Page 78 of The Guardian's Curse

“You did what?” Alistair said sharply.

She ignored him and gestured with her chopsticks. “And there’s something strange there. There’s this red thread through it all. Until now, I’d never seen it.” She glanced at Alistair, then closed her mouth. It wasn’t her place to tell his business.

Ruby scoffed. “Maybe it’s a fate thread. Auntie K said I must have gotten mine tangled on some guy’s bedpost and that’s why I can’t find a husband.” Alistair nearly spit out a mouthful of blood in a violent cough. Ruby glanced at him. “I’m not shy.”

“I can tell,” he said roughly.

“Wait, what? A fate thread?” Shoshanna asked.

Ruby swallowed a big mouthful of noodles, then held up her pinky finger. “Yeah. The red thread of fate. It connects you and your soulmate. It’s just a folklore thing. Auntie K is full of shit.”

“As far as most people are concerned, everything we do is a folklore thing,” Shoshanna said. She stood up abruptly and left her plate as she dashed into the alcove. Standing in front of Lucia, she closed her eyes and used her arcane sight to look for the red thread.

The red current circulated through her essence, like arteries and veins. As Shoshanna looked closer, she noticed a brighter tangle around her hand. But when she shifted perspective to follow Lucia’s gaze, she could see the red thread extending far beyond her grasp. It faded in the distance, rigid and straight like it was pulled taut.

Shoshanna hesitated, then pulled gently on the thread. It sent another powerful surge of heat up her arm, and again, she saw the anguished face of a dark-haired man. A hooked scar intersected his red eye. Bloody tears streamed down his face as he fell at her feet.

She had only a moment to catch her breath before the ground dropped from beneath her, and everything went black.

19

Foolish, stubborn, wonderful witch. Alistair saw her knees buckling and dove to catch her before her head struck the floor. Her dark curls draped over his arm as he cradled her. He rushed into her bedroom and laid her on the neatly made bed. The veins stood out on her forehead, and her right palm was singed as if she’d touched an open flame.

Ruby scurried after him, lingering at his shoulder. “You better not have bitten her too much,” she said.

Fury flared to life in his chest. He was no angel, but he had shown the restraint of a saint with Shoshanna. “Exactly who do you think you are?”

“I’m her best friend and I know how to brew a poison that will put a vampire in a coma,” the other witch said calmly. “From there, decapitation is easy.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“I’m telling you that you’ll only get an opportunity to hurt her once,” Ruby said. As Alistair gently stroked Shoshanna’s cheek, the little black cat emerged from under her bed and leaped into Ruby’s arms. She gave him a faint smirk. “Hi, buddy.”

Despite her harsh words, he found Ruby’s protective streak endearing. “Is she strong enough to break a curse?”

“Maybe, but she shouldn’t even be trying,” Ruby said. “She’s smart, but she’s too stubborn. I’m not a tisserand, but even I know this is high-level stuff. She could seriously hurt herself.”

He nodded. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“You stay here,” Ruby said. While she hurried back to the kitchen, Alistair perched on the edge of the bed. He’d awoken with visions of taking her to bed and worshipping every inch of her until she wore that ridiculous, sunny smile and could speak only in soft moans and giggles. And instead, she was suffering because she was determined to break their curses.

Shoshanna jolted violently, and her eyes flew open. “Oh, shit,” she muttered, frowning up at him. “Did I fall out?”

“Yes,” he said. She tried to get up, but he pushed gently against her chest. “That’s enough magic for today.”

“But I figured something out,” she said. Then she clapped her hand to her forehead and squeezed her eyes shut. Pain etched lines into her pretty face, and he was angry all over again. “Okay, you win. My head is going to explode.” Ruby bustled into the room with a cup of foul-smelling tea. He held it while Shoshanna slowly sipped it. “Ugh, it’s disgusting. No offense.”

“None taken. It’s nasty,” Ruby said. “But it works. Drink at least half of it and lie down. In half an hour, you’ll be as good as new.” Ruby shot Alistair a pointed look, then walked out of the room. From the kitchen, he heard a box rustling, then a quiet voice. “You need to make her rest. Absolutely no biting. Play along with what I say, and I’ll stall her for a few days.” She returned with a box of wheat crackers and handed Shoshanna a few. “That’ll cut the taste. Just don’t eat too many or you’ll neutralize the active ingredients.”

“Thanks,” Shoshanna said sheepishly. “I hate that you guys are fawning over me.”

“That’s what friends and vampire roommates are for,” Ruby said smoothly. She glanced at Alistair, and he nodded to her. Her lips curved into a smile. “Promise me that you’ll give this thing a rest for a few days.”

Shoshanna shook her head emphatically. “I have to work on this,” she said. “That statue is a person. She’s suffering.”

Alistair gently squeezed her hand. “I mean no disrespect, but Lucia has been a statue for over a century. A few days more will not matter.”

“But—”

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