was passed on to the heir, we realized something—the curse was
already broken. We loved each other, and the magic disappeared the
instant we told each other that truth."

Jade watches him, smiling ever so slightly.
But her green eyes hold a hint of sorrow. I know there is more to
the story than they're letting on, and yet I can't bring myself to
care. I know everything I need to know—they can't help me. And I'm
starting to think that nothing will.

So I just nod, absorbing the words
silently.

The quiet lingers, wrapping around us until
the only sound is the crackling fire. My mind wanders to Cole and
the mountain and my father. Worry creeps out of the hole I pushed
it into. Worry and fear.

"I'm sorry," Jade confesses suddenly. I turn
to her, eager for any diversion, but her eyes are on the ground.
Something about her seems awkward in a way it hasn't before. "About
before, with the, uh, gun." She takes a deep breath and meets my
eyes. "I was under Queen Deirdre's thrall for a long time, and it's
sort of hard to shut that side off sometimes, especially when I'm
in fight mode. I really thought he was hurting you, I didn't know…"
She trails off and then releases a soft, breathy laugh. "Anyway, I
don't usually lose in a fight. That vine thing was pretty
impressive. I never even had a chance."

"Wow," Asher comments ruefully, "apologizing
and admitting defeat in the same breath. I never thought I'd see
the day."

Jade punches him in the arm.

Lightly…sort of.

But Asher is still grinning as he rubs the
newly sore spot on his bicep, and Jade just rolls her eyes, tossing
him an exasperated look. I get the feeling that this teasing sort
of banter is pretty normal for them.

Will Cole and I ever be free like that?

To just sit and tease without a worry in the
world? No more magic, no more curses, no more mysteries to solve?
Nothing tugging at the back of our thoughts, shadowing every moment
of light happiness?

"Omorose?" Asher asks, pulling me from my
thoughts.

But as I turn to face him, a sound in the
distance captures my attention.

Howling.

My head whips around as my eyes land on the
open door Cole disappeared through a while ago. I'm on my feet
before Asher and Jade even realize what's happening. And I'm
running, sprinting from the living room, racing through the halls,
not stopping to see if they follow. I go faster and faster until I
slam against the front door of the castle, unable to stop my
momentum, but the slight pain helps pull me back to reality.

The doors swing open.

The echo of roars fills the town and I
search, scanning the streets.

I sense him before I see him.

Cole.

But this time he is back in the form of the
wolf, and he's not alone. His pack, the wolves I now know are his
uncles and cousins, follow on either side. And across all of their
backs rests a man I feared I would never see again.

"Papa!" I shout.

The body doesn’t move. His limbs are limp
and lifeless. My eyes widen in horror the closer the wolves
approach. Each step brings my father's pallid color clearer and
clearer into view. I've never seen his bronze skin look so pale and
ashen. All I want is for those umber eyes that I inherited to open
wide, to glance at me with reassurance, but they remain locked
behind sealed lids.

Cole barks twice and slips ahead of the pack
as another wolf glides in to take his spot beneath my father's
body. A few steps later and he transforms midstride into the man
who's come to mean so much to me. A few more steps and his palms
grasp my shoulders, tugging me closer gently. Then he grins.

"He's alive."

I shut my eyes tight, fighting the sudden
urge to cry or scream or do something in between. Pure relief
shoots through me, bringing my entire system back to life. "He's
alive?"

"Yes," Cole murmurs. The rumble in his chest
comforts me. "He's alive. Barely. But I think I found him in time
to save him."

And then the wolves are there.

They pause beside me, giving me the time to
reach down and press my fingers against my father's impossibly cold
cheek.

"Papa," I whisper.

He doesn't move. There's no response.

So I lean down and place a soft kiss to his
wrinkled brow, unaware that I've begun crying until I see the sheen
of teardrops glistening on his face.

"I love you," I whisper into his ear. "I'll
save you."

And then I stand, stepping back. Cole takes
my place, scooping my father into his arms as though he is a doll
and not a full-grown man.

"I'll bring him to a guest room," he says,
voice barely strained.

I nod, ready to follow. But then I glance
over at the wolves. They're watching me like they already know what
I'm about to say. "You remember what I need?"

They nod, more human than animal.

And then they're gone, off to fetch my water
and bowl and herbs. Everything I once used to heal the wounds I put
on Cole's body. Everything I hope will save my father now.

Asher and Jade watch from the far side of
the entry, staring at the wolves with wide eyes and somewhat
shocked expressions. But they silently fall in behind me as I
follow Cole and my father down the long corridors of the castle. We
end up in a guest room across from mine. Immediately, we settle my
father on the soft mattress. I tuck the covers around his body,
bundling him in the way he used to do with me when I was a child. I
fluff the pillows before placing them beneath his head and feel his
cheeks for any sign of warmth. But the only heat I feel comes from
the fire Cole has just lit.

"More blankets," I murmur.

Cole doesn’t need any other prompting. He
vanishes, only to return a moment later with a stack of wools that
we together place over my father's still form. By the time I'm done
tucking the edges, the wolves have returned, carrying everything I
need.

There's not an ounce of hesitation in me as
I call my magic to the surface. I don't care if my father wouldn't
approve. I don't care if he would say it wasn't worth losing some
of my life to save his. To me, there is nothing more worthy of my
power. There is no other sacrifice I could be more willing to make.
So I bring various herbs to life, letting the plants stretch and
grow just so I can yank the leaves free.

Cole watches over me silently while I work,
lending his strength as he presses his fingers into my back,
massaging out the strain. His presence is more comforting than I
think he knows. Those little touches keep me grounded, keep me
focused. Without him by my side, the fear of losing my father would
be crippling. Instead, I'm calm and clear. I'm brave.

My father jerks when I pour the first
poultice forcibly down his throat. But I hold my hand over his
mouth, wincing as his body thrashes beneath me. I don’t release
until he swallows. And then I pour the second. And the third. Each
time, his reaction grows stronger. Cole has to hold him down while
I work. But I don't stop. Even as he grunts in pain, I keep pushing
forward. Because I know this is my only chance to save him.

An hour later, when it's done, my father has
passed out from the exertion.

But his forehead is warmer.

The vibrant coffee-colored hue of his skin
is returning.

His coal-black hair shines with a thin layer
of sweat.

I collapse over him, utterly exhausted as I
wrap my arms around his motionless body in a tight embrace. Beneath
the covers, he still feels cold as ice.

"Please," I whisper.

A prayer.

To anyone who will listen.

Cole runs his coarse fingers through my
hair. "Omorose."

I turn, looking up at him, unable to
move.

But he glances to the floor, and I hear
their gentle mewling without having to look. It takes all of my
energy, but I sit up and then fall against the back of my chair.
Without pause, the wolves take my place, jumping up onto the bed
and nestling against my father.

"They'll keep him warm," Cole says quietly.
"They'll stand watch and let us know if anything changes."

I nod, but I can’t look away.

My hand reaches out, holding on to the lump
in the covers where I know my father's hand is. And even though I
tell myself not to hope, I can’t fight the disappointment that
surges through me when his fingers don’t tighten around my own.
Shutting my eyes against the despair, I let go.

Cole's hand latches on to mine before I even
realize I was absently searching for his fingers. I pull, and he
steps close enough that I can lean my head against his side.
Cocooned by his warmth, I finally let myself breathe for a few
quiet moments. Everyone is silent. And I know they're waiting for
me to speak.

"It's my fault," I confess.

"No," Cole urges, tightening his fingers
around mine.

But I shake my head. "Yes," I protest. My
voice is scratchy and raw. "I told him I would get rid of my magic
and come back. I told him I wouldn’t be gone for very long. He must
have gotten worried. And I was here, with you, forgetting about
him. While he was out there, dying to make sure I was safe."

My tone cracks in an ugly way.

"You can't think like that," Cole soothes.
And I know he is speaking from experience, from years of blame and
guilt over his own parents' deaths. But I don't believe him.
Because I know the truth.

I was here, drunk on using my magic.

I was here, forgetting about the promises I
made him.

I was here, falling in love for the first
time in my life.

I was here, feeling like I might finally
belong.

And he was there, alone in the cold,
fighting with everything he had to be sure that I was safe and
unharmed. He was killing himself. And I didn’t know. Didn’t even
think about it. Didn’t care to check in on him and make sure he
knew I was all right, that I was happy.

My father is dying.

And it is all my fault.

"Why?" I whisper, raspy. "Why did he try to
cross over the mountains by himself? What was so urgent that he
would risk so much to find me?"

"Um," Asher interrupts.

I spin. My eyes find his immediately.
"What?"

Those indigo irises flash with revelation.
"I know why your father was trying to find you." He purses his
lips, glancing at Jade. Her face is cold. Those green eyes are as
hard as her namesake as she meets his stare. But I know that lethal
look isn’t meant for him. It's caused by the information Asher's
words have revealed, an understanding I lack.

"Why?" I plead, standing so quickly the
chair tips backward. Only Cole's quick reflexes stop it from
crashing to the floor. "Tell me."

They both look from Cole to me to Cole and
back.

Finally, Asher sighs. "The Midwest Command
Center, the general there, he's planning an attack. The wheels were
already in motion by the time we arrived. Your father, he must have
heard about it, he must have been coming to warn you, to get you to
leave before you were killed."

Cold dread trickles through me.

Even Cole's hand feels cold.

"They've tried to attack before," he growls,
voice low and fueled with danger. "They’ve never once made it
through the mountains. In the ten years since the earthquake, no
one has ever breeched our city's wall until you did tonight."

Asher glances at him apologetically.
"They're not coming through the mountains."

Cole frowns, waiting. Both of us hang on the
edge of Asher's next words. But he doesn’t elaborate. Instead, he
and Jade share another quick glance, another unspoken
conversation.

"Asher," I say slowly, voice just on the
edge of wild fury. "If you care for me at all, if you want to honor
the promises we were once supposed to make to each other, you'll
tell me what they're planning. Now."

His brows tighten. "The magic," he admits.
"Even if you don’t think it is, it's evil. All of it. And it has to
be stopped."

When I glance up at Cole's face, it's gone
white, so pale that his scars have faded into his skin. All the
blood is rushing from his cheeks. I squeeze his fingers, trying to
let him know I'm here, that I won't let anything happen to his
family, to his people.

"The magic in this kingdom, it's not what
you think it is," I urge. "Even Cole and I don't fully understand
it. We don’t know what will happen if the person wielding it is
killed, what will happen to you if you try to kill her. We're
trying to stop her, but we need time to find answers."

Time.

The one thing that has never been on my
side. And when Asher's soft gaze lands on mine, I know that yet
again, time will be my enemy.

"They're attacking in two weeks, whether
Jade and I make it back to the base or not."