Lilia’s hand flew to her heart. Her expressive eyes revealed a calamity of emotions—horror, sympathy, pain.
When my gaze slowly traveled toward the encased poppy, hers followed.
“When the last petal turns to stone,” I admitted, “so will I.”
Lilia gasped. “No,” she whispered.
“I’m afraid it’s the truth.” I faced her.
Her lips parted. Her jaw worked as she appeared to think. “How much time do you have?”
I shook my head. “Not long.”
She shook her hands at her sides. “Theremustbe a way to stop it.”
I wish I could share her hope, but that had died in me long ago.
“No.” I stepped over to her and cupped her soft cheek. “Her magic is too dark, Lilia. I’ve accepted my fate.” I stroked her jawline but kept my thought to myself.
I just wish I had more time with you.
Although I felt lighterafter revealing what happened to my curse to Lilia, she grew quieter over the next few days. We’d continued as we had been doing—dining together, repairing the wards, ending the night in my bed—but I sensed something had changed.
The next day, while she worked in the garden and I watched, perched in stone, she moved more slowly, with her shoulders slumped. She sniffled and then wiped her eyes. Was she—crying?
Every instinct I had pulled me toward her, yet I couldn’t move and I howled inside my damn cursed prison. I couldn’t call out to her. Couldn’t fly down to her in the garden and cradle her to me as she wept. Couldn’t do a single damned thing but watch while she wept.
Victor stepped up to her a few minutes later. “Lilia.” His voice carried through the morning air. “What’s the matter?”
She startled and wiped her tears. “Nothing.”
“Come now, Lilia. What’s upset you?”
A silent pause.
“I miss my family,” she said just above a whisper, but I heard it.
Words that landed like a pebble dropped into still water. Simple. True. Revealing an ache that I’d caused. I’d add her tears to the long list of things I’d never forgive myself for.
“I understand. Let’s get you inside.” Victor placed his hands on Lilia’s shoulders. “A nice cup of tea should help.”
She nodded and straightened herself, allowing him to guide her into the castle.
The garden turned quiet. The joy from the past few days, all the anticipation of rising at sundown where I could spend the evening with her and hold her in my bed, that all floated away, replaced by the darkest of clouds.
What a fool I’d been to think she would be happy with me—a scarred beast—and the one to keep her from her family, causing her anguish.
My stone burned with regret.
Lilia’s wordshaunted me over the next few days. During the day, while locked in stone, I heard her moving through the castle. The soft fall of her footsteps in the corridor above. Her voice carried from somewhere I couldn’t reach. Each sound sliced like a small blade, and I agonized over what to do.
After sundown, we headed out to the last of the seven wards. I traced over the final sigil, my magic threading through the dark, and I felt the ward sealing. The final piece clicked into place, like tumblers inside a lock. Reinforcing the wards was complete.
That meant… I gulped.
The ward hummed beneath my fingers, warm and solid—truly solid, the way it hadn’t been since Lilia had first arrived.Complete. It hadn’t even been twenty-one days, and she’d accomplished what she’d promised.
The relief lasted exactly one breath. I thought of the poppy case on the library shelf, and the single crimson petal I’d last seen clinging to the stem, and the relief curdled into something else. The bargain was fulfilled. There would be no reason for her to stay.
