Page 105 of Cursed Evermore

It pulsed through the air from the moment I woke.

Magic was alive in everything. From the carved runes along the railings on the deck to the way the sails seemed to catch winds that weren't there. Even the ocean felt different, more alive, with waters shifting between shades of midnight blue and indigo that I hadn’t witnessed on the mortal seas.

Dawn had broken an hour ago, so the sky was still streaked with hints of pink and violet fading against the buttery sun.

I’d watched the sun rise from my room but decided to head out to the deck to continue my journalling.

I settled in the same secluded place I found yesterday, hoping I could use it as a sanctuary until we arrived in Galaythia.

A salt-tinged breeze whispered across the deck, caressing my cheeks with the softness of a mother’s touch, but I couldn’t take comfort in its solace.

Every time I closed my eyes, Wolfe's presence haunted me like a shadow branded into my soul. Sleep had become a foreign realm, my mind too full of his dangerous promises and the way my treacherous heart quickened at the memory of his touch.

I rested my head against the rough wall and snuggled into the blanket I’d wrapped around my shoulders to keep myself warm.

In my little corner, I’d made a seat of a small wooden barrel that contained bits of metal. It was as comfortable as I could get given where I was.

Though it was wintry cold out here and the sea breeze amplified the frigid temperature, the plan was to stay outside for as long as I could.

Another minute of being alone in that room with my thoughts bouncing off those watchful walls and I’d go crazy. Better to be out here where my mind was welcomed to roam the sky and the sea freely.

Last night, I started jotting down the events of the past week in chronological date order. I skipped a few pages in so I could circle back and write detailed notes to myself for the next reset. That’s what I’d been doing since I came out here.

Each scratch of the quill reminded me that there was a ticking clock above my head. Time was moving forward, and there was only so much I could do.

I wanted to write downeverythingI thought would help me, but I knew I needed to choose my words wisely. I couldn’t make the mistake of thinking Wolfe wouldn’t try to read my notes, so I’d tried to strike a balance between recording what I thought was most important while trying to console my future self at the same time.

I also thought of things that may set me back. Things like the imminent distress I’d feel for not having my family around if I was still stuck with Wolfe on the next reset.

Last night, the gravity of the situation hit me hard and I thought about the difficult road ahead of me. Willingness to do whatever Wolfe commanded was non-negotiable, but it wasn’t easy to accept that I was trapped or that my life was in someone else’s hands.

It was even harder for me to accept that it might be a long, long time—if ever—before I’d see my family again. Or get my life back.

I wanted to live my life no matter how fucked up it was with the curse. Now that everything had changed, I needed to process the next steps. Time and the curse weren’t the only enemies I had to contend with anymore.

Now, I had a ruthless Fae prince who made my head spin and my stomach flip just as much as he made my body do other strange things I’d do well to forget.

Our raucous encounters had played through my mind like a delirious fever dream. Wolfe’s crass words and confusing signals were thorns in my soul, burrowing into every nerve in my body.

The mere thought sent memories of his warm body caging me against the wall flooding back. And that dangerous promise in his voice when he said he'druinme.

My understanding of men might be completely non-existent, but where I came from, calling someoneyourswas supposed to mean something precious. Not this. This strange tragedy of possession where I was little more than a pawn in a game to win back a throne.

It would be easier if his eyes were filled with hatred toward me. I could work with that. I’d know where I stood with hate. But the other things—the desire and that wild fascination—I didn’tknow what to do with those. When those screwed with me, the kiss I was trying to forget played on my mind.

The only good things I had on my side were that Wolfe needed me to find his ring. And he needed me to bewilling. Not just to control me but because he wanted the spell to work. That was it. There was nothing more.

I just prayed with everything inside me that killing me wasn’t an option he’d eventually choose. I had to believe I was more useful to him alive, and he wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble to find me andkeepme alive if that weren’t the case.

Not for one second did I believe that wretch had a heart. Men like him had no heart. Regardless of whatever attraction plagued our minds, I knew he would kill me without a blink if it came down to it.

That was the kind of information I had to relay to my future self, who I knew would take one look at Wolfe and get all weak-kneed and tongue-tied just from the sight of him.

The only person I had to rely on was myself, so I couldn’t succumb to that trickery again or be the devil’s fool.

A distant cry of seabirds drew my attention skyward just as boots thudded against the floorboards. Sirril approached with a tray, steam rising from a bowl of cinnamon porridge and fresh bread.

A small smile played on his paper-thin lips when he stopped before me. “Good morning, my Lady.” He greeted me as pleasantly as if I were truly a guest on board this ship.