Page 80 of Too Cursed To Kiss
“Now the spine and then the back,” Agatha directed.
“Oh my God.” I groaned, but I licked the side and back as she instructed, wiping my tongue on the inside of my wrist in between, which helped to dampen the taste. My mouth was dry as the Alford Desert in summer. “Now open it and test it.” Agatha pointed to the table.
With my teeth clenched in expectation of something horrendous, I set the book down and flipped it open.
Nothing happened.
“Excellent. Now bring my photo with you when you grab the marble,” Agatha said, but I saw my grandmother run a hand over her hair, patting the curls into place, and the scent of violet powder wafted through the air. The image on the photo in my hand moved, and I almost dropped it.
“You aren’t really here?” I glanced from the photo to the glassy image in the room.
“No, and yes, the image you see is from your head. I’m able to speak with you, but I don’t have a form here. Your thoughts are giving me form.”
“I never imagined the smoke-thing. I’m sure of that.”
“Frank is different. He was tortured, flailed, then burned at the stake. The last of his form is the tanned skin of the book, so he has a connection to this time and place which I no longer have.”
“No wonder he’s so cranky.” The part about the skin sent a shiver across my shoulders.
“Warlocks were not popular in some parts of history. It happens. The marble dear, our time is limited by Wald’s form. It won’t be usable in a few hours.”
“What?” The fire lit under me. “How long will fixing the ring take?”
“I don’t know. I hope not long. It depends on you.”
“Me?” I asked as my fingers closed around the marble.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Ientered the marble’s space, and the real world took on the crystalline reflections enhanced by the mirrors.
I wasn’t alone. “Oh hello,” I said, genuinely pleased to see Wald’s aunt.
Agatha’s suit was now bright red instead of powder blue, but it was her real face. Still, there was something about her that seemed “not there.” The marble added a layer of protection. Nothing could get in here, but if she was here, I assumed she couldn’t hurt me.
“Nice to see you too. The ring?” Agatha extended a hand with red nail polish that matched her suit. Her baritone voice soothed. I tugged at the ring, trying to pull it off, but it wouldn’t even twist.
Her scarlet painted lips screwed into a swishing pucker. “Hmmm, interesting. Okay, well maybe that will work for us. You’ll have to do the repair. To fix the crystal, you have to heal it. Wald said the fracture was caused by the twins being pulled apart.”
“Wait, what? I can’t fix it! Only Victoria can fix it. Ancient bloodline or something.”
“You underestimate your bloodline, honey.” She wiggled one of her gold earrings.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“What do you know about your father?
“He’s a dead beat and ditched my mother before I was even born.” I crossed my arms.
Agatha nodded. “You shouldn’t discount where you came from. It’s all part of your story, honey.”
“What? How? My history has nothing to do with this ring.”
“And you know that because?”
I looked at the ring with double horror. “You’re saying my father had something to do with your family? Or Wald’s?”
“That ring doesn’t work for humans. Neither would the marble. They are artifacts. You would have to have Eim blood from your descendants to connect with them.”
