Page 47 of When Roses Burn

“How terrible for you to have to wear white and red,” Lyra drawled as she rolled her eyes.

Dromon and Pierce chuckled, but Knox remained stone-faced. I couldn’t explain to a woman who’d endured the harem how isolating and humiliating my existence was. While it wasn’t as atrocious as what Lyra endured, it was awful.

“You must know of another way to break the curse,” Knox stated.

“I…I….” My voice trailed off as I tried to think of something, but I had no idea what could break something this powerful. “If there is, my mother never told me.”

“Why don’t I believe her?” Pierce asked.

“Neither do I,” Knox said.

I wasn’t surprised by this, but I didn’t know what to say or do to convince them I wasn’t lying. Maybe, with time, they’d believe me.

Or maybe they’ll kill me first.

That was probably a lot more likely, but I didn’t feel alarmed over this. I was too numb and stunned to feel much of anything.

“Whoa,” Knox said and drew his horse to a stop.

When he did so, the others all stopped too. Lyra and Pierce dismounted while Dromon remained seated. Lyra strolled down the pathway of a blue house; she stopped to rub the petals of a rose on the front step. I couldn’t make out the low murmur of her words.

Pierce walked a few houses down and entered a red cottage. The door remained open behind him as Lyra stepped away from the bush and entered the blue home.

“What are they doing?” I whispered.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Briar

“Saying hello to their parents,” Knox answered.

“Oh.” My attention shifted to Dromon. “Are yours further up the hill?”

His brown eyes slid toward me, and I didn’t think he was going to answer me, but eventually he spoke. “My parents are dead.”

“I’m sorry.”

Knox stiffened around me as Dromon’s nostrils flared. I was used to others not liking me, but their hatred was palpable.

“They would have preferred death to this,” Dromon stated.

“Do you think the roses… or shifters are aware of what’s happening to them?” I asked, horrified by the possibility.

“I don’t know. I hope not.”

“So do I.”

“The roses are struggling. Every year they wilt more and their color darkens.”

“Do they ever fall off and rebloom?”

“No. It’s the same rose always.”

I bit my lip as I shifted my attention back to the bushes and the sky. “The lack of sun isn’t helping them.”

“It’s not helping anything. All living things in this kingdom are weaker without the full light of the sun and moon.”

“Dromon,” Knox growled in warning.