Page 63 of Cursed Evermore
The ring was made through a bloodline spell, created to be worn only by the Fae of the Nightblade lineage. It would destroy all others, let alone a human.
Elariya’s father must have undoubtedly had a spell. That was the only explanation.
“Fucking hells.” Bastian hissed.
I ground my teeth.
What reason would a human, an ambassador—sworn to keep peace between the realms—have to kill a Fae king?
And his daughter? She was a wildcard, but the ring would have had a purpose for cursing her. Now that I thought about it, I didn’t think it was a punishment.
“What’s her curse?” I focused on Arielle again.
“A memory loop.” She pulled in a steady breath. “She has thirty days of new memories that fade on the rise of the new moon. She’s cursed to remember the day her father disappeared. The day the ring waslast seenin this world. She has twenty-three days left until her next reset.”
A rush of dread washed over me.
Memory loop. I’d heard of curses of that nature in the old days, but I never thought I’d come across a person who bore it.
And her?
So, in twenty-three days, she wouldn’t remember any of this.
Or me.
I should feel nothing, but a twinge of regret pulsed in my gut.
Gods, since when did I give a damn about being forgotten?
I wasn’t supposed to care. Caring was a weakness I couldn’t afford.
“The ring must have cursed her for a reason,” Bastian intoned, arriving at the same conclusion as me.
“I think it was for the same reason as Wolfe. It cursed her so you could use her to find it,” Arielle supplied. “I sensed the ring’s intension when I saw the vision. Remember, it’s enchanted to always try and find its rightful owner if it gets lost. That’s you. I believe the ring was leaving a track. I think it linked Elariya to her father through blood. That’s why your wraith was able to find her when she performed the blood spell on the Phantom Moon. Blood bears no boundaries, no distinction, so to the wraith she was the thief.”
The truth of her words sank deep into my bones. As though my curse was responding with the confirmation that this was the next path I had to follow.
“Where did her father go?”Thatwas the real question. That was what mattered. Everything hinged on the answer to that question.
Arielle’s eyes darkened with trepidation. “That’s the other thing that concerns me. I think you were right about the ring being on another plane of existence. But while her father was sucked into the vortex I’m not sure that he and the ring went to the intended destination.”
Fuck. That sounds like more to worry about. “What do you mean, Arielle? I assumed the vortex was created by the ring.”
“No it wasn’t.”
“How can you be certain?” Bastian asked.
“It hadnomagical signature. Nothing at all. I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
“How is that even possible? I’ve never heard of that before.”
“Dark ancient magic,” I filled in, my voice distant.
Bastian and I exchanged curious glances.
“I sensed the ring was in trouble.” Arielle pressed her palm against her chest. “That Elariya’s fatherwas introuble and thevortex was something else. Something else sent after them. They went in… but not where the vortex intended. The ring took them somewhere else. Somewhere to hide.”
“Hide?” My voice cracked out the word.
