Page 55 of The Guardian's Curse

“Then why the games?”

“Because you’re going to ruin this,” Paris snapped. “I’ve got no intention of claiming her.”

“And Dominic?”

“I bet him a thousand dollars that I could get you to punch me before the night was over,” Paris said. “I was—fuck,” he swore as Alistair obliged on his bet. Blood streamed from his nose.

“You were saying?”

“Goddammit, Alistair,” Paris swore. His voice was nasal as he pinched his nose. “In the face?”

“You shouldn’t have been so familiar with her,” he replied.

“And you shouldn’t be hiding in the shadows when a woman like that is drifting around without you.”

“She deserves better than me,” he said.

“That’s debatable,” Paris said. “But she deserves better than you making decisions about what she wants. And if you want her, then you’re doing a shit job of showing it.”

He hesitated. “What if she ends up like Lucia?”

“This is not Lucia, and you are not Kova,” Paris said. “The goddamned Night Weaver is on the other side of the world. Who you fuck in the privacy of your home is your business.” He dabbed at his nose again, then smiled faintly. “I haven’t seen you like this in a long time.”

“Like what?”

“Awake,” he said. “Alive. Doing incredibly stupid things for someone you care about.”

“I don’t…” As he trailed off, Paris’s smile widened. “I do care for her.”

“As you should,” Paris said. “I like her. We should keep her.”

“Then what do I do?”

“Alistair Thorne, are you asking me for love advice?”

“It’s been nearly a century,” he said. “Since you. And we both know I handled it poorly.”

Paris’s expression softened from his broad, mischievous grin to an affection smile. “Open a door for her rather than slamming it in her face. Then you must trust her and welcome her if she walks through.”

14

Being the belle of the vampire ball was good for a girl’s ego, but Shoshanna wasn’t sure whether the vampires watching her wanted to meet her or eat her. Though she felt well-protected with both of her vampire companions, she kept searching the shadowed corners of Infinity for Alistair. Considering he’d hidden from her within the privacy of his own home, it shouldn’t have surprised her that he was nowhere to be found amidst the crowd.

When she asked Paris about him, he just gave her a knowing smile. “He’s a recluse under the best of circumstances.” There was a strangely wistful cast to his eyes. “He used to be the life of the party. Second to me, of course.”

“Of course,” she said with a laugh.

“Do you really think you can break the curse?” he asked as he twirled her, letting her fluffy skirt spin around her like every little girl’s Disney dream.

She hesitated. “I’m making progress on Lucia. I think I understand the basics of how the Night Weaver built the curses. I need to spend time studying Alistair to understand how his works, but I would assume it’s the same at its core.”

“That’s not what I asked,” Paris said. “Yes or no?”

“I really don’t know,” she said. “It won’t be for lack of trying.” He still looked dubious. “I am very good at what I do.”

His brow arched. “Confident, are we?”

“That’s not a bad thing,” she said. “But this isn’t in my books. It may take time, but I’m going to keep at it.”

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