Bound By His Curse

CHAPTER 8

SERAPHINA POV:

When I woke up, sunlight was streaming softly through the silk curtains, and Cassian was sitting right beside my bed, holding my hand so gently it felt like he was afraid to break me. His dark eyes were red-rimmed, like he hadn’t slept at all, and his suit was rumpled, as if he hadn’t moved from that spot since I’d passed out hours ago.

“You’re awake,” he breathed, leaning forward instantly, brushing a strand of hair back from my pale face, his touch warm and steady. “How do you feel? Do you need anything? Water? Medicine? I’ve called every specialist I can find, I’ve sent people all over the world searching for more records—”

I squeezed his hand, cutting off his frantic rambling with a soft smile. “I’m okay, Cassian. Just… tired. That’s all.”

He lowered his head, pressing a kiss to the back of my hand, his shoulders slumping with relief and guilt. “This is all my fault. Every second you suffer is because of me. If I had never dragged you into this mess, you’d be happy, healthy, safe somewhere far away from all this darkness.”

I sat up slowly, leaning against the headboard, and pulled his hand closer, until he had no choice but to look at me. “Stop saying that. You didn’t drag me anywhere. And earlier… what you said about the legend. About love changing the bond. Did you mean it?”

His expression softened, all the walls he’d ever built crumbling away completely, leaving only raw, honest truth in his eyes. He shifted closer, reaching up to cup my face, his thumb brushing gently over my cheekbone.

“I meant every word. I’ve been trying to tell you for weeks, Seraphina, but I was scared. Scared that I’d only be hurting you more, scared that loving me would only bring you pain and death. But it’s too late now. I don’t just need you to survive. I don’t just see you as the one who saves me. I love you. I’ve loved you since that first night in the study, when you looked at me and didn’t see a monster—you just saw a man who was hurting. I love your kindness, your quiet strength, the way you see the best in everything, even when you have every reason to be bitter. You are not just my healer. You are my life.”

Before I could answer, before I could tell him that I loved him too, more than anything, the door to my room swung open wide.

Arabella stood there, leaning against the frame, her arms crossed, a cold, mocking smile on her face. My parents had left an hour earlier, fed up with Cassian’s cold treatment and furious that they couldn’t control him, but Arabella had begged to stay, claiming she wanted to “make amends” and spend time with her sister. Now I knew exactly why she had stayed. She had heard every single word.

“How sweet,” she drawled, stepping into the room, her voice sharp and venomous. “The cursed billionaire falling for his little healer. How romantic. Almost makes me want to cry—if it wasn’t all just a fairytale lie.”

Cassian stood up instantly, stepping between me and her, his body tense and protective, his voice cold and dangerous. “Get out. You are no longer welcome in this house. You’ve done enough damage already.”

“Or what?” Arabella laughed, stepping closer, unafraid. “You’ll throw me out? You think I care? I know everything now. I know the curse, I know the bond, I know what happens if you don’t have her. And I know exactly what that stupid legend says. It says love changes everything, right? That if the bond is rooted in true love, the cost is shared, not just taken from her.”

She tilted her head, her eyes glinting with malice. “But here’s the thing, Cassian. How do you know it’s real? How do you know you don’t just love her because you need her? How do you know she doesn’t just stay because she feels guilty, or because she’s trapped? You were forced into this marriage. She was forced into this marriage. There’s no choice here, no freedom. That’s not love. That’s just fate and obligation. And if the love isn’t real… then nothing changes. She’ll still die. And you’ll still be alone.”

Her words hit like a physical blow, sharp and true. I saw the doubt flicker across Cassian’s face, just for a second, and I knew that was exactly what she wanted. She didn’t just want to hurt us—she wanted to break the one thing that could save us.

“You’re wrong,” I said, pushing myself out of bed, standing on shaky legs, stepping up beside Cassian. “We choose this. We choose each other. That’s more than enough.”

“Is it?” Arabella countered, her smile widening. “Then prove it. Or better yet… let me prove to you that it’s nothing but a lie.”

She reached into her bag and pulled out a small, tattered journal—one I recognized instantly. It was the same kind as the one Vince had shown me, filled with old Valemont family records. She must have stolen it from Vince when he wasn’t looking, or paid someone to get it for her.

“I did my research too,” she said, flipping to a marked page, her voice loud and clear. “The curse feeds on negative emotions—stress, fear, anger, grief. The more of those you feel, the worse it gets. And love? The legend says it works, yes… but only if it’s unconditional. Only if you’d give up everything for the other person. Let’s see if that’s really true.”

Before any of us could move, she leaned forward and spat out words designed to hurt more than any blade.

“Did you know, Cassian? That your own father abandoned your mother because of the curse? That he left her to die alone, terrified and in pain, just so he could save himself? That’s the Valemont way, isn’t it? Use people, throw them away, let them suffer so you can live longer!”

It was a low, cruel blow, targeting the pain Cassian had carried his whole life. I saw the change instantly. Cassian froze, his face draining of all color, his hands clenching into fists so tight his knuckles turned white. The air in the room grew heavy, thick with dark, suffocating energy. Under his shirt, I saw the faint, terrifying red glow spreading from the amulet, brighter and hotter than I had ever seen it.

“Cassian!” I cried out, reaching for him, but I was too slow.

He stumbled back, doubling over, a raw, agonized groan tearing from his throat. His whole body shook violently, sweat pouring down his face, his eyes rolling back in pain. This was worse than any attack before—Arabella had fueled the curse with every bit of grief and anger he had ever buried, making it burn out of control.

“See?” Arabella laughed, stepping closer, triumphant. “He’s dying, Seraphina! And you’re too weak to save him! You can barely stand! You’ll kill yourself just trying to help him!”

I didn’t listen. I stepped forward, my legs trembling, every part of me screaming in protest, every breath hurting like I was breathing glass. I reached out, pressing both hands against his chest, right over the burning amulet, just like I always did.

But this time, nothing happened.

The pain didn’t fade. The red glow didn’t dim. Instead, I felt the darkness rushing into me, sharp and cold, stealing every bit of strength I had left. My knees buckled, my vision went black at the edges, and I would have collapsed if Cassian hadn’t grabbed my arms to hold me up.

“Stop!” he roared, his voice raw, tears streaming down his face. “Stop it, Seraphina! You’ll die! Just stop!”

“No!” I sobbed, clinging to him, refusing to let go. “I won’t let you go! I love you, Cassian! I love you more than my own life! I’d give everything for you, everything!”

And then, something changed.

The moment the words left my mouth, a warm, golden light burst from where our bodies touched, bright and soft, pushing back the dark red glow like sunlight chasing away shadows. The suffocating weight lifted instantly. The shaking stopped. The pain vanished from Cassian’s face, replaced by shock and wonder.

And for the first time ever, I didn’t feel weak. I didn’t feel drained. I felt full, whole, like strength was flowing into me just as much as it was flowing into him.

The legend was true.

Love wasn’t a one-way sacrifice. It was a bond that shared the burden, that balanced the scales, that turned pain into power.

Arabella stood frozen, her face white with horror and disbelief, watching as the golden light wrapped around us, sealing our bond forever. She realized then that she had failed. That no matter what she said, no matter what she did, nothing could break what we had built.

“You… you cheated,” she stammered, stepping back, scared now. “This isn’t over! I’ll find a way! I’ll—”

“Get out,” Cassian said, his voice calm, strong, and final, the voice of the powerful heir he was, no trace of the broken man she had tried to destroy. “Get out of my house, and never come near us again. If you ever try to hurt Seraphina or me, I will destroy everything you and your family have. You have no power here anymore.”

Arabella turned and ran, slamming the door behind her, leaving us alone in the quiet, warm light.

Cassian pulled me into his arms, holding me tight, resting his forehead against mine, his breathing steady and calm.

“We did it,” he whispered, smiling, the first real, happy smile I had ever seen on his face. “We found the way. We broke the curse’s hold.”

I smiled back, tears of happiness rolling down my cheeks, safe and loved in his arms. But even as we celebrated, I knew one thing for certain. We had won this battle, but the war wasn’t over. The curse was weakened, not gone. Arabella was still out there, bitter and vengeful. And somewhere, deep in the history of the Valemont family, there were still secrets waiting to be uncovered—secrets that would test our love, our bond, and our lives more than anything we had faced so far.

But as long as we had each other, I knew we could face anything.