Page 35

AVERY

“W ell, I think I’ve found a way to break the curse,” I announced to my Coven mates, the next Friday night.

“You did?” Megan looked up at me hopefully and Emma and Kaitlyn leaned forward too. Everyone else had gone to bed but the four of us, including Saint, who was extremely tired.

All that week I had been working on something in the woodworking shop, which was mostly frequented by Drakes, who absolutely hated my guts.

Saint had been with me every day to protect me and, as a consequence, he had been in a constant battle with his own Drake, trying to keep it from coming out to murder anyone who threatened me.

It was a risk I wouldn’t have taken, but I honestly couldn’t help it—being in the woodworking shop had been a necessity in order to make what I needed to help break his curse.

“Actually, I found it right away, but I’ve been working on the implement the spell calls for,” I told them. “ This .”

The piece I held out to show them was a crude thing—a wooden object a little larger than a golf ball. It had to be handled with care because it consisted of a lot of jagged spikes and splinters of wood that poked out from the round, central core in every direction.

“Uh, what’s that?” Kaitlyn asked, frowning.

“A Curse Breaker,” I said simply.

“Really? This is what you’ve been working on all week?” Emma eyed the jagged wooden object carefully. “I don’t mean to upset you, Avery, but it’s not, er, very pretty.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” I told her. “It’s not meant to be an objet d’art, Miss Fairy Princess, it’s meant to break curses.”

“And how, exactly, does it break them?” Kaitlyn asked.

I took a deep breath—now we got to the sticky part.

“Well, I said,” trying to sound unconcerned. “It’s not that difficult, really. You squeeze the Curse Breaker until you draw blood and chant the spell that compels the one who placed the curse in the first place to remove it.”

“You squeeze it until you draw blood? Your own blood, you mean?” Emma demanded.

“Exactly,” I said coolly. “It’s a kind of sacrifice—that’s how it works.”

“Pardon me, Avery, but isn’t that Blood Magic? You know, as in the kind of magic that has been outlawed by the Council of Other Elders?” Kaitlyn asked.

“She’s right!” Megan exclaimed. “You’d better not be doing any Blood Magic on school grounds, Avery. I’m pretty sure Headmistress Nightworthy had spells put up to alert her if anyone does it.”

“She had to put those up because of you , Princess Latimer,” I told her. “And besides, who said I would be doing Blood Magic on school grounds? In order to break the curse, you have to take the Curse Breaker to the person who laid the curse in the first place. Then you?—”

“Wait a minute—wait a minute!” Megan objected, before I could even finish. “You have to take it back to the person who laid the curse? But wasn’t the person who cursed Saint a witch who lives in the Sky Lands?”

“Well, yes …” I admitted.

“And how do you think you’re going to get to the Sky Lands?” Emma demanded. “Is there some kind of transport spell you can use?”

“The only way to get to the Sky Lands is on the back of a Drake,” Kaitlyn said, answering the question for me.

“Oh, well then maybe you can turn into your Drake and take him,” Megan said brightly, looking at her. “Or maybe Ari’s Drake can do it.”

Kaitlyn shook her head.

“That’s going to be impossible, as I’m sure Avery already knows.” She spoke quietly and when she looked at me, her eyes were filled with fear—fear for me, I suddenly realized.

“Yes, I know,” I said airily, still trying to appear unconcerned.

“But then, if Kaitlyn and Ari can’t take you…” Emma began, frowning.

“It will have to be Saint,” I said firmly. “His Drake can take me.”

“Oh, Avery—you can’t be serious!” Megan stared at me with wide, horrified eyes. “That’s so dangerous! Why can’t anyone else’s Drake take you?”

“Saint’s Drake has already claimed Avery as his l’lorna,” Kaitlyn answered for me again.

“He won’t tolerate any other Drake touching Avery.

In times of dire need, another Drake might fly the l’lorna of another Drake to safety, but that is only if the l’lorna is in mortal danger.

Any other time, Drakes steer clear of each other’s l’lornas. ”

“They’re extremely possessive,” I said. “And I could never explain to Saint’s Drake why I was flying with another Drake—he wouldn’t understand.

He’d probably just think I was, uh, cheating on him.

And you know what they say—‘Hell hath no fury like a Drake scorned.’ Especially a Cursed Drake who wants you all to himself. ”

“But…but what if he decides he’d rather eat you than carry you to the Sky Lands?” Megan demanded.

“Or what if he burns you to a crisp?” Emma demanded.

“Look, we all had those same fears when Kaitlyn decided to go to the Sky Lands on Ari’s Drake—remember?” I told them. “And she was just fine. I mean, look at her now!” I motioned to Kaitlyn, hoping to take the spotlight off myself.

“Yes, but Ari’s Drake was in his right mind,” Kaitlyn said quietly—not backing me up nearly as much as I had hoped. “Saint’s Drake is, well…he’s basically insane, Avery. And you can’t trust crazy people.”

“You can trust my Drake,” Saint’s voice came from behind me. I turned my head to see that he had come out of our room and was standing right behind the ratty blue couch I was sitting on.

“Oh, Saint—” I began.

“You can trust him, Avery.” He came around the couch and knelt on the floor beside me. Taking my hands in his, he looked into my eyes. “He loves you more than his own life,” he said earnestly. “If he had to die himself to save you, he would do it without a moment’s hesitation.”

“I know,” I said, not because I really did but because the way he was looking at me was melting me like ice cream on a hot day. Those obsidian eyes of his were so beautiful…so hopeful. But far back in their depths, I could see flames dancing and I knew his Drake was present too, as he always was.

“Are you sure, Avery?” Kaitlyn asked quietly. “Really sure you want to do this?”

“I’m sure,” I said, even though my heart was pounding. “I’m going to the Sky Lands and I’m going to break this curse or…” I almost said, “or die trying,” but that felt a little too scary and on the nose. So instead I finished it, “Or my name’s not Avery Nathanial Connor!”

“You’re middle name’s ‘Nathanial?’” Emma asked, clearly surprised.

“I’m lucky it isn’t ‘Hawkeye,’” I told her. “My mom had a major crush on Daniel Day Lewis’s character in Last of the Mohicans when she was pregnant with me. To be fair, I’ve seen the movie and he is damn hot.”

“You’re the one who’s going to be damn hot if this doesn’t work out the way you hope it will,” Megan pointed out, lifting her chin. “I mean, no offense, Saint, but we worry about Avery—he’s like our brother!”

“He’s closer than a brother,” Kaitlyn said firmly. “Which is why Ari and I are going to be standing by to make sure nothing goes wrong when they actually decide to go. If anything starts to go wrong, we can Shift instantly.”

“Shouldn’t you already be Shifted?” Emma asked. “Just to save time in case…” She cut her eyes at Saint meaningfully.

Kaitlyn shook her head.

“Having two other Drakes already shifted near his l’lorna would only agitate Saint’s Drake. “Besides, Ari and I can both Shift very quickly when we need to.”

“Kaitlyn is correct,” Saint said quietly. “My Drake is absolutely obsessed with the idea of having Avery to himself. “And please don’t worry for his safety—if anything, finally getting to hold and, er, cuddle him will probably calm him down a lot.”

I didn’t know how I felt about being “cuddled” by a Cursed Drake, but it didn’t seem like I would have much choice. So I simply said, “See?” to the girls and nodded confidently at Saint.

“Well…when are you going?” Megan asked, sounding resigned. “I mean, as long as we can’t talk you out of it. But I do want to be there—just like we were there for Kaitlyn when she first rode Ari’s Drake,” she added.

“Yes, same,” Emma agreed instantly.

“Well…” I began.

“Why not tonight?” Saint suggested.

“Tonight?” My voice came out sounding squeaky and high and I had to cough and clear my throat to try and bring it down out of the atmosphere. “I mean…aren’t you tired, baby?” I asked him.

“I am tired from holding in my Drake all week,” Saint said and I saw the weariness in his eyes. “He longs so much to hold you, mi Corazon— every day the struggle to keep him contained grows harder.”

“I guess you could fly to the Sky Lands tonight, break the curse tomorrow and be back before classes on Monday,” Emma said thoughtfully.

“Well, that would be convenient, I guess,” I said, trying to smile.

To be honest, I’d been hoping to put this off a bit longer—not just because I secretly feared Saint’s Drake, (even though I definitely did) but also because I was about one hundred percent certain I would lose him after the curse was broken.

It had been so nice this past week, having a real boyfriend to hold hands with and cuddle with and sit with at mealtimes.

But then I remembered what I had told Saint, about letting him go. Maybe he just wasn’t meant to be mine—at least not for very long. And there was no point in putting off something you feared or dreaded—it was better to get it over with.

It was time to meet Saint’s Drake.