Marked by Darkness (The Cursed Realm Book 2) by Taylor Fox

Author:Taylor Fox [Fox, Taylor]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-03-27T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

CASSANDRA

My heart hurts today. I press a hand to my chest, eyes unfocused as I re-read the same page for the third time. Gods, I miss them. I miss Ren, and I miss Apollo, and I curse myself, but I do miss Donatello. It's been a week since I left the Collector's Menagerie, as he called it, so it's been some ten days I don't see any of my mates. Maybe that's why I'm aching inside. Maybe that's why it feels like a part of me is missing.

Days passed like a blur, training until I'm exhausted, reading and reading and reading. I'm a reader, and a firm believer in learning the rules so I know how to bend them, but as I look at the pile of books on basic spells, I accept how ridiculous it is. Prince wants me to learn centuries worth of knowledge in days, and the books are not exactly easy to consume. Some are so old the ink is botched, the pages yellow and flimsy. Many words I don't recognize. Some are of foreign languages completely, and Prince gave me a dictionary, expecting me to learn a dead language in two hours. And even when I understand the language, I don't understand much of what's being said.

Alright, at some point in time the Shadow Mages were not only leaders, but judges and protectors. They made decisions and they made sure rules were followed, and they kept humans out of their realm. But that was so long ago it means nothing to me. It's not like I'll waltz into the Cursed Realm and claim some sort of long-lost crown.

I'm no one's queen, and I'm certainly no royalty. The Shadow Mages were never sacred, but they took the responsibility upon themselves to keep the realm working and safe for everyone. Apparently, not everyone enjoyed that. There were wars — which the Mages won with the help of the Twilight Fae — and then came the hunts.

This whole thing gives me such a headache.

Looking over my shoulder, I spot Tristan and Oreo playing. I found this perfect spot at the library, a huge table Tristan moved until we could prop it against a short bookshelf, so now I can sit with the books and prop my feet somewhere. It's also next to the doors that give into a small yard, cut off from the property. Oreo's such a good boy he's learned to go only in the grass. Tristan races him from one side to the other, feigning catching him until the dog barks and jumps in excitement.

A smile stretches my lips. Even with all the work I've been doing, to watch Oreo getting healthier makes it all worth it. He was locked in a cage, with no hopes for his future, and now he looks so happy. He puts up some weight, even when he hasn't eaten the food we give him. Maybe he eats some rats or pigeons when we're not looking.

Tristan looks up and meets my eyes.

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