To sacrifice myself if it means he’ll set my sister free. As long as we’re together, that’s all that matters, right?
As the footsteps grow nearer, I realize I can’t truly help her if we’re both stuck here. That, even if I do bargain with a mad sorcerer, we’ll never truly be free again.
“I’ll get you out of here,” I tell her. “I’ll get someone to break the curse before the month is over. I swear it.”
She only shakes her head with a sad smile. “I love you so much, Zaira. So, so much.”
I step forward one last time, grabbing her hand, clinging to it.
“Go,” she demands softly with thick tears flowing down her cheeks.
Throat clogged with emotion, I run in the opposite direction of the approaching footsteps and don’t stop until I’ve made it out of the keep and the dark forest is swallowing me whole.
I do all this while blinded by tears that don’t cease, while carrying an aching heart that feels heavier in my chest with every step. When I’ve made it a good distance away, I collapse against a tree and weep. It’s a long cry—hard, ugly, and desperate.
But eventually, my sadness morphs into something else.
Resolve.
Analla only has thirty days to live. That means I must do everything in my power to get that curse broken.
I’ll come up with a plan. I’ll seek help. I’ll do whatever must be done to save my sister because if I don’t, I’ll lose the only family I have left.
“Fuck that,” I grumble as I push away from the tree and march in the direction of my kingdom.
Seferin isn’t getting away with his evil this time.
Chapter 2
The most ridiculous thing about this curse is that every mortal under the Crystal Realm knows tonevertry and fool a Grim sorcerer—especially one who carries around cursed artifacts like pocket change.
But then we have Analla Quinlocke. Forever the one to think her beauty makes her invincible.
I release a gut-deep sigh as I hike the strap of my rucksack higher on my shoulder. It’s packed with heavy tomes I’ve borrowed from The Gilded Archive, which contains some of the best knowledge in all of Thelanor.
Each tome I selected purposely revolves around spells, magic, curses—even forbidden black magic. The last set of books I borrowed didn’t offer much guidance, so I swapped them out.
I’m going on day three with hardly any luck finding answers, so tonight calls for a different kind of study session—one that involves a few pints of ale.
As I approach the Tilted Crystal Tavern, Bolivar’s brown dog is sniffing around the door.
I light up when I see Crumb.
When the scruffy dog notices me, his tail wags immediately, and he dashes my way. I laugh as I drop my rucksack on the ground with a thud so I can lower to one knee and give him a few scratches behind the ears.
“Hi, Crumb,” I coo. “What are you doing out here in the cold?”
He buries his nose into a gap in my coat as he sniffs, eager as ever for what awaits.
“Okay, okay. You caught me.” Smiling, I dig into my coat pocket and pull out a napkin with several dog biscuits from the bakery. I make them especially for him when I know I’ll be going to the tavern. “Here you go. All yours, my friend.” I place them on the ground, certain he’ll lap up every single crumb, hence his name.
I stroke the soft fur on his back a few more times, wanting to take comfort in this moment, but with a sigh, I grab my rucksack and enter the warmth of the tavern. Crumb trots in after me.
The tavern is busy with life as always.
Mortals, sorcerers, and beastials alike congregate around sticky wooden tables. As I step deeper inside and pass a group playing cards, the heat from the large hearth warms my cheeks, and I feel my body slowly unthaw.
I spot Bolivar behind the bar pulling pints. He tips his head at me in acknowledgment. I shoot him a wave before finding a table in the corner of the room, placing my rucksack down on the floor, and pulling out my first tome, ready to dig in.
