And a ruling line has come to an end
Only then can history amend.
“‘Only joined can the curses be undone,’” Oro read. “That is why we break into teams, to fulfill the prophecy. And attempt to solve it. A reminder of the first rule. A ruler is forbidden from assassinating their partner.”
Isla wasn’t really concerned with the prophecy. Her and Celeste’s plan didn’t require it.
Still, she pretended to read the words on the wall while running ideas through her mind. Perhaps she could tweak her elixir potion to dye clothing ... she might be able to make one of her own gowns gold.
It would never work. Plus, she barely had enough elixir for one more shot at dyeing her hair, let alone an entire swath of fabric.
She could rob a Sunling in the market and take their clothes?
Isla winced at that idea.
Horrible. Also, the Sunling would immediately report the crime, and Oro would know someone meant to sneak onto his isle.
Isla was so focused on feigning interest in the prophecy and plotting her attempt to sneak into the Sun Isle library that she didn’t realize her name had been spoken until it was repeated so loudly she startled.
“Isla,”the king was saying.
Her expression must have given away that she had no idea what he had said previously, or if she had been asked a question, because the king gave her a grating look.
“My choice of partner,” the king repeated through his teeth, clearly hating every word coming out of his mouth. The room fell away. She forgot to school her expression or control her emotions around Grim. Her mouth might have been hanging open. She might have accidentally shot Celeste a horrified look. “Is Isla.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
DEAL
This was bad. Dangerous.
She was supposed to be matched with Celeste. They had a plan.
This was yet another factor that complicated everything.
Why in the realm would the king want to be matched with her?
The last thing Isla wanted was to be forced to spend time with the Lightlark ruler. Not just because he was insufferable, but also because doing so would surely mean having to use her powers in search of a way to break the curses, using the prophecy.
Powers she didn’t have.
Would he be able to sense her powerlessness if they spent more time together? Grim hadn’t. But Oro was the king of Lightlark—his abilities were endless.
She had to find a way out of it ... an excuse. She waited for Celeste to knock on her door, to brainstorm.
Celeste.Her friend had been paired with the worse possible ruler. Cleo. She felt a pang of dread.
Everything had gone so wrong.
Because of the king.
Hours later, there was a knock on her door. She had done everything she could to distract herself, waiting for the Starling to finally arrive. Isla had taken a bath, as if she could wash the day off. She had put on her comfiest clothes, the pieces she had sneaked into her luggage beforeleaving the Wildling realm—an oversize long-sleeved shirt Poppy had let her wear at night. Tight pants that were just as soft as the shirt.
Celeste, finally,she thought as she threw the door open.
But it wasn’t Celeste.
Oro’s eyebrows were slightly raised as he took her in. She supposed she looked like a completely different person—makeup off, hair in a bun atop her head, shirt five sizes too large. She might have been worried that the king had seen her like this, without her Wildling temptress mask on, if she wasn’t so annoyed.
