Page 15 of Cursed Evermore
“Are you certain the creature called you a thief?” she asked, keeping her gaze riveted to mine.
“Yes.”
Mother turned to Grandmother, her expression taut. “What do you think that means?”
Grandmother’s shoulders became more rigid. “That couldn’t have been an ordinary wraith. It sounds like a tracker.”
“A tracker?” Emabelle cut in.
“It was looking for something. Trackers are ancient wraiths that are immune to certain magics. They work for dark forces and powerful beings in the magical realm.”
A sharp inhale came from Mother. Even Emabelle stiffened beside me, her hand gripping the fabric of her gown.
“But Elariya didn’t do anything,” Emabelle stuttered.
“Perhaps not, but that thing believes she took something. The blood spell must have linked her to it in some way. I just don’t know how.”
My heart clamored up into my throat. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“You foolish, foolish girl. You performed a blood spell. Now only the Gods know what that thing wants from you.”
Damn it.This was not happening. Everything was so much worse than I thought. “I need to fix it.”
“No.” Grandmother’s voice pierced through me. “I’ll place up a protection spell and a cloak around us, then I’ll go to the forest and see if the wraith is still there.”
“I have to do something to help. This is my fault.” I had to take some responsibility. “I could go with?—”
“You are not to interfere anymore.” My mother stepped forward and shook her head, her eyes blazing. “You’ve done enough, and I won’t allow you to put this family in more danger. You have no idea what it’s like to deal with the likes of Chancellor Blackthorneand Friar Jameson.”
“I didn’t mean to put us in danger.”
“I believe you. And I understand why you took the risk.” Her eyes softened for a moment before regaining their hardness. “But these are dangerous times, and we’re on the brink of losing everything. Only the Gods know what Blackthorne is up to now that his eyes are on us.”
“I know, but what about Father? What about me? We have no idea where Father is, and I’m stuck in this memory loop.”
She stared at me for a long moment, wordlessly, an expression that spoke of all our pain and grief washing over her face. In her eyes I saw the conflict she faced.
It mirrored my own. Nevertheless, there were some things she couldn’t possibly understand aboutmypain and grief. How could she? She wasn’t there when the darkness took my father, and she didn’t know what it felt like to experience the terror I felt asleep or awake.
That terror was always there regardless of what I remembered. It was a cruel, unfair punishment the Gods or the universe decided to hand me along with the curse.
“Nobody, not even you, could love your father more than me.” Tears filled my mother’s eyes, but she held them back, displaying the strong matriarch she was. “I left my realm, gave up my magic to be with him. I’ve had to accept that he’s not coming back and maybe, maybe nothing we do will work because he’s no longer in the world of the living.”
My heart stilled, its beat slowing to a stop. She was saying Father was dead.
Dead.
So, she’d given up. Mymotherhad given up.
Bile rose in my throat and my blood thickened in my veins, making my head feel sluggish. A glance at Grandmother and the resigned look on her face told me she agreed with my mother.
“No,” I muttered, my voice breaking. “I don’t think he’s dead.”
Emabelle slipped an arm around my shoulders, steadying me, keeping me from fading away.
“We don’t know.” Mother shook her head. “And that’s just the problem. Wedon’tknow. Your father would never, ever want us to put ourselves in danger. He’d want us to live. So, I need you to stick to the plan.”
“And marry Thayden?” The words tasted like poison on my tongue, bitter and burning.
