Page 132 of Cursed

“Especially one you cannot understand… On the contrary, my dear. It’s even more dangerous than you couldeverimagine. This is not justanybook.” He allowed his words to linger in the air. Dark and ominous. “Perhaps you’re drawn to its darkness? Fascinated by power that you cannot touch—”

I had to remind myself to breathe, but each inhale tasted like ashy dread.

Lucian’s gaze bored into me, unyielding, dissecting each flicker of emotion that crossed my face.

Fuck.

“Come closer,” he commanded.

I obeyed, and the grimoire’s whispers grew louder—so loud they were shouting. Urging me to flee. Demanding that I fight—that I reach out and wrap my magic around his throat and—

No. Stop it. Shut up!

Lucian leaned closer and his pale eyes glinted with a hunger that sent a shiver racing down my spine. Without warning, he lunged forward, and his fingers curled around my left wrist like an iron shackle. I let out a choked cry as he yanked me toward him.

My hips struck the edge of his heavy wooden desk and I let out a moan as he pulled up the long sleeve of my sweater to bare the skin beneath—

The cuts on my arm and the side of my hand were plainly visible.

Some healed. Some fresh.

One very fresh.

“Tell me, Avril,” he murmured. His voice was low and intimate, yet filled with an unsettling authority. The room faded into a blur; all I could focus on was his grip on my wrist—tight, unyielding. Suffocating. My heart thudded erratically. Each beat screamed at me to pull away and escape from the scrutiny of those cold, calculating eyes.

But I remained frozen in place as though time itself had stopped.

“How naïve you must be...” he whispered. His gaze roved over the livid marks that criss-crossed my wrists— A twisted smile spread across his lips, and the soft red glow of the orb intensified and illuminated the sharp angles of his face. “Look at these little etchings. They tell quite the tale. Seems like a lot of effort for…trying.“

My throat was tight.

I wanted nothing more than to snatch my hand away and hide it from his view, but the weight of his stare anchored me in place. There was no denying the truth of what he saw—the evidence of my desperate attempts to wield a darkness I barely understood.

“Lucian, I—” I began, my voice wavering like a flame in a gusty wind, but he silenced me with a mere flick of his wrist.

“Ah, spare me your excuses.” His eyes gleamed with cruel delight, as if he derived pleasure from my discomfort. “You’ve already spilled enough of it, haven’t you? Blood for knowledge. It is a tempting trade, though one I would never recommend for someone so... innocent.”

He released his grip on my wrist, but the chill of his touch lingered like a phantom, leaving me acutely aware of the scars he had just exposed.

I snatched my arm back against my chest and fumbled to pull my sleeve down to hide the marks.

“You should be more cautious, Avril,” he murmured. “But I suppose I should not scold you too harshly—” His focus turned to the floating orb, and he reached out to caress it gently. The orb pulsed and the smoke within it churned sensually at the touch of his long fingers.

I swallowed hard and took a step back.

Just a small one.

And then another.

“Curiosity,” Lucian mused, his finger twirled the orb in slow circles, creating a spiraling galaxy of smoke within. “It’s a potent drug, and dangerous for someone of your... disposition.”

His gaze flickered back to me. It wasn’t a kind gaze, but neither was it filled with cruelty. It was evaluating and contained an icy calculation that sent tendrils of dread through my mind. He released the orb which hovered in place, pulses sending ripples dancing through the smoke-filled sphere.

“I trust you’ve been careful.” His words were doused in sarcasm as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossing over his chest. “I’d hate to see you consumed by your thirst for… knowledge.”

His mocking tone gave rise to an infuriated heat that surged through my veins. I bristled under his condescension while keeping my gaze steady on him. Even as fear gnawed at me, I couldn’t let him see that weakness.

But maybe that was what he wanted.

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