“Amulet?” Zach asked.
He’s not going to let this go. “Curses need an object as a medium—something that binds the magic to this world. Most witches’ curses use jewels as mediums, and many reside in jewelry of some kind. The Curse of Venera is usually transferred to an amulet.”
“You knew all this and didn’t say anything.” Anger coated his voice now.
I threw my hands up. “There’s nothing to be done! A witch curses the amulet and hides it in the village. Even if we knew where it was hidden, there are dark enchantments guarding it.”
“What sort of enchantments?” he asked.
A trill of fear crawled up my spine, and I shivered. I tried to hide it by running a hand over my hair, pushing back loose strands that had fallen out of my bun.
Dark enchantments were like stepping into evil itself. They were unnatural and ripped away coherent thought and your sense of right and wrong. The few classes I’d had on them, where we had to experience various types of enchantments, left me with nightmares.
Recalling the cursed amulet book I’d picked up by accident when looking for information on the Sable Dragon, I recited: “Three enchantments, each dealing with a powerful emotion that consumes you. If you get lost in the emotion, there’s no way to pull you out—you’ll be stuck in the same state, and die there.” I hugged my arms. “Don’t you see? It’d be suicide to try retrieving it. Besides, it’s been so long since someone actually broke a cursed jewel—well, it might not even work. Not only that, it could be anywhere. And it’s too dangerous. Who knows what’s protecting it?”
“Ivy, we’ve got to try.”
“Why? Are your own beliefs so important that you’re willing to risk the lives of these people? Of this little girl?” I pointed at the girl in the bed. She was so young—still with so much ahead of her, and Zach wanted to risk her life for his blasted principles.
Not to mention I’d been seconds away from getting that Kiss, which would have made him see our power could defeat the Sable Dragon as well.
Zach turned to Millennia. “Give us a moment?”
Millennia frowned. “We should get going if you—”
I jumped in. “We?”
“Obviously I’ll go, too. It was my idea.” Millennia regarded me with a cold stare. “I may be a mage, but this one”—she pointed to Zach—“is the muscle. One person can’t do this alone. I was helping the villagers until you arrived. I can do no more for them now except go after the amulet.”
“I see. So you saved us in the forest, saw what Zach could do, and decided to wait and use him later? Well, you can forget it. Find your own prince.”
“I don’t want just any prince,” snapped Millennia. “I want your prince.”
Like back at the Romantica camp, I felt the disgusting emotion of jealousy crawl into my throat and down my arms, making my hands shake. I wished she’d phrased that another way.
“One who’s willing to see that there are alternatives to solving everything with a Kiss,” she clarified. “We’ll find this amulet, and you can have him back,” she said with a flick of her hand.
I struggled not to shout, not to wake the other diseased patients, making my voice strained and rough. “You’re insane. Did you not hear what I just said? Even if you did find that amulet, you wouldn’t be able to break the enchantments in time.”
“Let me make this clear to you, princess: I don’t give a goblin’s toenail if you want to stick your tongue down your prince’s throat. Just don’t use a curse as an excuse to do it.”
It was as if she’d slapped me. I started toward her, fists clenched, but Zach stepped in front of me and took me by the shoulders, forcing me to take a few steps back. He turned to Millennia. “Leave.”
Millennia glared at me then stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.
As soon as the door snapped shut, I knocked Zach’s hands away from my shoulders and growled. Like an animal. What was happening to me?
Zach stared at the door. “I had hoped when the day came for two women to fight over me, it’d be over something completely different.”
“You think this is funny?”
“No.” Zach faced me. His eyes were focused on me, but it was almost like he was looking through me, at the girl on the bed behind us.
Then, without warning, he pulled me into a tight embrace. “I’m scared, Ivy,” he said in a whisper, his lips on my ear. “Of this curse, of everything…of losing that little girl over there, or any other innocent life. But…this isn’t just about me being a Romantica. It’s bigger than that.”
My eyes widened at his embrace. He’d never held me like this before. Actually, I don’t think any of my partners ever had. And just like that, my anger dissolved. Millennia’s words felt a lifetime away. I gently tugged on the back of his shirt. “What’re you talking about?”
He pulled far enough away to look into my eyes. “For a long time, a small group of Romantica have…well, they’ve developed certain theories. They think the Royal’s Kiss causes more harm than good.”
The warmth of his arms faded, and I forced a laugh. “That’s ridiculous.” I started to move back, but Zach held my arms tightly.
“I won’t lie to you… We don’t have any proof. But let me ask you this: why does the earth burn when a creature is killed by the magic of a Kiss? Isn’t that unnatural? Without Royal magic they simply crumble to dust. When they’re killed with a Kiss, the surrounding earth looks decayed. Dead.”
“And?”
“Whenever you’ve lifted a curse on a village, what happens to everyone? Are they all healed perfectly, or are they left with scars and disfigurements?”
“Surviving a curse comes with a price. They’re lucky to be alive.”
“Some die anyway, don’t they?”
“That’s just the way it is. You’re looking for a miracle. And you’re right—this isn’t proof. And it’s not good enough to risk their lives on chance.”
“But that’s what we’d be doing anyway. Even if we Kiss, there’s no guarantee this girl will live. And you know that. Just give me three hours, Ivy.” He took my hands and tugged me closer, again wrapping his arms around me like a warm wool cloak. “You said partners trusted each other.”
It felt as if my heart were being twisted in two. “That’s…that’s not fair,” I muttered.
Millennia came in without knocking. She seemed unfazed by Zach holding me. “We need to get moving.”
Zach nodded and drew away. “I’m coming.”
I gripped his wrist. “The enchantments will kill you. Please don’t do this.”
“Three hours.” Zach brushed my cheek with the back of his knuckles. “Give me that, and I swear I’ll come back for that Kiss.”
“And if you die? What then? This isn’t a griffin you can slay or a troll you can strangle,” I hissed. “Then nothing can save this village, or the rest of the kingdoms for that matter.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Millennia interrupted.
We both ignored her. Zach tucked a piece of loose hair behind my ear. “I won’t die. I’ll come back.”
I blew out a breath. “You’re right—you won’t. I’m going with you.”
…
As we were heading downstairs, Rochet was coming up. “Oh, we’ve moved your things into one of the rooms and—where are you all going?”
I gave the woman’s shoulder a tight squeeze. “I need you to do a few things for me.” I glanced at her pregnant belly. “Are you all right to do that?” The poor woman was probably already worked to the bone, and she had to be close to her due date, too.
She waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about me, Your Highness.”
“Gather every person who’s able to start combing their houses. And the people here, too, tell them to search for an amulet, but also have them report if they feel anything strange.”
“Strange in what way?”
“Anything. A flinch, a pain, a sharp prick in their joints. If they get suddenly cold or feel sad or their brain becomes foggy, I want to know. No, actually, have them tell Bromley first, then he will report to me.”
Then I turned to Millennia. “How good is your earth magic?”