Page 110 of A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped

She pulled away, the necklace still firmly tucked against Sage’s skin.

After a long, considerate moment, she said. “I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

Chapter 37

Sage

“What?” I said, trying to fight off what felt like the complete halting of the rhythm that was my life.

“I know very little about curses,” she said. “But I know that isn’t one.”

“It isn’t?”

I looked at Adrian, who was suddenly very interested in what could be at the bottom of his cup.

She shook her head. “Not in the typical sense. This is an ancient magic, one I don’t think anyone of this world would know how to break.”

“But the sirens put it on me, surely there’s some way to discover it from them?”

I felt like I was grasping at straws. Finally, it had felt like something was going to go right. That my entire family wouldn’t look at me like I was an outcast, or I had something wrong with me.

“The sirens placed the necklace, but their magic isn’t what holds it there. The stone itself decided you were its keeper, and until it needs to find a new one, I’m afraid you’re stuck with it.”

I could feel the bottom of my lip quiver. All of this was for nothing? But Adrian was so sure he could get it off, so sure he knew it was a curse.

I turned to him, still so focused on his teacup. “Did you know?”

“What?”

“Did you know she wouldn’t be able to remove it?”

“I… I genuinely thought she could.”

“But you said you knew. You were certain!” I could feel a tear start to stream down my face.

“I knew Maralda was powerful, and dealt in curses⁠—”

“I know very little about curses,” Maralda helpfully cut in. “I specialize in healing and hallucinations, which is what I helped Tungesten with the previous time I visited.”

His eyes darted between us as I stared at him, waiting for some kind of answer.

“You told me she’d done things like this before. That you saw her.”

“I…” he took a deep breath, standing and coming towards me, though every ounce of me felt the need to draw away.

“Listen. I was… I just wanted to help you. And she is powerful. I wouldn’t bring you all the way here if I didn’t think that was true.”

“But you told me you knew it was true.”

“That’s because I wanted you to say yes!”

The sudden silence around his confession was deafening. “So you would just… say whatever you needed to convince me?”

“I…” he took a heaving breath. “At the time, yes. I might have been a bit deceitful, but I wouldn’t have kept going if I didn’t think it’d work. I’ve genuinely been doing all I can to help you.”

“No, you’ve done nothing but help yourself. This whole time it’s been about what you can get out of it.”

“It was for us both.”