Page 54 of Love, Magic and Misfortune
“In what way are you cursed? What is—”
“It’s magic, Violet. Very old, powerful and vengeful magic that has lasted for centuries. Everyone thought it was over—nobody had carried the curse across two generations. But surprise! Here I am.”
Holding her palms up, Violet shook her head. “Jasper, stop. Just… Let’s back up.Magic? Like hocus-pocus, pulling a rabbit out of a hat? There’s just no way. I can’t—”
“Again, no. That’s illusions and mind tricks. This iswitch’smagic. Stuff harnessed from the earth and spirits and formidable intent. This curse is real, Violet. Magic is real. It exists.”
Violet stared at Jasper’s frame silhouetted against the window, unaware that her mouth was gaping open. She hadn’t known what was wrong with Jasper, but she wouldn’t have guessed it was this. What rationally-minded person could have guessed this? She’d genuinely thought that maybe he had lupus or some rare genetic ailment that he was ashamed of. Butmagic?
“You’re looking at me like I’m insane,” Jasper said, his eyebrow raised above a cynical smirk. “Of course, you should. This is why I don’t tell anyone. Why I shouldn’t ever—”
“Jasper, what is the curse exactly? How… How does it impact you?”
Jasper sat down against the window’s narrow ledge and gripped the edge with his palms. “It makes me change. Every day.”
“Change how?”
“Grotesquely. Agonizingly. It started when I was almost ten. Back then I would only change for three hours in a day. But the older I get, the longer it lasts. By the time I’m in my forties, I won’t be anything like myself anymore. I’ll be gone.”
Violet lifted both hands and rubbed her temples with her fingers. “I’m so confused and I have so many questions.”
“You asked for this.”
“You keep saying that you ‘change,’” Violet said, dropping her hands. “Howdo you change?”
He looked away again, shaking his head. “That doesn’t matter.”
“It does. Jasper, if you’re going to tell me the truth, tell me the whole truth. Stop keeping secrets—”
“Arat,Violet. I change into a rat. Every day since I was ten.”
Violet blinked, turning the information over in her mind. “A rat? Aw…”
“Aw?” Jasper drew back, incensed. “Not‘aw.’ That’s your first reaction? This isn’t some Disney movie.”
“I mean, just generally speaking, rats aren’t so—wait a minute…” Violet sat up straight with a jolt. “Did… Did I put you outside a few weeks ago? Oh dear God, was that you? That little gray mouse?”
Jasper narrowed his eyes in unquestionable scorn. “Yes.”
“Oh, oh my gosh, I am so sorry, Jasper. I had no idea—how could I know? I thought I was helping.”
“You shouldn’t have been in here.”
“I know, please don’t get mad at me about that all over again. God, I’m sorry… You were so cute though. You’re not a rat—”
“Stop it. I’m not cute. I’mdisgusting. The first time I changed, my father was on a business trip and it was just me and Mom here. The whole thing was horrific. I didn’t know what was happening to me and it hurt like hell—my whole body contorted down, cracking and shifting in ways that aren’t humanly possible. Mom screamed bloody murder theentiretime, and when I had finished changing, she scooped me into a bucket and dumped me outside. I was terrified and alone in the dark in that stupid garden, half confused and half worried I’d get eaten by an owl or a snake. Nothing about this iscute.”
He rubbed his palms against his face again, his shoulders rising and falling in a deep breath. Violet lowered her head. She couldn’t imagine what he’d been through—what he was still going through, being saddled with this bizarre, unbelievable thing. She couldn’t fathom the depth of his trauma.
“I apologize, Jasper,” Violet said. “I don’t mean to make light of something serious… it’s just all very surprising. Magic and curses and a little gray mouse.”
Jasper lifted his chin, nose upturned. “Your tone reads ‘this is very cute.’”
“How? You can’t be mad at me about my tone. That’s not fair.”
“You’re supposed to be horrified by this! It’s crazy and disgusting—”
“Well, what if I’m not horrified? It’s… definitely unexpected, but not disgusting.”
