Prologue
"SAY WHAT NOW?!" I spat as my eyes widened and my ears refused to believe what I was hearing.
"Calm down hun, this is hard for us too" dad tried to reassure me.
"Understand what?! That my life belonged to some dude I don't even know from the moment I was born?!" I scoffed, "That's really understandable dad."
"It has been this way since centuries Mels. We have no choice," dad tells me, his voice fading as he verbalized the last few words. Mom continued to sob, tears streaming down her cheeks.
I sighed and buried my head in my hands. "There must be some way out of this mess."
"Do you think this curse would have been passed down if there was a way out of it?" Mom sobbed even harder.
"Well I think that my ancestors were idiots," I mumbled. "I mean, what's so special about a rock?"
"A prosideth", dad corrected me.
"That's not the point," I growled. "I had a date with Mason tonight. Why does everything have to happen just now," I groaned.
My annoyance was followed by an awkward silence.
"Is there really nothing we can do?" I pleaded to my parents.
Dad shook his head.
I sighed. Was this what I was born for? To serve someone for the rest of my life? What about my friends and family? What about my dreams and hopes? What about Mason? My mind started to race with such thoughts and I tried to shake them off. I looked up at my parents and the hurt and pain in their eyes stabbed me again. I tried to smile at them but failed miserably.
"There has to be some way out Melaine," my demon said
"I desperately hope so too Mia," I told her.
I sighed and massaged by temple. I looked up at my concerned father and sobbing mom and asked, "So, when does this- OUCH!" My eyes squeezed shut as my hand flew across my arm to reach my shoulder, which apparently was burning like hell now.
"WHAT'S WRONG?!" mom cried.
"My shoulder's burning," I let out another cry while massaging my shoulder.
"What do you mean your shoulder's burning?" dad said as he rushed towards me and removed my hand to take a look.
I let out a huge gasp when I saw a black ring which was slowly carving itself into my pale white skin. Pain - excruciating pain - followed. It was as if someone was piercing my skin with thin hot metal rods.
"It has started," mom gulped. She was trembling head to toe. Her cheeks were pink and her beautiful blue eyes were glistening with tears.
"What has started?" I said in a shaky voice.
"The proclamation."
That was the last thing I heard before darkness started to surround me and I surrendered myself to it.
My head felt dizzy as I tried to open my eyes. I blinked several times until my eyes adjusted to the light. As my eyes began to become a little less blurry, I saw Cary sitting beside me.
"You're awake," she said.
"Gosh I never notice that," I grumbled sarcastically.
I tried to sit up but my hand was to painful to lift. Caroline gave me a sad smile.
"Is it better?" she asked, looking at the ring which was now intact on my skin. She flinched when she saw the dry blood around the tattoo. Yeah, I'm going to start calling it tattoo now since it sort of looks like one too.
"Better then before but still hurts when I move my arm," I said. She helped me to sit up and cleaned up the blood with a towel.
She sighed as she put away the towel in the bowl of water.
"Melanie," she said in a serious tone and looked at me in the eyes, "I'm going to tell you something and I want you to listen very carefully." The concern in her hazel eyes shone though the mass of black hair falling on her face.
I nodded.
"So I know you're mad at mom and dad but you need to listen to what I've got to say," she said, "cause this might help you to get out of this mess."
I stayed mum. Cary took my hand in her hand and gave it a little squeeze. She always did that whenever she was telling me something important.
"Now," she sighed, "Do you know why we were cursed two thousand years ago?" She still held my gaze and I gazed right back at her.
"Because our idiotic ancestor decided to spill the tea about a stupid piece of rock?" I scoffed and rolled my eyes.
"Technically," she shrugged, "but there's more to it."
