AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But how does that help us break the curse?” Layla asked, her mind racing with possibilities.
“I’m not sure,” Jake admitted, his forehead creased in thought. “But maybe if we can find Rebecca’s child—or their descendants—we can use their blood to break the curse. We just need to figure out who it is.”
Layla nodded, her eyes glinting with determination. “Then let’s get back to your house and tell the others what we’ve found. We need to start searching for Rebecca’s child.”
They met with the others at Jake’s place and Layla explained softly what they’d found. “We found something,” Layla announced, holding up the old newspaper article. “Rebecca had just given birth when she disappeared. We think her child might be the key to breaking the curse.”
The others looked at each other in surprise and hope. “But how do we find the child?” Fiona asked, her voice shaking.
“We need to start with the Andrews family tree,” Max said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “If we can trace Rebecca’s descendants, we might be able to find the child.”
Layla nodded in agreement. “Let’s gather all the information we can and start searching. We’re running out of time.”
They spent the next few hours poring over old family records and searching the internet for any leads. At last, they found a name—Rachel Andrews, a distant relative of the Harringtons who lived in a nearby town.
“We have to go talk to her,” Bella said, her eyes bright with determination. “We have to find out if she’s Rebecca’s descendant.”
“But what if she’s not?” Fiona asked.
“We have to try,” Layla said, her hand resting on Fiona’s shoulder. “We can’t give up now. We’re so close.”
With a nod of agreement, the group set out toward Rachel’s house. As they approached the small cottage, they could feel the tension mounting within them. This was it—the moment of truth.
Rachel opened the door, a wary look on her face. “Can I help you?”
“We’re here to ask you about your family history,” Max said, his voice steady despite the nerves in his stomach.
Rachel’s eyes flicked between them, resting for a moment on Max’s badge, before she stepped back from the door. “Come in.”
They sat around a small table in the living room, while Rachel made them tea. The silence was palpable as they waited, each lost in their own thoughts and fears.
At last, Rachel returned with a tray of steaming cups. “So, what do you want to know?”
“We’re trying to trace a family line,” Bella said, her eyes focused on Rachel’s face. “We think you might be related to the Harringtons.”
Rachel’s eyes widened in surprise. “The Harringtons? I’ve heard of them, of course. But I don’t know much about my family history beyond my great-grandparents.”
“That’s okay,” Layla said, her voice gentle. “But we need to know if you’re related to Rebecca Andrews.”
Rachel’s face paled at the mention of Rebecca’s name. “Why do you want to know that?”
“We think Rebecca had a child before she disappeared,” Jake said, his eyes meeting Rachel’s. “We need to know if you’re that child’s descendant.”
For a long moment, Rachel didn’t say anything, her eyes flicking between them as if unsure whether to trust them or not. At last, she spoke. “My great-grandmother was Rebecca’s sister.”
The group let out a collective sigh of relief, their faces breaking into smiles of triumph.
“Can we get a sample of your blood?” Max asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “We need it to break the curse.”
Rachel nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Of course. Anything to help.” She didn’t look as if she truly believed them, but she went along with what they said.
They set up a small makeshift lab in Rachel’s kitchen, working quickly and efficiently to extract the blood they needed. As they worked, Layla couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe and gratitude. They had come so far, and now they were on the cusp of breaking the curse.
Finally, they had what they needed. Max carefully mixed the blood with a potion he had prepared earlier, while the others looked on anxiously.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Fiona asked, her voice shaking with fear.
Max nodded, his eyes focused on the potion in front of him. “I think so. I’ve been studying this since the fire, and I think I’ve made some headway. It’s nice to be married to a woman with a bookstore. I really think this should break it.”
