The last Cursewright

"Forbanna. Is this really the place?"

Azel muttered, glancing at the address in his hand.

Her voice echoed inside his mind, laced with curiosity.

"It matches what she gave you. Looks like she wasn't playing around."

Azel stood in front of the modest house. It wasn't luxurious—nor was it rundown. Just a small, single-story home tucked away in a quiet street. It felt... personal. The kind of home someone lived in alone, quietly, for a long time.

He checked over his shoulder, scanning the road and rooftops. No one had followed him, thankfully. The last thing he wanted was Ricardo or his men tracking her down. Whatever this girl—Anna—was, she didn't deserve to be someone's prey.

The door creaked open slightly. A familiar pair of dark eyes peeked through. When she saw him, the door swung open wider.

"Ah! Please, come in."

She said quietly, smiling with a faint blush.

He nodded, stepping inside. Her home was warm and simple—clean floorboards, an old table with two chairs, a shelf lined with old books, and the scent of incense still lingering in the air. Everything felt lived-in, but well-kept. Like she cared about the space, even if she lived in solitude.

Anna gestured to a seat.

"Sorry it's not too lavish… but I hope it's enough to make you comfortable."

Azel didn't answer immediately. His gaze flicked to her face, to the faint color on her cheeks.

She cleared her throat.

"So… what's your name?"

"Azel. Former inquisitor."

The moment he said it, he noticed her expression change. Just a flicker, but her jaw tightened slightly, her posture stiffened.

He noticed.

"She's on guard."

Forbanna whispered in his mind.

"She's not human, is she?"

Azel nodded slightly.

"That was just the name I used for the world to leave me alone. My real identity… I'm the last surviving Cursewright."

Anna's eyes widened. She stood frozen for a moment, lips parting slightly.

"The Church wiped them out during the Holy Purge…"

He didn't answer. She sat across from him slowly, brushing her shawl behind her shoulder.

"Why did you come?"

She asked, voice softer now.

Azel folded his arms.

"Some noble. Ricardo Vladimir. You humiliated him when he tried something and he didn't take it well. He came to me offering three hundred gold coins… to put you on your knees."

Anna scoffed, looking away with a bitter laugh.

"Of course. Another fragile man with a wounded ego. It's not the first time. Won't be the last."

"I figured as much, I wasn't going to take the mission seriously… until I heard you used unknown magic."

She looked at him again, curiosity flashing in her eyes.

"Unknown magic huh? Did you see it?"

"All I saw was your elegant dance and its precision and control."

"Haha it's something passed down to me from my mother. She told me… as her final wish, to keep dancing. One day, someone would join me. Someone who could stand by my side, like her husband once did."

Azel paused. His gaze fell to the floor.

"I told you. It was husband hunting."

He didn't respond.

Anna continued, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"She died before she could see that day. But I kept dancing. And waiting."

"Ricardo said you used an unknown magic. What was it?"

She stared at him for a while before replying.

"I will show you next time."

Azel said nothing.

Then she asked.

"So what did you want to do?"

He blinked.

"What do you mean?"

She stood, folding her hands in front of her as she walked slowly to the table.

"I gave you my address. You came all the way here."

It took a moment to register what she meant. Forbanna's voice exploded in his mind.

"Idiot. She invited you here—for that. If this is husband hunting, that was your trial. She wants to choose you."

His eyes widened slightly. He looked at Anna. She was avoiding his gaze now, her cheeks flushed. She must've realized he finally got it.

"I… I'm… interested in you. In your body, even. But this isn't that simple for me."

She looked up, surprised.

"Why not?"

"I'm a Cursewright. My life is hunted. I could disappear tomorrow. If the Church finds out… they won't just come for me. They'll come for anyone tied to me. Including you."

"I don't care." 

"You should. If you stay near me, everything you are could be exposed. If you're really a demon… war might break out."

"I still don't care."

She said more firmly.

He turned slightly, ready to leave.

"You should find someone else. Someone safer. Someone—"

She grabbed his hand.

"Don't go."

Her voice was trembling now. She stared at him, eyes glassy, the weight of years—centuries—hidden behind them.

"I've been alone for over two hundred years. Do you know how long that is? How many faces I've seen? How many smiles were fake? How many people just wanted me for my body or power? I'm tired, Azel. I don't want to wait anymore."

Azel met her gaze. He felt something twist inside him. The pain in her voice wasn't fake. Her loneliness matched his own. She had worn that shawl for so long, kept her distance through beauty and grace, but all of it was a mask. Just like his.

He looked down at their hands. Her fingers were trembling, but she wouldn't let go.

He sighed.

"I do… feel something but I don't know how to express it. I don't know how to reciprocate your feelings. So... I don't want to take advantage of you either."

Her grip tightened.

"I don't care, just… stay."

He waited for forbanna for support but forbanna said nothing. She had gone completely quiet inside him.

Azel finally gave in.

"Then I'll take you. But don't regret it."

"I won't." 

He reached out and pulled her gently toward him. His fingers brushed her cheek as he cautiously took off her shawl.

'She is beautiful.'

When their lips met, it wasn't rushed. It was slow, cautious. Two people afraid to lose something they hadn't even had yet.

And as he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed.

A/N: Anna