“I still remember her face as she brought it to me. So pale and sallow as if my beautiful mother, who laughed in the rain, had shriveled into the corpse of someone I did not recognize. Her black eyes were furious, her voice low and full of pain. She asked me what I wanted most in the world right then.
“I could have said my father back. I could have said to be a family again. But all I could think of was the rose my father had traveled all through the night to deliver. I wanted it, not because it was beautiful, but because it was from him.
“When I told her a rose, it was already too late for me. She opened the book and the curse poured from its pages.”
Reshina stilled, silent after recounting the tale. I kissed the top of her head. “The curse had grown.”
“The curse had grown,” she repeated in a heavy sigh. “Instead of being unable to love one person, I was cursed to never be able to love at all.”
“And you cannot tell me how to break it.”
Her hand wrapped around my chest. “And I cannot tell you how to break it. The curse will not allow it. My mother died three days later. I was the Goddess of the Ravenfae when she left this world. Cursebringer, too.”
“And you were Goddessdamned good at it.”
She laughed. “I was. Far more efficient than my mother. I collected the curses from the Veil through a ring I’d had made. That way, I needn't return to the Brackish Wood to collect them. I placed them into their vials and delivered them on time. Well,” she chuckled, “most of them.”
I threaded my fingers through her bare hand. “But you gave this ring to the next Cursebringer.”
“I did. Korven wears it now. He uses it in the same way I did. He’s very good at his title.”
“He had a good teacher.”
She nodded.
“He had a good mother.”
She froze at my words. “He did not know a mother’s love, Arthur. I could not give it to him.”
“You looked out for him all the same.” I stretched my body, turning to press it against hers. “Korven has many qualities. For one, he is…protective in nature. He must have learned that from you.”
She grinned beautifully, her eyes lighting up in humor. “I see you truly have met him. Yes, Korven is protective of those he loves.”
“I must admit if we ever meet again, I doubt it would be a warm welcome from him.”
“You left on bad terms?”
I gazed off into the distance. “Let’s just say, he didn’t particularly enjoy my company and is in no hurry to see me again.”
She grunted an agreement. “My children will be just fine without me. Where I could not love them, they found a special bond between themselves. They are very close and I don’t doubt they will continue on to make their own families beautifully.”
“For now, you have this family.” I kissed her softly, squeezing her hand.
“You?”
“Me.”
“And?”
“Master?” came a harsh whisper at the door.
“I think the other has just arrived.”
She laughed into my neck as I answered Piffle. “She is awake!” I called. “You may come in!”
Piffle came around the corner of the archway, a hand over his eyes. “Will I be seeing all your bits and baubles out if I look?”
I pulled the sheets higher over our bodies. “We haven’t gotten around to that part yet.”
