Page 109 of The Cursed Fae

I'm the Problem, It's Me

Campus was quiet over the weekend, so I ended up going to over to Nana’s for dinner on Saturday and staying the night in the attic room. Mom was away on official business for my great-grandmother, which made me wonder how much the vampire attack played into our move to Arcane Landing.

Sure, my mother would’ve insisted on leaving after what happened. But coming back to her childhood home, to the place she’d met my father and conceived me... that was supposedly about my safety. Despite that, my mother had been running errands to other towns since our arrival.

Of course, when I asked Nana about it while we sat in the kitchen eating chocolate cake, she changed the subject. I finished my dessert, rinsed the dish and loaded it into the dishwasher, and went upstairs to call Lena. She still huddled in bed, this time with a bag of cheesy puffs. After idle chatter, she put a movie on her television, which we watched together until both of us fell asleep.

That night, my dreams were strange. They started off normal enough, vague scenes where I saw myself. Then someone called my name. She sounded desperate and lonely, and it broke my heart. I wanted to comfort her.

My feet carried me toward the sound, into a dark void. Smoke billowed in the distance everywhere I looked. Her voice grew stronger, reaching my ears in stereo. I spun in a circle and shouted into the chasm.

“I’m here!”

She yelled my name again, her voice growing raspy.

“I’m here!” I repeated.

This time, several voices joined in the for Nicasia.

I didn’t hesitate to respond. “I’m here!”

A long wail pierced the void. I ran toward the noise, into the rolling gray smoke, and fell down the rabbit hole.

I stood at the center of a clearing in the woods. Overhead, the sun shone through the treetops. Hooded figures all around made the circumference of a circle. Beside me, a dark-haired woman lowered her hood and turned to glance at me. Fierce crimson eyes flashed as a slow smile spread across her face, exposing a set of fangs.

“Sire,” she said in greeting.

In the dream, I recognized her and even knew her name. This was Zosia.

A man strode slowly from the woods, an inky cloak trailing over the grass as he walked with impossible grace. He radiated power, a quality I found alluring, though not as much as I once had. Over the centuries, after abusing his magic to limits beyond no return, he’d become the evil of prophecy.

Mathieu nodded at me. “Hello, Nicasia. I see you’ve marked your protector.”

Guilt fed my anger. I had been against this part of the plan. And yet, I’d gone along with it in the end because there was no other option. Now that Mathieu had ventured down this path, the only way to the other side was through it. Zosia’s mortal life was a necessary sacrifice.

In a sense, she was lucky. Few of my brethren treated their protectors well. They didn’t understand the power the wolves possessed and how valuable that bond could be.

“Your choice intrigues me,” Mathieu continued, appraising Zosia with interest. “She won’t be easy to tame.”

Zosia growled long and low.

I smiled coolly. “I prefer the way she is.”

He held my gaze for several moments, and I thought back to a time before his heart had filled with so much vitriol for the world. Now, those memories were tainted with his darkness and the shadows would never be uncast.

“Let the ceremony begin,” Mathieu announced before he joined the circle of hooded figures.

In unison, every person surrounding us raised their hands, palms facing the sky, and conjured flames. I turned to Zosia, guilt making the words stick in my throat.

“It’s okay, Nicasia,” she whispered. “I understand.”

I knew through my sire bond she believed it. The problem was, I didn’t. She couldn’t truly grasp the sacred promises we were about to make, because no one had never done it until now.

Magic gathered at my core. I held up my hand. Zosia mirrored my stance, pressing her palm against mine. A golden vine wound up our arms, joining them together.

“Do you swear to protect my life above all others?” I asked her, a part of me hoping she’d refuse.

“I do,” Zosia answered.

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