Page 44 of Healing Elixirs & Wicked Crows

“Tonight," Malcolm said grimly."The full moon rises tonight.After that, the daemonacus flower will not bloom again for another decade.Your sister, our son, all the other children trapped by this curse, they will be lost forever."

The weight of responsibility pressed down on me like a physical thing.It wasn't just Briar anymore.There were others, children I'd never met, families I'd never known, all depending on my ability to break a curse I'd been fighting for over a century.

"But there's more to the prophecy I spoke of," Malcolm continued."It speaks of a choice the healer must make.To save one life, she must risk losing everything she holds dear.Only through that sacrifice can she gain the power needed to face the darkness"

"What choice?"I whispered, though part of me already knew.

Freya shifted beside me, transforming from wolf to woman in a shimmer of magic.She was once again beautiful, with long red hair and the same warm brown eyes as her mate, though hers were filled with desperate hope.

"To heal our son," she said, her voice breaking, "you’d need to use the moonbell petals."

My breath caught.The moonbell petals were essential for Briar's potion.Without them, even if I found the daemonacus flower, the cure might not work.I'd have to choose between saving their child and completing my own quest.Not to mention, I’d deplete my magical stores once again.

"Where is my companion?"I asked, needing time to process what they were asking of me.

"The unseelie?He's secured but unharmed," Malcolm replied."He fought viciously to protect you, I'll give him that.But he cannot help you with this choice."

I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of two lives in my hands.Briar, who had waited so long for freedom.And this unknown child, another victim of the same evil that had destroyed my family.

"Take me to your son," I said finally."Let me see what we're dealing with."

Malcolm nodded, relief evident in his expression."This way.But know this, healer, if you can’t save him, you will not leave here.The curse will spread beyond these woods, beyond these lands, until every child in the realm falls into endless sleep."He shared a look with his mate then added, “What care would we have?Our son would be dead.”

As we walked through tunnels carved from living stone, I realized this was bigger than just my personal quest for revenge.The unseelie queen's curse wasn't just targeting my family anymore.She was preparing for something far worse, and somehow, I'd become the only thing standing in her way.

We stopped before a heavy iron door.Malcolm's fingers wrapped around the handle, pulling it effortlessly.It creaked open with a low groan, revealing a chamber that took my breath away.

Unlike the rough stone tunnels, this room was richly appointed.Wood paneling lined the walls, with vivid tapestries draped at intervals.A large, cushioned rug covered the floor.Iron castings held thick white candles that lit the room with a warm glow.A hearth roared with light along the wall, its smoke snaking into a ceiling hole.Framed photos, trinkets, colored stones, and a vase of fresh flowers sat on the mantle.

And in the center, a large four-poster bed with dark red velvet canopy, where a young male lay motionless.

My healer's instincts took over as I approached.He was perhaps sixteen or seventeen with unruly dark curls and the strong build of a shifter.But his skin had a sickly gray pallor, and sweat dotted his forehead despite the chill in his skin.His breathing was shallow, labored.

This curse was… different.

I placed my hands on his chest, letting my magic flow into him.The moment I touched him, I knew.

"This isn't just the sleeping curse," I breathed, pulling my hands back in shock."It's evolving.Growing stronger."

"What do you mean?"Freya asked, her voice tight with fear.

"The curse on my sister was static, unchanging, until recently at least.But this..."I touched the boy's forehead again, feeling the dark magic writhing beneath his skin."This is learning.Adapting.It feels stronger, more resistant to healing."

Malcolm's expression grew grim."Then let us hope the prophecy is right about you."

I stared down at the boy, seeing Briar's face in his still features.The choice before me crystallized with painful clarity.I could use the moonbell petals to save him, but that would mean risking my sister's life.Or I could preserve them for Briar and let this child die.

"There has to be another way," I whispered.

"What if there isn't?"Freya asked, tears streaming down her face."What if you have to choose?"

I closed my eyes, thinking of the prophecy Malcolm had mentioned.The thornless rose, whose power came from sacrifice rather than selfishness.Maybe that was the key.Maybe the choice itself was what would give me the strength I needed.

"If I save your son," I said slowly, "will you help me reach the daemonacus flower?Will you stand with me when I face the queen?"

"We will tell you which way to travel to claim the daemonacus, and when the time comes to stand against the queen, we will fight with you," Malcolm promised immediately."The prophecy speaks of allies rising to aid the healer.We are those allies."

I looked down at my pack, where the precious moonbell petals lay wrapped in silk.Then I looked at the dying boy, at his parents' desperate faces, at the weight of prophecy and responsibility pressing down on me.