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“It is no matter. That is why I sit upon your wrist, Aella. So I may be here to help and guide you.”
Eyes narrowing, I glared at said wrist. “Why are you being all nice to me all of a sudden? Normally you’d have called me stupid or insolent twenty times by now.”
“This is true,” she replied, sighing. “I have not been at my best, or displayed the most even temper. I regret that now. You have been working tirelessly to free me.”
To free my mother, I wanted to correct.
“There is no need for me to treat you like an enemy. We are, for now at least, on the same side.”
“Huh.” Slowly, I nodded. “I am shocked to say I agree with you. That’s what I’ve been saying this whole time.”
“Well then, in honor of our commitment to camaraderie, I’ve decided to find the solution for you. I know how to bring down the barrier.”
I stood up straighter. “You do? How?”
“The answer was quite obvious. It revealed itself to me immediately when I decided to turn my thoughts to the task. All you need is a curse.”
“A curse? Like a hex? Do children of Hecate sell those too?”
“No, child.” Her tone was light—pleasant even. “Children of Hecate don’t deal in curses and hexes for this very reason. Curses can undo their magic. But it is no matter, there issomeone within this very castle who has a corroding curse on his wrist like I rest on yours,” she said. “All you need to do is take it.”
“How do I do that?” I frowned. “It won’t hurt him, will it? I’m not hurting anyone.”
“And I would never ask you to. All you need to do is return to your room, rest your head on your pillow, and drift off to sleep. I shall wake you when it’s time.”
Shrugging, I set off for the dorm wing. “Okay.”
I got lost on the way to my room. Selene eventually helped me find Sisyphean Dorm Thirty. I stepped into the dark and cold.
“There’s no one here.” I flicked around the bare, bland space. “Don’t I have roommates? I thought I did—”
“No, you don’t. You never did. You’ve always had this room to yourself.”
“But, then, where’s my stuff?”
“You have no stuff, girl. You crossed the barrier alone. No clothes. No supplies.”
I tossed my head. “Right, of course. I crossed alone. I’ve always been alone. It’s just me and Mom.” My fists balled. “I will get her back.”
“Of course you will. Now off to bed. You need your rest, for tonight is the night you free me.”
Once again I wanted to correct her and say my mom, but I didn’t bother. Selene was finally acting like a decent hum— I mean, goddess. She was letting me rest instead of berating me and screeching in my ear all night.
The question of how I would keep her in and only get me and Mom out hadn’t been answered, but I’d face the problem after a decent sleep. I felt tired and achy all over. I barely got any sleep the night before but... why?
“Oh, well.” Choosing an alcove at random, I toed off my boots, climbed in, and drifted off.
“—up. Wake up, girl.”
I cracked an eyelid.
“It’s time.”
“Time for what?” I pushed myself up, blinking blearily at my nightstand. There was something on it, but I could barely make it out through the gloom. “To get the curse?”
“Precisely. I had my ally get you all that you’ll require.”
My vision cleared... on the dagger.
