Aforetime: Cursed City

CURSED CITY LINA RAVENHILL AFORETIME: Cursed City Copyright © 2023 by Lina Ravenhill. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. For information contact: [email protected] ASIN: B0BYPJP8YV First Edition: May 2023 Line editor: Yvonne Davis [email protected] Formatter: Michael Davie grimhousepub.com/plans-pricing To my husband, who believed in me even when I did not. CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Thank you for reading CHAPTER ONE “Please, don’t move.” Alina’s eyes found mine in the reflection of the large, heavily framed mirror. “Honestly, Anna. Why don’t you wear your hair down? It suits you so much!” I tried to do as she asked, watching her brush my long wavy hair. I suspected that Alina loved to play with dolls when she was a little girl. She definitely enjoyed it way too much. “Mmm . . . I don’t know. I’m usually too busy during my day with running through the woods, gathering medicinal plants, or healing someone,” I murmured, wrinkling my nose while she detangled my locks. Alina raised her eyebrows. “I just want it out of the way,” I finished with a sigh. “But you look so cute like this,” she said. I glanced at my reflection. Alina gave me a deep blue velvet dress of a modest cut with soft lines, a round neckline and elongated sleeves. It looked very nice; I could not deny it. “The dress is beautiful. Thank you,” I responded. “I made it myself,” she said proudly. “You are very talented, clearly.” I shifted my gaze back to my reflection. “The celebration will be starting soon. The end of summer is a big deal here. I want everything to be perfect this time,” she sighed, returning to her work. “Unfortunately, I can’t do much about our kitchen situation,” she said, sticking out her bottom lip. I giggled, but abruptly stopped when she gave me a stern look. With Nelia gone, the castle had lost its main cook. Apparently, there was no one capable of running the kitchen or willing to take on the responsibility. The problem was that preparing food for so many people at once was not the only thing on the menu. There were also planning the meals ahead, using up the items that would spoil first, and managing all the supplies. It was not a trivial task. It required some skill as well as significant talent in leading numerous kitchen staff. Having fresh fruit was considered a treat. I could never imagine that I would be thinking of sliced apples with such longing. Luckily for me, I was doing plenty of foraging, hunting for all kinds of wild berries and nuts in season. Alina managed to recruit the only person who was enthusiastic about the job, but enthusiasm was the only thing going for the guy. Maxim was willing to learn, but our meals have been quite dreadful for the last couple of weeks. Usually, the food was undercooked or burnt, but the combinations were unbelievable. Milk and pickles with fish made many overfill the bathrooms for extended periods of time. “Well, he is trying.” I said, at last, holding my smile. “I only hope he doesn’t serve some freshly baked pinecones, sprinkled with celery juice,” she muttered biting her lip. Alina finished brushing my hair and pulled the front locks back, opening my face. She picked up a small pin decorated with a white lily and secured my hair at the nape. “Can I do your makeup too?” She glanced at me with high hopes. “I guess. If you want.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I’ve never met a girl who doesn’t care about her looks and yet looks as pretty as you do,” she said, opening up a carved wooden box filled with pigments in tiny glass jars and multiple brushes of different sizes. I looked down, thinking about Bohdana, but I would never bring that up. I did not want to upset my friend. By the expression on her suddenly pale face, I knew that her thoughts were not too far from mine. “Where do you get all these colors?” I asked. I watched her reflection open the lids and bring the tiny jars closer to my face. “I mix them up, using plants and clay. Don’t worry, everything is safe to use. I would never try anything on you I wouldn’t use myself,” she responded. “I’m not worried.” I closed my eyes so she could draw a line across my eyelashes. “It’s so curious. I can’t figure out what your eye color is. Green or maybe hazel? Or a warm grey?” She gently patted my skin, spreading the pigment. “I’m not sure. I think it depends on the light,” I said. “You’re oh, so mysterious,” Alina giggled. “Right.” I rolled my eyes. “No, don’t move. It has to dry first,” she instructed. Her face was so close to mine that I could see tiny freckles covering her nose and cheeks. “This is too much work, if you ask me,” I sighed. “That’s right, I am not asking you. Don’t move,” she repeated. “Yes, my lady.” I closed my eyes, but almost forgot my promise not to move when someone knocked on my door. “Come in,” Alina called out. “Maxim needs you for something,” Petro’s voice came from the doorway sounding mildly irritated. “Are