“You are Princess Amina Durra Moro Almunia, the last survivor of the Almunia dynasty,” Risa said, hoping that stating the truth would be sufficient. “You are an outlaw, a bounty hunter, a friend to those in need.”
But the words alone were not enough.
Just as Amina had carefully picked out the tangles in Risa’s hair, Risa began to pluck the thorns from the vine of Amina’s curse, ignoring the sharp pain it caused. When she was finished with one prickly vine, another would appear, the thorns endless and somehow growing bigger and bigger. It was like the curse had planted roots.
Then she remembered what Linda had said. That magic was like a series of knots.
She blinked. Crossed her eyes. Tried to see the essence of the curse. Beyond the writhing weeds nestled in the heart of the tangled roots was a large mass of interloping knots made from the vines. They had been woven together by a magic so powerful, it had snagged an entire kingdom and spread past it. Risa untied every knot, each more complicated than the last, until finally she thought she saw something shimmering through the cracks. Something that felt warm and so very much like the girl whose hands she held.
“You are yourself,” she whispered, the truth of it so powerful, she felt it flood through her own body. “There is no one else for you to be.”
A gasp. Something snapped within Risa’s rib cage, a rushing heat flaring through her chest all the way to her fingertips. She let go ofAmina’s hands and scrambled out of the bed, opening her eyes to the vision of Amina glowing bright like a torch.
Looking back at her was a face turned into real flesh and bone, a face that betrayed every emotion flickering across it. Fear, awe, joy, grief.
“You did it,” Amina whispered in a breathy voice. Her fingers roamed over her own face, her touch tentative and light. Fat tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.
Risahaddone it. Somehow, she’d broken Amina’s curse.
“I did, didn’t I?” she said, unable to keep a small smile from pulling at her lips.
“Thank you,” Amina said, standing up and taking Risa’s hands. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Risa nodded, unsure of what to do after the princess shakily pulled her hands back to herself. She knew it was silly to stand there feeling out of place when she should have been thrilled about what she’d done. Instead, the reality of her misfortune hit her hard.
Risacouldbreak curses. Just not her own.
“Yeah.” Risa went back to the bed and slipped under the covers. She settled with her back toward the princess. “No problem. Anytime.”
“Risa—”
“We should go to bed,” she said with some finality. “We’re waking in a few hours.”
The room fell to darkness as Amina blew out the candle.
The princess settled in the bed beside her. “I’m sure Javi will be impressed,” she whispered.
“Don’t mention it,” Risa said, her heart clenched in her chest. Javi was close enough to call if she really wanted him to know. Butshe didn’t. She didn’t want him to see what she could and couldn’t do. She didn’t want to be a further disappointment. “Please.”
Amina mentioned nothing the next morning as she tied her cloak around her neck and pulled the hood over her face. It did a good job of obscuring her newly settled features and casting her in shadow. Javi spoke little, mumbling a few choice words about a bad back and even worse allergies, thanks to Brunie sleeping on his chest. Paulo led them to a cart attached to their two horses, who’d been collected from the stable in the center of town.
Paulo put the finishing touches on the cart—scuffing the paint to make it look more worn and packing some food in the back.
“You don’t think…” Javi’s voice cleaved the air as he considered the cart. “You don’t think there will be any monsters on the way, do you?”
Amina shrugged. “Statistically speaking, monsters are everywhere.”
“That’s very comforting, thank you.”
“What is a monster, anyway?” Amina questioned, raising her hands to the red sky. Without her curse, she was awfully cheerful for a princess on the path toward revenge. “Aren’t we all but a moment away from turning into monsters ourselves?”
Risa groaned. “Let’s not philosophize before we embark on what some consider a foolhardy expedition, please.”
“I don’t know,” Javi interjected. “I feel like I’m less of a monster compared to, say, El Cuco.”
“I haven’t heard of that one,” Amina noted, petting one of the horses gingerly between the eyes.
“It’s a creature of shadow. Dark as midnight with talons as long as my arm. It steals naughty children and eats them.” Javi laughed, mirthless. “My brothers used to tell me El Cuco was waiting to take me away every time I behaved badly.”