Page 98 of Cursed

But I had been.

“What do you want?”

Valen entered the room slowly, and my lip curled as I noticed Bastian behind him.

“Both of you?”

“We’ve been thinking about something,” Bastian said, as he took a seat on one of the plush chairs. His curling blond hair fell into his eyes as he scanned the room. The corners of his lips curled into a smirk, but I detected the shadows of something else lurking beneath his charm.

“What?” I replied tersely.

“Something is… different. In the house,” Valen said. He took a seat opposite Bastian and put his boots onto the table between them.

Irritation crept over my shoulders.

Were they being purposefully vague? Or were they trying to antagonize me?

“I don’t have time for this—”

“It’s Avril,” Bastian blurted out.

“What about her?”

Valen chuckled, but the sound was flat. “He’s just upset he can’t watch her mirrors anymore.”

“That’s not—” Bastian started, but then he shook his head. “Fine— I can’t get into her mirrors.”

“She covered them again?” I snapped. “You’re such a child—”

“No— she didn’t cover them,” Bastian said evenly. “I… I can’t get in. Something is blocking me.”

Valen shifted in his chair. “Her dreams are cut off, too,” he said. “I haven’t been able to—”

My head fell back as I laughed and the sound echoed through the room. My brothers’ glares were sharp.

“Why the fuck are you laughing?” Bastian demanded.

“You assholes— You’ve been stalking her this whole time,” I said. My amusement was bitter. “I thought I was the only one who was fighting it—”

“You?” Valen looked shocked. “I thought—”

Bastian turned in his chair and hooked his legs over the arm so he could lounge across it. “We’re all idiots,” he said with a wry laugh.

“Avril’s had the grimoire for a few weeks,” Valen said after a moment’s silence. “Do you think— do you think she’s used it?”

“Successfully? No,” I said flatly. “It’s impossible. She’s not strong enough. The spells are too advanced. They’re meant for people—”

“Like us?” Bastian suggested.

“Exactly.”

Valen’s fingers tapped on his thigh. “There are spells in there that she could use.”

Bastian’s head tilted. “Which ones?”

“Spells that would… ease her into the grimoire’s power.”

“You mean its control,” I snapped. “She wouldn’t be stupid enough to do that—”

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