Page 112 of The Prince's Curse

She raised an eyebrow. “You guys ask a lot of me, so humor me,” she said. At that, Misha smiled, then pawed through the refrigerator for blood bags, which he distributed. “The pagos held back Armina’s magic enough that I could get a closer look at the curse, and Ursula was able to tell me more about it. Our theory was right. It’s been protecting her in a way, but it’s about to change. Ursula said it was like a cocoon about to split open. Well, she said it in a much more roundabout and esoteric way, but that was the gist of it. The last threads are about to burst.”

“And then what happens?” Julian asked.

Her smile faded. “Then it summons death. She couldn’t explain it in a way that I understand, but the curse inverts itself. Instead of pushing away harm, it draws it in. Something will be set in motion, but I don’t know what or when.”

“We knew that already,” Julian said.

She scowled at him. “You had a theory. Now we know that we can break it once she’s…” Her eyes flicked up to the microwave, where the numbers 12:07 glowed in red. “Once she turns twenty-nine.”

“How precise is it? I don’t know what time she was born,” Julian said.

“I don’t know if it matters,” Shoshanna said. “I got a glimpse of the magic, but the curse was burning through the pagos faster than I could process. Once it unravels, I should be able to get a closer look.”

“And you can map it within a few hours, right?” Misha said.

Shoshanna nodded. “Usually. This one will take longer, but I know I can do it.”

“The question is, can you do it before the curse catches up to her and kills her?” Julian asked.

Her eyes lifted to Julian. “That is the question. I hope I can. This time, I have an advantage I’ve never had before. We know you’re soulmates, and the bond is like nothing I’ve seen.”

“I suppose that happens when you love someone for almost a hundred and eighty years,” he said quietly. Her expression was sad, but she still smiled. “What does it look like to you?”

“Blinding,” she said. “I can barely look at it, but it’s beautiful. And that means there’s a hell of a lot of power to resonate and break the curse.”

“I hope you’re right,” Julian said. He frowned. “Shoshanna, the others passed their curses on. Will Scarlett’s curse pass to me?”

Shoshanna shook her head. “You’re different. I don’t know why, but I’ve been watching you closely ever since she showed up.” She yawned, then rubbed her temples. “I’m going to work a while longer and then try to get some rest so I can get back to it in the morning.”

Misha nodded to him. “Unless you need my help, I’m going to brew her a stockpile of pagos to have on hand for the morning.”

Julian waved him off, but Kova lingered. He dared to glance at the other man. “Thank you for being there to protect her.”

Kova nodded, though a sad expression tugged at his face. “I wish it had been enough to stop this sooner.”

His throat tightened. “You’re not giving yourself enough credit. If you hadn’t fought to tell her the truth, she’d never have come looking for us. I don’t say this lightly, but you might be the reason she lives.”

Kova’s brows lifted. The somber expression faded, leaving a curiously hopeful one in its place. “You think so?”

“I hope so,” Julian said.

There was a soft cough, then a hmm? sound from upstairs. Then a soft feminine voice. “Julian?”

At that, Kova smiled. “She’s calling for you.”

His heart soared. It was a tiny thing, but he was overjoyed that her instinct was to seek him out. He took down a glass from the cabinet and filled it with ice water, then hurried upstairs.

Scarlett sat up in bed, rubbing her temples. When she looked up to see him, she smiled. He perched on the edge of the bed and handed her the glass.

She drained half the glass, panted, then finished it off. “Thank you,” she murmured, her voice hoarse. “Did she figure it out?”

“Sort of. They’re certain that the curse changes on your birthday. She wants to get to work as soon as she can get some rest,” Julian said.

Scarlett nodded. “Is everyone still here?”

He shook his head. “Shoshanna and Alistair are in bed. Misha is working, and Kova’s waiting downstairs. He said he wasn’t leaving until you were awake. Didn’t want you thinking he abandoned you,” he said.

At that, she smiled. “I’ll go talk to him. I need to stretch my legs anyway,” she said, holding his shoulder gently as she slid out of bed. Her steps were tentative, as if her legs ached. He resisted the urge to follow her, but listened through the floor as she spoke quietly to Kova, thanking him for staying before telling him she was in good hands.

---