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The Bauer tree is there. I touch my father’s name and Viola’s saucy note that reads, More smitten than a kitten. A doodle of my parents kissing in the tree accompanies it.
My attention drifts to my sister, and I ask, “You missed me, but did you miss Father?”
“Of course.” She takes a sip to hide her frown.
“Then why didn’t you come back to help us? If you’ve been in the city for the last few weeks, then surely you knew of the civil war.”
She pauses mid-sip. The glass touches down on my knee again. “What is the real question you want to ask?”
I breathe in slowly, my mind piecing together the words until I finally say, “Do you believe this was all caused by Father?”
Her brows furrow. “You need to be more specific. All of what?”
I rub my brow. “Everything, I guess? All of the bad things that have happened in the last seven years?”
Her head tilts up. “Ah, so you want to know who to blame for Dad’s death.”
“Perhaps. Alasdair’s curse upon my mind has made everything confusing, and Lucas gave me much to think about.”
“Clearly.” She takes another sip before setting down her drink. “I thought the magician was a curse-breaker.”
“He is. Why?”
“I just find it odd that he didn’t sense a curse or try to break it.”
“His rings need to heal. He’s not supposed to use too much magic because of it.”
“And your magician is too cautious and uncaring to even attempt it?”
I frown, her words needling me. When I remain silent, Emilia scans me slowly, her eyes lightly glowing. “Even if Alasdair has this new, terrible magic we’ve never seen before, I just can’t believe he could curse you while you were within a dream. The mechanics of the magic don’t make sense.” She sets her glass down on the floor beside the couch and turns to fully face me. “Sit up. I want to try something.”
I groan. “Can I just lie here instead? It’s been a hellish day.”
“Absolutely not. Come on.” She grabs my arm and pulls.
I reluctantly drag myself up to sitting and mirror her pose. “What is your plan? Travel into my Soul Thread to witness the corruption?” If Astoria is able to accomplish it so easily with the help of Jinx, then Emilia and I should be able to as well.
“You’re overcomplicating this, Valen. If the curse-breaking thief didn’t sense a curse, then I’m inclined to believe that there isn’t a curse.”
“Then what is it?”
She smirks and shakes out her hands, little sparks of magic lighting like silvery blue static. “You’re fixating on trying to solve the puzzle of what Alasdair is now, when you’re forgetting what Alasdair was.”
My brows furrow. “And what was he? Corrupted?”
“No, you idiot. He’s of Creation.”
My lips part. “You think he placed an enchantment on me?”
“Obviously. Something so subtle that you wouldn’t find it. It’s very Viola of him. He probably thought it was poetic to tear you away from Astoria by using their aunt’s own tricks against you. Now hold still and stop twitching.”
I hold my hands up to gently bat her sparking fingers away from my chest. “Wait. How would that work?”
“My guess is that he created an illusion of whispering that would echo your deepest, darkest fears and thoughts. He’d make the quiet thoughts loud and slowly shift the tone to match your own so you couldn’t tell the difference. Now stop moving!”
She smacks my hand and I shake out the sting of frostbite. “For the love of the Weave, try to at least be gentle.”
She snorts. “Such a baby.” And her fingers touch my chest over my heart.
