Page 38 of The Bones of the Cursed

- ELION -

I wake with a pounding headache. I can’t remember the last time I had a decent meal. I actually don’t even know how long I’ve been in this damn cell.

The door opens, everyone around me jolting awake. The ghoul wearing the skin of one of our soldiers strides towards me. He unhooks me from the wall and practically drags me out, not giving me a chance to get my feet under me. He takes me down two flights of stairs into a smaller stone room that has one chair bolted to the floor.

He throws me into the chair and chains my hands and feet. Without a word, he leaves me there.

I must doze off because I’m awoken when a key turns in the lock. I’m expecting a ghoul to walk in, but instead I’m greeted by a male wearing a black cloak, his face completely hidden in the darkness its hood casts. All I can see are sharp white teeth that gleam in the small piece of light from the wall sconce.

I shudder involuntarily.

He chuckles and it sends goosebumps up my arms. “We are going to have so much fun.”

Something about his voice seems strange, each word without inflection or emotion. He pulls a dagger from his cloak. Coming closer, he twirls the blade in his fingers. As he draws near, I realize the hilt is made of bone, and likely from a Fae by the size of it.

He takes a deep breath, as if he is inhaling my fear. His smile grows. A knock on the door distracts him. A woman in all white walks in and my blood freezes.

A Banshee.

He turns to her. “Is it done?”

She nods. “Yes, master.”

The cloaked male smiles and, without looking, stabs the knife into my thigh. Even as I curl forward in agony, I bite back a scream, unwilling to let him hear my pain.

“By the time your sister makes it here to save you,” the male says, “you’ll be nothing but bones.”

17

- ALANIS -

FATED

The pain is unbearable, as if fire shoots through my veins. Every blink makes it harder to open my eyes. Kailu’s voice rings out in the cavern, but I struggle to find him.

The ground rumbles.

No, not the ground. Malakai. Why is he growling? I can feel his body brace, as if to attack a potential threat, though all I can see is Kailu. He halts mid-step, even as his temper visibly flares, an emotion there and gone on his face before I can name it.

Hannah kneels next to me while the Elves dig through their satchels. Sarya approaches with a vial of liquid, which gleams like shimmery gold. She hands it to Hannah and Malakai’s arms tense around me.

Hannah gently grips my forearm where the infected cut is located. She looks closely before running her free hand over it. She gives the Elves a nod and Sarya withdraws her dagger.

Both Kailu and Malakai let out feral growls that make the hair on my arms stand on end.

Sarya sighs. “We need to widen the cut to try and get as much of the poison out as possible. Then we will add a few drops ofthis healing serum to attack whatever may have already entered her blood stream. It’s a perfectly safe combination of herbs and medicine. We don’t go anywhere without it now that the ghouls seem to be running rampant.”

Kailu kneels by Hannah and brushes a soft hand over my sweaty forehead. I give him a small smile, trying to ease some of his worry. Hannah takes the dagger from the Elf and looks to me. I merely nod.

She slices downward from the cut and then upward. I bite my lip to hold back the cry. I hear Malakai hiss, but I’m not sure why.

Wetness seeps into my torso. That’s when I see blood drip from the new slices decorating his arm.

Slices that look eerily similar to my own.

I turn wide eyes to him, but he is looking at Kailu. Everyone in the room is staring at us with shock and intrigue. Kailu’s teeth are clenched so hard that I’m surprised they don’t crack.

Sarya breaks the awkward silence, thank the Gods, because my body is burning up and I’m not sure how much more I can endure.

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