His stepmother his queen

he words burned through him, hot and cold at the same time. His chest tightened like

oming out low, dangerous, a w

are you talking

she didn't look away. Her gaze held him captive i

he said, voice trembling as she pulled her wrist

aced in his temp

ried deep inside her for far too long. Her eyes flicked to the floor, and for the first

hoed, incredulous. Hi

orn under a curse. The sea claimed you before you even drew y

The weight of her words was too heavy. "What

eal that no one could undo. Aldric... he thought he could control it. But when you were born, it was you who wo

und Lucien se

ipping the stone wall for

sible," he growled, disbe

o are the curses it carries. Your father knew. He tried to

e storm rising in his chest. He wanted to sc

he knew the truth of her words. The curse. The bl

or me?" he asked, his voice a gr

Lucien. To its magic. And to the throne that was never meant

Lucien felt like he was drowning, suffocated by

d the question that had been burning in hi

s this have t

h a sorrow so deep it

ryth

ed with regret, met his, but she could not look away. Lucien was no longer the boy she had on

trembling from the raw emotions coursing through him. "You're

tion, but there was no denial

uldn't fight the sea. I couldn't fight what it had already claimed. And your fathe

ing through him like a blade. The pain was overwhelming. And yet, he could

ty. "I sealed your fate before you even had a chance to breathe. I bound you to the Heart of the

es wide in disbelief. "Y

e than just love. We were bound by magic, by a curse that could never be undone. But when I found out about the Heart, when I rea

e. "You-you took everything from me

t to be the king of this empire. Not your father. You. But the price of that

htened. "What

claimed. But to do so, you must kill the one

t went dry. "A

her expression f

's

and Lucien staggered back. His knees

f the table for support. "No. I won't kill you.

out the throne, Lucien. It's about freeing you from the curse. From the blood

truth was too much. It w

ancient stirred. Something d

ien said, his voice shaking. "But I'

grip as firm as the sea

irrored his own. The curse was within them both. They were b

ftermath of a storm that had yet to end

be no esca

fhan

lled, the wind held its breath-then a whisper ro

thought could settle, lightning struck the mas

man possessed. "I brought her

th them. Something st

Lucien knew-this was

s the

contin