Page 59 of Curses and Casualties
I press a hand to my chest, feeling Luna’s panic beneath my ribs.I can’t be trapped in my heartstone again!
“And if we succeed?” I ask.
“Then you and your mate will change everything. For yourselves, for the entire supernatural world.” Evanora’s expression grows serious. “But you won’t be without opposition. The Elders don’t want the Soul Bond to succeed—it threatens everything the Supernatural Council has built their power on.”
“So what you’re saying is that we’ll never be safe?” Scarlett asks.
“Not until the Council has been dismantled and we have enough Soul Bound pairs throughout the supernatural worldthat this can never happen again.” Evanora stands. “Which is where our arrangement becomes mutually beneficial.”
She pulls out a small bag and presses it into my hands. “The wolfsbane you need. Plus, some blessed salt and a few other useful things. To help keep you safe before the ritual and beyond.”
“Thank you,” I say, though the words feel strange after everything we’ve just agreed to.
“Don’t thank me yet, dear. Thank me when you’re both alive and bonded and Luna is free.” She pauses, then looks directly at Scarlett. “Now, I believe there’s something else troubling your friend here?”
“Listen, we’re out of heartstone, and I lost all our money when we had to run from the enforcers during the Ulfhéðnar’s guest-rite ceremony,” Scarlett argues. “I don’t have anything left to pay you with.”
Evanora raises a single eyebrow then looks toward me. “I will consider this one a favor between friends.”
Scarlett shoots me a warning look, but I nod my agreement and press on. “She’s dealing with an unwanted alpha mark. There’s also this mate bond situation that’s causing her pain.”
“I’m fine,” Scarlett says quickly.
“You’re not fine,” I counter. “You can barely sit still, you’ve been in pain for days, and you won’t even let Ryan and I help you again.”
“That’s because there’s no point. It’ll just come right back as soon as?—”
“I’d like to examine you.” Evanora cuts Scarlett’s argument short, studying her with those purple eyes. “May I?” She extends her hand.
Scarlett hesitates. “What are you going to do?”
“Just look. Sometimes the best way to understand a problem is to see it from the inside.”
After a long moment, Scarlett reaches out and places her hand in Evanora’s. The moment their skin touches, Evanora’s eyes flash, and I feel the surge of magic in the room like electricity before a storm.
For several heartbeats, neither woman moves. Then, quite suddenly, Evanora gasps and jerks back as if she’s been burned.
“Well,” she breathes, staring at Scarlett with something that looks like awe. “That was unexpected.”
“What?” Scarlett demands. “What did you see?”
“The alpha mark is there, yes. Crude work—forced and without proper bonding rituals. I can remove that easily enough.” She pauses. “But the other thing you’re feeling... I’m afraid I can’t help you there.”
“The mate bond,” Scarlett says flatly. “You can’t break it?”
“Some bonds are beyond my ability to sever. This one will have to be resolved between you and your mate.”
“He rejected me the moment he saw me. I don’t understand why this is still so intense. The goddess should have let go of me by now.”
“The pain will fade when the bond is accepted,” Evanora says gently.
“Accepted?” Scarlett’s brow knits in tight. “What part of ‘he rejected me’ aren’t you getting?”
“What part of ‘some bonds are beyond my ability to sever’ aren’tyougetting?” Evanora lets out a small sigh. “Nevertheless, I can remove that Alpha’s mark. It will hurt for a moment, but then it will be gone forever.”
“Really?”
“Really. Though I should warn you—removing it might make the other bond feel stronger by comparison.”
