Page 68 of Cursed Encounter
I turn back to Astra as Andre leads Fabien to the industrial metal basin in the corner. I cringe at the sound of heaving behind me.
Fuck. This is not good. I never wanted Fabien to see this side of life, but I can’t deal with it now.
“Donovan,” Torrin says softly from beside me. I can hear the worry in his voice.
Astra’s lids flutter, and I feel like I can finally breathe the moment she opens her eyes. Confusion colors her face as she stares up at me. Her gaze roams the area cautiously, landing on Torrin before moving to Fabien and Andre, both of them are now coming this way. Fabien still looks green, and I hope he isn’t going to puke again. Andre pulls out some mints from his pocket and hands one over to Fabien.
Astra sits up. I don’t care who’s watching, I wrap my arms around her and hug her tightly. I can’t remember a time in my life I’d felt so scared. She winds her arms around me, burying her face in my neck.
“What the fuck happened?” I growl as I turn my dark gaze on Andre. Astra, still clutched tight in my grasp, starts to shake.
Andre takes a step back, but he doesn’t duck my stare.
Astra rubs the back of my neck with her thumb. Her touch is soothing, and I lose a bit of my frustration.
“Why was she unconscious?” I try again, this time holding in my fear and anger.
“I’m okay,” Astra assures me, but I can’t shake the image of her limp and unresponsive. “I don’t know. I just got really weak out of nowhere.”
Fabien looks around, eyes taking in Rove, but very obviously avoiding the dangling man in the middle of the room. He steps closer, leaning in like he’s about to share a secret.
“Sandra seemed to be prepared for her,” he says, his voice a bit shaky. “It was like she knew about Astra’s abilities and had away to block them. I don’t know. It was weird. She left us with a warning, something about having years to prepare for this.”
Unfortunately for all of us, this box might be soundproof from the outside world, but inside it comes with an echo. I don’t even pretend like Paulie and Rove didn’t hear. It doesn’t matter, though. Rove wouldn’t be working for me if I didn’t trust him to mind his own business when it’s good for him. And Paulie, well, that little shit is going to be dead soon, so it won’t matter what he knows. He’ll be taking it to the grave.
“He has that witch with him all the time.” Paulie’s voice sounds broken. I release Astra to turn and face him, keeping her safely behind me. Her legs dangle off the edge of the table, caging me in. I can’t stop my hand from reaching down and cupping her knee. I have to touch her. I have to know she’s still here with me.
Does this shit for brains know something useful? I sure as fuck am going to get it out of him before I kill him.
“Sandra?” I ask.
“Yeah. Her. She’s into some dark shit, I’m tellin’ you.” Paulie’s gaze slides to the side, and I move to block his view of Astra. He looks at me once again. “She practices the old magic.”
Ice runs through my veins at his words. It really shouldn’t surprise me. How else would Aubert have managed to live this long? Managed to have that strong of a protection spell? It has to be her.
And now I’m kicking myself for letting Astra see her. I wanted to put my foot down, but I held back because I know I can’t keep her locked in a fucking tower.
Paulie takes in a shaky breath, then his eyes fall closed.
No, this will not do.
“I saw her doin’ some shit a few weeks ago,” he tells me. “She’s what keeps his protection spell strong, but I didn’t see what she was doin’ it on.”
I replay his words in my head. Something isn’t adding up, but I can’t put my finger on what. If she keeps having to strengthen the protection spell, then that means there could be a chance when it’s weakened. But knowing when that would be is impossible.
I take a few steps closer to him, studying him silently for a few beats.
“Are you saying there’s an artifact that goes with this spell?” I ask.
“I mean, usually that’s how those things work, right?” Paulie looks as if he attempts a shrug, but the only thing he manages to do is rattle the chains binding him. “Like a charm or something. She didn’t know I saw her.”
“I imagine not. You’d probably be dead if anyone knew you had this information,” I say.
“Don’t matter. I’m a dead man hanging here, so whatever. Just do what you gotta do. I’m tired of all this bullshit.”
“Sandra left us with a warning about my father,” Astra says.
I turn to give her my attention, holding back the urge to run to her as she gets off the table. When did I become such a fucking hovering… boyfriend? The thought nearly makes me shiver. Astra isn’t delicate. She isn’t glass. She doesn’t want to be treated like a damn princess. So why the fuck can’t I stop myself from trying to protect her from even the simplest of things?
