The airways of the empress had closed, not by natural means but by a more infernal force.
There were two curses placed on every inducted member of the secretive society Katya had been a part of since she was a child. One prevented members from speaking or communicating the secrets of the Order in any humanly possible way. The second, far more sinister, would strangle the throat of any member who sought to harm the Order's interests: whether it was in thought, action, or simply by the suspicion of another member.
This last option was what had brought suffering upon the empress. Her father's words, as a member of the Order himself, had triggered the death curse to think she was trying to betray them and wrap itself around her neck. Empress Katya's heart began to thrum faster than a hummingbird as she fell to her knees choking and coughing. Despite her body's expected reaction to being strangled by the curse, Katya's mind remained calm.
