Prologue

The light steps approaching the room synchronized with the steady heartbeats of Esmerelda. She had been waiting for her guest’s appearance for a long time. It was about time. 

“It’s been 15 years, Aurora Adkins,” Esmerelda said, standing with her back to the guest. 

“Aurora Adkins is long dead,” a female voice announced coldly. 

Slowly, Esmerelda turned and saw a young raven-haired girl with breathtaking beauty standing in front of her. 

Esmerelda drew a sharp breath. The girl looked so much like her deceased father. Same coal-like curls, same bright dark eyes, same determination on their faces. She also inherited her mother’s heart-shaped face. 

Esmerelda quickly recollected herself. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

“I’m here to cash in a promise you made to my father long ago after he saved your life,” the girl said, watching the witch’s face for signs of rejection. She had no confidence the famous witch would help her. After all, her family had perished. Esmerelda could simply deny the promise. 

“Fair enough. A witch always pays her debt,” Esmerelda shrugged. “Fire away.” 

Suppressing the joy that leaped into her heart, the girl said firmly, “I want you to cast a spell on Maggie Milton to keep her safe.”

The answer surprised Esmerelda. She searched the girl’s eyes for confirmation. The girl nodded her head determinedly. 

“Aren’t your life more precious than a maid’s? Don’t waste my promise on Maggie. I can cast a spell to keep you safe. Your enemies are powerful, Aurora,” Esmerelda warned. 

“Maggie was there for me when I went through the darkest period of my life.  She saved my life more than once. She is not a maid, she is my family,” the girl said firmly. 

“Don’t be stubborn. You are on an impossible mission to destroy the most powerful force on your own. Life in the palace is dangerous. You could die at any time. If you are gone, the Adkins bloodline is lost forever, ” Esmerelda warned. 

“What is the point of preserving the bloodline if an Adkins cannot protect the ones she loves?” The girl asked, unwavering. 

At that moment, Esmerelda caught a glimpse of the girl’s father, the greatest warrior on earth who had always put other people’s lives before his own. 

 “For every blessing spell, I have to cast a curse to balance it out. And the curse has to be on the one who requests the blessing spell. Are you still willing to do this?” Esmerelda said, wishing the curse would change the girl’s mind . 

But Esmerelda heard a quick and determined “yes”. She looked up at the girl’s beautiful face closely, but there was no sign of hesitation. 

“The curse may cost you your life. And the worst part is you will never know what the curse is,” Esmerelda cautioned. 

“My answer is still the same,” the girl said stubbornly. 

“You are truly your father’s daughter,” Esmerelda sighed. 

The girl’s face softened at the mention of her father. A flicker of longing flashed across her eyes. Both women fell in silence in their old memories. 

“Esmerelda, an important guest is waiting for you in the hall,” a maid announced in the doorway.  

“I’m leaving. Don’t forget the blessing spell,” the girl said to Esmerelda.

Before the girl stepped out of the room, Esmerelda called to her, “Aurora, may the Moon Goddess bless you.” 

A beautiful smile spread across the girl’s lips. Then she was gone. The room fell into silence. 

Standing alone in her room, Esmerelda gazed at the darkness outside of the window and thought hard. What should be the curse on Aurora Adkins?

A life for a life would be the natural choice in their world of witchery. But Esmerelda wouldn’t want Aurora to die. It would be a shame if the last of the glorious Adkins bloodline died from her curse. But only a grievous curse could match the girl’s request. What was the curse second only to death? 

An idea struck in Esmerelda’s head. She hurried to the dark stone placed on the desk in the corner. 

Summoning all her energy, Esmerelda placed her hand above the stone and closed her eyes. 

A rupture of beautiful lights–green, purple, blue–erupted inside the stone, illuminating the dimly-lit room. 

“I, Esmerelda Acantha, in the name of my kind, bless Maggie Milton with a long and healthy life. In return, Aurora Adkins, the last of the Adkins House, will never recognize her mate, and her mate, never her.”

Satisfied with her wit, Esmerelda waved her hand above the stone. The lights went out gradually. The room was back to its dimness. 

“Now I’m ready to see the royal bastard,” Esmerelda murmured. 

Meanwhile, Aurora walked down the long corridor with a light heart. A heavy boulder was lifted off her chest. Maggie would survive.

She slowed her steps, enjoying the gentle breeze that crept into the corridor. The calm before the raging storm. The corridor was wide with a beautiful Chinese screen standing in the middle, separating the visitors and the leavers. The screen was so thin that with enough light you could see the contour of the face of the people on the other side. 

But today just a few rays of moonlight leaked into the corridor through the tall windows. Aurora stopped her tracks and raised her head to gaze at the moon hanging serenely in the sky. 

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t hear the faint footsteps approaching her on the other side of the screen. When she realized somebody was also in the corridor, the tall figure already stood opposite her, separated by the screen. It was a man. 

Under the moonlight, his silhouette was painted on the screen as if only for Aurora to enjoy. He was a handsome man, Aurora could tell from the painting. Powerful masculine jaw, sharp and straight nose, a mop of thick hairs. The man screamed power and authority. 

The man was standing there motionlessly, staring at her through the screen. 

Aurora stood entranced on the spot until a sharp inhale from the man broke her mesmerization. 

She quickly recollected herself and resumed walking. She brushed the man’s image from her mind and focused on the tough journey she was about to embark upon. It had no return, but she was ready. 

At the end of the entrance, she glanced back. The man seemed to still stand there.