Page 309 of Cursed Evermore

The sorrow in his words sliced straight through me. “I understand now why it must have been unbearable for you… going back to the festival after that.”

His jaw tightened and he stared out the window as though he could anchor himself in the dawn. “It was. And seeing Zyrra the other morning…” Shadows writhed tighter around him, restless and alive. “The being we saw knew things about me and specific details about our lives no one else would have known. She looked like her. Sounded like her. For a heartbeat, I almost believed it was her.” His eyes flicked to mine, raw with torment. “But it couldn’t be her. To be a ghost, you have to have a soul.”

That gut-twisting chill slid down my spine. “Then what was she, Wolfe?”

His hand curled into a fist, then fell open again. “I don’t know. But I suspect we’ll find out soon. And when she returns…” His throat worked as he forced the words out. “It will cost me to see her again.”

Gods, my heart splintered. “I wish I could change it all for you.”

He finally turned, brushing his knuckles over my cheek. His gaze softened, fierce and tender all at once. “You already have, Ziyka.” He pressed his forehead to mine, his breath warm against my lips. “You are my purpose to keep going. Our future is still written in the stars.”

“Yes, it is.” I smiled.

A gentle knock sounded at the door. We pulled apart, and the fragile moment was broken.

“It’s me,” Bastian called. “The Seer is here. She wants to see the both of you.”

Wolfe’s grip on my hand eased, and for the first time since his confession, light broke through the storm in his eyes and his mouth curved into the faintest smile. “The Seer. At last.”

Hope fluttered in my chest. From what I'd learned about the Seer, if anyone could help us, it would be her. “Maybe she has answers, Wolfe.”

He brushed his knuckles over my cheek, his gaze fierce and tender all at once. “I pray so. Come, let’s go see her.”

Chapter 63

Wolfe

“Visions of Truth and Fate”

The Seer stood in the center of the Hollow Room like a vision torn from the dawn. Her sun-kissed brown skin gleamed with an inner light, as though the sun itself had left its blessing upon her.

Her silver gown poured over her frame like mist, its unbroken lines spilling to the floor, shifting on the breath of an unseen wind. Her hair, braided with threads of silver and crystal charms, shimmered faintly as if starlight had been caught in each strand.

Her presence was a celestial hymn, one without words, thrumming through the air. But it was always her eyes that held me.

Her ancient, fathomless gray eyes locked onto Elariya and me as we entered the room.

Every time I saw her, those eyes reminded me of one truth: though she looked no older than a mortal in their prime, she was older than kingdoms, and older than crowns. And she was one of the few remaining beings I could trust.

Bound by the gods as a protector of the realm, and bound to my lineage through the ancient magic woven into her very essence, she was more than a Seer. She was a covenant made flesh.

When Elariya and I reached her, I inclined my head and dropped to one knee. Beside me, Elariya bowed low.

"Welcome, Lady of Sight and Memory," I greeted her. Though my voice was steady, my chest tightened with the weight of the questions gnawing at me. "We are honored by your presence."

The Seer's smile bloomed with a warmth that soothed the soul. She lifted her hands with prayer-like grace. "Rise, Prince of Shadows. Rise, Daughter of the Hourglass. The honor is mine."

I turned toward Elariya. Her lips parted, eyes wide with surprise, yet a soft glow of pride touched her features. She looked pleased by the title. As if, for the first time, she was being called by a name that truly belonged to her.

"I see much has changed since last we met, Prince Nightblade." The Seer's gaze shifted to Elariya. "You have found your tracker."

"Yes, my Lady."

"I apologize for the lateness of my arrival. I was beyond the reach of this world, tending to what has proven to be a common goal between us." Her brows pinched and unease rippled through me.

That didn't sound good. "What is happening?"

"The Darkness," she said, her voice low. "Those who see with no eyes and speak with no lips."