Page 135 of Her Dark Promise

The fire raged around her, trying to consume her, and her voice—distorted and horrifying—chanted the words that would come to haunt me. “All you know will fade like mist. As you have shown the heart of a beast, so shall you live as one. Silence your prison, loneliness your true companion. Isolated. Unloved. Cursed. Only when our tangled thread unbinds, can you reclaim what was lost.” As the curse ended, the fog closed in.

Watching myself clutching my chest and crumbling to the ground, was a physical reminder of the pain I felt that night. I covered my ears as I couldn’t stand to listen to my scream from so long ago; remembering how it felt as though molten lava was being poured into me. The pain was worse than anything thatI had ever felt before. I could see Mother kneeling beside me, doing her best to help me, but nothing lessened my torment.

I was on the ground, writhing in pain, but my eyes were on Circe, who looked at me with pure disgust in her eyes. No—not just disgust, but something deeper.

She taunted, “Let’s see how you fare alone with not one person who loves you.”

I looked up to see my mother gasping for air, and then my father followed suit. It was excruciating watching this, reliving it after all these years. The fog was killing them. I didn’t know it at the time, but now knowing what was about to happen did nothing to ease the grief I felt.

Bodies began to drop. Screams filled the air as the people ran, trying to outrun their fate. Women and children weren’t spared as they dropped, their eyes not even having time to close.

I watched myself screaming for everything to stop. Pleading with Circe to take it all back. To take me instead, but it was too late.

I dropped to the floor. My legs could no longer hold me up as I watched myself reach for my mother with trembling hands, holding her close to me as her vacant eyes stared straight ahead. Mother was dead. Father had collapsed in front of Circe, his sword in his outstretched hand as he ceased to move. Circe laughed hysterically, knowing she had won.

When the only noise that was left was the crackling of the fire as it engulfed Circe, I finally looked back toward the raised platform and found that Circe wasn’t looking toward a broken, newly cursed Calathea, but at me…in the crowd.

A chill ran down my spine. I didn’t remember this.

Her mouth continued to rise, her eyes widening as she opened her mouth and screamed.

The image faded, and we were back in the dining hall. I didn’t look at their faces; I couldn’t. I felt something drop onto myarm. My hand shook as I reached up and wiped away tears. I was crying. I stood up abruptly and felt my head swim from lack of food and drink. Soren stepped forward and lifted me into his arms.

My arms felt heavy, and my head fell against Soren’s chest. I guess that took more out of me than I thought. I closed my eyes because everything was spinning, and if I kept them open any longer, I would expel everything that I had just consumed.

I could hear Bastian order to Soren, “Give her to me.”

Soren's chest rumbled as he replied, “You aren’t the only one who cares for her, Bast. Now get out of the way.”

Bastian growled, but he must have listened because Soren was moving.

I could feel Soren’s mouth close to my ear as he whispered, “Thank you for telling me.” He kissed the top of my head, and I let him, because, for the moment, I was that scared girl clutching her dead mother’s body.

I felt my body being laid on the bed and ointment being applied to the sides of my head. It smelled of lavender and something else familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Not long after, the pain began to subside, and I opened my eyes.

Soren was sitting in Bastian’s chair, writing in his journal. Bastian was pacing behind his brother, and Callum was on the edge of the bed, massaging my feet.

I laid there just watching them all, as I took a moment to gather myself. I couldn’t stop shaking after what everyone just witnessed. I wasn’t sure if I felt embarrassed or relieved that it was all out in the open. What I was sure of was that it felt as though a small weight was lifted from my shoulders.

I still didn’t understand how the memories manifested; it didn’t matter at this point. I wanted to forget it ever happened. Wanted to do my best to erase the look of disgust my father gave me before he died.

And I knew just how to do that.

I moaned, which caught all of their attention, and they looked at me with lust in their eyes.

I sat up in bed slowly, not wanting to feel dizzy again when each one of them lurched forward to help me, fighting amongst themselves as I leaned back against the pillows. It would have been comical if I wasn’t annoyed and exhausted.

I looked up to the ceiling and closed my eyes, knowing what to do. I opened my eyes and looked at Bastian.

“Hunter,” he narrowed his eyes at the name, and I pressed on, “I will make another deal with you. Stop cutting my arm with that knife. Let me heal fully, and I promise to allow Soren to find a way to break the curse.”

“Why now?” He was skeptical, understandably.

“Because I don’t know how much longer I can go without having sex.” I tried to say as nonchalantly as possible, as I looked at Callum and smirked, his cheeks reddening.

“How can you jest after everything we just saw?” Bastian asked incredulously, gaining my attention once more. “So you want your powers back and are willing to allow us to find a way to break the curse, just so you can have sex?”

“You won’t break my curse,” I told him, certain of it. I shrugged. “What do I have to lose? We all have our vices, and Callum is mine.”

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