Page 422 of Evil Hearts

The castle loomedbefore them, an ancient structure bathed in the pale light of dawn, its towering walls covered in ivy and moss, its windows dark and hauntingly silent. The air was thick with a heavy, lingering magic—Elara could feel it pressing down on her like a weight, binding the entire structure in a spell of eternal slumber. But beneath the spell’s cold grip, she sensed something more—a pulse, faint and rhythmic, like a heartbeat waiting to be revived.

Brian stood beside her, his expression unreadable as he looked up at the castle. She felt the tension between them, the unspoken words that had grown heavier with each step they took closer to this moment. She knew what he was feeling, because she felt it too. The journey here had bound them in ways she hadn’t thought possible, and now they were at the threshold of a choice that would sever that connection forever.

“Elara, are you sure you’re ready for this?” Brian’s voice was low, his eyes searching hers as if looking for a reason to delay, to keep her by his side for just a moment longer.

She took a deep breath, reaching for the spark of power within her that had awakened in the forest. “I have to do this, Brian. My people… they’re depending on me. And Rafe…” Her voicefaltered, a flicker of doubt crossing her face. “I feel… connected to him, like there’s a part of me I can’t access without him.”

Brian’s jaw tightened, but he nodded, hiding the ache that shadowed his gaze. “Then let’s break this curse. Together.”

They crossed the castle’s threshold, the air inside frigid and still, as if the building itself had fallen into a deep, impenetrable slumber. Their footsteps echoed in the silent hallways, every shadow stretching out like a memory frozen in time. Statues lined the walls, their faces shrouded by cobwebs, and portraits of forgotten royalty seemed to watch them as they passed.

At last, they reached the grand hall, where an intricate barrier of shimmering magic blocked the entrance. The spell glowed faintly, a web of luminous threads woven together, radiating with a dark, haunting beauty.

Elara could feel its power, its resistance, as if the very essence of Queen Clary lingered here, defying her to step any closer.

Elara stepped forward, feeling her own power rise in response to the barrier’s magic. She extended her hand, letting her energy flow toward the spell, sensing how her magic intertwined with it, probing for weaknesses, seeking a way in. A rush of memories flooded her mind—the nights spent under starlit skies, fragments of an ancient kingdom where she was beloved, where her people’s laughter had echoed through these very halls.

Closing her eyes, she whispered a spell. The words slipping from her lips like an incantation she had always known, buried deep within her soul.

With a flicker, the barrier shimmered, its threads weakening as Elara’s power melded with it. The barrier trembled, its resistance crumbling as her magic surged through, weaving around the dark spell and unraveling it, layer by layer. Finally, with a burst of light, the barrier shattered, dissolving into wisps of energy that vanished into the air.

“It’s done,” she whispered, lowering her hand.

Brian watched her, his expression filled with awe—and a tinge of sorrow. “You did it,” he said softly. But there was a sadness in his voice, a bittersweet realization that the path he’d tried to delay was now inevitable.

They pushed open the grand doors and entered the heart of the castle, where the sleeping prince lay on a raised dais, his figure shrouded in a silken canopy. Elara’s heart pounded as she approached, each step bringing her closer to the man who had once been her destiny.

Prince Rafe lay perfectly still, his face serene, his chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm. His features were as she had remembered them in her fragmented dreams—strong, noble, with a gentleness that called to something deep within her. It was as if he had been waiting for her, held in a state of timeless anticipation, bound by a curse meant to separate them.

Brian lingered behind her, his silence heavy with everything he had yet to say. She could feel his presence, a warmth that had been her comfort, her strength, her guide through the darkness. And yet here, beside Rafe, she felt the stirrings of a life she had forgotten, a life she had left behind.

“Elara…” Brian’s voice was almost a whisper, filled with an ache that cut through her heart. “This is where our paths diverge. Your destiny lies with him, with the kingdom you’re meant to save.”

She turned to him, her heart in turmoil. “Brian, I—”

He shook his head, a sad smile touching his lips. “You don’t have to say it. I knew this moment would come. It was my duty to bring you here, to help you remember who you are, even if it means…” His voice broke, and he looked away, his fists clenched as he struggled to maintain control. “Even if it means letting you go.”

A tear slipped down her cheek as she looked at him, the man who had become her everything. She reached for his hand, theirfingers intertwining, and for a moment, they stood in silence, holding onto the connection that had carried them through danger and darkness.

“Thank you, Brian,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I don’t know if I would have made it here without you.”

He nodded, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “Just promise me one thing, Elara.”

“Anything.”

“Be happy,” he said, his voice choked. “Find peace… even if it’s without me.”

The weight of his words settled over her, and she felt her heart breaking, torn between the love she had found and the duty she could no longer ignore.

With a final, lingering glance, Brian released her hand, stepping back to give her space, his gaze unwavering as he watched her turn toward Rafe.

She moved forward, her steps heavy with the realization of what she was about to do.

Standing over Rafe, she felt the powerful connection between them, the bond that had been severed by time and magic, but that now pulsed with a familiar warmth, waiting to be rekindled. She leaned down, her heart pounding as her lips hovered just above his, a single kiss that would change everything.

She looked back at Brian one last time, their eyes meeting in a moment of silent understanding. He gave her a nod, his expression unreadable, and she turned back to Rafe, feeling the weight of destiny upon her.

Closing her eyes, she pressed her lips to Rafe’s, a spark of magic surging between them. The warmth of the spell washed over her, filling her with a sense of completion, of memories slotting back into place like pieces of a puzzle. She felt the kingdom stir around her, as if the entire castle was coming back to life, a heartbeat she hadn’t known was missing.

---