Stone by Day, Love by Night

had shown him-the glimpses of a past long forgotten, the curse that bound his bloodline to stone, and the key that might break it all. Elara had been with him every step of the

t beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the castle grounds. The air was thick with the scent of roses, th

path that wound through the garden, "I can't stop thinking about the

by rose as if seeking answers from its delicate surface. She had always been a woman of few words,

she watched the last rays of sunlight fade from the horizon. "They are part of somethin

t it had been passed down through the centuries, a dark legacy that had haunted the royal bloodline. But now, with Elara's help, he was beginning to unders

I need to understand. The images, the roses-they're connected t

or a moment, Alistair thought she might turn away from him, retreating

They've been guarding something for centuries, something that holds the key to your curse. Your family's curse was never meant to be a pun

ords. Protect? Safeguard? What could the roses be

ed. Created by whom?" he asked

speak the next part of the story. When she finally looked up, her eyes wer

the very earth beneath us. The roses were grown from the seeds of that power, created to protect the source of it. Your family's curse was a

n his chest. "What power?

e magic that binds the earth, the sky, and the very stars. Your ancestors were chosen to protect it, but they were also

had they been entrusted with something so powerful, so dangerous, that it required the ultimate

ation. "If the roses are protecting something, why are t

y hold the memories of those who have come before you. They know the truth of your family's past, and they hold the key to breaking the curse. But t

of her words pressing heavily on

of hope in her eyes. "By trusting t

e scent of roses thickened, almost heady, as if the very atmosphere around them was alive with magic. The roses

st piece of the puzzle, the first real understanding of the curse that bound him. Now, it was time to trust

steady with newfound determination. "I

curving her lips. "The