The Crystal Heart Read Online Free Page B

–’ he swallowed – ‘you’re just a girl.’
    I couldn’t help a bitter smile. ‘Is that what I am now? And who are you ?’
    â€˜Me? I’m – I’m Kasper. Kasper Bator.’ Seeing my baffled expression, he added, ‘Nobody important.’ He looked miserable. ‘I don’t understand. Are you a witch?’
    â€˜A witch?’ I echoed. Inside me a little seed of hope was growing. Why he had come I had no idea, but I knew that I must not let this chance slip away. ‘Of course I’m not a witch. Though I’ve wished I was often enough. Is that what you’ve been told?’
    â€˜Yes,’ he breathed, staring at me. ‘An immortal feya witch who helped the Prince of Night.’
    I gave a bitter laugh. ‘The Prince of Night has his own power. Why should he need a witch to help him?’
    He flinched at this. ‘I don’t know. It is what we have been told.’
    â€˜And now?’ I ask. ‘What do you think now?’
    â€˜All I know is that I heard you …’
    â€˜Please,’ I urged him, ‘you heard me where?’
    â€˜This afternoon – I heard the Commander speaking to you.’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜I heard him say you were to die on the morning of your eighteenth birthday. And I heard you .’ He looked at me wildly. ‘I heard you ask why you had to die …’
    â€˜How can that be?’ I asked. ‘The Commander told me that weeks ago.’ I backed away from him. ‘Is this some kind of cruel hoax your people have devised?’
    â€˜What?’ The young man paled. ‘No. I swear by the Angels that I heard it today. When I was …’ He passed a hand over his forehead, where beads of sweat had appeared. ‘I don’t understand,’ he said in a hollow voice.
    â€˜Neither do I.’
    â€˜Then it’s true? They want to …’
    I reached for the comfort of the crystal heart and tried not to tremble as I spoke. ‘Tomorrow, I am to die.’
    â€˜Angels preserve us,’ he burst out. ‘How can this be? If you are not the witch – then who are you? Why are you here?’
    I looked at him, searching his face to see if he truly did not know. But all I saw was confusion and bewilderment.
    Drawing myself up, I said, ‘I am Izolda, the only child of the Prince of Night, and I have been kept as a hostage in this Tower since my capture on my eighth birthday.’
    â€˜No,’ he breathed. ‘The Prince of Night had a child, yes, but she died when she was only …’
    â€˜When she was only eight.’
    â€˜Why has your father not –’
    â€˜Why didn’t he move heaven and earth to find me? Why didn’t he let it be trumpeted everywhere that humans had stolen his only child?’ I bit off the words. ‘He did not because he could not.’
    â€˜Why?’ he whispered.
    â€˜My father knew that if he said one thing about it to anyone, or if he stirred one finger outside our country, the Supreme Council would kill me. That was the price they made him pay for the war he waged on your people. Those were the terms. My capture defeated him. My imprisonment has made him keep the peace – and the silence. He cannot ask for anyone’s help. Not ever.’
    The young man gave a heavy sigh. ‘Why do they want to kill you now after all this time?’
    â€˜Some prophecy, I was told.’
    â€˜What prophecy?’
    â€˜I don’t know. Oh, please, Guard Bator, whatever you were told about me, this is the truth – the absolute truth,’ I cried. ‘Look into my eyes and tell me what you see.’
    Our eyes met for a long moment. He gave a low groan and put his head in his hands. ‘In the Angels’ name, what have we done?’
    â€˜You have done nothing,’ I said, recovering from that long glance which had goose-pimpled my skin. And the tremble started in me