Page 89 of The Guardian's Curse

She opened the door, but the sigil still hovered in the air, casting a warm glow on her face. “I’m sorry,” she said, tears flowing freely.

“I can’t lose you,” he said. “You have to stop this.”

“You’re going to lose me if I don’t keep going,” she said.

“Drop the magic,” he said, raising his voice.

She shook her head. “No. It breaks my heart to say this, but I don’t trust you.”

The heat of the sigil seared his face, even beneath the hood. “None of this had to happen.”

“But it did,” she said. “And instead of trusting me, you destroyed my work. I can do this. I can set you free.”

“I’ve lived with this curse for over a century,” he replied. “I would rather live it with it for eternity than watch you suffer.”

“I believe you,” she said. “But that’s not the choice before you now. One last chance. Give me back my things.”

“I burned it all,” he replied. Better for her to hate him than to kill herself.

Her face fell. Tears pricked her eyes, and she let out one single whimper before setting her jaw. She nodded, then shut the door in his face.

Despair wracked him. He had half a mind to tear through the barrier. If he couldn’t go through her door, he’d simply break through the wall. He had to make her understand that this was because he loved her. How could he stand by and watch her destroy herself?

Fuck destiny, and fuck fate. Why would they torture him so by giving this gift only to snatch it away?

He braced himself for the pain and pounded on her door. The stench of burnt flesh filled his nose as the sunlight scorched his exposed hands. “Shoshanna!”

“Go away,” she said.

“Not until you speak to me.”

“Then you’ll be waiting a long time,” she said.

“Shoshanna, please,” he said, his eyes stinging. “What happened to not going to sleep angry?”

Silence. Then he heard the patter of water in the shower, and the soft sound of crying.

He truly was a monster.

22

Shoshanna’s eyes were a burning desert when she woke to her chirping phone alarm. She’d only slept for a few hours, just long enough to be certain that Alistair was asleep. As soon as she woke, she texted Ruby, holding the phone close to her face to see the blurry letters.

I need your help. Emergency.

Her heart thumped with fear as she contemplated her day.

How long would the curse take to be complete? She’d barely slept, for fear that she wouldn’t wake up, and she’d end up a stone corpse in this bed forever. And it hadn’t helped that Alistair had lingered until nearly dawn, quietly asking for her forgiveness. Every time he spoke, she felt a faint tug up her left arm that reminded her of the supernatural bond between them. Even in her fury, she wanted to go to him and find comfort in his arms. Her body and soul wanted him more than anything else.

But he’d proven that he would do anything to get his way. He’d destroyed her work, and she had no doubt that he’d lock her in a closet like some twisted fairy tale princess if that meant he didn’t have to feel guilty for her suffering. She supposed on some level he thought he was protecting her, but he was only making it worse.

So much for soulmates. Maybe their threads had gotten tangled somewhere along the way.

Her phone rang as she climbed out of bed. She grabbed it and shuffled into the bathroom. “Hey.”

Ruby’s voice was full of righteous fury. “What did he do? I’ll fucking kill him. I told him I would. Go ahead and tell him I’m on my way with a stake.”

“It’s okay,” Shoshanna said. “I mean, it’s not.” She burst into tears and sank to the floor. “I’m in trouble. I messed with this curse and I think the magic snapped back on me or something. Maybe the Night Weaver got me. Either way, I don’t know how long I have until I end up like Lucia and turn to stone, or—”

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