Page 61 of Cursed

Night had fallen, and the garden was dark—but the lanterns were still lit.

Branches clawed at my bare legs and snagged at my dress as I followed the winding path, but panic propelled me forward. I could hear Valen’s footsteps trailing behind me, but I refused to acknowledge him.

I was drowning in memories that weren’t mine—haunted by visions that stirred dread deep within my soul.

“Avril!” His voice followed me, and I couldn’t decide if his words were desperate or angry. “Please, come back!”

But I couldn’t go back—

“Avril!” Valen called again.

At the door that led back into the house I hesitated, but only for a moment as the vision surged anew, and my mother’s face loomed—pale and rotting—in my mind.

No.

A whimper escaped my lips, and I shut my eyes tight against the specter. I pushed the door open and dragged myself into the house, but my foot caught on the threshold and I fell to the stone floor with a bone-jarringthud.

I lay there, dazed, and tried to force myself to get up—but as I tried to gather my strength, the grimoire’s whispers flooded into my mind. The whispers were insistent, pleading, demanding, begging, threatening…

Avril—

Traitor’s daughter—

Betrayer!

Whore—

Give in.

Too weak!

Never—

She can’t—

I shook my head to silence the voices, but they didn’t stop. Their accusations roared in my ears and I covered them with my hands to muffle the noise—but the volume grew and the voices whipped around me like a maelstrom until I couldn’t bear it any longer—and then darkness rushed over me.

As silence settledover the garden, confusion flooded through me—what the fuck happened?

One minute she’d been hot and heavy and ready to drop to her knees in front of me—and I was ready for it. The next, she’d pushed me away like she’d seen a ghost.

Maybe I’d deserved it.

She was right not to trust us.

Irritation flared up and pushed away those thoughts.

I’d offered her something different— Sanctuary. Solace.

Titus wouldn’t give her that.

Bastian didn’t know the meaning of those words.

But I did. I understood what she was going through better than anyone else in this damned estate.

Wasn’t that enough?

“Avril!” I called after her as she fled towards the house, but her silhouette had dissolved into the shadows.

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