Page 30 of Dark Bonds

I had to.I don’t say that. He knows if I shifted, it was for a good reason—to keep Francesca alive.

Everett helps me to a chair, his usual playful demeanor replaced by grave concern. “It’s getting worse, isn’t it? The curse,your powers… They are becoming harder to control. You’re slipping away, aren’t you?”

I nod, unable to meet his eyes, shame and fear warring within me. The fear of what I might become and what I might do to those I care about settles over me like a suffocating blanket. “If I can’t find a solution soon, Everett, I could hurt someone. I could hurt Frankie. I could become the very monster I’ve been fighting against.”

The thought sends a fresh wave of determination through me, tinged with desperation. I can’t let that happen. I won’t. I’ll find a way to break this curse or die trying—and therein lies the crux of my dilemma, the terrible truth I’ve been avoiding.

“You see?” Everett says softly, genuine fear creeping into his voice. “It’s already progressing faster than we anticipated. Your shadow shifter heritage… It’s like nitro to this curse’s glycerin. One wrong move and boom—no more Dorian, no more anything. I… I can’t lose you too. Not like this. Not to this goddamn curse.”

I straighten and push down the fear threatening to overwhelm me, drawing on a well of strength I didn’t know I possessed. “All the more reason to find a solution fast, before it’s too late for both of us.”

Everett sighs, suddenly looking every bit his true age, the weight of centuries pressing down on his shoulders. “Alright, alright, but be careful, Dorian. The path you’re walking is more treacherous than a tightrope over a shark tank with lasers, and the sharks have lasers too and they are hungry and angry. You get the picture.”

Despite everything, I feel a smile tugging at my lips, a spark of the old Dorian breaking through the darkness. “I know, Uncle. Thank you for everything. Thank you for not leaving me to face this alone and being the one constant in this sea of madness.”

“Hey, what’s family for if not to face eternal damnation together, right?” He grins, but I can see the concern in his eyes, the love that’s kept him by my side through it all. “Now, let’s crack open some more dusty books and see if we can’t find a way to outsmart this pesky curse. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find aCurse Breaking for Dummieshidden away somewhere.”

As we turn back to our research, I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror. For a moment, I swear I see a flicker of madness in my eyes, a darkness that wasn’t there before. My reflection grins back at me, a twisted, malevolent thing that makes my blood run cold. I look away quickly, but the image lingers in my mind, a portent of what’s to come if I fail.

Time is running out. For my sake, and for everyone I care about, I have to find an answer. Unbidden, Francesca’s face flashes in my mind, a beacon of light in the encroaching darkness.

My little owl.

Francesca is the one bright spot in this cursed existence. She is one person who makes me feel… human, normal, and alive. I remember the softness of her lips, the spark of electricity when we touched, and the way she looked at me like I was something precious, something worth saving, but I also remember the fear in her eyes when she saw the darkness within me. She stepped back, wary and uncertain, as if she could sense the monster lurking beneath my skin.

The thought sends a fresh wave of pain through me, sharper than any physical wound. This is why I have to find a cure—not just for me, but for her and the chance, however slim, that we might have a future together.

Even as I think it, doubt gnaws at me, a cancer of the soul. Am I being selfish? Would Francesca be better off if I just disappeared, sparing her the danger of my curse and the volatile nature of my powers? Would she mourn me, or would shebreathe a sigh of relief, finally free from the darkness that clings to me like a second skin?

“You’re thinking about her again, aren’t you?” Everett’s voice cuts through my reverie, sharp and knowing. I look up to see him watching me, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “That shadow shifter girl. Frankie. The one who has you tied up in knots.”

I nod, not trusting myself to speak, afraid of what might come out if I open my mouth.

Everett sighs, swirling his martini thoughtfully. “You know, in all my years, I’ve never seen a Gray look at someone the way you look at her. It’s like she’s your own personal sun or something. It’s disgustingly sweet, really. Makes me want to vomit rainbows and kittens.”

Despite everything, I feel a smile tugging at my lips and warmth spreading through my chest at the thought of her. “She’s… special. Francesca’s faced her own demons and came out stronger. Maybe, with her by my side, I could do the same. Maybe she’s the key to breaking this curse once and for all.”

“Special enough to fight this curse for?” Everett asks, his tone gentle but probing, laden with centuries of pain and loss.

I meet his gaze, feeling a surge of determination and love so fierce, it threatens to consume me. “Special enough to beat it for. Special enough to live for.”

Everett nods, a glimmer of pride in his eyes mixed with a sadness so profound, it takes my breath away. “Well then, kiddo, let’s get back to work. Can’t have you turning into a drooling shadow maniac before you get your happily ever after, can we? Although I have to say,Beauty and the Beast: Shadow Editionhas a nice ring to it.”

The shadows gather around me as I turn back to the ancient texts, a constant reminder of what I am and what I’m becoming. Now, though, Frankie’s memory shines like a beacon in thedarkness, giving me strength and purpose. Her face, her touch, and her very essence become my anchor, keeping me tethered to sanity as I delve deeper into the abyss of my family’s curse.

I am Dorian Gray, heir to a cursed legacy and bearer of shadow’s power, and I will find a way to break this curse, not just for my sake, but for the chance of a future with Francesca, or I’ll die trying.

Therein lies the crux of my torment, the terrible truth I’ve been avoiding. If I break this curse, I may very well die. Before meeting Frankie, I was ready to embrace death and welcome it like an old friend, but now the thought of leaving her behind is a pain almost worse than the curse itself.

“Uncle,” I say, my voice rough with emotion and fear. “There’s something I haven’t told you. Something I’ve been too afraid to say out loud.”

Everett looks up from his book, his eyes sharp with concern. “What is it, kiddo? You know you can tell me anything, unless it’s about that time with the goat and the feather duster. Some secrets are better left buried.”

I can’t even muster up a smile at his attempt at humor. The weight of my realization presses down on me, threatening to crush me beneath its terrible truth. “If we break this curse and we find a way to end it once and for all… I might not survive it.”

The words hang in the air between us, heavy and oppressive. Everett’s face drains of color, his usual jovial expression replaced by one of stark horror. “What do you mean, you might not survive? Dorian, what aren’t you telling me?”

I swallow hard, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “The curse isn’t just affecting me anymore. It’s become a part of me. The shadows, the power, the very things that are driving me mad… they are also keeping me alive. If we destroy the curse…”

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