Page 32 of Too Cursed To Kiss
“The ring, where is it now?” Maverick asked Wald.
“It’s in the trunk of the SUV in the garage. I disconnected Devlyn’s safe box from my car and moved it to the agent’s vehicle.”
“You parked the agents’ vehicle in our garage?” Maverick’s hands flexed.
“They know we took it, and it will disappear inside theborder. They can’t come closer than they ever have, and it’s not as if they are unaware of where we reside.”
“Yes, there is that. They will not be pleased you dispatched their enhanced humans. I will arrange for a cover story, but you cannot stay here. It would be best if you took their vehicle and left.”
“Hang on, enhanced humans?” I interrupted, and both Maverick and Wald turned.
Wald replied, “The Grigores don’t usually enjoy interacting with humans. They can, but they are… easily angered. To remove themselves from direct contact, they create helpers who work for them. Humans who have some watered-down powers, with enough strength to be resilient while they hunt us, but are expendable.”
“Basically, like human servants of vamps then?”
Wald’s lips turned up at the corners. He didn’t respond. I really wanted to wipe that smile off his face, but I wasn’t risking the china breakage. Fortunately, Maverick interrupted the staring contest I was losing.
“I suggest you go to your Aunt Agatha’s or your brother’s. Either Agatha or Devlyn will be able to repair the artifact so it can be used again.”
Wald’s jaw flexed as if he’d bitten down on something foul. “Then Agatha’s, as I have no interest in Devlyn’s current antics.”
“Follow your instincts, Son.” Maverick turned to me. “On behalf of my family, I apologize for your misfortunes. Wald has my approval to give you the assistance you require to repair the damage that has been done.” Maverick got up as if to leave. Britannia jumped up and raced out before he made it upright.
“What’s up with her?” I asked, but no one answered. I liked Wald’s choice of aunt because I was creeped out that thevelvet safe-box in the back of the car was his brother’s. At least it wasn’t Wald’s.
“Where does Agatha live?” I asked.
“Las Vegas.”
That was a day’s drive, maybe more. “Hell no. I am not driving to Vegas with you in that stolen car.”
He wasn’t wearing gloves, and I was riveted to how his strong, dexterous fingers adjusted his sunglasses.
“Agatha may be able to repair the ring. With the ring, I should be able to arrange things, so the pen was never removed.”
“That’s impossible. There’ll be police records of the death, and whatever Britannia said, and the pen is now destroyed.”
“Only now. Time doesn’t quite work the way you think it does.”
“Are you telling me you can time travel?” I was dealing with impossible things. At this point, nothing was off the table.
“No. But with the repaired ring, we can revisit time.”
“Like go back in time? Isn’t that the same thing as travel?”
“You have to think about it in a different way. More like files you can access. It’s limited. If you can find the moment, you can pull out up to nine seconds and make one alteration.”
“That’s not long.”
“Long enough to move the pen.”
“But won’t it change everything else? That’s crazy powerful.”
“It will affect everything else. Altering time has a price. It is also why it can only be used three times by one keeper.”
He plucked a curl of my hair and twisted it around hisbare finger. I stilled as he leaned in, the ripples in my belly heating up. “I need to pack a few things. Come with me?” he whispered. Before I could reply, he was already walking through the door to the foyer. He turned and flashed me a lopsided grin that would probably lead me anywhere.
But I couldn’t let go of the time thing yet. “What will change then?” I asked, darting forward to keep up. Without the pen, I wouldn’t be poisoned. That was a bonus, and in an alternate time, I hadn’t thrown up on Wald. “Wait. If you change things so I don’t get the pen, we won’t even meet. Right? Because you were at the club entirely because I was there with the pen.”
