The Cursed Prince, Teresa Roman [the reader ebook TXT] 📗

in our family had never taken their husbands’ last names, we’d still be Blackwoods. Blackwood witches are known for a few things, and one of them is that the last-born female Blackwood is always the most powerful witch in the family.”

I was so stunned by my aunt’s confession that it took me a moment to realize what she was trying to explain. “My mother was the youngest.”

“Yes. And so are you.”

“But … I don’t have any powers.”

“Because they were bound before you were born,” Delilah explained.

“What does that mean?”

“I was always jealous of Abby’s powers. I can’t do even a fraction of what she could, but she didn’t see things the same way I did. She thought of magic as a curse instead of a gift. She hated the way we had to keep our gifts secret from the rest of the world, and she was so paranoid about dark magic. When she found out she was pregnant with a girl, she made a potion that would bind your powers. She said it would keep you safe and give you a normal life. Then she made your father and me promise never to tell you about any of this.”

A strange thrill ran through me. Could it be true? Could I be a witch? It seemed so impossible. Still, the idea of it filled me with a mix of excitement and angst. This must’ve been why my father had seemed hesitant to give me Delilah’s number, and why he’d told me not to believe everything she said. My aunt was either completely off her rocker or she’d just dropped a major bomb on me. One my father clearly didn’t want her telling me. I wondered if my brothers knew about any of this.

“Willow? Are you still there?”

“Yes. I am,” I said, collecting my thoughts. “It’s just a lot to process.”

“I’m sure right about now you’re thinking your old Aunt Delilah has gone off the deep end, but I swear I’m not crazy. I probably should’ve just kept my big fat mouth shut, but the way I figure it, you called me asking about witches for a reason. Am I right?”

A spark of hope went off inside me. If what Delilah had just told me was true, then maybe I really could help Nicolai. “What would you say if I asked you to unbind my powers and teach me about magic?”

“I’m sorry, Willow. I don’t think I’m powerful enough to do that. And even if I was, like I told you, your father would be really angry with me.”

“Do you know anyone who could?”

“Is there a reason in particular that you’re asking?”

“There’s someone I want to help,” I explained. “Someone who’s been cursed. His family thinks I can break it. But I’m pretty sure I’d need to have my powers unbound first.”

“Oh dear, Willow. Please be careful. Your mother was right, magic can get you into a heap of trouble if you aren’t cautious. Tell me you aren’t thinking of doing anything rash.”

“Don’t worry, Aunt Delilah. I won’t.”

“I’m sorry I can’t be of more help,” she said. “But maybe it’s better that way. This friend of yours, the one that’s been cursed, he didn’t get that way without a reason. I think it’s better if you steer clear of him and his family entirely.”

“You’re probably right,” I said knowing that I wouldn’t heed her advice. Even though I barely knew him, for some reason I just couldn’t turn my back on Nicolai.

“And please, whatever you do, don’t tell your father I said anything.”

“Why did you?”

“Because you aren’t a child anymore. And because you have a right to know. Plain and simple. I told your father as much before I left Beaver Falls, but he insisted that if I truly cared about my sister, I’d honor her wishes. Which I have, but there’s a difference between keeping something to myself and outright lying. You called with questions, so I answered them,” she said.

“Thanks, Delilah. I appreciate you telling me.”

“If you decide to go through with having your powers unbound, call me. I’ll see if I can find someone that can help you.”

After I hung up, I sat there with my heart racing and my stomach in knots. My head throbbed from the bombshell my aunt had just dropped on me. Me, a witch. There was just no way. Or maybe there was, and I just couldn’t bring myself to accept it. I’d gone from not believing that witches existed to finding out that I possibly was one in the space of a day.

Maybe my mother had been right to bind my powers. It had been less than twenty-four hours since I’d come to believe in magic and witches and curses, and already my life seemed a million times more complicated.

Normally, when I had something on my mind, work helped to distract me, but not this time. I could not stop the thoughts that flooded my mind. I was a witch. It didn’t seem possible. Even with my powers bound, shouldn’t I somehow have known?

I had a million questions, but outside of Delilah, there was no one to ask. She’d broken a promise to my mother—her sister—by telling me the truth. I didn’t want to make her feel guiltier than she already did by asking more questions.

I wondered what Nicolai would think of all this. Maybe he or one of his brothers would know how to unbind my powers. Then I wouldn’t have to bother Delilah again.

After more than an hour of trying and failing to stop thinking about magic and witches and Nicolai, I left my office to go talk to Grace. She worked a few blocks away as a manager at an assisted-living facility. Thankfully, she wasn’t in the middle of a crisis when I showed up and was able to take a few minutes to talk to me.

“How come you didn’t call me yesterday? You were supposed to fill me in on all the juicy details of dinner at the castle,”