Page 62 of Cursed

Panic surged in my veins and mingled with something darker—something possessive.

Without thinking, I took off after her.

I slipped through the garden’s shadows on silent feet. Avril’s choked sobs echoed strangely through the garden… she was easy prey.

My breath quickened, not from exertion but from the urgency that propelled me.

I had to talk to her— I had to find out what had happened.

I’d never seen anyone so frightened…

Lanterns, placed along the winding garden path, swung in the wind as I rushed toward the house.

I fought against the gnawing frustration that coiled in my chest—why did I care so much about someone who had just shoved me away?

But Avril was more than a plaything—my brothers were lying when they said they could use her and cast her aside.

We all craved her now. Even when I feared that craving would consume me whole, I couldn’t keep her out of my thoughts.

And I’d almost had her again…

Would she have gone through the front doors?

As I emerged from the edges of the garden, I suddenly realizedwhyI was so eager to find her.

The grimoire was dangerous—too dangerous for someone like her.

A fierce need to protect her had taken root in my mind.

Titus and Bastian wanted to use her, and the power in those ancient pages, for their own ends… but I didn’t want to see her change as the grimoire’s magic took hold.

The mansion rose up in front of me and I frowned as I tried to decide which direction to go.

This damned house held too many secrets—too many nightmares.

I headed for the main doors, but then I noticed a streak of mud across the grass—Avril. She’d been running and must have slipped.

The ground was soft—it was always raining here.

I followed the second path and a ripple of unease cascaded down my spine as I saw a door standing open.

“Avril?” My voice came out strained and desperate and I gritted my teeth. No response.

Then I saw her.

She lay sprawled on the cold stone floor and her auburn hair fanned out like a dark halo that blended with the shadows that seemed to swallow her whole. Panic surged through me, sharp and unyielding. I rushed to her side and knelt beside her. My fingers trembled as I brushed strands of hair from her face. Her skin was pale, almost ghostly, and for a brief moment, the world around me narrowed down to just her.

I took hold of her shoulder and squeezed gently. “Avril—”

No response. Just silence.

Without thinking, I gathered her into my arms and cradled her against my chest.

She was so small, so fragile.

“You shouldn’t have run,” I murmured. I lifted her effortlessly and kicked the door closed.

The shudder of it echoed through the hallway, but I didn’t pause to wonder if anyone had heard it.

---