Page 134 of Cursed

I forced myself to hold his icy gaze as I searched for any hint of humanity in their soulless depths. But all I found was a chilling satisfaction—and a pleasure taken in my struggle.

“Come now,” he taunted, as a cruel smile spread across his lips. “You are to be my bride—” He leaned in and the space between us vanished entirely. It was suffocating—the chill of his presence wrapped around me like a vice, closing in until there was no escape.

“Lucian—” I breathed, barely able to form the words as dread twisted in my gut.

The coldness that radiated from him sent a jolt of alarm coursing through my veins and it mingled with the intoxicating allure of being so close to power like his—dangerous, corrupting power. Dark and consuming.

What if I gave in? What if I let him take me?

His magic enveloped me, tendrils pressing and squeezing in a dark caress that promised both pleasure and pain.

“Do not resist,” he said softly—almost tenderly—as if coaxing a flower to bloom in the shadows. “I know that you want this—give in.”

But I sensed the jagged edge beneath his words, the threat of what might come should I submit fully.

All I wanted was to break free of this place—of him—

Lucian’s lips were a whisper away.

When they brushed against mine—it was like ice clashing with fire—a meeting of contrasting elements that sent a ripple of horror through me.

I could taste the darkness on his lips, a tang of power that both terrified and ignited something dark, and forbidden, deep within me.

The moment stretched, dragging out the seconds until they felt like an eternity.

Just enough resistance,just enough to not let him win completely.

The weight of his dark magic swirled around us and wrapped tighter with every shallow breath I took.

Then, as quickly as he had leaned in, he pulled back, leaving me gasping for air, for clarity, for anything but the haze of his influence.

My eyes darted up to meet his, searching for something—anything—beyond that unreadable mask.

But Lucian’s expression revealed nothing, a carefully crafted façade that concealed whatever twisted pleasure he had derived from my struggle.

Lucian brushed the tips of his fingers over his lips, as though he was savoring our brief kiss. “My sons may have corrupted your body,” he murmured. “And the Bloodstone Grimoire seeks to corrupt in the spaces they have left behind— But there is still something within you, Avril… Something none of them can touch. And it will be mine.”

I swallowed hard and took a step back.

“Go back to your room,” he said after an intolerable pause.

His voice washed over me, a thunderous decree that resonated deep within the eerie silence filling the room. “And stay away from what is beyond your capacity—beyond your magic.”

It wasn’t a request. It was a command.

My lips burned from the brief brush of our lips and my tongue was frozen to the roof of my mouth, but I managed to nod in response. My hands trembled at my sides as I backed away and left the room without a word.

As I stepped into the hallway, one thought streaked through my mind—augmented by the grimoire’s whispers.

Lucian knew.

Deep down, I knew I wouldn’t be able to lie to him.

He wielded an insidious type of magic that allowed him to know things he had no right to.

I couldn’t shake his words from my mind—his warning, his mockery, his disappointment.

The sharp sting of his cruelty lingered like a bleeding wound.

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