Standing at the edge of the old stone circle, I trembled and muttered, "Kael, I'm not ready for this." It was difficult for me to breathe because of the weight of everything—the curse, the power, and my ancestry. "I'm not even sure what I should do next."
He stood next to me, silent for a second, then he spoke in a voice that seemed centuries old. "Lola, you don't need to be prepared. You simply must accept it. Each of us has a past that we did not pick. But we must bear it.
The earth under us pulsed softly, pulsing with an old vitality, like if it were alive. With the weight of long-buried truths that threatened to surface, the air was heavy with magic. And I sensed it. Like a black seed waiting to sprout, I could sense the curse inside of me.
I whispered, "I don't know if I can," as I
