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Lia’s smile turned hesitant, her amethyst eyes clouding with uncertainty. “The land wants to help us; I can feel it. It knows how much I love you both and that I want you to rule the Blossom Court with me. I don’t care how long it takes, but breaking this curse is what I’m going to do.”
The enormity of the task weighed heavily on me as I looked from Bastian to Lia. There had to be a way—being with Lia for the rest of eternity depended on it. Bastian nodded in agreement, his face set in determination.
“Then let’s break the curse,” I said, offering Lia an encouraging smile.
She nodded and led us to the other side of the palace. Elvena was waiting for us in the gardens by the massive stone water fountain with two chairs around her. In between the two chairs was a small table topped with a bowl burning with a blue flame. Elvena had arranged all four of the natural elements—earth, air, fire, and water—around her. She beckoned us closer and gestured for Bastian and me to take a seat.
Lia stood before us, her face unreadable, as Elvena stepped forward. When Elvena’s hand touched my shoulder, a current of electricity flowed from her fingertips, a powerful sensation that seemed to fill the entire room.
“Now close your eyes,” she said softly, her voice mesmerizing. “This is where I need your help. What do you know about the Tyvar curse?”
“Very little,” I replied, although my throat felt tight. “It was something we celebrated, not feared.”
Thankfully, my eyes were shut, so I didn’t have to witness Lia’s reaction to my words. Nevertheless, I was flooded with memories of the past—some pleasant but most of them I would rather forget—and an intense feeling of guilt weighed heavy on me. I focused on the last time I saw my mother: when the Tyvar curse manifested on my eighteenth birthday. It was the day Bastian and I left to join the others. The memories flashed through my mind in a whirlwind—images too fast and fleeting to make out many details—but one clear vision stayed with me: my mother’s face just before we said goodbye.
“Any luck?” Lia asked Elvena.
The heat in my head intensified as Elvena sighed. “No, not yet. I’m delving into their minds as far back as I can. It’s getting harder the deeper I go.” After a few minutes, Elvena lifted her hand from my shoulder and her voice sounded weary. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, “I can’t go any further. I need to replenish my energy.”
She wasn’t the only one depleted. The pain inside of me came back with a vengeance. When I opened my eyes, they brimmed with defeat, mirroring Lia’s face. Even I couldn’t conceal my feelings of discouragement. If Elvena, the prophetess of the Land of the Fae, couldn’t find the solutions, then nobody could.
Lia’s face was alive with urgency as she grabbed both my and Bastian’s hands in hers. “No, we can’t stop. If you need more energy, take mine. We can’t give up on this.”
The prophetess sighed and placed a hand back on my brother and me. “Are you sure?”
Lia nodded determinedly and squeezed our hands tighter, pressing her warm healing energy into our skin. I felt it flowing through my veins, pushing away the pain that had been consuming me moments before. Elvena’s power seemed to coalesce around us, tightening its grip as she delved deeper into my mind. Images flew by in a blur, muffled voices suddenly becoming more distinct until it felt as if the world was spinning around me. Lia let go of my hand and grabbed my left arm while Bastian held onto my right, steadying me.
When I opened my eyes, Lia’s gaze searched mine for answers. “Are you okay? You blacked out for a few moments.”
I blinked a few times, rubbing a hand over my chest before I spoke. “Did it work this time?”
Elvena walked around to stand in front of us, her face unreadable, before she smiled and grabbed Lia’s arm, her expression hopeful. “I believe it did.” She beamed up at Bastian, then shifted her gaze to me. “I went back to when you were in your mother’s womb. I heard everything,” she said. “She sang to you and told you tales each night, one of which was about how she was going to break your curse.”
Bastian and I locked eyes, then I rose from my chair. “What did she know?”
Elvena exhaled and surveyed us all with a knowing gaze. “She knew where the curse originated from—it was the first place she intended to go when she could.”
The room went silent as I waited for her response, eager to learn the truth after centuries of ignorance.
“Where?” I pressed. “Where was she going?”
Elvena rotated her head to look at each of us. “The elvish kingdom.”
Lia was taken aback and both Bastian and I were astonished. The elvish kingdom was the last place I’d considered finding the answers.
“But why there?” I asked.
Elvena shifted her head slightly, cleared her throat and answered, “Because that’s where it all began. It was the elves who cursed you all.”
Lia made a noise of disbelief and shook her head. “I can’t believe it. Why didn’t any of them say something?”
Elvena held up a hand to stop her from jumping to conclusions. “If you choose to keep going, your cousin Aidan must come with you.” That was an unexpected request.
“Why?” Lia questioned, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
Elvena lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug. “I cannot explain it—it’s just a feeling inside me. My guess would be for his truth-seeking abilities.”
She said her goodbyes, leaving me alone in the garden with Lia and Bastian. Lia blew out a breath, her long red hair swaying as she turned toward Bastian and me.
