Page 307 of Cursed Evermore
“You don’t have to talk about it. I think I’ve caused you enough pain. When you…transformed, you looked like…” My voice trailed off as I thought of him in that shadowy wraith form.
“Like a monster,” he filled in.
“No, I didn’t mean?—”
“It’s okay, Ziyka. It’s…okay. There’s a lot I have to tell you. A lot I should have told you. We can start with that.”
He took my hand and ushered me over to the chaise. He sat me down while he remained standing.
Wolfe held out his hand, took a deep breath, and his flesh became skeletal and swarming with shadows.
“It’s not part of your shadow magic, is it?” I spoke carefully.
“No. But my shadow magic helps me to hide it, I suppose.”
“What is it?”
“I’m a Deathwalker.”
I’d never heard of that before, but I assumed it wasn’t a good thing. “What does that mean?”
“I’m Death.” He dragged in another measured breath and sighed. “The ring protects itself with curses. This is one of them.”
I sucked in a breath that made my head feel light. “What?”
“I’m cursed, too. Part of the punishment for allowing the ring to fall in the wrong hands is this curse.”
I gazed back at him, disbelief clouding my mind. All this time, I never even considered that he could be cursed. “Wolfe, I’m sorry. How do we break it?”
"His hand returned to normal, and he flexed his fingers. "The ring needs to be on my finger. Finding it isn't enough. I have to wear it. Once I do, the ancient magic of the kingdom will shift to me and break the curse. It will also make me king."
“Oh my gosh.” I brought my hands up to my cheeks. “That’s why Galaythia doesn’t have a king.”
He nodded once. “The rebellion is about trying to change that. But that’s not how things work here. It’s not simply about power. It’s about preserving the magic that has been trusted to us throughout the ages. So, I’ll be cursed until I get the ring back.”
“What happens to you if you can’t break the curse?”
A grave look washed over his face. “Eventually, I’ll become what you saw that day—the monster. And I won’t be able to change back.”
My stomach bottomed out. “Gods, no. We can’t let that happen.”
“We can only hope for the best. And keep trying to find the ring.”
“This is my father all over again.” My gaze fell to the floor. “How can you want to be with me when my father took so much from you?” I was so disgusted I couldn’t look at him.
Wolfe crouched beside me and took my hand. “Ziyka, all you and your father share is blood. You are not my enemy. And I am not yours. What he did was… despicable, but at least we have each other. I’ll take that as something good.” He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed my knuckles.
I looked back at him, loving him even more.
“I’ll take that as something good, too.” I gave him a weak smile and gazed deep into his eyes, seeing so much there that he’d hid from me. “Why didn’t you tell me before? That you were cursed.”
His gaze dropped. “I know I should have. But I… didn’t want you to see me for what I am. I wanted you to like me. I thought the depths of my darkness would scare you away.”
I touched his cheek, feeling the rough edge of his beard beneath my palm. “That would never happen. I love every part of you. Shadows and curses included.”
He gave a broken laugh, his eyes bright with something too raw to hide. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Ziyka.”
“You too.”
