Chapter 37: Curse of Shifters
Eve stared at the closed door in front of her and sighed. She looked down at the pure white silk in her hand, the one that the matron had thrown to her as a dustcloth. Back where she was from, such fine silk was a rare sight, only worn by Tarletons and the Cavanoughs.
She felt small for once in a world where people could afford to throw away silk like a rag. She turned around, taking in the enormity of the place that she was standing in. She wondered how it would have felt being able to grow up in such a huge palace.
Books didn't come cheap. Most of them cost an entire year's worth of salary for people like her. A slow smile rode up her face. Maybe god had heard her prayer, she thought as she walked towards the curtained windows. Reaching out to grab the edge of the thick cloth, she pulled, drawing the curtain to the side.
Light rushed in through the tall window, filling the space around her with the sun's soft glow. She chuckled. quickly loosening the metal clasp holding the window frame shut. With the sun up high on a partially cloudy sky, the cold wind did not seem cold at all.
Eve wrapped her arms around her shoulders, taking in the breathtaking view before her. The regent's library overlooked a grand garden that was bereft of any other color than the green of the bushes and the white of the snow, the flowers long gone with the change in the weather.
A steady stream flowed through the white carpet of snow, as if unbothered by the cold that surrounded it. Tiny Redpolls hopped back and forth the frigid branches of Magnolias, chirping sweetly as they searched for food around the arched bridge that rose above the stream.
Quacking their loudest, a dozen snow geese swam through the slow-flowing water body, flapping their wings high every time they resurfaced after a dip to bask in the warm glow of the sun. Eve took a step back, smiling at the faraway, snowcapped mountain beyond the towering walls of Nightwell Hold.
"Mom, I hope you're seeing this too." She whispered, turning away from the sight.
Eve took her time dusting the dozens of shelves, taking out each book and wiping it gently with the silken cloth before putting it back in its place. With each bundle, her admiration for the man who had left her in the cold increased and so did her excitement. But that thought also reminded her of his last words.
"Try fire, next time." The regent had whispered, disappearing before she could ask anything more.
Was the man humoring her? Or was he really suggesting that she try it? Eve wondered, stepping down from the ladder with a frown. And that was when her eyes landed on it. A certain dark leather-bound book that was stashed haphazardly in the row in front of her. She reached out to the bundle, seeing that it looked out of its place.
The moment she took it out, the thin leather strap of the copy loosened, revealing the edge of a painted page inside. Curious, she unraveled the string, her eyes growing wide as the image of a creature- half man, half wolf revealed itself. The words 'Curse of Shifters' was sprawled across the graphic image in a cursive hand.
Her legs felt groggy as she leaned against the shelf for support. Her fingers tightened around the bundle as she drew a deep breath, the image of a massive black wolf flashing in her eyes. Rage bubbled in her veins, reminding her of her failed mission the previous night.
Eve quickly walked over to the window at the far end, drawing it open before seating herself on the sole chair in the room. It must be fate, she thought, turning the page eagerly. Fate must have brought it all to her to end the life of the cursed creature that ruined her life.
The more she read, the more she was pulled into its folds. It talked about a category of Night Creatures called shifters- those who were able to morph their bodies into animals, infusing their strength as well as their instincts into their otherwise very human bodies.
It talked of a legend, of a curse, and another of a blessing. One that talked of the wrath of the moon goddess and another that talked of mercy. It talked of people who chose to make the curse a blessing and others who destroyed themselves with it.
As she read, Eve forgot to keep track of time, immersed in the pull of the stories and images sprawled across the pages. The stories questioned everything that she believed in, including the very concept of sin and piety, gods and monsters.
When the setting sun cast its warm glow over the palace grounds, Eve paused, leaning back against the soft cushion of the chair with a sigh. For the briefest of seconds, she pitied the creatures of the night, worshipping a goddess that cursed them for eternity.
But it did not fail to remind her of the position such a curse put her in, put all of humanity in. It downgraded them into mere prey- weaklings that were to be consumed by those stronger than themselves. Tears pooled in her eyes as her mother's screams echoed in her mind.
If the legends were true, and the goddess existed, then why would she place her own creations at such a disadvantage? She wondered, staring out at the darkening sky pitiably. The book slipped out her hand, landing on the floor with a thud.
Eve sighed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand before leaning down towards it. As she picked the bundle up, something fell out of it, swaying in the air before landing on her lap. Eve turned towards the direction. It was a portrait of two children.
Her eyes widened as she picked it up, raising it towards the light. A young boy and girl smiled at her through the detailed painting, their identical carved features and pale skin looking breathtakingly beautiful for a pair of children who looked hardly ten years of age.
They looked too pure, too happy, too alive to be even real. Yet, their sparkling gray eyes struck her with a strange sense of familiarity. She flipped the image, looking for any sort of scribbling on the back of it.
There was none- not even an artist's signature as if the painting was made to be kept in the darkest of corners of the large palace, never to be found or seen by anyone but-
Eve stilled as she heard the click of the door, her heart hammering against her chest nervously. Without waiting for another second, she pushed the painting inside the book, wrapping its leather binding securely before placing it on the nearest shelf hastily.
She looked around, contemplating jumping out the window to escape being caught. Just as the door swung open, Eve ducked, holing herself under the table desperately. She cursed as she heard the footsteps inside the room, closing her eyes shut and hoping that she won't be found.