His body froze. "What?"
"I'll die. All magic comes with a price, and a charm this powerful exacts the ultimate one. There must be balance."
He gripped her hand. "How would it kill you? How does it work?"
The haunted look in his eyes, the care, the worry, entranced her. It arrested her, persuaded her to unburden her heart. "I'm the caretaker. That's all. It's not meant for me, but I’m charged with its safety until I find the one it's meant for. The price of using it is great. If not, I’d be tempted to harness its energy, to keep it for myself. Anyone could become addicted to that kind of power. Only the True One will be able to control it. All others will suffer as I have."
"But how will it kill you?" His naked determination to understand, to ensure her safety, reminded her of the slippery slope beneath her proverbial feet. It would be so easy to fall for him again.
Don’t think about it. Don’t.
What had he asked?
She blinked.
He gestured with impatience, the universal signal for ‘get on with it’. “How will it kill you?”
Oh, right. "It needs to be protected. You're right, it's dangerous, and I can’t let it fall into other hands. If it's removed from my wrist, a magical poison releases in my blood, weaving through and destroying until I'm dead. I don't know how long I'll have. But I wouldn't want to chance it for even a moment."
“Why would you do that?”
She swallowed hard, struggling to admit the truth. “You’ve seen what it’s been like the last week. I can never let my guard down, never relax. The attacks won’t ever stop. Not until the True One is found, and that could take years. I need to make sure I won’t hand the burden off to someone that could abuse its power.”
Zander's jaw clenched but he stayed quiet. He glanced at her wrist, his eyes tracing the bracelet’s lines.
Her eyes widened. He could see it again.
Was it was enough to know that the talisman would kill her if removed? Could that one fact really change his mind?
"It's beautiful, Seph." He ran a finger along the shining surface. “It's the best you've ever created."
Pride filled her.
Yeah, it was the best. She’d thought the same since crafting it. Destiny foretold she would create it, but Persephone wondered if she'd ever design its equal.
She emptied her lungs heavily, needing to finish telling him it all. "That's not the only catch of taking it off."
His eyes met hers again. Echoes of so much happiness, so much love lingered there. "What else?"
She glanced away. "I cursed it so if it was taken from my wrist and not activated on the True One's, it wouldn't work. Not in the way they'd want it to."
"So, its magic would void."
"Exactly."
His lips curved. "Brilliant. But why not let others know that? They'd stop looking for it, stop hunting you." She struggled to sit up, and he jumped forward to help her. "Easy."
"I couldn't. Telling others puts it at risk. Spells aren't invincible. There's always a way to break them, always something that counteracts. Again, there’s a balance. If someone knew about the curse, they’d look for a way to break it. Withholding information is safer."
"Not for you."
"No." She shook her head. "But it isn't about me anymore. Until I find the True One, the focus is on keeping the bracelet safe."
"All right." He tucked a fiery curl behind her ear. "You’ll keep it safe, and I'll be here to protect you."
"No, Zander. You don't need to stay. I know you have a life, a job. I don't know how long this will last." She tried to turn away, unable to look at him, worried her need, her weakness for him, would show on her face.
He forced her to look at him. His mouth, a whisper from hers, hovered enticingly.
Her stomach flipped. He could kiss her right now. Part of her ached to feel him. She'd kissed other men, but none had ever charged her the way he had. Would the heat still be there, the untamable passion that had exploded as teenagers?
His eyes devoured hers, mirroring her thoughts. “I'm not going anywhere, Seph.” His thumb brushed over her jaw. “I'm here, whether you want me or not.”
Oh, she wanted him all right. And there lay most of the problem. "But your job," she argued lamely.
"As you said, I'm a freelancer. I pick and choose what I want."
His soft caress clouded her brain. She couldn’t think when he touched her, couldn’t focus when he held her close.
Reluctantly, she nudged his hand away. She needed her brain intact. "I don't know how long this will last. As I said, it could take years."
"I have enough money to hold me over for the rest of my life. I could retire right now and live like a king. I'm staying."
She searched his eyes. The fire in his eyes, the play on words said far too much. Why was he forcing the issue? Was this really all about the bracelet and protecting it? Or was it something more?
She cursed herself. One conversation and her heart knotted. She couldn’t afford to care for him, and she couldn’t allow her heart to believe, even for a breathless moment, that he cared for her. She'd barely survived his abandonment the first time. If she let him back in, if she allowed herself love him again, she wouldn't survive when he left again.
For now, he was a guardian, like her. One that was barely trusted around the talisman, but a guardian never the less. "I guess it's settled then."
His shoulders loosened in relief. "I guess it is."
A grin cracked his face, and her stomach quivered in response to its power. She slipped from the table, her breath hitching in her lungs as he reached out to steady her.
Cursing their chemistry, she prayed her trust in him was worth it.
6
Zander waited a day until he was sure Persephone was safe and fully recovered before he put his plan into action. He wasn’t allowed into Persephone's house, she didn't trust him enough to approve that kind of access to the talisman—or herself—but she didn't argue when he protected her from outside the perimeter.
Sitting in his car, his finger shook as he dialed a number on his phone.
With the attached curse, he wanted the bracelet away from Seph more than ever. But how would he get it? Sounded damn near impossible.
If someone fought through their defenses and managed to gain the talisman…
He gulped as the line connected. "Jack, it's me."
"Hey, where'd you disappear to? I've been taking on all your clients."
Zander snorted, knowing full well Jack enjoyed the extra business. "You're welcome." Jack laughed. "Look, I need you to do something for me."
"Sure. What is it?"
"I need a spell guaranteed to break a death curse."
Jack whistled. "You know that isn't easy, Zander."
His jaw clenched. "Not telling me anything I don’t know. I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t critical."
"What's the trigger?"
Zander pulled at the collar of his shirt as he glanced at the house. He hated going behind Seph’s back, but didn't see another way around it. "It's a charm’s fail-safe. If it's taken off, the person dies and the object goes inactive."
Silence reigned, but Zander wouldn't say more.
Jack sighed through the phone. "You went after the talisman on your own, didn't you?"
It didn’t matter if Zander confirmed it. Jack knew he’d turned down a deal for the talisman’s recovery. In asking Jack for help, Zander told his friend all he needed to know about the bracelet, about its weakness. “Will you help me or not?”
More silence. "I'll let you know when I find something."
Zander lowered the phone, pushing away his guilt. This was the right choice. He couldn’t sit by and let the talisman consume Persephone. Holding her unconscious form, wondering whether she’d live or die… he never wanted to experience that again. He didn't care what lengths he had to go to in order to protect her. His only concern right now was protecting her.
His gut clenched. He could have killed
her by taking the bracelet… forever losing his mate. He’d made the right choice. If it came down to the bracelet or Seph, she won.
He glanced back at the house, his gaze locking onto hers as she watched him through her front window. She suspected him, and after his conversation with Jack, he couldn’t blame her.
But that wouldn’t deter him from his plan.
This time, he’d stay by her side. And when he sorted out the talisman’s mess, he’d win her back.
Until then, he’d remind her of all they could have together.
Excitement hummed through his veins.
He couldn’t wait.
* * *
Persephone studied the library’s antique outer facade. As a sanctuary for their kind for hundreds of years, having been built by the founders and then expanded, it was the oldest building in the city.
Zander swore, climbing out of the car.
Her lips curved. "You know, you don't have to go in. You can stay here if you like. I’ll be safe enough once inside." He’d grown up in town, and Persephone knew he’d never forget what the library housed deep within its bowels, the spells in place to keep it protected.
His jaw clenched. "It's fine. I'll come in with you. Celeste will be pissed."
"I wonder why?" she sweetly tossed over her shoulder.
He grumbled and she chuckled. Celeste had been her best friend since childhood. When Zander crushed her heart, Celeste helped her survive it. He was right to be worried about seeing her friend. Seph wouldn’t be surprised if Celeste hexed him for life.
"Come on," she teased. "Just because she's the curator doesn't mean she'll throw you out. If you're not intent on relieving the library of priceless artifacts, you’ll be safe."
That made him laugh. "As if I'd ever try to steal from her."
No one in their right mind would pilfer from Celeste. Her unique power held off most intruders. No one wanted to test their fate against the Curator, the one person charged with caring for the vault’s magick.
Unless they desired death.
Persephone had avoided coming to Celeste for help, but Zander’s insistence on the talisman made it necessary. There had to be something Celeste could do to block Zander’s attempts to take the bracelet. All she needed was a quick moment in private with Celeste and Persephone would sleep better.
They walked through the front entrance, and the welcome smell of books comforted her. The town’s public library flooded with modern light, regardless of the building’s age. During the expansion twenty years ago, the architect blended in such necessities but managed to keep the spirit of the structure intact. Absolute genius.
She sauntered to the front desk, smiling at her friend. "Hi, Hilary."
"Persephone, glad you came in. I have that book you wanted. It’s filed it under your name on the shelf."
Persephone grinned. Whatever normal literature she wanted, Hilary helped her get it. "Excellent." Hilary and she had gone to school together forever ago, but she was non-Magick. While the larger community knew some of their members possessed unexplainable gifts, Magicks decided it was safer to keep specifics to themselves and behave as if their powers were merely folklore.
Hilary's smile faded when Zander stepped up to the counter. "Zander." She nodded curtly.
Persephone snorted. All right, the library teemed with her friends. She’d brought him into her territory, knowing full well the reception he’d receive.
An introvert by nature, she preferred to stay in her forge instead of socializing. The few friends she had, she kept close, and was grateful for their loyalty.
Zander held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "Sheath the claws." He cut a glance to Persephone and she felt tingle down her spine. "She invited me."
Hilary arched a brow at her to confirm his statement.
Persephone chuckled. "It's true. Zander and I have come to an understanding."
"Well, this should be interesting," Hilary muttered.
Persephone leaned toward the desk. "Exactly." They both chuckled, imagining the reunion with Celeste. “I'll be sure to grab the book on my way out. Is Celeste in?"
"She's downstairs. Want me to call her?"
"That'd be great. Thanks." Persephone glanced around the room while Hilary made the call. Most non-Magicks thought classified documents rested in the library’s lower levels. They had no idea how classified. The Redwood Falls Library hosted one of the largest collections of spells in the country, its vaults brimming with magick just a few floors below ground level. Some sections were open to any person possessing magick, but most, usually the larger, more dangerous spells, were restricted to only a few. Some were even forbidden, locked deep in the earth where they’d been forgotten but still protected.
When Celeste stepped off the elevator, her spiked red heels clipped the marble in a staccato beat. Persephone met her half way, wanting to warn her about Zander.
Worry clouded Celeste’s emerald eyes. "Seph, what are you doing here? Is everything all right?"
Her friend's concern warmed her. "Everything's fine. I just needed to speak with you."
"All right. Why don't we head down?"
"Okay. But—"
"Hi, Celeste."
Persephone’s eyes shuttered at Zander's interruption. As amusing as a confrontation between her best friend and her ex-mate would be, she’d hoped to prepare Celeste.
Celeste’s head jerked toward Zander, honey-blond curls swirling with the movement. Her green eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you doing here?"
He stepped next to Persephone, close enough that she worried Celeste might take his head off. "It's nice to see you, too. I take it you haven't missed me."
"I think we could stand to miss you a lot more. I heard you were back in town." She glared down her straight nose, sniffing.
"Yep. Been here a little while now."
Celeste arched a brow sharply. "Doing what you do best, no doubt."
At Zander's clenched jaw, Persephone stepped between them. Their confrontation wasn’t as funny as she thought it’d be. "Could we continue this conversation downstairs?"
Celeste's lips pressed together. For a moment, Persephone worried she’d deny Zander access to the vaults, something Celeste had never done to another, at least that Persephone could remember.
Her friend finally shrugged and swiveled to the elevator, expecting them to follow.
The lowest level listed was B2, but there were many more floors below that. Placing her hand over the controls, soft pink light flowed from Celeste's palm, revealing several other buttons. This elevator led to the public areas of the vault where any Magick could visit. From there, a separate elevator on the third floor connected to the restricted vaults below, and even then, multiple safeguards secured the conveyor.
Persephone had traveled below the general public levels only once, and didn't expect to gain access again. With what she’d seen, she had no desire to return. Uneasy, she twisted the talisman on her wrist.
As much as she enjoyed needling Zander, there was something important she needed to ask Celeste. Distracting him long enough for a private word with her friend was paramount.
The elevator doors whispered open, and it was like stepping into another time. Well below ground level, natural light was impossible. Fortunately, light spells were easy to maintain, allowing different levels of brightness as needed without draining the vault’s magical reserves. One only needed to desire the brightness of noonday for it to shine. However, with few people down here, the lighting was dim, cozy.
Celeste raised her hands, bringing up the light for more visibility, but didn't speak. None of them did.
Persephone cleared her throat. "Look, I'm sorry I brought him without warning you. It's safer to leave my house if I'm not alone."
Celeste's eyes softened. "Has it been that bad? Why didn't you tell me?"
Persephone shrugged. "It's nothing I couldn't handle. At least not with his help."
Celeste studied her, searching for more inf
ormation, but Persephone didn't cave. Her friend worried about her, about the burden she faced with the talisman. But with the magnitude of Celeste’s own responsibilities, Persephone didn’t want to add to her load.
"Hmm." Celeste’s lips pursed. "So, what is he doing here?" she finally asked.
Zander coughed. "He is here to watch Persephone's back."
"I'm sure she can find someone else more... concerned with her well being."
Persephone stepped between them. "Whoa whoa. Down, guys." She turned to Zander. "Could you give us a minute? I think there's a few things we need to discuss."
He nodded tightly and moved to browse the shelves.
Persephone grabbed Celeste's arm, dragging her to the opposite side of the room.
"Ouch!"
"Sorry." Persephone hissed and released her friend. Celeste was only trying to protect her, but seeing her attack Zander just pissed Persephone off. Stupid lingering feelings.
Zander was hers to deal with. Hers to punish.
"Look." Persephone tossed her thick hair behind her shoulder. "I didn't want to worry you. But my defenses weren't strong enough. The only reason I made it through the first night was because Zander helped me strengthen them.”
Celeste's mouth gaped. "How?"
Persephone shifted, cringing against how Celeste would react. "We joined."
"Damn it!"
"Shhhh!"
"You shouldn't have done that. I can't even imagine what it felt like to connect with him again. I should have been there."
"There's no point in assigning blame. The fact is, he's helped so much. And not just with the boundary spells." She gripped the bracelet again.
Celeste's eyes widened, glancing between the talisman and her friend. "You didn't," she breathed. "You used it?"
Her spine stiffened. "I had to. I was alone against five hunters. I would have died."
"You could have died anyway. How long were you out?"
She winced. "Two days."
"Two days!" Celeste paced away for a moment before coming back.
Persephone glanced at Zander, making sure he couldn't overhear them. "He saved me. He found me and took me to Juliette’s. I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't been there." She still didn’t know how she felt about that, how it changed her feelings for him.
The Witching Craft (The Witches of Redwood Falls 2) Page 4