Page 117 of The Bones of the Cursed

Her voice is a balm on my battered soul. I can hear it the closer I get.

“In every lifetime, Alanis. I will always come for you.”

The matriarch coughs, black blood spewing from her mouth.

Viros curses. “Iclas’s power seeped into her veins. I cannot save her. No magic can.”

My heart stutters, or maybe it’s Alanis’s soul.

“Tell my granddaughter that…that she was right.” She coughs, her lungs wheezing with each intake of breath. “Family is more important than power. I…I wasted too much time. Lost…lost too much due to my greed. No matter what she thinks of me…I loved my daughter dearly. And-and I am not disappointed in her, or Alanis.” Another coughing fit consumes her. “Pl-please tell her how sorry I am.”

I feel Alanis’s soul shudder in sadness.

“I forgive you, Grandmother.”

I grab the matriarch’s hand, her breaths coming slower. Her lungs sound watery. The black, vile liquid taking over. “She forgives you.”

The matriarch smiles, a tear rolling down her face. And then her expression softens, her eyes lighting up. “Odessa?” she whispers.

Viros whips his eyes back to her. “Do you see Odessa? Is she there? Gods, please tell her how much I love her. It will only ever be her. Tell her I promise to keep protecting our daughter until I can join her in the Eternal Vale.”

The matriarch smiles. “She lo-loves you more than life itself.” She coughs again, the black blood slowing. “She says to take Alanis to where you met. To tell her stories of her. To let…let herknow how loved she is. How loved she’s always been. And please tell Alanis how proud…we both are…” Her voice fades, her chest goes still. Her ice-blue eyes stare at nothing.

I see the moment her soul leaves her body. My father and Viros see it, too, gasps falling from their mouths. Another bright white orb joins with her soul, the two fading away together.

“Odessa,” Viros whispers.

And I swear the second orb winks.

We all stare at the spot they disappeared, a pang of sadness filling my chest, but also hope and joy.

“We have attached her soul,” Caselia says. “The final steps must still take place in order for her to join fully with her body. Get her back to the castle and we will meet you there to finish it. Her soul is safe.”

“We need to find Iclasnow. He’s injured, we could easily take him down,” I snap as I lead the way out of the destroyed building into the cool night air, clutching Alanis’s body to my chest.

I spot Captain Thelos and a few soldiers pulling injured men from an opening in the mountain itself.

The captain speaks quickly. “They are alive, just beaten severely. From what Siveral managed to tell us before passing out, Levi and a few ghouls ambushed them. Brought them straight to Iclas and the Witches. A fight broke out and they managed to kill Levi, but they were captured again and the Witches took turns torturing them.”

“Motherfucker,” I spit, glancing at Kailu’s face. His body is badly beaten, his eyes swollen, lip busted. His shirt sticks to the blood oozing from wounds on his chest and back. Anger courses through me, a red-hot rage that makes the dragon writhe to break free.

“Where does that passage lead?” I ask the captain.

“The dungeons. The entire place is falling apart, all it took was a blast of magic for me to break through that portion of rock.We cleared the entire area.”

I nod as Viros turns to me. “I must go help my brothers and sisters. Get far away from here.”

He takes me in a tight hug. “I’m so glad she has you for a mate. Someone worthy of her. Get her and Kailu back. She needs both of you.” He claps me on the back and I swallow back the emotion that threatens to take hold of me.

“Let’s go home.”

Just as we reach the slim edge of the mountain trail, a boom rattles the earth and what’s left of the building goes up in a giant ball of white flame. The screams of those who remain echo through the mountains. We carefully traverse the narrow passage, the horses’ hooves sending rocks down into the ravine below.

My father speaks softly from behind. “Let’s bring Alanis back.”

The howls and noises of unknown creatures don’t frighten me this time, because I know that I will move heaven and hell to bring Alanis home.

- KAILU -

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