Page 106 of The Bones of the Cursed

When Malakai slows, the rest of us follow his lead. Rising up out of the ground before us is an old gray, stone temple. Ivy adorns large pillars, weaving up and around the front of the grand structure. The stairs are cracked and in need of some tender love and care, but other than that, it looks to be in good condition, save for the knee-high grass around it. I climb the stone steps and pause at the threshold where I can feel something lingering in the air, so I reach out toward a shimmer. My finger graze over some type of barrier, nearly invisible.

No doubt a spell.

My heart thunders in my chest. For all I know, passing through this barrier may let Iclas know my location. I inhale deeply and turn to face Malakai and Kailu. They look at me with eyes so full of love that I struggle with the words I need to say.

“I know what you plan to do. I don’t know if it’s both of you, or just Mal…”

He quirks his eyebrow at me. Kailu stares between us, solidifying what I know.

I grab Mal’s face, kissing him fiercely. “I know, Malakai,” I whisper, laying my forehead against his.

His fingers press into the back of my neck, his warm breath cascading over me. “I will not live in this world without you.”

I look at him through tear-blurred eyes. “And you must know that I will not let you die.”

Kailu’s sad expression breaks my heart. “Mal…”

Malakai turns to him. “Don’t tell me you didn’t think of it the second the matriarch told us the other way would take too long. Don’t tell me you can stand to live in this Godsforsaken world without her.”

Kailu swallows hard, tears brimming in his eyes, but Mal continues. “If she dies and the mating bond breaks, the pain will be unbearable.”

“But survivable,” I whisper.

Kailu looks down. “A broken mating bond by death is painful and final, Alanis. Please don’t do this. The pain of the bond breaking is just the start; he will feel hollow and empty, a piece of him always missing.”

I look between these two males I love. “But he will survive, will he not?”

Kailu hesitantly nods.

“And he will have you,” I whisper as I quickly step back through the barrier. Under my breath I chant the spell I found in the castle records. The one that keeps others from entering save for those I allow. Malakai goes to follow, but the shield snaps into place.

His wide silver eyes and Kailu’s deep green ones stare at me in horror. “Alanis, what have you done?” Kailu whispers.

“I will free Leena,” I declare. “It is the least I can do before I fulfill this prophecy. Completing the prophecy should weaken Iclas’s magic, which will give you all time to end him once and for all.”

Malakai pales. His fear palpable in the space between us. “Alanis…”

Tears scorch down my cheeks. “I know you wanted to find another way, but don’t you see? There isn’t one. The only way foryou all to stand any type of chance is for me to break the curse. I will not let you die. I will not watch as more people I love perish. Please forgive me.”

Before anyone can try to change my mind, I turn and run, racing the sun. I need to find Leena’s bones and free her. I sprint down the hall that should lead to the room I saw on the blueprints. The stone floor is cracked in certain places, weeds sprouting up between them. I hear Malakai scream my name, agony shooting down the bond, almost causing me to crumble.

Gritting my teeth, I keep going until I can see the archway. There in the corner sits the dais. The only thing in the entire room. I have to swallow the bile that threatens to work its way up my throat. Bones are scattered everywhere. My foot crunches on what I can only assume is a centuries-old femur. I tiptoe through the room, cautious of the skeletons littering the floor, doing my best to leave the dead undisturbed. At last I reach the dais, littered with bones.

The sun shines through the window, glinting off something in the dark. I round it to peek into the alcove to the right of the dais. A beautiful crown of diamonds and gold sits atop a pile of bones. The crown is delicate, the intricate design like a swirl of golden branches with diamond flowers intertwined. I gently pick it up, placing it in the bag that carries everything I need.

Without disturbing the bones, I quickly scatter oil over them, not trusting my powers alone with such a time-sensitive job. Sending a quick prayer to the Gods, I dig deep into my emotions and summon every ounce of frustration I can. Flames light up my fingertips, just enough for me to make the bones catch fire.

A sudden scream rips me out of my trance. I race to the closest window of the temple. The king’s army is here, but so are an endless sea of ghouls. I knew the king’s army wasn’t far behind us, since he made sure we would have extra support just in case. The soldiers took a bit longer to prepare for battle, soMalakai said they planned for a unit to follow on a ship that left shortly after our own, while the few soldiers stationed in the nearby villages rode on horseback to the temple. Glancing at the ensuing battle, I glimpse a field of sunflowers, bobbing in a gentle breeze just beyond them.

Shit.Blood will be spilled on a field of gold. I thought the psychic was talking about the Golden Vale, but the field in the distance shines golden in the sun.

I’ve essentially led my family straight into a war zone. I look around, Iclas nowhere to be found, but my eyes lock on Orion who stands just a handful of feet from the temple, slicing his sword across any King’s Guard in his way.

Fucking traitor.

Another scream pierces the air. All heads whip to the Banshee, whose entire body is engulfed in flames. Elion cries out her name, Kailu scrambling to hold him back. I set her free, but at what cost? She stands near the bottom of the steps to the temple, her eyes locking on mine, and I realize she isn’t screaming in pain. Her eyes are clear. A beautiful smile graces her face.

A bright white light descends from the sky, blinding me for a moment. When my vision clears, all that remains where the princess once stood is a pile of ash.

---