Page 101 of The Bones of the Cursed

The matriarch shakes her head. “The prophecy is not a curse;it is what is written in the stars.”

I can’t help but scoff. “Is this curse blocking anything? Memories? Bonds?”

The old female studies me, Malakai, and Kailu. Her smirk grates on my nerves. She replaces her hands on my head and closes her eyes.

I’m holding my breath, while Kailu looks downright ill.

“It seems to be surrounding your very soul. Bonds are tied to the soul, so there could be one lurking in there.”

Kailu glances at me with so much hope that my heart clenches.

Dear Gods, let him be bonded with us.

38

- KAILU -

CONFRONTATION

Hope surges through my veins, but it will all be for naught if we don’t find a way to break the prophecy without Alanis dying.

“Can we fulfill this prophecy without the sacrifice it mentions?” I ask.

The matriarch purses her lips. “The Fates wrote all our stories long ago. They are the keeper of everyone’s futures. They do not take kindly to those who disregard their wishes.”

Malakai snorts. “No one has seen the Fates in millennia. I do not care what they want. Is there a way to break it or not?”

Alanis places a calming hand on Malakai’s arm, trying to tame the beast inside him that is itching to come out.

“There are certain loopholes that could be taken,” the matriarch says, “but a prophecy of this magnitude would take time to create one.”

“How long?” I snap.

“Months, if not longer. Prophecies are delicate, so if you don’t create the loophole correctly, it could destroy everyone involved.”

Alanis’s shoulders slump. My heart thuds in my chest.

The king speaks now. “Iclas is on the move with his forces. Any idea where he plans for this war to take place?”

The matriarch turns to the other woman at the table. “My psychic would know more than I.”

The psychic Witch’s eyes turn to black, her face tipped towards the ceiling. Her body goes taut, veins bulging in her neck and temples. We all wait in tense silence before her gaze lands on Alanis.

“The prophecy will be fulfilled on a golden field drenched in blood.”

Alanis’s grandmother flicks a flame over her fingertips, much like Alanis did not long ago when we were training. “That’s enough. We are leaving. The coven will come when you call for us, Your Majesty, but until then, we must prepare.”

- ALANIS -

The matriarch eyes me with cool assessment. “You look just like your mother. Turns out you’re also just as much of a disappointment. Choosing a man over your powers.” She makes a tsking sound.

I stand, my anger rising to the surface. “Funny, I don’t remember asking or caring about your opinion. My father gives his regards.”

The matriarch’s eyes widen, making me wonder if she ever discovered my father’s true identity. My guess would be no by the curious glint in her gaze.

“You’ve met him?” Her voice is deep and ancient, but she doesn’t look a day over sixty.

I smirk, my heart pounding through my ribs. “I’ll make sure to let him know how disappointed you are in me, even though you don’t know a damn thing about me.”

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