"Cursed?" Ember asked in shock.

"Really?" Rowan said with the delight that only a ten-year-old could hold.

Ember expected her mother to scold Rowan or at least say something but there was only silence. Ember turned to see her mother's light brown skin darken. Her expression was filled with fury, her hands balled up at her side, shaking with a need to smash into something. It was like looking in a mirror at her past self.

Her mother turned and Ember darted forward, clutching at her mother's arm. "Mom! We should see what the priest has to say."

Her mother glared at her and tried to snatch her arm away. "I already know who is at fault. That damn Lord Felis did this to you."

Ember let her mother's hand go only to capture it again. "Please Mom. I don't think the Lord did this to me."

"You don't know him like I do," her mother said.

You're wrong. I know him all too well. I spent a life as his slave.

"Please, Mom. Let us at least hear what Priest Octorin has to say." Ember quickly looked at the priest. This was all his fault and so he should work on fixing it.

"Yes, I apologize. I was too reckless with my words. Please, come into the temple so we can talk."

Ember gave her mother a pleading look.

Her mother sighed and then looked at the priest and gave him a clipped nod. "Lead the way, Priest Octorin."

The priest seemed taken aback by her mother's tone but he didn't seem angry that a commoner was ordering him about, just surprised.

"Follow me," the priest said, turning, and together they entered the temple.

As soon as they stepped into the temple, they found themselves in a large room with vaulted ceilings. The temple was modest compared to the ones she had seen in her other lives. The wooden floors were scratched and dull but clean. The walls had chipped paint and there was none of the treasures most temples displayed, but despite that an aura of awe spread through the room. And it all centered on the marble tree in the center of the temple.

A hole was carved in the middle of the floor and from that hole a white marble tree sprouted up, its branches spreading to the ceiling. It was not a real tree. A small temple like theirs wouldn't have an actual sapling but the marble tree was still blessed by Akashic and carried its glory.

Inside, several people prayed around the tree or simply slept. A soft hum filled the air, some whispers but mostly silence permeated the air. The priest gestured for them to follow and they quietly moved to the left and down a hall that led to a closed door. The priest pushed open the door and they entered a section of the temple with several rooms on either side of the hall.

Ember knew from experience that these rooms were where the temple had meetings with outsiders. A similar area would be on the right side of the temple, though those would be designated for temple staff.

In the room was a small table and several modest chairs. Priest Octorin gestured for them to sit and as they did an acolyte hurried inside. Priest Octorin turned to a boy a little older than Ember and asked for him to bring paper, ink, and a mirror. Finally, his attention turned back to her family as he sat down across from them.

He gestured to Ember. "Can you tell me how you obtained the symbol in your eye?"

"I don't know," Ember answered. "I was hoping you would know."

"She woke up with it," Ember's mother cut in. "Ember has been sick for a week. Lord Felis offered to send a healer he knew to treat her. He came last night. Afterwards, he left. This morning that symbol was in her eye."

"You think the healer did it?"

"Who else could it be?" Her mother snapped then calmed herself. "I apologize, Priest Octorin."

The priest merely smiled. "When the priest came to see you, did he come alone?"

"Lord Felis was with him but left afterwards. Guards came to pick him up after the healing."

"Did any of the guards interact with your daughter?"

Her mother frowned and then shook her head. "No."

The priest nodded thoughtfully. A moment later the acolyte returned with the items the priest asked for. Ember had to stop herself from grabbing the mirror. Instead, she watched as the priest dipped a quill into ink and began to draw a symbol on the paper. He then turned the paper to face her.

"This is the Akashic symbol for price. Akashic symbols are embedded with the power of the Akashic Tree. There are a few people who are blessed with the power to use these symbols and even fewer with the ability to put it on a person."

The Priest paused as he studied her eye and then turned to her mother. "I know of only one healer with the capability to put an Akashic symbol on a person and that is Root Kasian. I do not believe the healer did this to your daughter, Matron Camila. In all honestly, it is more likely that a Curse Touched would be the culprit."

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Her mother paled at the words and Rowan looked at Ember in horror.

Ember's own thoughts were in turmoil. While she had met Curse Touched before, she had never encountered one as a child. Either something had drastically changed this time around or this curse was tied to her death in her previous life.

"What does this curse do?" Ember asked.

The priest looked surprised at her question or maybe it was her tone. "Your daughter seems to take after you, Matron Camila."

"I apologize, Priest Octorin. We are all shocked by this news." Her mother gave Ember a pointed look.

Ember held back her urge to tell the priest to cut his dawdling and just tell her what the hell was going on. She instead gave him a smile with perhaps a little too much teeth. "Priest Octorin, I apologize if I was rude. May I please know what the curse does?"

The Priest looked amused but nodded. "This curse will take your sight as payment."

Ember frowned. "I don't understand. I still have my sight."

"That is the tricky part," the priest said. "While the curse will take your sight as payment, I can't say what that payment is for. That is something only you and the person who cursed you would know."

Ember stared at the priest, stunned. She was starting to understand what the priest meant.

Her mother slapped her hand against the table. "This is nonsense! How would Ember know?"

The priest turned to her mother and Ember cringed at his words. "She had to agree to the curse."

"What?" her mother yelled, jumping from her chair.

Ember groaned. This was a disaster. Though it did clear up one thing. The cursed had to be tied to her previous life though she wasn't sure how. She had no recollection of accepting this type of curse.

"An Akashic symbol has to be accepted to be placed on someone," the priest explained. "It is very powerful but cannot be forced upon a person." Priest Octorin turned his attention to Ember. "Maiden Ember, do you know how you obtained the curse?"

"I can't remember," Ember said and mentally flinched at how it probably sounded like she was lying.

"Ember," her mother said sharply. "You didn't make a promise with some stranger, did you?"

Ember shook her head. "I really don't remember promising anything to anyone or agreeing to be cursed."

The priest studied her and then nodded. "It is possible she was tricked into taking on the curse."

Both Ember and her mother frowned.

"Can't we just have a curse breaker fix it?" Rowan suggested, looking askant at everyone.

Her mother's gaze dropped to her lap, avoiding meeting her children's eyes. Ember knew right away what was wrong but it was Priest Octorin who answered Rowan.

"Curse breakers are rare. Most are in the service of nobles and those who aren't are extremely expensive."

"But doesn't the Akashic Order have one?" Rowan insisted.

Ember found her heart tightening at Rowan's persistence. Her little brother wanted to save her. She reached over and ruffled Rowan's hair. He smacked her hand away, glaring at her.

"What are you doing? Shouldn't you be begging for them to help you? You've been cursed!"

"Only a fool begs for their life," Ember said firmly. "It will only lead to you being trampled by those stronger than you."

Rowan stared at her like she was crazy.

Ember realized how she must sound and quickly tried to fix the conversation. "I will ask for help and those who will help me will help me. If I can't get that help it is up to me to find a solution or accept the consequences of my failure."

The priest coughed. "I never thought I would hear such words from a young girl."

Ember looked at the priest and then her mother. Her mother was giving her a strange look. Ember quickly looked away. Her phrasing might have sounded a little too strange to come from a twelve-year-old. She would have to watch out for that. She turned back to the priest.

"Can you help me?"

The priest met her eyes. "In a way. I can put you on a list to see one of the Akashic Order's curse breakers but the likelihood to see one is incredibly low. If you're lucky, you might see them in a few decades."

Ember figured as much. The priest wasn't lying that curse breakers were rare. Still, she had her own methods, so it wasn't time to panic.

"But there's another option I can offer," the priest stated. "There are many priests that study the Akashic Symbols. One of them might be able to unlock the terms of your curse. Knowing the terms can help you to find out what the trigger is and how to avoid it."

Ember found herself curious. She would definitely like to know the conditions of her curse. There were a lot of reasons a person would have cursed her in her previous life. If she knew the terms, she could possibly work with it or in the worst scenario losing an eye wouldn't be the most terrible thing that could happen to her.

"I would like that, please."

"Wait," her mother said. "Does that mean she would have to leave Goros? And what would they ask in return?"

Those were very good questions. There was always a cost for help, whether it was up front or someone showing up on your door asking for a favor. Still, Ember wasn't too worried. While the Akashic Order had some corruption as any powerful organization did, for the most part they really did try to help the less fortunate including commoners. That in itself was a wonder since nobles and the gentry tended to look down on commoners as tools or simply trash to be discarded from their view. Honestly, if the royal family didn't keep the Akashic Order in constant check then the world would be quite different.

The priest nodded. "She would leave Goros but it would be temporarily. In regards to what would be asked for in return, you would have to find that out." He paused and then looked at Ember. "The delegation for the yearly Choosing will be coming to Goros in two weeks. When they leave, I can make arrangements for you to travel with them."

Before Ember could answer, her mother cut in. "I'll need to discuss this with my husband. Can we speak with you later about this, Priest Octorin?"

The priest smiled, appearing almost amused. "Of course."

Her mother hurried them out of the room, bringing their conversation to an end. Ember looked longingly at the mirror. She still hadn't gotten the chance to look at the problematic eye. She could have asked but seeing how agitated her mother was she decided not to push it.

On the way back her mother was quiet, her steps fast. Even Rowan looked downtrodden. Ember searched for words to reassure her family but she was too distracted. Her mind kept turning to the curse and then back to the faded abilities in her Keeper. This life had started with too many questions. Already things were changing from the original timeline before she even began to set out with a new plan. She would have to gain control of this life before everything spiraled out of control.

"Zeris!" Her mother shouted and then she was running.

Ember looked up and her stomach dropped at what she saw. Her father was pinned to the ground and surrounded by guards. Standing above him with a gleeful smile on his face and a sword to her father's throat was Lord Felis.