Filed To Story: Cursed Legacies Series Free PDF by Morgan B Lee
It won’t last long. Never does. Somehow, more of the fucking birds always find me.
Still, it’s cathartic while it lasts.
Douglas isn’t surprised because he’s seen this happen a few times. He just kicks one of the frozen ravens aside and grunts, “I’m ready to get back. Dev is going to be a whiney fucker about not seeing me all day.”
Dev, as in Devil. That’s what Douglas calls his freakishly loyal, oversized pet hellhound. This mercenary is about as creative as Baelfire when it comes to names.
Again, the thought of the once-smiley, oversized lug makes me rub my temple, trying to soothe the headache building there.
“Fine. Send us back.”
The caster pops his neck and begins laying the transportation spell. One bright green flash of light later, I brush the snow off the shoulders of my trench coat and walk through more snow toward Everbound University.
I took over the massive gothic building immediately following the battle where we lost it all, during the beginning of the period of time everyone now calls the Upheaval. As the world started going to shit, I fortified this entire castle, much of the surrounding area, and even Halfton with massive walls of nevermelt.
A lot of Reformists praise me for it. They say I was brilliant to keep the depth of my elemental powers a secret. They think I was insightful and prepared this place to become one of the main strongholds holding back the Entity’s forces.
The truth is? I’m just a glutton for pain.
This is where I met her. Where we trained together. Where I stole as many lingering glances as I could justify when I thought she wasn’t looking, hating myself for putting my keeper in danger—or so I’d thought. Each of those fleeting memories clings to every corner of this barren, damned fortress just like the frost and shadows and emptiness.
The reminders of her are agonizing.
But I need that. It’s all I’ve been left with.
I can’t handle losing anything else, so I preserved any trace of what I lost.
cKX
EVERETT
Douglas pushes through the extremely heavily warded double entry doors of Everbound Castle. We pause when we see Lillian Oakley waiting for us, bundled in a couple of colorful coats since this place is constantly freezing.
My keeper’s longtime caretaker and friend looks a hell of a lot like Kenzie Baird, but shorter and somewhere in her fifties. I brought her here right after the battle because anyone who was a friend of my snowdrop is now under my protection. I thought I would be the one taking care of her, but when I was too far gone to the world to remember to eat or sleep or breathe after my world shattered, it was Lillian who took care of me.
Even on my worst days, she’s kind.
Too kind. Especially when she lets people into my stronghold—and I can already tell from her small, apologetic smile that she’s done that.
Again.
I rub my face wearily. “Damn it, Lillian.”
“Any luck?” she asks hopefully, avoiding my accusatory tone.
She’s one of the few people who know about the Crypt’s disappearance. Hell, she’s one of the few people who gives a shit about that monster spawn.
I shake my head. Her hope wilts, but she quickly falls into step beside us as Douglas and I make our way into the castle toward the library, where I’m sure Lillian has whatever guest she let in waiting. We pass through two hallways and then out into one of my more decorated courtyards.
The sun is bright through the haze of white in the sky, putting a soft golden gleam on all of the ice sculptures out here. Well, they’re not actually sculptures.
They’re people.
Some of them are stray Legacy Council members who came here trying to manipulate me months ago, before the rest of the fallen council disappeared. Others are shadow fiends or hired hitmen I caught before dragging their frozen bodies out here to stand with the rest of them. One was a dissident acolyte messenger who claimed he came here to deliver a message from the Garnet Wizard’s Sanctuary. He made the mistake of brushing my hand when he handed me a forged letter.
And then there are the ravens.
Countless frozen ravens. Even now, I hear the low croaks of those damned birds from somewhere high above, like they’re watching me beside the gargoyles perched high on the castle.
Douglas grumbles as he walks behind Lillian and me. “Your collection of frozen corpses is creepy as fuck. I swear I can feel their eyes on me.”
“You do. They’re frozen, not dead.”
“People don’t usually survive being frozen,” he argues, frowning over his shoulder at the ice-encased figures.
“They do when it’s nevermelt.”
Which is something I discovered by mistake. When my curse returned tenfold, I didn’t know that meant I would lose control of how much power went into my abilities. Now there’s roughly a fifty-fifty chance that I’m accidentally creating an unbreakable substance instead of regular ice.
I have no control.
Lillian tosses a sympathetic look over her shoulder at the frozen decorations. I throw open another door before finally stopping in front of Everbound’s smaller library, where a legacy in a Reformist uniform dutifully stands guard outside.
I recognize him as a caster I met during my second year as a student at Everbound. When he sees us approaching, he salutes me, but his attention lingers on the left side of my face.
“Dude,” Douglas prompts after too many seconds pass, exasperated.
The legacy realizes where he’s staring and clears his throat uncomfortably. “Forgive me, Commander, it’s just the first time I’ve seen you since…you know.”
Yeah. I know.
Hard to forget when people keep staring like he is yet again.
“Move,” I say coldly. He moves aside quickly, but I pause to look at Douglas before entering. “You have an hour to eat and visit with your pet flea ball before we head out again.”
“Sure thing, hard-ass.” He turns and strolls away, whistling.
I push through the doors, and Lillian follows quickly after me. When I see two purple-clad prophets and a priestess standing in the room next to the large hearth Lillian constantly keeps lit, I’m surprised.
I’m also pissed.
“Oh, look. There are liars in my stronghold.” I give them my dead-eye look.
“Everett, please,” Lillian chides gently, gesturing at the quacks. “This is Priestess Anna, Prophet Julius, and Galene’s Second High Prophet, Vincent. They’ve come from the makeshift temples in Halfton.”
The only temples left are makeshift ones. As far as I know, the others have all been destroyed by shadow fiends, Limbo Zones, rioting humans, and Crypt. Now, there aren’t many prophets, priests, or other holy servants left. Those who survived ended up fleeing to strongholds and building shabby temples for the six gods.
“And?” I ask flatly.
I don’t miss the way my flippant tone makes Julius’s eye twitch.
“Well—” Lillian begins diplomatically.
“
And we are the gods’ servants,” Prophet Julius admonishes me, lifting his chin. “I have heard much about you these last months, Commander Frost. I came because I received a great divination from the gods, who told me your soul desperately needs redemption. If you would only turn your substantial monetary support to the building of the temple of?—“
I freeze him solid to shut him up.
Yet another greedy idiot. No fucking surprise there.
The other two temple workers startle in shock. I overhear Lillian’s muttered prayer to the gods—something about mercy for hurting one of their chosen saints.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
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