Page 57 of Cursed

“Did I?” He stepped closer, emerging from the shadows with a grace that unsettled me. His tousled hair caught the light, and it framed his face in a way that made him look almost ethereal—yet his gaze was anything but innocent.

“Daddy let you out of your cage, I see— No escort?”

I narrowed my gaze, instinctively stepping back, wary of his presence. “No— I— I should go back.”

“Don’t be so hasty— I won’t bite,” he said, and a sly smile crept across his lips. “Unless you ask me to.”

My breath hitched, an involuntary reaction to the chill that crept into my bones—and his nearness. I could feel the power radiating from him, and it drew me in despite my better judgment. I wanted to break away from this conversation and retreat into the safety of the mansion, yet something held me captive, tethered to his enigmatic presence.

“There’s something different about you,” he said after a moment, and his brow rose slightly. “Something… darker.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I choked out.

He reached out and grabbed hold of my wrist with the speed of a striking snake, and I cried out in pain as his fingers closed over one of my self-inflicted cuts.

His eyes widened, and he released me instantly. “Avril—”

“It’s nothing,” I said as I held my arm against my chest. “What are you doing out here? Picking more poisoned flowers?”

Instead of answering, he raised his hand. Pale blue smoke wreathed his fingers and wound up his arms as the plants around us came alive.

Vines slithered from the earth, curling and twisting as they responded to his unspoken command with eerie beauty. They glimmered under the lantern light and pulsated with an ethereal glow as they weaved in a mesmerizing dance that entranced me despite my better judgment.

I gasped as one vine snaked toward me and brushed against my skin with the gentleness of a lover’s caress before it wrapped around my bare leg with surprising strength. Panic surged through me, and I pulled against it, heart racing, as memories of my nightmare flooded back.

“Let go!” I hissed as fear tightened my throat. “I can’t—”

“Avril, relax,” he said. His voice was smooth like honey, but something darker tainted that sweetness. “It won’t harm you— Not unless you resist.”

The vine tightened as it wound up my leg and then my waist, pulling me closer to him. I stumbled forward, my pulse pounding in my ears. “Please! Make it stop—” I begged.

“Very well.” With a flick of his wrist, Valen commanded the vine to wither away like autumn leaves, and I was released from its grip. It fell lifelessly to the ground and left behind a faint shimmer that faded into the damp earth.

“You’re... you’re dangerous,” I hissed as anger welled up in my chest and pushed away my fear. I took a step back as I tried to regain my composure, though my heart still raced.

“Perhaps.” He regarded me with an inscrutable expression that both captivated and unnerved me. “But so are you, sister. You have a power within you— I can feel it. Begging to be let out.”

“Teach me?” I echoed, doubt creeping into my voice. “Why would you want to help me?”

“Because,” he stepped closer, and I froze in place as he laid a hand on my shoulder, “you deserve better. Imagine wielding magic not as a victim, but as its master. What if you were able to embrace the darkness rather than fearing it?” His words wrapped around me, seductive but perilous, and they filled my mind with swirling thoughts I had tried so hard to banish.

The grimoire’s whispers surged forward, as though they were eager for my answer.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, though even I could hear the uncertainty in my voice.

“Really? A pity.”

A part of me longed to accept his offer and dive into the depths of the magic contained within the grimoire. If Bastian and Titus had discovered its secrets, Valen must have, too. All three of my stepbrothers had offered to help me— But I couldn’t trust them.

What if they wanted it for themselves?

As much as I craved their help—another part of me screamed for caution.

Don’t give in.

Give in—the grimoire whispered. Louder now.

“Think about it,” Valen murmured. “You could be so much more.”

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