Page 16

Just as I am about to drift soundly off to sleep, a sharp pain stabs through my head, making me groan. “What happened?” Kael asks, almost sounding panicked. Suddenly, it happens again, and I sit up. I must not have done the spell correctly or I wasn’t focused enough, because the pain happens again but this time it returns with vengeance and comes fast. “Lilith. What is it?”

I slip out of the bed, away from all of them, and rush into the closet before I get a nosebleed. I try to shut the door behind me, but Daemon throws the door open. “What’s going on?” Daemon asks.

“It’s just a migraine,” I say dismissively, as I bring myself down to my knees and search for my bag. The pain is searing through my forehead and temples. It’s never come on this quickly, before. My vision is getting blurry; it’s hard for me to focus.

“Fuck. Her nose is bleeding,” Callum says. He reaches back and yanks a shirt off a hanger. I take it from him so I can wipe the blood off, myself.

“Fuck,” Kael says in a pained voice. “One fucking day? That’s all we get with our mate?”

“Lilith,” Daemon says softly, as he kneels in front of me.

“I can fix it; I just can’t focus. I’m okay,” I say, as I pull everything out of my bag with shaky, unsteady hands.

“Lilith, you can’t fix this,” he says, as Callum and Kael kneel beside me.

“I can. I can fix it. I just need to focus,” I say.

“No, you can’t,” Kael says.

“Yes,I can!” I snap at him.

“No, Lilith,” he says louder, grabbing my shoulders and turning me to face him. Pain shoots through my head again, forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut. “It’s the curse. The witches that killed all those people three hundred years ago, cursed our families.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I ask him while I try to open my eyes to look at him in confusion.

“Anyone we have sex with dies. If we don’t have sex, then the paranoia and psychosis set in until we eventually die too. All of those other maidens died, and it always starts with a headache. Then, it goes to a nosebleed and eventually moves to the eyes, ears, and mouth. You can’t fix this, Lilith,” he says with tears in his eyes. “It doesn’t usually happen this quickly, and we have more time to explain it. I’m sorry, Lilith. This is something you aren’t able to fix.”

“Yes, I can,” I repeat. I try to start explaining, but more waves of pain collapse me, and Kael wraps his arms around my body.

“I’m so sorry,” Daemon says tearfully.

“We try to fight it as long as we possibly can, but no one has ever been able to break the curse. We’ve all tried and failed miserably,” Callum says, equally as emotional.

“Stop,” I say louder and pull away. “Just stop for a second. I can fix this, but you need to let me fucking focus.”

“Lilith,” Kael says, cupping the sides of my face, as a tear slides down his cheek.

“I understand you are all scared because of what’s happened to the others, but I’ve been getting these headaches and nosebleeds since the day I turned eighteen,” I say.

“What?” Daemon asks.

“Just shut up and stop touching me for a few minutes so I can focus,” I say. “Please!”

They all reluctantly back away, and I put all my focus into lighting the candle while suffering through the pain that’s trying to cripple me. By the time I get it lit, I am a whimpering mess consumed in pain with blood physically pouring from my nose. It feels like I am crying, but I know I’m not. I know with certainty that it’s blood when they all suck in a deep breath of air and have to restrain themselves from grabbing me again. I set everything up the best I can, getting blood all over myself and everything in front of me. My main concern is trying to get the pain to stop before it makes me pass out. I put my shaking hands on my thighs and straighten myself up as I close my eyes.

“Light mends as the candle burns. As I breathe, health returns,” I say slowly and quietly. The pain continues to intensify, even as I take slow, meditative breaths, so I repeat my words. “Light mends as the candle burns. As I breathe, health returns.”

“Lilith,” Kael says softly.

“Shut up,” I yell at him and speak my words louder. “Light mends as the candle burns. As I breathe, health returns. Light mends as the candle burns. As I breathe, health returns.” I keep repeating myself as I move my shaking hands to the floor in front of me to steady myself.

After several more attempts of nearly yelling the spell, the pain starts to slowly subside. I continue repeating my words, even as I start to feel a comforting warmth growing inside of me. When I slowly open my eyes, while continuing to chant my words loudly, I see a soft light emanating from my chest. Each time I chant the words, my body glows brighter until I am completely flooding the room with a beautiful, blinding red light. The candle’s flame is snuffed out by my audible gasp, and the light emanating from my body slowly dims until it completely disappears. I’m able to finally relax but don’t move.

“What… the fuck… was that?” Kael says slowly.

I can’t help but laugh at his reaction. “Can someone get me a wet washcloth?” I ask.

“Yeah,” Callum says after a second. He quickly kisses the top of my head before leaving the closet. I sit up, and Daemon is still kneeling in front of me in complete shock.