Cursed Bloodlines: Book One Of The Cursed Series

Chapter 8: The Land Of The Cursed ✔️

        I look at the almost fairy-tale-like bar with shock, it was mostly wood and ornate metal leaves decorating the furniture, with flowers hanging from the ceiling and a glass skylight in the centre, I see a ghost-like figure move behind the bar and another is serving drinks and food to the people sitting down. "What are they?" I ask Eric while staring at the weird transparent people.

"Well it's not called the land of the Cursed for no reason, it used to be just a blank space where human souls cursed to hell suffered for eternity. Instead a descendant of Magineara put them to work serving us, she used Magineara's wand and created a haven for us.

This is where most of the cursed live, humans can't come to this realm. Well unless they're dead and damned, but that doesn't happen as often anymore. Though it could just be that the angels or whatever guards heaven are getting lax." He finishes off with a drawl in his voice as if happy he got away with speaking against heaven.

"Okay.... So which bloodline was ruling now? You said it changes every thousand years, so who's ruling?" I ask suddenly feeling a bit overwhelmed and confused, Eric chuckles to himself in response to my question.

"Well, that's the thing Charles Feerina was the king after the Royal fights, he survived and ruled for I'm not sure how long, maybe 500 years?" He says with thought and I look at him confused.

"What do you mean survived?" I ask looking towards him with wide eyes.

"Well, that's the thing with us descendants, we're all very volatile. So when someone wins the Royal fights they are guaranteed 1 year of assassination free ruling and then after that your free game to anyone of your bloodline. I think he was killed by Faye Feerina?" Eric says with thought looking like he's thinking hard.

"Oh was that a cousin?" I ask looking towards him for answers, his laughter resounds around the room.

"Oh no, it was his daughter" He says with complete seriousness, before looking towards one of the cursed souls "Greg, can you bring me a spirit" The cursed soul named 'Greg' quickly makes a drink and pours it into a glass before somehow fading through the counter and somehow manages not to drop the drink, before he gives Eric his drink and then he turns to stare at me without blinking.

"What?" I ask becoming flustered, confused as to why he keeps on staring at me, without blinking the whole time. Eric begins to chuckle towards me, apparently unable to keep from humiliating me as he attracts the attention of the other customers. Who only add to the staring eyes that are currently facing me with harsh judging faces.

"You know he's only asking if you want anything" Eric says and at my confused face, he speaks again "You know they can't talk right?" He asks me and I blush as I shake my head and then look towards 'Greg'.

"I don't want anything" I say quietly to 'Greg', feeling very embarrassed as the staring faces slowly go back into their own conversations and begin to ignore me.

"Come on, let's go back to my estate." Eric says before slamming back the rest of his drink, he then heads out the door that supposedly leads outside. He opens the door, blinding me with harsh sunlight, when I finally regain my eyesight we are standing in a pre-industrialized world where horses and carriages are the way to travel.

Eric whistles loudly and I am slightly shocked when a few seconds later six flying horses come barreling out of the sky, when they land with the carriage thumping loudly as it hits the ground harshly behind them. I notice they are what the myths call Pegasus, the only difference is that they're on fire.

"Get in" Eric says while holding the carriage door open for me, I quickly follow his words and step into the carriage before sitting down and watching as Eric yells "The Winthrop estate"  As soon as he steps into the carriage and slams the door shut, the Pegasus begin the journey to where ever we are supposed to be going.

I look out the window and see we are in the sky, I watch as we pass over a lake and look wide eyed as a large serpent-like creature weaved in and out of the water chasing something, I think, just as the serpent-like creature reached the edge of the lake and started to crawl out, a large whale-like creature lunged forward out of the water and latched onto its tail before dragging it under the water, with only a large bubble of air coming out of the water once and a small smear of dirt on the lakes edge saying anything happened. It seemed in this land even predators can become the prey.

We passed over mountains that rippled like waves on an ocean and I soon found out as we got closer that it was moving, it was slowly moving closer together and as we passed above it a large snake head was produced looking up at us, seeming to be completely made of stone. We passed over a forest that tried to ensnare us with reaching branches, and then we finally arrive at the Winthrop estate, where the Pegasus land surprisingly gentle considering how they first landed. "Welcome to my estate, well I guess it's actually yours my Lady" He says and I look at him wide eyed and confused.

"What do you mean?!" I say shocked and he holds back a chuckle at my face.

"When I tasted your blood, it bound my soul to you forever. I was a Lord but now since you are my mistress you are now a Lady and own all my property." He says cheerfully, somehow showing no resentment.

"Sorry?" I say unsure.

"Don't be, I now belong to you and you should act like a mistress who owns many things, because that is what you are now." He says leading me into the estate, a group of servants is by the stairs waiting "This is your staff" He says showing me the cursed souls that are now my property.

"Okay, well we're going to need name tags" I say seriously, finally taking charge and knowing I won't be able to remember their names.