“Yes.” She stepped away from the wall and opened them again. The bright green faded to its normal hue. “I don’t know why they do that. Maybe something to do with Orion’s Heart?”
“The magic you absorbed.”
“Exactly. But let’s deal with this right now.”
“Which is what, pray tell?”
“It has to do with this history book.” She pulled it out of her bag once more, opening it to the missing pages. “It’s imbued with an evil magic that matches the curse on this wall. And the pages that have been torn out talk about the history of Guild City…or so we assume. We don’t know what they said.”
Understanding dawned. “And I’m the only one old enough to know what would have happened back then. I’m your first-hand account.”
“Exactly.” Worry creased her brow. “Which makes you my only hope for Mac and Seraphia. They’ve been cursed by this, but I have no idea how or by what.”
“You weren’t cursed?” Worry tugged.
She shook her head, her lips pinched. “No. And I don’t know why.”
“Good.”
She nodded, her pleading gaze meeting mine. “Tell me why this place is cursed. How do I fix Mac and Seraphia?”
I turned to the wall, searching my memory. It came up blank, which wasn’t surprising, given the length of my life and all the things I’d forgot over the years, but I hated that I couldn’t immediately fix her problem. “I genuinely don’t know.”
“You don’t remember any of the important things that happened here? Hangings or festivals or crimes?”
“You think a past event might have stained this place?”
“Maybe.” She shrugged. “I'm reaching, here. I want to know how this wall could curse Mac and Seraphia, and I know the past has something to do with it.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t remember anything interesting about this place.” In normal life, I wasn’t above lying about what I knew. But with Carrow, I was compelled to speak the truth.
And regretfully, I had.
“What?” Surprise flickered in her voice. “How can you not remember?”
“Do you remember everything from your entire life?”
“Well…no. But this is important.”
“Many important things have happened in the last five hundred years.” I winced. “Closer to six hundred, now.”
Resignation flickered on her face, and maybe something like concern.
For me?
No. Of course not.
People thought immortality was a gift. And maybe it would be, if everyone lived forever, but they didn’t.
Therefore, it was a lonely proposition.
“What do you know about that man?” She pointed to the statue.
“Councilor Rasla was a bastard, but I don’t remember him well.” I frowned, trying to recall details about him. Rasla had been pivotal in establishing the rule of law in Guild City. Why were my memories of him vague?
I rubbed the bridge of my nose, fighting a headache.
A headache?