The Secret World of Briar Rose(26)
How could that be? The mystery of the treasure intrigued Corin even more once Ezran confirmed the rumors were true. She had heard tales of Gyldan once being rich with gold. How an ancient faerie blessed the royal family and they became the only people gilded with fortune, propelling them into ruling over a prosperous land They had gained power, and that, ultimately, was the key to survival.
If she had that kind of wealth in her hands, she could change everything. She would wake up with a roof over her head, rolling over a soft mattress so big that Elly would have her own side. She would never need to rely on the company of loved ones for warm meals. She would move far away from Gyldan and leave behind the bad memories and dead friends she’d rather forget.
“I thought I was going to kill you to make things easier, but you’ve surprisingly made yourself useful,” Malicine said. “I’ll take you to the princess and see what she thinks.”
Corin bit her bottom lip to strain a smile. The gears of her new plan clicked together, and she finally knew a way to escape from the tunnels, the darkness she had spent so long wandering. There was a light at the end, after all, and it glinted like gold.
Malicine beckoned their raven while descending the staircase. Corin trailed behind, then stopped at the handrail when she realized Elly hadn’t moved. Her sister’s brows remained furrowed, a darkened expression on her face.
“You don’t plan on giving the treasure back,” she said. “You’re going to keep it for yourself and let Ezran destroy this world.”
Corin shrugged. “Not necessarily. If the treasure turns out to be an artifact or some royal heirloom, I’ll sell it.”
Elly’s lips pressed tight. She dipped her chin to her chest, staring at her shoes. The floor reflected the icicles that dangled from the chandelier like teardrops.
“Harlow was right about you.”
Corin bit her tongue to refrain from cursing at her sister. A faint taste of blood lingered in her mouth. When her lips parted, a breath of smoke came out, a tremble of air before it disappeared.
“Harlow’s dead.” Her voice was flat, hard. “Maybe if she had been selfish, she would’ve survived like we did.”
A prickly silence hung between the sisters as they joined Malicine outside the castle. Corin didn’t want to deal with Elly’s moodiness, so they ignored each other while crossing frosted fountains and ice-coated trees. Elly ventured far enough to reach the end of the frozen lake, where the ice had pieced itself back together. Corin wished it was as easy for her to put things back in place. To no longer see the cracks of something after it broke.
She turned to Malicine, who kept an eye on Elly without saying anything. Whatever they thought of Elly or the tension between the sisters, they did not speak it out loud.
“There’s something else I want to know,” Corin said, breaking the silence. “If the dreamworld is supposed to collapse when people enter it, how are we still here?”
Malicine turned to her and broke into a grim smile.
“Because you and your sister are living a lie. And what are dreams, if nothing more than lies?”
CHAPTER 12
118 YEARS AGO
ITWOULD HAVE BEEN a lie to say Malicine wasn’t looking forward to ruining an infant’s birthday.
Though magic concealed the demon from sight, they still wore a cloak as black as their raven, the two blending as one. They floated among shadows in corridors and watched blurs of faces pour through double doors.
Crystal chandeliers spiraled from the arched ceiling of the ballroom. The floor was polished like an iced-over lake, and the room was filled with noble men and women who sparkled in shades of emerald and ruby. Between two tiers of windows were floor-to-ceiling mirrors, an infinite reflection of a room Malicine would never belong in.
They scanned the crowd, aiming to pluck three faeries in the midst. The thought of seeing their sisters again shot a bolt of thrill up their spine. Four years was enough time for a family reunion. When the raven first told them about the ceremony, Malicine hardly cared about the trivial matters of a spoiled human girl. Then he revealed an even more inane tradition: inviting the entire kingdom to witness the heir’s godmothers granting their gifts.
Well. It would be rude if Malicine didn’t bring a gift, too.
Black clouds sprawled across the sky, billowing over the moon like a flapping cloak. A low crackle of thunder rolled across the fields to rainfall. Inside the warmth of stone walls, Malicine let the muffled crackles pace their excited heart.
Tonight would be a welcome reprieve from the past few years. They had spent years searching the land for a hidden portal to the Otherworld. The raven’s memories were too weathered down by time to provide helpful clues. He could not even recall his own name, so Malicine began calling him Talon. The only thing he remembered was the bloodred amulet the Demon King wore around his neck, how its color matched the edges of a circular portal before it faded as quickly as the amulet’s glow. Still, they found nothing beyond the walls of foliage, the bottoms of lakes, the circle of redwood trees that created the perfect shape for a portal yet led to nothing on the other side.
After multiple failed attempts, Malicine needed a victory.
This would be a glorious one.
Guests chattered over wine and quieted to a hush when King Victor entered the room. His presence drained away every breath and conversation, the crowd stilling as he approached the throne. He wore a cardinal-red cloak that swept across his broad chest. White fox fur donned the collar, a color creeping closer to his graying beard. His hair had grown like a hedgerow, his shoulders wide like a bull. A faint shadow of purple hung below his eyes, a subtle betrayal that despite his air of nobility, the morning had depleted his energy.