House of Curses – Royal Houses Read Online K.A. Linde

Categories Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi, Suspense Tags Authors:
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Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
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“And do you know of her powers? The ones that brought the barrier down around the House of Shadows?” she said, throwing out her ace.

The Father stilled. She held her breath, hoping this was information he didn’t already have.

“I was there that night inside the mountain when she put a fissure into the barrier. I was there the day that Princess Wynter claimed to bring the wall down. But I know it was Kerrigan. I know that I can get close enough to her to discuss it with her. I alone can do this.”

The Father turned back around. That mask hid all of his features. She had no idea if she had reached him, but she held herself firm and resolute as she waited for his judgment.

“Fine,” he said finally. “Reach out to her. Discover these supposed abilities. I will give you an apartment for you and your brother to establish yourselves.”

She curtsied low, a small smile curling her lips. “Thank you, Father. We are most grateful.”

“Arbor,” he said, low and deadly, “do not disappoint me. What is given can be taken away.”

“As you wish.”

She bowed again and then left with Prescott’s hand in her grasp.

Neither of them spoke until they were alone once more.

Prescott arched an eyebrow. “Looks like you got what you wanted, sister.”

“Don’t I always?”

He smirked and drew her to him. She buried her face into his shoulder and inhaled the sweet smell of him. This could work. They could make this work. One step at a time.

9

THE SISTER

ISA

Isa was still sopping wet when she trekked back to the ballroom. Kerrigan had gotten the best of her, and there was no way to deny that. A year earlier, she had gutted the girl and thought that was the end of it. Now, Kerrigan was more powerful than ever. She had no idea how she would explain this to the Father.

Valia huddled in a corner outside the building, and her heart stopped. Isa crossed the street and dragged Valia deep into the recesses of the building, so no one could see her.

Valia was her first concern.

She might not be a sister by birth, but by all rights, she was her sister. All the money she had saved all those years. All the ways she had been working to get out. They had all been for Valia. All to get them out of here. Now, it was never going to happen.

“V,” she hissed. “What are you doing out here?”

“You’re safe,” Valia said with obvious relief. “I worried for you.”

“You should not. You know what my mission is.”

“As you know mine,” her little sister argued.

Valia and Isa had gone together to train to become spies and assassins. While Isa had taken to it like a dragon to flying, Valia had been reluctant. She had failed over and over again. Been reprimanded and beaten and broken into submission until she could do everything that came naturally to Isa. It still amazed her to this day that Valia had retained even an ounce of goodness. In that training, they had become siblings.

When they had returned to the city, the Father was freshly born, and they were his daughters, his assassins, his spies. And the only person they ever cared to protect from it all was each other.

“You should go back to the mountain,” Isa said.

She sighed. “Father sent me to look for you. You weren’t supposed to leave the building, let alone chase after Kerrigan.”

Isa shot her a wild smile. “I didn’t kill her. I’m allowed to have my fun.”

“One day, you’re going to end up dead.”

“Give me some credit.” But Valia looked worried, and Isa hated that. “I know what I’m doing, V. We both do. We’re trained for this. You know Father’s great mission is almost ready to be unleashed.”

Valia glanced down and nodded. “I know. I just want us to be alive to see it.”

“We will be.” She nudged Valia’s shoulder. “I should report, but you should go back to the mountain. I can deal with Father.”

She sighed. “Good luck.”

Isa nodded and waited to watch her sister slink through the shadows, back toward Draco Mountain. It still irked her that Father had placed Valia in the mountain. Anything could go wrong, and there would be no escape. No way to get her out. Isa could never accept that.

But that was not a problem for tonight.

She climbed the drainage to the top floor of the ballroom and slid the window up soundlessly, dropping silently onto the hardwood. The guard stationed at the door nodded her through. She listened to Arbor’s plea with the Father. She’d tracked her and her brother through the city for a few days before she allowed this meeting to happen. Despite their … unusual relationship, it truly appeared that they had no real contacts in the city. They had nothing. They were no better than refugees. But there was a way for them to be useful still.



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