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“It’s not your father’s fault,” she said.

“Bullsh—”

“Tobias Dracul,” she cut me off in her firm tone. The one that demanded the attention of every creature around her. “You willnotcurse at me.”

Since no one other than Arthur and Miss Tanis were nearby, I got the full force of it. My father and Dragon Mastery teacher didn’t even glance over at us, lost to their own private bubble.

I straightened again but lowered my head and laced my fingers in front of me.

“It’s not fair,” I said so quietly she shouldn’t have heard me.

But she was my mother.

“I know it’s not fair,” she said in her soft tone and I felt a hand reach out to loosen the grip my fingers had on each other.

I looked at her only to see that pain on her face. “Are you…?” She couldn’t even finish the sentence. “Have you…?”

At first, I wasn’t sure what she was trying to say, but it only took a second.

“Have I fallen in love?” The words came out with a bitter edge.

She nodded, her brows pinching together.

I looked down at my hands but made sure my words rang with truth to put her at ease. “No, Mom. I haven’t fallen in love.” I almost added that I vowed Ineverwould.

I didn’t know the exact words of the curse on the Dracul line, but I was pretty surefalling in lovewas just as certain as that love beingunrequited.

It was the reason Octavia looked at Arthur the way she did but never got a look in return. It was the reason I hadhalf-brothers. Arthur loved Adam and Alex’s mother, and that was the reason why she’d left him when Alex was a baby. It was the reason Tamara would have an arranged marriage. I probably would, too.

I didn’t know which was worse: loving my future wife as she yearned for another, or turning into my father. There was no way around it, no matter what a Dracul did or didn’t do. I was pretty sure a relative tried to escape it by becoming a hermit, but ended up falling for the poor hunter girl who got lost and fell into—and then out of—his arms.

Octavia blew a sigh of relief.

“Don’t worry, Mom,” I said, lightening my tone. “I’m only eighteen. And I have plenty of responsibilities to keep me busy.”

She smiled at me, but I didn’t meet her eyes. We both knew there was nothing she could do to protect me from the inevitable. But as long as I kept things purely physical, and kept my emotions securely locked away, I would never suffer the curse’s wrath.

“Hello, Octavia,” Miss Tanis said formally as she passed, adjusting her glasses.

“Nice to see you, Aida,” Octavia said in her genuine way.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Tobias,” Miss Tanis said over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

“Tobias.” Arthur also approached. “I have some business to discuss with you.” He seemed to be in a better mood after talking with Miss Tanis.

I groaned internally. I’d hoped to ask my mother what the reason for their visit was, to prepare myself for whatever Arthur’sbusinesswas. But I’d gotten so caught up in being angry at Arthur that I’d completely forgotten.

But…what could I do?

“Caesar’s office, you said?” I asked.

Arthur nodded and led the way.

***

“Tobias, I’m impressed with the progress you’ve made at The Dome,” Arthur said when we were standing alone in Caesar’s office.

I was speechless. I was expecting a lecture, not praise. And the fact that Arthur came unannounced had me thinking I’d majorly screwed up somehow.