Page 9 of The Bones of the Cursed

I spot the reason turning the corner around the fish market and swiftly move out of sight. He may think he is being sneaky, but his tattoos give him away.

Malakai.

An odd sensation sprouts up in my chest. A sense of sadness, perhaps. A heavy weight sits there and I almost go after him, but a soldier draws my attention away.

“Sir, there are five dead and three missing.”

I cluck my tongue in annoyance, shoot one last glance after Malakai, and turn to walk with the soldier to the local pub. I’m going to need a drink after this. Only a little over fifty people reside in the fishing village of Lower Shrol. Everyone knows everyone, which is helpful when determining losses, but detrimental to the workings of a village this small. “And the ghouls?”

“Either dead, or they scattered.”

The local pub overflows with people, most dealing with minor injuries but a few struggling with worse. The closest hospital being in the town of Weynmar, which is a half a day’s ride away, far longer when traveling with the injured.

My men and I work in tandem, helping the injured and making sure the more severely wounded are comfortable until we can get them moved to the hospital.

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I step outside to find darkness now blanketing the realm, the day long since gone. The smell of salt and fish hang in the air. Captain Thelos barrels towards me from the produce market that is now doubling as a place of refuge for the citizens who are displaced due to damage their houses sustained in the attack. The scrunch in his brows and the stiffness in his shoulders betray his outwardly calm appearance.

Dread churns in my gut. “What is it?”

He swallows hard. “Missing soldiers, sir. Six of them.”

Tilting my head up towards the sky, I take a deep breath, trying to center myself.

“It’s too late now to inform families. We will leave at daybreak, inform the families, and then meet up with the soldiers at the junction.”

3

- MALAKAI -

THE LIBRARY

Istumble into my house, the whiskey flowing through my veins and making me feel invincible. I bought myself a celebratory drink or five after settling the ghoul attack.

I reach out to find a candle, but instead stub my toe on the entryway table. A sound draws my attention to the kitchen and I’m immediately back in fight mode, my brain still stuck on the absolute horror I witnessed in the Lower Shrol: ghouls ripping apart innocent people, showing no care for life.

“Oh shit,” I whisper when I see who waits for me.

She crosses her arms, looking at me with disdain. “Honestly, Malakai, what are youdoing? You can’t just disappear for days at a time!”

I nod, feeling bad but knowing it won’t stop me. She sniffs the air and gags. “You smell like the bottom of a bottle and a cheap whore.”

My mouth gapes open. “Language,” I scold jokingly.

She makes a dismissive noise and pins me with a serious stare. “Malakai, things are growing worse around the realm. You cannot just disappear. Just this morning I heard a few errant witches tortured a poor, lonely traveler who was coming fromthe village of Vrolstead to the town of Selianthe. If you are going to head out on missions, you must go with your group. Don’t take unnecessary risks.”

She places a soft hand on my face, staring at me with concern. “What is going on with you?” she whispers.

Shrugging, I flex my split knuckles, wincing at the sting of pain.

“You need to figure out what you’re doing with your life, Malakai. No more of this nonsense.”

I watch as my sister slips out the front door, leaving me berated and feeling worse than I did before. I hardly see her anymore since she married, and I’m not proud that she saw me like this.

I slump into the chair, running my hands through my hair. With the growing number of ghoul attacks and people going missing frequently, this realm is growing more unstable by the day. If I don’t get answers soon, I fear we may be facing a grim future.

I pull the map out of my bag, spreading it out on the kitchen table before me. Quickly, I mark all the places that have suffered from recent ghoul attacks. The ghouls are multiplying and disappearing without a trace after each attack. If I can find out why and how, then I am one step closer to stopping it.

By morning, my hangover is just a dull ache. I quickly head to the library, hoping to find any information I can about ghouls and their behavior. Maybe at some point in history this has happened before.

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