Page 16 of Cursed

The books I’d read in Withermarsh’s library had unsettled me enough… But these…

These books terrified. me.

Lucian’s smile was smooth as he brushed his fingers along the leather bound spines. “Come, let me gift you something that may ignite your curiosity,” he said as he pulled a heavy, black-bound book from its resting place.

He held the book almost reverently as he approached, his fingertips just brushing the cover. He paused and then held it up for my inspection, and I drew in a breath as a pulse of energy radiated from it, throbbing like a heartbeat. The black material that bound it appeared to be leather, but the texture hinted at something more sinister—something alive.

I swallowed hard and kept my clammy hands at my sides, but it was difficult—almost impossible—to resist the urge to touch it. I rubbed my palms against my hips—a nervous gesture that I had to force myself to stop.

“I— What is it?” I asked.

“This,” he said softly, “is the Bloodstone Grimoire, a relic of the Necromi. You will study its pages to prepare for our union.” He regarded me through half-lidded eyes that glittered with animalistic delight as his words sank in. “Your mother was eager to please me,” he continued. “She was a quick student—and her heart turned to the darkness within these pages so easily.” He paused, and the expression on his strangely handsome face was almost wistful. “How did she phrase it? Ah, yes, ‘To embrace the shadows is to find true strength.’”

“Strength?” I echoed, incredulous. My hands trembled as I reached out, drawn towards the book’s pulsing allure, but fear tempered my desire.

“Strength through darkness,” Lucian said, echoing the words that whispered in my mind. “Is that not what you seek?” He stepped closer and the scent of damp earth and decay swirled around us, choking me and making me gasp for breath. “The world outside these walls is rife with danger, Avril. There are those who would seek to harm you—would you allow them to do so?”

“I—”

“Will you justallowlife to happen to you?” he pressed. “Surely not… What if you were able to take control of your own destiny? Unlock your power— The Sages weren’t equipped to prepare you for what lies ahead. But I can.”

I hesitated, but Lucian held the grimoire out to me and then set it onto my outstretched palms.

The moment the grimoire touched my palm, a jolt of energy surged through me, as if the shadows that coiled within its pages were reaching out to engulf my very essence. The air thickened with an oppressive weight, suffocating and thick like fog rolling off a graveyard at midnight. I could almost hear whispers curling around the edges of my mind, coaxing and taunting, promising power—but at what price?

But then, without warning, the image of my mother flooded back—a vision stark and haunting, her lifeless body resting in that cold tub, her crimson nails like the petals of a wilted rose on the surface. Her eyes opened—glaring at me with such hatred that I gasped aloud.

“Avril?” Lucian’s voice sliced through the haze. His words were smooth but carried a sinister edge. “Are you afraid?”

Had he sensed my vision—was her horrifying presence visible to him, too?

I recoiled, and the book slipped from my fingers. I let out a cry and jumped back as it landed on the uneven stone floor with athud.

“I won’t,” I whispered.

Lucian’s amusement faded in an instant, and the flicker of disappointment sharpened his features into something frightening. A shadow crossed his pale eyes, and for a moment, I saw the monster that lurked beneath the surface of his elegant charm. “Are you rejecting this offer? Choosing weakness over power?” he asked. His voice was low and dangerous, and fear coursed through me and made my knees tremble.

I stumbled back as his ghostly glare burned into me with cold fire and consumed every shred of courage I had left.

Lucian shook his head. “My sweet girl,” he said, “you misunderstand. This is not a choice; this is a necessity.” His tone shifted and darkened like the thunderclouds that hovered over the estate. “Refusing the path laid before you comes with consequences.”

“Consequences?” I scoffed, trying to mask the tremor in my voice. But his shadow loomed larger, and wrapped around me like the tendrils of a nightmare.

His smile was a wicked crescent and my eyes darted to the horror of the painting on the wall above the fireplace and the writhing anguish of the figures trapped there—was my father among them?

“You should consider yourself fortunate to learn from my hand,” he hissed. “There are those who would give everything for such an honor—”

He bent to retrieve the grimoire from where it had fallen and cradled it gently in his long-fingered hands.

“Your mother… she embraced the darkness with open arms.”

And look at where it led her.

“Do you wish to join her? Or will you take up the mantle she abandoned? You have a choice, my dear.”

Did I?

I shuddered at his words and a chill crept down my spine.

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