Page 64 of Cursed Evermore

“Yes. That’s why we’re left with this problem now.”

I bit into my lip so hard I tasted blood. Everything kept getting stranger and stranger with no straight answers.

“There’s no way Elariya’s father was working alone. Maybe that vortex had something to do with whoever was working with him.”

“What about your uncle? That person could be him,” Bastian suggested with suspicious eyes.

“His help would explain how Elariya’s father managed to get into the palace and kill my father. He would have wanted to keep the ring in Galaythia. And that vortex sounds as dark and deadly as him.” Dreynthor was the obvious choice. We all suspected him. He was the only person who’d benefitted from my father’s death. “But something doesn’t add up. If Elariya’s father wanted the ring for himself, there’s no way he would’ve made it as far as Stormfell with Dreynthor involved. He wouldn’t have escaped alive.”

Bastian nodded. “No. I can’t imagine that Elariya’s father would have stood a chance of escaping if he double crossed Dreynthor in such a way.”

“Then it’s someone else,” Arielle offered.

“Perhaps and perhaps not. We don’t have enough information because we don’t know what happened.” Everything was still vague.

“What now, Wolfe? What should we do now?”

There was a lot to consider. Too many questions and too few answers, tangled in half truths. I wanted to unravel each mystery one by one. But the question of where my focus should lie hadn’t changed.

“We focus on finding the ring. That is the priority. We have a big lead now.” Everything didn’t need to make sense, only the one thing that mattered—Elariya. “The road ahead may be hard. But I have a tracker now. The blood of a cursed mage. If I get the ring back, it fixes everything. And I’ll know just how guilty Dreynthor is.”

The Gods had given me a hand. As long as my uncle remained in the dark, I’d stay one step ahead.

“What will you do about Elariya’s father?” Arielle asked carefully.

I didn’t know why she bothered with the question, but it seemed her heart was getting in the way again with compassion for our new mage friend.

“When I find him, I will deal with him the way we treat all murderers.” I levelled her a hard stare, and not even she could argue. We had proof of his guilt. Elariya’s father was wearingmy ring, and we knew there was only one way he could have taken it from my father.

“I’ll take you to your chamber.” Bastian stood with Arielle, who clung to his chest. “You need to rest.”

“What are you going to do with her, Wolfe?” Arielle glanced at Elariya.

“Wake her up and give her the news.”

“She’s scared. Try to remember she’s an innocent in this.”

“It’s time to take your leave now my Lady. Don’t worry about her.” I dipped my head with reverence, even as malice churned in my chest.

Bastian carried Arielle away. She stared at me with worry until they went through the door. She knew me too well. How ruthless I could be. Innocent or not, Elariya wouldn’t be spared.

The moment the door closed, I faced Elariya and began unweaving the cocoon. It was time for action.

Unravelling the cocoon only took a fraction of the time I used to set it up, so I was done within minutes.

I woke her from the deep soul sleep and the red-haired maiden floated down to the ground, her body looking limp as she lay flat on her back.

I knelt beside her, watching as the rise and fall of her chest quickened with the leap of her pulse.

Slowly, so slowly, she stirred, then her eyes opened.

Watching her wake up was a pretty sight I couldn’t deny.

She gazed at me and it took a moment for realization to dawn. When it did, those beautiful eyes filled with rage and terror, enhancing her beauty.

Fear looked good on her.

The twisted exquisiteness caught me off guard. So did the hard slap she landed across my cheek.