Page 119 of Of Curses and Courtship

CLICK.

“There,” Helena says. “Be quick before the librarian catches us.”

“The librarian is so rarely around. I’ve seen her here but twice.”

There are dozens of books to choose from. A book ofpoisons, another of immortal secrets… but I’m only interested in one: the prophecies.

I snatch up the thick book. “I’ll lock up once I am done.”

“Do you want me to stay with you?” Helena asks, shifting on her feet.

“No, no—and I don’t wish to get you in trouble.” I close the cabinet but don’t lock it. Not yet. “I need some time alone with the prophecies.”

“If you say so.”

Helena stands in the doorway and gives me a long look.

Perhaps she mistrusts me now that she knows I’m a halfling, but she should understand why I have such a heavy desire to read this book. I must know what, exactly, the prophecy says about me.

After lingering for a wordless moment, she leaves.

I carry a stack of books to the smallest table in the gigantic library, one crammed into a corner in front of a stained-glass window. The only thing that could make it more beautiful is the presence of the sun, but I’m past wishing for such things. Wishes are not within my abilities; it’s time for action. The sun will return, and I’ll be the one who brings it home…

Or so I hope.

I pile up books beside me at the table. A facade, of course. There’s only one book I’m interested in, but to be caught reading it alone is suspicious. Emyr has shown me much about curses, but so little about the curse over this land.

And the prophecy that goes along with it.

I’ve always known about the prophecy. As mortals, we whisper about it, knowing it only by retellings. The darkness will take the land, and only the sun king can free it.

The role of the halfling is disastrous. The halfling is supposed to be lustful and greedy, bringing down the fae andmortals together. Only the sorceress can stop her, or so the tale says.

That halfling isn’t me. I don’t have the means, desire, or power to make any kingdom crumble. Truthfully, these tales have always confused me. Each person tells them differently, and the only thing that remains the same is the ending.

Death, destruction, and a shadowed land. The end of the Sun Palace as I know it.

My hands shake as I open the book, one with a simple title:A Book of Prophecy.

Prophecies are funny things. Some come to pass, others do not. Some have authors, others are written anonymously. The book may appear simple, bound in red and with a lackluster title, but it’s heavy and with minimal dust. It’s likely to be read frequently, but only by the king himself.

I flip through the pages, my brow furrowed as I look for the one I need. One century ago. The book’s contents are horrid and beautiful. Some are curses, like the one I am looking for. Others are tales of marriage and courtship, of riches and wealth.

Magic is a neutral thing, after all. The sorcerers may choose to use their magic to destructive ends, but surely they could make another choice, just as the witches of my village did. They healed wounds and protected people on their journeys. It was simple magic, yet beneficial.

The most confusing part of this prophecy is the role of the sorceress. Everyone I’ve met speaks of sorcerers and evil magic, and it’s nearly confirmed that a sorceress createdthiscurse.

“Why would one possibly want to save the realm?” I mutter, flipping through the book.

The wordhalflingcatches my attention, and at last, I stop, my finger running down the page. Yes. The words differ from those I’ve heard, but this must be it.

With each line I read, my blood runs colder. It is ice by the end. The words swirl around my head, getting lost in fear…

Darkness takes each land. No one can be free.

The Sun Fae speak of this curse as though it will only hurt them, but the prophecy tells another story.Each land. With its unique magic and architecture, each palace will fall into the darkness, following the Sun. The silvery, violet moon palace will crumble. The beaches. The people.

They’re not my people, of course, not truly, but after one day in the Moon Palace…