Page 143 of Cursed Evermore

“I'm sure you would, but I want you to trust me. Sometimes, to earn trust, you have to share pain.” A storm of sadness gathered in her eyes, darkening the usually vibrant color to something deeper, more troubled. “My entire family were murdered in one night. And no one knows why.”

“All of them?” I held my breath, my heart squeezing at such horror.

“All of them. There's just me.”

“Oh Arielle, I'm so, so sorry.” The words felt inadequate in the face of such loss.

“It's okay. I'm stronger now, but that pain is something that will never leave me.” She sighed deeply, as if releasing a weightshe'd carried for too long. “Wolfe's family took me in and raised me. I was always meant to be part of the Royal Court, but the Nightblades became my family.”

I'd sensed that her loyalty to Wolfe ran deeper than her role from the first day we'd met. Now I understood why. Their relationship was forged in shared grief and gratitude.

“Some people think my family were killed by vampyres from a secret society my parents belonged to.”

I gave her a thin stare. “I didn't realize vampyres associated with anyone besides themselves.” That’s what I’d gathered from what little I’d read about them.

“Not in Galaythia. That’s more like the traditional vampyres of the east. Here they make up a third of the population. The same as Lycans. Vampyres are the worst, though. They hate everyone and they’re mostly untrustworthy.”

“Do you think they killed your family?”

“I think there's a reason people believe they did it. I've spent most of my life trying to find answers, but I've come up with nothing. One day I'll find the truth though. I have to believe that.” She nodded with a determined look in her eyes.

“I hope you find it. I truly hope you do.”

“Thank you. That aside, I wanted to tell you about my past because I'm anoutsiderhere too, so I know what it's like. I'm not Fae. I'm not from Galaythia, and I'm bound to the Nightblades because of oaths older than we can imagine. When I say I will help you as best as I can, I want you to believe that I mean it.”

I nodded, understanding flowing between us like a bridge being built. “I do believe you.”

Her smile returned, genuine and warm. “Thank you for giving me a chance.”

“I can see you sincerely want to help me.”

“I truly do.”

Despite her smile, the weight of old pain still lingered in her eyes. Not wanting to keep her dwelling on difficult memories, I decided to steer our conversation to something lighter. “What's it like with everyone? Do you live here at the manor?”

“I live in the capital but I'm here often. Wolfe prefers for me to stay around people, but he appreciates that I need my space sometimes. As for everyone else...” She thought for a moment and smiled with obvious affection. “Sirril is the heart of the group. He's like the parent and the comforter at the same time. As you can probably tell, Garrick is the most lighthearted of the Bloodsworn, but both he and Alaric can eat like buffalos and drink rum by the barrel. And theyalwayshave a woman on their arm.”

“Really?” I giggled, though I wasn't surprised by this revelation. I guessed it from the way they carried themselves.

“Yes. That said, they're very different from each other. Sometimes I have to wonder how they became friends.” Arielle grinned. “Alaric is the silent, deadly type who can be a bastard when he wants to be. Garrick’s the opposite. He’s charming, witty, and loves practical jokes. So watch out for him. He’s always sneaking up on me by phasing in when I least expect it.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What’s phasing?”

“I figured you might ask. It’s like teleportation, similar to portaling.”

“I didn’t know there was anything else like portaling.” My surprise was evident. Portaling was already such a unique technique. I was intrigued to hear of another.

“There are a few techniques, but portaling and phasing are the main two. Portaling requires a lot of energy and precision. You use your own magic to open a path to a destination, usually across great distances. But it drains you.”

I had firsthand experience of that. “What’s the difference with phasing?”

“Phasing doesn’t pull from your own magic the same way portaling does. It’s more elemental. You tap into the natural currents of Galaythia to shift the air, light, and shadow, then slip between them by passing through the Void.”

I stilled. “The Void?” It sounded ominous and daunting.

She nodded. “It’s the heart of the Hollow Realm. A liminal dimension beneath all realms that touches every realm without truly being part of any. The Hollow is shaped by absence. Absence of life, absence of light, absence of sound, absence of magic. Almost like nothingness. When you’re inside, it feels like being erased for a moment.”

My mind spiraled, blown by another piece of extraordinary knowledge of the magical realm. “That is …mind-blowing, and a little terrifying.”