Prologue
Korinza
Twenty Two Years Ago…
My eighteenth birthday is going to be the worst night of my life. The curse set in fast, a ruminating darkness settling in my mind. My mother had been preparing me for weeks, but still, everything feels wrong. My skin began to crawl, lumps forming under the thin layer of flesh. New scratches mar my pale skin where I have been clawing at the bugs beneath the surface. I hate this, I hate it. I want it to end. Maybe it would be better if I die and allow the curse to take my true love.
My stomach turns at the thought. Atlas doesn’t deserve that fate. Not my sweet Atlas. I run through the open fields in front of the gray stone castle. The sun is drooping below the tree line, the November breeze nipping at my bare arms. My raven hair smacks me in the face, the golden tiara slipping off my head. I let it fall in the tall grass, no longer caring. Everything is wrong, wickedly wrong. I knew this day was coming, but still, I need it to stop. I need Atlas.
The small wooden building sways in the powerful winds, a low howl screaming through the holes. The air smells of horse manure as I force my body through the open stable doors. I frantically scan the room. I need him to hold me. I need to know he still loves me and that we will figure this all out. I don’t want this curse to swallow me and steal me away from him.
“Atlas,” I cry out. Atlas pops his head up from the closest stall, a shovel in his thin hands. His blonde curls cover his thin face. He looks so beautiful tonight, just as he always does. He is my best friend and my lover, something my father greatly disapproves of.
“Rin,” Atlas cries. He lunges forward, dropping the metal tool. The bottoms of his brown pants are covered in horse dung. A thin black blouse covers his chest and arms. It’s soft against my bare arms. Even with the cold seeping in, I am drenched in sweat. It’s hot, oh so hot. I sink into his arms, crying out as the pain rips through my chest. The Beast is strong, a powerful part of the curse. Everything would be better if I were the Savior, maybe then it wouldn’t hurt so bad.
“Oh, gods.” Atlas’s voice is soft, his honey-brown eyes wide. Freckles kiss his pale cheeks. He pushes my raven hair out of my face, attempting to soothe me. “It’s going to be alright,” he softly whispers. “I’ve got you, love.”
“I can f-feel it.” My lips burn as the words leave. I am so afraid, petrified. I have to fight my own father to the death, and if I lose, Atlas will become this terrible monster. Atlas will be doomed to carry on this curse that has bled through six generations before me. Atlas, my sweet, loving Atlas. I can’t bear the idea of him turning into this. Of the darkness that is slowly eating me away, taking him too.
“We need to get you locked away,” a voice cuts through the dim lighting of the stalls. Ashton Loretta stands tucked away in the corner of the stables. He is taller than Atlas, bearing the same blonde strands without the ringlet curls and honey-brown eyes. Atlas’s much older cousin is a powerful mage who somehow ended up working on the palace grounds. “There’s a room under the library, I built it just for this.”
I can’t stand Ashton and his aura. He’s always an ass, a pompous ass. Being a mage seems to bolster his ever-growing ego. He is better than everyone, and he knows it. It doesn’t matter that he isn’t royal, that not even a bit of royal blood runs in his veins. He is better than I, and he knows it. In fact, he makes it known to everyone in Midonia. He makes it harder to learn how to control my magic. He picks on me along with our other classmates who attend the lessons here on the palace grounds. I hate Ashton Loretta, and he despises me.
“No,” Atlas’s voice shakes as he presses me closer to his chest. “No, she will not be locked away like some animal. This is Korinza we’re talking about.”
“She won’t remain as Korinza for much longer.” Ashton steps forward, placing a hand on Atlas’s shoulder. He scans me, studying me as if I am nothing more than a caged animal. Something he can dissect and learn more about. “It’s for the best.” Atlas’s honey eyes darken as he whips around, a new fury about him. I’m glad I’m not on the other end of it. Atlas seldom gets angry, but over me, he is fiercely protective. He has always been.
“We are not locking her away, Ash.” Ashton stumbles back, his back hitting one of the narrow wooden stalls. “I will not allow you to treat her like this.”
Ashton flings his hands up in defense, a subtle hint of gold centered in his palms. Ashton looks to be twenty, but his true age is unknown to me. “It was a suggestion, Atlas. For everyone’s safety, it is best if we keep Korinza locked away until we figure out what to do.”
“Bug off,” Atlas groans. Atlas hustles me to my feet, keeping his hands steadily against me. My heart swells at the movements. Despite the laws and customs, I have already lain with Atlas. I have already allowed him to love me. My cheeks burn at the idea of taking pleasure in it at least once more. Atlas pushes me forward by the small of my back, dragging us into the middle of the windstorm.
“It’s going to rain,” he whispers. “I can smell it.” I try to force a smile. Atlas is only trying to make everything seem normal. As if it is just a normal Tuesday, and not the worst day of my life. “I know,” Atlas whispers. “Let’s get you inside, tucked away in your bed.”
“Atlas,” my voice quivers. “I don’t want to become a monster.”
“I know, honey.” He kisses the crown of my head, pulling us even closer to the looming gray castle. “I won’t allow it. I swear my life on it, Rin.” The two red knights posted outside pull the heavy oak doors open. My stomach drops as we step into the huge grand hall.
My father, King Valen, stands tall beside my mother, Queen Oriana. A regal crimson cape hangs from his shoulders. His long raven hair falling down, his icy blue eyes staring at Atlas and me. He looks regal, dressed in solid white and gold, the opposite of my black jeweled gown. I bite back the sting of tears. He means to kill me, to end the curse right here. His long wooden staff glows blue, the crystal at the end coming to life.
My mother steadies her shaking hand against his shoulder. A long red gown clings to her slim body. She looks beautiful; she always does with her pale face and chestnut hair braided back. A black thorny crown sits on her head, one made to show her cruelty. Her dark-brown eyes hang heavy against me. It pains her, I can see it in her eyes. My older sister, Daninca, will take the throne, and I will be killed right here. I will never live to see past my eighteenth birthday.
“Kneel, Korinza,” My father’s voice booms off the walls. I shakily kneel, lowering my head. “You will die noble and with your honor.” The tears sting my eyes as my reality sets in. I am meant to die. That had always been his plan once my mother’s protections had worn off. My father never loved me anyway. He has always seen me as darkness, even in my lightest hours.
“No,” Atlas growls, stepping in front of me, using his body as a shield. “I will not allow you to hurt her.”
“Step down, boy,” My mother commands. I peer up at them, watching the boy I love put his life on the line for me. “You have no part in this.”
“I have every part in it,” Atlas barks. “You knew I would never allow this.”
“I should have killed you ages ago,” My father groans on, seeming bored by the entire thing. It’s as if my life is unimportant to him, just another political problem he must handle.
“Right,” Ashton’s voice is suddenly behind me. “This is not how I expected the night to go.” I glance over my shoulder, watching as Ashton’s hands give off a golden glow. “But seeing as you just threatened my little cousin’s life and all….”
“Ashton, you will yield,” my father demands.
“Will I?” Ashton smirks, his eyes daring my father to step further.
BOOM!
My father’s magic blasts forward. Atlas flies back, his body crumpling in front of me. I cry out, lurching for him.
WHOOSH!
A protective blue force field forms around us, blocking out any further blows from my father. I shake on my hands and knees, ignoring the stinging in my palms as I crawl to Atlas. His eyes half hung open, blood dripping from his lips. Anger surges in my chest, the darkness threatening to consume me in this moment. Atlas is mine to protect.
I stand on shaking legs, raising my hands as the black magic forms around me. I set my jaw, listening to the whispering voices in my head. The ones urging me to maim and murder. The savior must die…. The voice hisses. Kill himmm.
“Korinza,” My mother pleads.
Whoosh!
The blue around me begins to swirl, the room swaying out of sight. I cry out in pain as the magic licks my skin, burning into my flesh. I crumple to the ground, my vision blurring in and out. Atlas. I have to get to Atlas.
BAM!
The darkness swallows me whole, taking my body somewhere far away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Korinza,” the voice hisses. I pop my eyes open, and a slim white man is standing above me. Scars mark his face, his thin white lips sewn shut with thick black thread. I startle, throwing myself back in the bed. Sweat dripping from my brow.
“Korinza,” Ashton’s voice cuts through. The figure fades, turning into Ash. His brows are furrowed, worry hanging in his eyes as he presses a damp cloth to my forehead. His smile is soft as my body relaxes against it. I don’t know what this is or why he is suddenly caring for me, but I know I can trust Ashton with Atlas’s life. That is all that matters in the end. “I’m glad to see you awake. You blacked out when I portaled us here.”
I grip the thin white sheets, glancing around. The room was unfamiliar to me. It’s cramped, potions and tomes lining the shelves along the walls. A small bed under me. A tiny circular window let in the morning light. I must have been out for a while.
I glance down at myself, still in the same black gown I wore the night before. My head aches at the memories. Atlas went down. Oh gods, Atlas was struck by my father’s magic.
“Atlas is fine,” Ashton murmurs, seeming to read my thoughts. He likely did; it’s something I have smacked him many times for doing. “He’s in the other room with Trina and Dierk.” Trina is Ashton’s lover, and Dierk is their almost five-year-old son. A child born out of wedlock, a bastard.
“What happened?” I whisper, my muscles still aching. I know what happened. I just want him to tell me it was a lie, a stupid nightmare.
“I think you know,” Ashton answers, his honey eyes lingering over my lips a moment too long. A shiver runs down my spine. I hate Ashton Loretta.
Ashton stands and helps me to my feet, gentler than I’m used to. Ashton hates me; that is a plain and simple fact. Yet, he saved my life. “Let’s get you out of bed. We have planning to do, a curse to break.” He dismissively waves his hand at the latter half.
“Break it?” My voice cracks. Is that even possible? This curse is old, I figured if it were breakable, someone would have done it by now.
“Aye,” Ashton mutters, strutting out of the room. I quietly follow behind him, my head swirling with questions. Where does one even begin in breaking the Curse of Silas? And more importantly, what will I do with my life if we do break it?
