Page 57 of Warlocks Don't Win
“Ah. So you’re saying that it’s possible for the house to curse someone all by itself.” I was starting to feel the stirrings of hope. I might actually get to the bottom of this eventually.
“It’s possible, yes.”
“So, how would you break the curse?”
“You would have to defeat the house.”
“Defeat it how?”
“Magic. You would need to master the bindings connected to you. One of my ancestors was able to defeat Dire, but that was a long time ago.”
“Do you have records of the process? Was it based on incantations, potions, or what?”
“Dire is all about blood, so he probably did various blood sacrifices and worked with a demon to conquer it. The records are lost. Pity. Sage House is traditionally spiteful, but not as bloody. It wants life energy, not death.”
“So do I defeat it by giving it what it wants, or refusing it what it wants?”
“I believe confrontation is the main thing. He walked into the heart of Dire and commanded it to obey. It refused. The battle commenced. He left alive.”
“Interesting. Sage House has always been more of a cranky relative we had to humor than something to conquer. It’s never been quite so aggressive towards its heir, either. It never killed anyone. You think the main thing is communication? ‘Stop cursing people,’ and then just pushing it until it obeys?” I winced at the slivers that would give me. So many slivers if I was going to actually wrestle with the house.
He cocked his head and shrugged. “I really have no idea what would work for Sage House. Perhaps if you burned enough witches…”
“Burning is not going to help,” I said shortly, despite the many witches and warlocks I’d be happy to burn.
He raised a brow. “You seem quite certain of that. You’ve tried to burn it?” His dark eyes practically twinkled with a flare of red. It was a good look on him. He really knew how to style his vampire.
“My father was very clear about that.”
Both brows went up. “Rumors have it your father is the infamous Rasputin.”
“That’s also what I heard,” I said with a shrug. My mother had made sure the rumors spread about my father. She was pretty open with the whole burying people in the backyard too.Not that she actually told anyone about it, and not that there was any actual proof.
“You actually have Rasputin’s bones at Sage House? I heard that they’re cursed.” He moved closer as we spun.
“Only if you don’t treat them properly.” I looked over his shoulder, looking for Winston. If this vampire got any closer, I might accidentally take out some of my stress on him. That would completely ruin the image I was trying to cultivate.
We spun around and there was my husband, with his co-star in her slinky backless dress draped over his arm and shoulder, hands linked around his neck like she was a cape he’d thrown over his shoulder. Gold was not the look for this evening. It didn’t look terribly clashing with the purple and green, but silver would be better.
I broke out of the vampire’s arms and walked through the dancers, ignoring them and the sudden darkness spreading around us as I stalked towards my husband and the woman he’d specifically asked me to protect him from.
The incantation came to my mouth, words I hadn’t used in fifteen years, but I’d remembered while the shadows spread. Rasputin’s magic had been filled with shadows, and so was mine.
“Arum ardit vascom!” I said, spreading my hand and casting my transfiguration curse at the woman. Who was over Winston. Suppose I missed her and hit him. Or maybe it would transfigure both of them. And then I got them mixed up and…
In a cloud of smoke that smelled a bit swampy, the magic did its work while I continued walking towards them. When the cloud cleared enough to see Winston still standing there, I exhaled a breath of relief.
“What did she do!?” A loud voice exclaimed.
A ribbit and then a panicked toad stuck in the straps of the gold gown answered that question pretty clearly.
“She turned her into a toad?” That voice was filled with awe and horror.
Ah. Right. Public displays of irrational jealousy weren’t the vibe I was going for. But I was so good at it. I stopped moving, just stood there in the center of the crowd of magic users who might rip me apart without waiting for a jury or a trial.
“How in the world did you turn her into a toad?” Gabby said, linking her arm in mine.
“Can you reverse the spell?” Anna asked, taking a position on my other side. Were they taking me in for questioning, or was this a protective gesture? I couldn’t tell. Honestly, I didn’t really care. I just stared at Winston who was staring back at me, like no one else was in the room.
