The Lost Alliance (The Nihryst Book 3) Page 25

  “You could say that.” Elin crossed her arms over her chest.

  “But that is not what this means,” she went on, undeterred. “This tells us that you are hiding. You will be trying to get away with something soon. Select another.”

  Elin picked a card.

  “The Honorable,” the woman said, showing Reynold’s image next. She never met the man, but she’d heard all about him. In the older decks though, he was labelled as The Guardian. She wondered when that had changed and how.

  “That seems counterproductive,” Elin said. “The Honorable and the Great Thief?”

  The woman smirked. “Yes, so it would seem. But you know that’s possible more than most. Don’t you? Or are you saying your father’s days of stealing for those in need were dishonorable?”

  Elin shifted uncomfortably. Not many knew the full truth about her father. They hadn’t revealed the connection between the cursed thief and lost prince to anyone outside those they trusted and the council after the war to convince them of the truth.

  “This card represents the great love of your life,” the woman said. “Together, you will achieve greatness, but only if you find one another. Your lines seem to cross but are blurred from there.”

  Leaning forward to rest her arms on the table, Elin whispered, “Who?”

  The woman stayed quiet a long moment before shaking her head. “I cannot see that. His path is too far away—too unknown. He has decisions coming he must face in order to find you.”

  Elin sighed. She knew she shouldn’t have been lured in with that one, but she hadn’t been able to stop herself. The woman stood and walked to a cabinet in the corner. She poured two glasses of what appeared to be water then brought them over.

  “I’m sorry, dear.” She handed a cup to Elin, who thanked her but sat it in front of her without drinking. She might have been foolish enough to wander in here unprotected, but she knew better than to ingest anything from strangers. No matter how old and kind they seemed.

  As if understanding, the woman sat and began drinking her own. She started rambling more about the future, but Elin barely listened. Her thoughts were still on that great love she was supposed to find. Next week, she and her mother were hosting the royal family of Haevlan to meet the oldest prince. Haevlan was on the other side of the world, so maybe that was what she meant by him being too far right now.

  Elin picked up her water, deciding it was safe after the woman drank it. She began sipping on it, trying to rid herself of her drying mouth. No more than a few seconds passed before her head began to throb. Her heart raced as she wondered how big of a mistake she’d made in coming here.

  “Is something wrong, dear?” The old woman’s sweet tone didn’t match the calculating eyes boring into her.

  Shoving her chair back, Elin jumped to her feet. The room tilted. She blinked a few times, trying to fight the lightheadedness.

  “The water,” Elin said, grabbing and throwing the glass to the floor. It shattered to a thousand pieces at her feet. “What was in the water?”

  “Nothing, I swear.” The woman stood. She turned to reach for the smoking herbs behind her and then slowly walked around the table. “These, however, are my own special creation.”

  Around her, the world began to spin. Elin stumbled as she tried to move toward the door. Lead filled her limbs, weighing her down. Her head felt like it might explode.

  “You see,” the woman continued as she followed, “I’m not a seer, though I do possess some of those abilities, passed onto me from a distant grandmother. But my power lies in the manipulation of plants…”

  Elin managed to reach the front door, all but collapsing into it. There were people outside, she remembered. If she could just get out to the street where they could see her…

  The door wouldn’t budge.

  “I created this especially for you, Princess. It took a while to figure out how to counteract the Heulwen in your bloodstream, but I finally managed to do so.”

  Tears fell down Elin’s cheeks as she yanked on the door with her dwindling strength. She tried to yell—to scream for help. Her voice only came out in a soft croak though.

  “Please,” Elin begged as her legs gave out and she slid to the cold floor.

  The woman crouched down beside her, a lantern in one hand and the bowl of herbs in the other. Up close, Elin could see that she was older than she appeared.

  “If you let me go, my family will pay you. Whatever you want, they will make it happen.” She could barely get the words out. Despite the flickering lantern lighting up the entryway, dark spots flooded her vision. She could no longer move her arms.

  “They cannot give me what I need.” The woman set the bowl down beside them. She wrapped her fingers around Elin’s wrist, as if counting the beats of her slowing heart.

  A sob made its way up Elin’s throat. “Please don’t kill me.”

  If she made it out of this, she swore to the stars she’d never complain about her boring life ever again.

  “Oh, sweetheart, I’m not going to kill you. I promised no harm would come to you, remember?” She placed a hand on Elin’s cheek, but the princess couldn’t even flinch away from the touch. “Don’t worry, the fear will be gone when you wake up.”

  “What do you mean?” Elin whispered, her eyelids growing too heavy.

  “When you wake up, you won’t remember any of this.” A malicious grin spread across the woman’s face. “Or your old life.”

  Panic seized Elin, but before she could say anything more, her eyes drifted shut and the darkness took over.

  Find out what happens to Elin and whether her cousin Kal can save her in The Missing Crown, releasing late fall 2021!

  Also by Cait Marie

  The Nihryst Series

  The Lost Legends

  The Lost Prince

  The Lost Alliance

  The Lost Warriors (Short Story)

  The Lost Home (Short Story)

  The Lost Honor (Short Story)

  Leaving Summersville Series

  The Last Summer

  The First Holidays (Short Story)

  The Final Chance

  Bennu Firebirds Series

  Making the Play (June 2021)

  Meeting the Star (July 2021)

  Missing the Beat (August 2021)

  Short Stories in Anthologies

  Fun Size

  Ephemera: Life Lessons Learned

  Acknowledgments

  This book was a long time in the making, and it feels surreal that the trilogy is complete. I could not have done it without my family and friends. There are so many that I will likely forget someone, but please know I’m grateful for all of you!

  First and foremost, thank you to my mom and Jimmy Mack. Between listening to me talk about the book for months on end and supplying the M&Ms that kept me sane, you two made it possible to follow this dream. Macy, Megan, Eric, and John, thank you for always encouraging and supporting me in anything I want to do. Dad and Becky, thank you for passing on your love of books and for cheering me on through this all.

  Kat, Brandi, and Jenny, thank you for constantly being there. Not just through writing, but through everything. Thank you for being my first readers and helping me work through ideas.

  Leah, my amazing accountability buddy and proofreader extraordinaire, I don’t even know how to thank you for all you’ve done for me. Between keeping me on track and letting me ramble about writing, publishing, and books in general, you’re a huge part of why this is all possible. You have become one of the best friends I’ve ever had, and it’s because this series brought us together.

  Heather, my incredibly helpful PA, thank you for all you do. You take a huge weight from my shoulders, and I’m eternally grateful.

  Melissa, the best editor ever, thank you for making this series what it is. Your guidance and questions not only helped me develop this story and world, but you helped me become a better writer in so many ways.

  Shout out to Krista F. for al
ways being one of the first to share my bookish news and spread the word, and for supporting me through Patreon.

  All the readers, my inner circle, and my ARC team, I started this journey thinking I would write occasionally for fun, not expecting anything to truly come of it. Because of you, this has become a dream I never knew to have. This has become my life, and it is due to your support and love of this story from the beginning. Thank you!

  About the Author

  All her life, Cait Marie has loved fairy tales. When she discovered a passion for writing in 2015, she knew she had finally found the right path.

  Cait is the creator and manager of Functionally Fictional. In 2019, she joined the indie staff of YA Books Central as a reviewer and then Indie Co-Manager in 2020. From 2017 to 2020, she held multiple positions within Coffee House Writers, including C.O.O., Editor, Advertising Supervisor, and Writer. She graduated with honors in 2019 from Southern New Hampshire University with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, and she is currently enrolled in their Master of Fine Arts program.

  She lives in Indiana, where she freelance edits and provides a variety of other author services. When she’s not writing or reading, she can usually be found watching Disney movies, creating pages in her bullet journal, painting, or singing showtunes to annoy her family and cats.

  Find Cait Marie online

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  Functionally Fictional