Page 178 of Her Dark Promise

Soren sighed and said, “You stabbed yourself, and a blast of energy shot out of you. It was powerful and threw everyone across the room. You fell to the ground and…died.” He looked away as if he were collecting himself. “I did everything I could think of to revive you, but…you stabbed yourself in the chest!” Soren’s voice kept getting louder the more he talked.

Bastian snapped, “Ren.”

“Right.” Soren paused. “Not a minute after you died, the castle started falling apart. Maybe it was attached to the curse, and when that broke, it brought down the castle. Or that blast of energy that shot out of you caused the very foundation to quake, becoming unstable. Either way, I was wrong.”

I looked at him, confused.

“I thought the key to breaking the curse was love, but I mistranslated it. I mean, in a way it was a type of love. A love forothers that went beyond your innate desire to survive. The both of you were connected through the curse, so when you stabbed yourself it killed her."

It looked as though Soren was going to continue when Bastian slapped his back and shook his head.

I sat there, allowing everything to sink in. My voice cracked as I asked, “Did I really break it?”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

Bastian stood and reached his hand out for me to take. I placed my hand in his as he gently helped me up, despite my body protesting the movement. I turned back to the only home I had ever known. Where Callum’s body would forever be. It was hard seeing it in this state. I tried to imagine the grandeur that it once possessed.

Now, it was rubble.

I couldn’t find it in myself to cry any more tears, but the sadness was so strong I had to rub my chest to try and take the pain away. I wondered if it would ever end, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.

They all gave me the space I needed, and then I turned around and walked away from my home for the last time. I vowed to never come back. To only look ahead from now on. So long as the curse was broken.

We walked around the side of the castle, past the rose garden, over the bridge, and past the overgrown lined trees. My steps slowed once the front gates came into view, and then I stopped completely when I was only a few feet from it. They had all stepped on the other side and turned to me.

“Come on, Rose.”

I shook my head at them, and I took a step backward. This was all happening so fast, I wasn’t ready. I thought I was, but…

I looked back toward the crumbled castle. Maybe I could stay a little longer and work myself up to this.

“Thea,” Bastian said, grabbing my attention once more. He gave me a small smile. “It’s time to go.”

“The world is so different, Bastian. What if it’s too different? What if I cannot fit in?” I couldn’t help but share my worries with them.

“This is what we have worked so hard for. Your freedom.” Soren pleaded.

Bastian instead asked, “Would you care to make a wager?”

My eyes found Bastian’s. “What would we wager?”

He crossed his broad arms over his chest. “Walk through the barrier. If it is still up, we will all stay with you and make this a home. But…”

He left the word hanging, and Soren finished, “...if the curse is broken, then you come with us. Make a life with us.Live.”

My breathing increased rapidly, and I took a couple of hesitant steps forward until I was directly in front of the barrier.

Deep breath in. One. Two. Three. Deep breath out. One. Two. Three.

I held my breath and took a step, tensing as I waited for the barrier to shoot me back, but nothing happened. I was panting as I opened my eyes and saw everyone smiling at me.

The curse was broken. I could hardly believe it. The night had begun to lighten, specks of light peaked through the trees. I had never felt this light before, this free. Anything and everything was possible.

“What now?” I asked, breathless, uncertain.

“Where do you want to go?” Emilia asked.

I turned and gave Soren a small smile. “The ocean.”

---