Page 34 of The Curse

Chapter Ten

“Nico! Nico, wake up!”

A voice, low and husky, teased the dark corners of my mind. It sounded familiar and made me feel relieved and content. Satisfied, I snuggled my body into a ball and tried to ignore the pain screeching around in my head and the sexy voice nagging me.

“Nico! Seriously, man, you’ve got to wake up. We don’t have long. You’ve been unconscious for over eight hours. Please, Nico. Wake up for me. I know you’re in there. Open your eyes for me.”

The voice didn’t belong to Corbin. I would have opened my eyes for Corbin.Gladly. Corbin was fucking beautiful. Weakly, I swatted at the hand petting my check. “Leave me alone,” I muttered as I tried to hide from whatever was on the other side of my eyelids.

“I can’t leave you alone, Nico.” The voice answered with a hint of irritation. “Trust me, I would if I could. You shouldn’t even be here. What have you done, my sweet friend? Why, Nico? Why did you risk your life? We’re both dead now. Corbin doesn’t know, does he? Corbin would have never allowed you to come to Salem. How could you have been so careless and stupid?”

My eyes flew open.

He didnotjust call me stupid.

I squinted and looked at the face hovering over me--Alastair. My friend Alastair. I was going to punch his pretty face for calling me stupid. Hell, I was here because of him.

Wait. Where was I? The last I remembered, I was outside my window, trying not to fall off the limb and kill myself but having more fun that I’d ever had in my life. I’d finally gotten it to move a little and the night air had rushed past me, tickling my magic. My last thought had been of desperately wanting Corbin to be with me so he could see what I’d accomplished with my magic. I’d been grinning like a fucking fool when a lightning bolt of magic had sent my tree limb in one direction and my ass in another. My ass, unfortunately, had been careening toward the hard, hard ground when I’d lost consciousness.

“Nico. Wake up all the way. I’m beginning to wonder if they cast a slumber spell on you. Are you hurt? Tell me what hurts.”

Alastair’s hands started moving over my body, checking for broken bones, I guessed.

“Where am I?” I asked as I tried moving my body into a sitting position. As it turned out every damned inch of me throbbed and ached. Maybe I did smack into the ground before Morgan scooped me up and brought me to her den of sin. “Motherfuck! My entire body hurts. Did they beat me half to death before or after that knocked me off my ride and sent me plunging to the earth?”

Alastair’s eyes were sad as they gazed at me. “No, you didn’t get beaten. The pain is from where Morgan’s coven bound your magic after you entered Salem. I’m feeling the same bullshit agony. You’ve got to push through it, Nico.”

“Bound my magic? Can they do that?”

“Of course, they can. It’s not the same as Corbin’s magic being dulled if he entered Salem. That would happen because he’s a high witch. Our magic is bound because of the spells the coven cast. On a bright note, you’ll be happy to know that it took the entire coven working together to bind you.” He smiled, again sadly. “You’re incredibly strong, Nico. Corbin must be so proud.”

I looked around the small room where we were being held. There were no windows to be seen, but there was magic flowing all around us, strong enough that it was visible to my naked eye. Morgan wasn’t taking any chances with our escape.

“Corbin, I’m sure, is really pissed at me right about now,” I answered. “Of course, he didn’t approve of me coming to Salem to confront Morgan and try to rescue you.” I winked at him. “He always wants to be the one to save the day.”

Alastair huffed in frustration and frowned irritably at me. “This isn’t a joke, Nico. Morgan plans on killing you. Dead. Gone. Poof. You cease to exist! When you die, Corbin becomes weak again and my entire coven suffers for it. Not only have you thrown your own life away, but you’ve hurt the man you love in the process and destroyed our coven again. Not cool, Nico. Not cool, at all.”

I stared at him, unblinking.

He stared back for a few seconds before a tear slid out from the corner of his eye. “I know why you’re here, Nico. I know you came to try and save me. I just really, really wish you wouldn’t have done that. I’m already dead. There was no reason for you to have to die, too.” His voice broke on the last sentence.

“Don’t give up on us, yet, Stair. I’m working on a plan.”

I had absolutely zero plan ideas. To be honest, I was surprised I’d made it this far without killing myself.

“There isn’t a plan, Nico. There’s no getting out of this. Corbin will come for you, but he’ll be helpless against Morgan while in Salem. She’ll destroy him completely this time.” He looked away to say the next words. “I’m useless to you. My magic is always sketchy, at best. It took one witch to bind my magic. Imagine my humiliation,” he muttered in disgust. “My life wasn’t worth the risk you took, Nico. Why did you do it?”

“I did it because you’re my friend. And because that bitch has had her way for far too long. It’s time to stop her. I wasn’t going to let Morgan destroy you without at least putting forth a valiant effort. Anyway, it ain’t over till it’s over.”

Alastair had already given up. He’d given up on himself, me, and his coven. That wasn’t going to work for me. It pissed me off and made me sad that Alastair had such a low opinion of himself. He’d kept it hidden well behind his friendly smile and playful attitude.

“Well, well, well, aren’t you two useless witches all lovey-dovey?”

Morgan’s voice interrupted us. When I whipped my head around, she magically appeared in front of us. An ugly smirk marred her face, and my stomach rolled with hate.Focus on love. Focus on love.

“At least we know what love is.” I stood up, careful not to show any weakness, and positioned my body between Morgan and Alastair. “Tell me, bitchy witchy, how does it feel to cruise through life knowing that nobody cares if you live or die…or that most folks are just hoping that you die?”

She didn’t even flinch. Obviously, she enjoyed knowing that she was hated by all.

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