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Silence filled the journey back to Hawthorne Hall. But not an uncomfortable one. After her father told of his harrowing experience in the port jail and all he endured, he fell silent, watching for Bella to explain how she and Leopold became acquainted.

It was a lively discussion and one that left out many details. Such as the enchanted book with no name, that Leopold was once a cursed man who lived as half man, half best for half a century. And, most notably, that he was heir to an ancient, extinct throne.