Terra only closed her eyes. “How many more are like this?” she asked.
“Almost all of them,” Poppy answered.
Isla had thought her people would be just the way she had left them. Wildling had weakened during her reign, but it had been gradual.
How was this possible?
The land had been without power for too long. The ground was demanding its due. Taking powerful Wildlings, one by one.
Breaking her curse and theirs wouldn’t save them. The Wildling realm was too far gone. Even the powers she was supposed to have been born with wouldn’t be enough. Not when they had weakened with every ruler’s generation.
To save them all, she needed more—more than even a single ruler could give.
Tears streaming down her cheeks, Isla remembered the prize. The single person who broke the curses was fated to be gifted immeasurable ability—more power than the realms had ever seen. The type that could save the Wildlings. The type that could save Terra. The entire Centennial, Isla had been focused on making sure she didn’t lose.
Now, she knew she had to win.
Isla felt like she was going to be sick. She had cried for so long, it didn’t seem possible her body had any liquid left.
“What happened?” Oro’s voice was surprisingly gentle when she found him, pacing around a room in the Mainland castle. “I just saw you a couple of hours ago,” he said in confusion, in anger, muttering almost to himself.
Her eyes must have still been swollen. She didn’t answer his question. “Does your offer still stand?”
Oro seemed to know she meant the one he had extended in the cave. To her relief, he nodded.
A tear ran down her cheek. “Can I trust you?” she asked.
Oro stared at her. “Yes. I’ve never lied to you, Isla. Not once.”
She hoped that was true. Her stomach felt like it was flipping inside out. If Celeste knew she had willingly shared her greatest secret with the king, she would be furious. But the Starling would understand.
Isla had no choice now.
Oro was directly in front of her. His hand went to her forehead. He was frowning. Did he think she was sick? He studied her body quickly, clinically, looking for damage. Did he think she was injured?
She wished she was. Physical pain would hurt less than this.
Isla couldn’t believe she was going to tell him her secret. She closed her eyes, unable to look at him as she did. Every bone in her body and vein and muscle and swath of skin screamed against it.
Your secret is your greatest weakness. You can never reveal it.The rule was like a favorite blanket. She had learned it before she had learned anything else. All other lessons were birthed from it. She needed to know how to fight because she was powerless. She needed to hide in her room because she was powerless. She couldn’t meet anyone alone because she was powerless.
She was a disappointment because she was powerless.
She had to follow the rules because she was powerless.
Terra and Poppy had to rule in her stead because she was powerless.
She had to survive the Centennial and lie, cheat, steal, and kill because she was powerless.
No.She forced her eyes open. Forced herself to look right at the king as she said the words she had built her entire life around—the foundation of everything.
“I was born powerless.”
There. The words were out. Birds let free. Their cage propped open. Nothing and no one could take them back.
Oro went still. She could see it in his eyes—he had expected anything but that.
His brow creased, confused. He squinted at her.
