Page 104 of The Bones of the Cursed

“Is there a chance that Iclas himself cursed you? What if he didn’t capture you like the rest of the creatures?”

Elion grabs the Banshee’s hand. “Why, though?”

I look at the Banshee, studying her, taking in every detail of her human face, similarities sticking out to an old sketch I found hidden in a journal not so long ago. “What if she represented something he lost? What if he took her as revenge and cursed her as a form of torture for someone else?”

They both look at me like I’ve grown two heads. “Lani, what do you mean?” Elion asks.

“What if Paliri and her husband had a child? It is safe to assume that, if Paliri was pregnant, she would shelter in the castle, scared of Iclas finding out. Paliri had to know Iclas was still alive. They were mates. She would have felt if he died, whether she accepted the mating bond or not. So what if Iclas found out about the child when he kidnapped Paliri? The child would have been older by then, an adult. What if he took the child as a way to get Paliri to come peacefully? When Paliriwouldn’t willingly choose him or love him, he cursed her child.”

The Banshee looks at me quizzically. “Is there a way to find out that information?”

I nod, a smirk growing on my face, excited by this development. If I must die at the hands of this prophecy, I will free the woman my brother loves first. “Castle records. Maybe once we can figure out who you are, we can pinpoint where your bones are to free you.”

The Banshee disappears, presumably back to the Isle. I find the others, relaying my thoughts to them. The king joins us, but walks slower than normal. I peer at him, wondering if he overexerted himself when helping me yesterday, but he merely shakes his head.

Hannah and Siveral have a weird tension around them, with Hannah glancing at him every once in a while, but Siveral completely ignores her. I’ll have to ask her what the hell happened.

Kailu is scanning through a stack of papers when Malakai jumps up. “I got it.”

Her Royal Highness Paliri Blackburn and His Royal Majesty Grekor Niru welcome a baby girl into the world by the name of Leonora Ambrosia Niru Blackburn. Born at midnight on the eve of the Festival of Dragons. Leonora, crowned Princess of the Primal Realm at birth, will otherwise be known as Leena Ambrose, in order to protect the future heir of the realm.

Malakai takes a breath. “Festival of the Dragons. Each century, there is a new festival to celebrate a powerful creature. The last one to celebrate dragons was shortly before dragons completely disappeared from the realm. If the Banshee is Leena,she would have been roughly a hundred years old at the time Iclas snatched her.”

I quirk a brow. “Real dragons, not Fae who can shift into dragons.”

Kailu’s booming laugh fills the room. I stick my tongue out at him. He sticks his out right back.

“Could this be the dragon that the prophecy talks about?” I ask. “Does this part tie into the Banshee’s curse?”

Malakai’s eyes grow wide at my question.

Biting my lip, I think out loud: “I wonder, if I set her free, if that would be unleashing the dragon? Since that is when she was born and I am blood of the Shadow Vale Coven that is represented by the crescent moon.”

Kailu cocks his head. “That might be a strong possibility.”

I lean forward, nudging Hannah’s arm. “Are there any records of a Leena Ambrose?”

She quickly searches through the records, then stops abruptly and slides a sketch from a folder. You could hear a pin drop with the silence in the room. Staring up at us from the sketch, with chocolate brown eyes and deep ebony hair, is none other than the Banshee herself.

My smile grows wide. We did it. We figured out who she is. No matter if she is part of the prophecy or not, I will free her.

Elion quickly leaves, presumably to summon Leena to let her know of her identity. Malakai gives me a swift kiss, informing me he has to talk to his father in private about battle plans. I watch as the two filter out, everyone else slowly following after some time, leaving me alone.

I sift through the boxes, looking for anything I can to find Leena’s bones. A ripped parchment catches my eye. It smells of char, as if someone tried to burn it at some point, but was unsuccessful. The writing is faded, the parchment obviously ancient. Near the bottom is a sketch. It looks to be some sort ofhouse, but not one I know.

What catches my attention is the room to the back. Drawn in the corner of it is none other than a throne. I search everywhere for a record of a third royal holding in the realm, other than Percius or the Isle of Rimoldi.

With each document I start to lose hope.

I focus back on the blueprint until my eyes water. I rub my temples, trying to relieve the tension headache that consumes me. I trace my finger over the blueprint. It’s weird that the main room of the house is completely bare, with nothing drawn inside it save for a circle. Something seems familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it.

I sift through the scattered papers, something niggling at me. A map of the Primal Realm is below a batch of papers. I scan it for any clues.

No.

That’s not possible.

I look again.

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