Page 103 of The Guardian's Curse

He shook his head. “Is that a requirement? How specific are their laws?”

Julian opened his mouth to protest, then tilted his head. “An interesting point. I don’t know.”

Dominic returned. The stern expression he usually wore had replaced the gentle affection for Lucia. “And what will you do if you win? Declare yourself Baron of Atlanta?” He scoffed. “You’ve scarcely left this house in decades, why would—”

Alistair snarled at him. “While my social skills may be lacking, I am more than capable of tearing Elliott McAvoy’s head from his shoulders.”

“Dominic has a point,” Nikko said. “Assuming you win, what would you do? Rule over the Casteron? What’s to say that one of them doesn’t immediately challenge you and kill you?”

“It wouldn’t be that easy,” he said. Nikko’s lips pursed.

“Hear me out,” Paris said, pacing across the plush carpet. His eyes were alight with a devious gleam. “Alistair becomes the Baron. Obviously, he’s still loyal to Eduardo. Now the Blade of Auberon effectively controls all of Atlanta.”

“You know as well as I do that the other Barons would never let that stand,” Julian said. “You will have a target on your back.”

“Let them come for me,” Alistair said. “If that’s what it takes to get her back, that’s what I’ll do.”

“We should wait it out,” Julian said. “I would all but guarantee someone else challenges Elliott within a month.”

“A month,” Alistair spluttered. “I will not leave her with him for another day, let alone a month.”

“Why does this human witch matter so much?” Julian asked. “What is your rush?”

“He says she’s his soulmate,” Nikko said derisively.

Despite the harsh mockery in Nikko’s tone, something changed in Julian’s expression. His eyes were haunted, as if he heard something else entirely. “Is this true?”

“Shoshanna says it is, and I believe her,” Alistair said. “Whether there is some magical thread binding us or simply my devotion, I love her. And I will not let her remain in his grasp for another day, whether I have your support or not.”

Julian nodded. “And you believe she can break our curses?”

“You saw Lucia,” Alistair said. “I know she can.”

“I have an idea,” he said. He flicked his eyes to Nikko. “Are you up for a fast run to Infinity and back?”

The wiry man grinned. “What do you need?”

26

Her hopes that she would awake to find herself in the cozy confines of the house in Midnight Springs were dashed when Shoshanna woke amidst a nest of pillows in a luxurious guest room in the Casteron mansion. It smelled all wrong.

Ruby was already puttering around the room. The smell of coffee filled the air. Shoshanna groaned and sat up. Her vision was a blurry wash of color, with a glaring white spot that had to be a window.

It was with a start that she realized she hadn’t seen much of the sun in the last month of her life. As her schedule shifted to accommodate Alistair, she’d become used to the dark of night. Her evenings were lit by the moon and the hazy glow of candlelight. And now, that had changed again, as if to remind her how far she was from her safe refuge.

As she sat up and tried to make sense of her surroundings, she checked in with her body. She wasn’t a statue, so that was a good sign. Her limbs felt normal, if a little achy from the uncomfortably soft bed.

“Good, you’re up,” Ruby said. “We have work to do today. Elliott expects us to be ready for court tonight.”

She squinted to bring Ruby slightly into focus. “We should leave. He’s probably sleeping right now.”

Ruby sat on the edge of the bed. “I want to. I keep telling myself to walk out the door, but I can’t. I tried and made it halfway down the hall before my legs wouldn’t even move. I just know that’s not what he wants.” She gently took Shoshanna’s hand. “Do you think Alistair is looking for us?”

She nodded. “Yes. And Elliott’s not exactly being subtle. He has to know where we are now.”

But she had to wonder. They’d been insistent that they couldn’t take action against Elliott before because of the potential for conflict. Now things were even worse, with Elliott sitting on the throne instead of being a nobody.

Ruby nodded, then threw her arms around Shoshanna. Her chest heaved. “I’m so sorry I got you into this.”

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