The. Curse. For something so very crucial to the yoman way, not much is known about its creation - as long as 'not much' is understood as 'nothing at all.' It is said the curse was once known by another name. No one quite knows what that name was or why it is no longer used - 'the best guesses' are passed on as 'certainty.' Some whisper a name that has to do with the shape of the olden statue whose magic can tell if a girl is to be a Queen or not. Some others covertly speak a name that is related to how the girl herself is descended from a specific type of dragon but who can even agree what a dragon is much less if the color of the creature is relevant? Which is why yet others insist that same long name is but a myth, nothing more than the inevitable result of embellishment from longstanding storytelling. The vast majority think it better to focus on an entirely different question, a real and threatening one: is it her? For if 'the' and 'curse' are defining, it is not the words themselves where the greatest danger lies. A girl on her sixteen birthday, a mission by a Keeper of Time, The Dragon Statue, a Bloodhurst and a witch - all the necessary elements to answer that life-preserving question. All that is needed to pass judgment. All that is needed for the girl to either be saved or be allowed to live. It is a heavy duty that the Bloodhurst bear. It might therefore surprise to learn you don't need to be powerful to take the oath of a Bloodhurst but *you do* need to be unyielding. It also doesn't hurt if you have a reputation. And none are hailed as far or wide as Ashkalon the Beheader - a title earned and wielded by one of the most worthy. The most welcomed. The most feared. The yomans are a cursed people, the Bloodhurst their first and greatest line of defense. If the Queen wakens then the ones who are 'cursed' are the fortunate ones, but there's no need for concern for Ashkalon has never missed and won't be starting now - no matter who it is the cruel curse forces the Beheader's blade against. Duty first. Always. - - - Please note this series has a prequel and although it is not necessary to have read it to understand the overall tale it certainly adds another layer. Also note this is the first of a four part medium burn reverse harem and the books that make up the quartet are not meant to be read as standalones.