Page 94 of The Bones of the Cursed

“I felt the pain through the bond,” Viros continues. “I was panicked, knowing you were with her. I followed her scent, smelling her blood get stronger. When I found her, she was barely alive. I tried my best to heal her, but it was impossible. She ended up just another statistic in the city. A mugging gone wrong. I made sure to get you out of there, but I knew you being tied to me would be too dangerous. I brought you back the next day, when I was sure Tiernan was there delivering crops. I hadseen him many times and saw how he and his wife were with their boy. I wanted that kind of family for you.”

He takes a deep breath as if the memory pains him. “I pinched your arm to make you cry and gave you one last kiss. Then I waited around the corner until they found you. I stayed nearby throughout your entire life. Even when the world went to shit and the realm became hellbent on controlling the people, I still stayed.”

“Did you know when I left?”

He nods. “You are my flesh and blood. There is a tie between us that lets me know when you are near. I am the God of magic. I have control of all magic in the realm. You are part Witch. My powers reach out to yours.”

I nod. “What about my mother? What were her powers?”

Viros takes a swig from his glass of beer. “Your mother was a force to be reckoned with. She was able to wield all the elements, much like I believe you can, though hers weren’t tied to emotions. She needed an actual spell to use them. I’m assuming your powers are able to be controlled through emotion, as that is how my power works. Between the powerful Grim bloodline and the blood of a God running through your veins, you could become unstoppable. But that also makes you a target.”

My thoughts are jumbled, my emotions a mess. I feel exhausted from the deluge of information in such a short amount of time.

“What do you know about the prophecy?” Malakai asks, speaking at last.

Viros shifts in his seat, eyes never leaving me. “That prophecy was created by the Fates at about the same time the Gods and Goddesses came into being. Each one, even the Hell Gods and Goddesses, wondered who the child would belong to. All of us knew we would one day have mates and children, but not when. It could take millions of years. After so many centuries, webecame bored of this world, never able to fully embrace who we were. I met your mother then and knew instantly who she was to me.

“The Iclas mess wasn’t even a worry to us. We cursed him and that was that—until I realized your mother was pregnant. Odessa was informing her mother of the pregnancy, and of course she wasn’t happy. Odessa never told her I was the father. She didn’t want her taking advantage of my power. She just told her I was a Fae working for the realm. I loved her even more knowing she was trying to protect me, I waited in the Rorane Mountains, staying close in case Odessa needed me. But I felt this…presence looming in the area. I could feel magic, but it was tainted. Dark. And it tasted familiar.”

“What do you mean?” I ask. “What did it taste like?”

His deep blue eyes pierce mine. “Revenge. It tasted like a Hell God’s magic. They thrive on chaos and drama. I knew Iclas had met with them at some point. I knew there was a chance that the deals he was willing to make would appeal to them. But you must know, no matter what is said or written about them, the Hell Gods are not evil.” He raps his knuckles against the table. “I could scent the powers and searched for the culprit, and then I found Iclas hiding in the woods. He seemed almost…manic. I followed him all the way to the Shivering Lake, where a man waited for him. He told him that he found what he needed.”

Viros takes a breath, reining in his emotions. “My rage grew as I heard his plan to take Odessa. He thought she was the key to breaking his curse, but I knew the truth. The prophecy made long ago.Youwere the one who could either save us all, or damn us. I knew then we had to get you out more than ever. I convinced Odessa to disappear that night, hoping you would never return here.”

“But then the people in power lost their mind in the Caselian Realm,” I say. “That’s the only reason I’m here. Is there a chancethe Fates caused that as well, knowing the consequence of that would bring me back here?”

“I think that’s exactly what happened.”

Malakai mutters under his breath, “You’re telling me the Fates caused chaos and corruption in that realm and created acivil warwithmillionsof deaths just to lure Alanis back here?”

Viros’s eyes harden. “I think that’s exactly what they did. There was more than the prophecy dragging her here.” He flicks a pointed look between the two of us. “The Fates are all about completing the plans they started eons ago. They would do anything to bring her here to complete the prophecy, one way or another, and the mating bond. That’s the Fates’ only job, and they never fail. The path may change, but the outcome always ends the way they want. They even tried once when Alanis was younger.”

It’s Elion’s turn to look irritated. “I think I would have noticed someone trying to lure my sister from us!”

Viros sighs. “I’m sure they tried multiple times, but it wouldn’t have been as noticeable. They only take drastic measures when other, more levelheaded attempts have failed. When she was younger, they targeted Matilda, filled her head with fears of being found with a child who had illegal magic.”

I feel sick to my stomach. And if what Viros is saying is true, if the prophecy is indeed about me, how can I fulfill it without dying?

“What will happen if the prophecy isn’t fulfilled?” I ask.

Viros leans back in his seat. “Iclas wants his curse released. He won’t stop until he either dies or succeeds. With the Hell Gods’ deals, he will be near-impossible to kill unless you weaken him—which can only happen by fulfilling the prophecy.”

“Which means I must die to end this, To end Iclas’s power.”

Viros looks at me the same way my father did.

My adoptive father. Tiernan.

The love in his eyes is jarring, but something I crave. I want to know him. I want him to know me. I want a father again, someone to make proud. Someone who won’t fear me.

“That’s the way to ensure peace,” Viros says at last. “With Iclas gone, most of the ghouls will be gone, too. The remainder will most likely scurry back to whichever pit they crawled from. If Iclas manages to break the curse…well, then, the issue of ghoul attacks and people disappearing will increase tenfold.”

I shudder. “Iclas mentioned some ideas when he captured me for a short while. What would happen? How could he possibly break the curse?”

“In order for the flip side of the prophecy to come true, Iclas would have to bond with you. Seeing his nature now, thanks to the Hell Gods, he would have to join with you. This would link your powers with his, making him unstoppable. Knowing him, he would kill you soon after, claiming your powers for his own.”

“What do you mean join with her?” Malakai asks through clenched teeth.

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