Page 42 of Heir to a Curse

“Okay.”

“But I need to break the curse.” I felt that too, deep in my gut. Like something was driving a wedge between us.

“Any idea how to do that?” She asked.

Nope. Not a damn idea. “True love? I’m fucking bonkers now.” I put my head back down and stared at her in the flickering candle light. “He made tea for me. The cup is still on the nightstand. No way I could have made tea with a migraine. Just being upright kills me. Even now with the migraine mostly gone.”

She turned to peer through the pale light of the room. Did she see the tea cup? The entire tea set sat on the counter near the new stove.

“Guess that means my ancient love knows how to work a modern stove?” I joked, thinking maybe it was all a silly dream.

“I suspect he’s probably had a lot of time to observe and learn. Everything from language to technology,” Addy said. She looked around the room as though searching for something. He wasn’t here, I’d have felt him if he were. “Perhaps he’s trapped between worlds, ours and the afterlife, because of the curse.”

“Maybe,” I said. And wasn’t that another horrifying thought. What if he wanted to move on, but couldn’t? Could I let him go?

“Tell me about the dreams. We’ll see if we can do some research.”

I grumbled into my folded arms about our insanity. She reached out and patted my shoulder.

“If finding answers helps and if we can give both of you a little peace, that’s the least we can do, right?”

“Why are you so smart?” I growled at her.

“Tell me,” she demanded. And I did. Recalling details I hadn’t recognized before, from sounds to smells, to the feeling of his hair running through my fingers, and the sweet scent of a citrus tea he preferred. He’d been so beautiful, delicate like the first spring rose, only just as riddled with thorns, protecting himself from those who sought to hurt him. A pawn in the game of powerful men, but never completely helpless. That’s why he’d placed wards. Small tokens to hide from the onslaught of the warmongers. Played music with the magic to calm and disorient, keeping even the craziest at bay.

How I knew all that, I couldn’t recall. Like they had been conversations once upon a time. How for some reason I’d always been immune to his powers, enabling me to stay at his side. Until I was the one who fucked up and left.

Man, did guilt eat at me for that.

“Maybe I should find a therapist,” I said thinking maybe Sofia’s death had really messed up my head.

“Maybe next time he shows up you should ask him some direct questions.”

“He said I wouldn’t remember.”

“But you have. So ask, yeah?” She prodded.

I sighed. “I don’t even know his name. Not really.”

“Ask him.”

She made everything sound so simple.

“I should go check on the guys.”

“It’s after dinnertime. They are already done for the day. You should just go back to bed and dream of your guy.” She got up.

“What?” I grabbed my phone to check the time. “Fuck.”

She waved a hand at me. “Rest. I just wanted to check on you.”

“What about Carl and the kids?”

“Carl knows how to care for the kids for a few hours. Not the first time I’ve been home late.”

“I’m sorry.”

She moved around the room, picking up the tea cup and returning it to the kitchen and then holding something out for me. The little dragon piece. I took it thinking for a few moments that I didn’t like the idea of her touching it. That it was mine and mine alone. Gripping it in my palm, the weight of it soothed that irritation.