Page 82 of Cursed Evermore

She offered a small smile before setting the tray on the table by the window, then closed the door and lingered near the frame, observing me.

I gazed back at her, my nerves frayed.

Her white-blonde hair was braided to the side in a loose fishtail. Sunlight turned each stray strand into threads of pure silver.

Unlike in the vision, she wore simple clothing. A pair of pants and a long-sleeved cotton shirt that made her look more ordinary than I’d imagined. Less like a mage, more like a girl.Casual. Almost… human.

It was strange seeing her in real life. Meeting her gaze now after everything that had happened since that horrific walk down memory lane felt like staring into a cracked mirror. My insides twisted with the truth that she’d wandered through the darkest corners of my mind and unearthed every secret I held close.

“Morning,” she finally spoke, her voice soft and gentle, but careful. “I came to see how you were.”

She stepped closer, power radiating from her in contrast to the void I felt where my magic should have been. The shackle grew colder, as if responding to her presence, and so did my heart, making the emptiness inside me ache even more.

If I were my usual self, I’d say good morning back to her with a warm smile, and I would have made pleasant conversation. She was, after all, the only other mage I’d ever met outside my family. She also seemed to be close to my age.

As I looked at her I realized I couldn’t even pretend to be polite so she wouldn’t think I was rude. It was her who told Wolfe what was in my head, my memories, my curse, and a truth I didn’t even know I was hiding.

She cracked me open and bled the information out of me, then ran back to her master to spill everything. And she left me there. Alone in that space between dreams and pain. So, I stared back at her wordlessly.

After a few beats of cold, dead silence, she seemed to pick up on my hostility. And I was sure she knew the reasons for it.

“I would have come to check on you sooner, but dream walking drained me.”

I’d never heard of dream walking before. It may have impressed me more if she hadn’t used it to invade my mind.

“Dream walking. How did you do it?” My voice cut through the air, and she could tell I wasn’t asking the question out of curiosity.

“It’s a little difficult to explain,” she said, bringing her dainty hands together. “I’d have to show you. And I can’t.”

“Of course not,” I snapped. “Your master wouldn’t approve, would he?”

Her cheeks flushed, and the brightness in her eyes dimmed. “It’s not like that.”

“What are you to Wolfe Nightblade?” My voice burned with quiet rage. “His magic thief? His mind reader? Or just another pretty weapon he aims at his enemies?” I lifted my chin with defiance and tried to look like I wasn’t fucking scared of what was going to happen to me.

“I’m… his advisor.”

That surprised me. It was fascinating even, because she was a woman in power, in the magical realm no less. It was impossible to imagine back home.

Impressive as it was, I had to remember she worked for the villain who chained me.

“Did you know what he was going to do to me?” I snapped. The slight movement made the blanket slide down my shoulders.

She swallowed hard before nodding. “For the most part. I don’t agree with any of this, but?—”

“No. Stop.” I shook my head. “There is nobut. Regardless of what my father did or how I can help, I’m being held captive here, and that is not okay.”

“You’re right,” she whispered. “You are absolutely right. I swear to you that if there were something I could do, I would do it in a heartbeat. I don’t agree with you being locked away.”

“You just said you were Wolfe’s advisor.” I gave her a hard stare.

She cocked her head and raised her shoulders into a gentle shrug. “That doesn’t mean he has to follow my advice.”

That stopped me. I hadn’t thought of that, but I guessed it made sense since Wolfe didn’t appear to be the sort who did as he was told.

“I came to see you in case you wanted to talk,” she ventured, each word as careful as taking steps on thin ice. “I sensed your isolation from our world. From the mage realms and others like us.”

“I don’t want to talk,” I cut in before she could continue.