Eternal Love: (The Cursed Series, Book 4)

by Kara Leigh Miller

  Closing my locker, I faced him. “How do you feel about August eighth?” I asked.

  “What’s significant about that date?” A hint of a smile tugged at his lips.

  “It’s my mom’s birthday.”

  And by then, I’d be nineteen, so maybe Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean would chill out a little about me getting married.

  He hesitated, then reached over and trailed his fingers down the side of my face. I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch.

  “I don’t want to wait that long,” he said.

  “I know. I don’t, either, but I want my family there, and we need to give them some time.” I stepped closer. “We could always have a June wedding.”

  “No.” He traced my bottom lip. “If you want to get married on your mom’s birthday, then that’s what we’re going to do.” He gave me a tender kiss. “Just promise me you won’t push it back any further.”

  “I won’t,” I promised.

  Sure, it would be nice to get married on my mom’s birthday; it would be like she was there, like I was somehow honoring her memory by doing the one thing that made me happy, but at the same time, I wasn’t sure I wanted to wait that long, either. We could pick any random date, and it would be special because it would be the day I committed my human self to Trent forever.

  “Can we leave?” I asked. “I really don’t want to be here right now.”

  Trent’s only response was to whisk me to his truck with vampire speed and deposit me into the front seat. I blinked, trying to regain my equilibrium. I’d be glad when I no longer got dizzy from that type of speed. My phone buzzed with an incoming message.

  Isach: TODAY. 4 PM. MEET ME IN SCHOOL PARKING LOT.

  My heartrate spiked. There was only one thing his message could mean—he was ready to meet with Ivy. My hands trembled as I sent back a quick reply to let him know I’d be there.

  Trent climbed into the truck and glanced at my phone that I held clutched in my hand. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I was just letting Abby know I was ditching,” I said.

  I hooked my seat belt, and for the first time ever, I didn’t care if Aunt Beth found out I was skipping school. I’d been the topic of gossip all day, and I needed a break. Not that Aunt Beth would understand; she’d been the first one to assume I was pregnant.

  “My house?” he asked.

  “Sure.” I rested my head on the back of the seat and closed my eyes.

  “I know today hasn’t been easy for you with everyone assuming you’re pregnant, but—”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” I turned my head toward him and forced a smile. “I get it’s weird that we’re engaged so young, and no one understands why, but it’s not like we can really explain it to them, right? So, as you said, ignore them.”

  Trent reached across the seat and took my hand. “The rumors will die off eventually.”

  “Yeah, in about four months when people realize I’m not sporting a baby bump.” My tone was bitter, and I sighed. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” He gave my hand a squeeze.

  Normally, his unwavering support and understanding was comforting, but today, it was driving me crazy.

  “How are you so calm?” I asked. “Doesn’t it bother you that people think the only reason we’re getting married is because you knocked me up?”

  He laughed, and I glared at him. His laughter died, and he cleared his throat. “It bothers me because I can see how much it bothers you, but I don’t know why it’s bugging you so much. We know the truth, so who cares what anyone else thinks,” he said.

  Instant, hot tears sprang to my eyes. “Because I want it to be true, Trent. Not that that’s the only reason you’re marrying me, but that I’m pregnant.” My voice gave out, and I covered my face with my hands. God, what was wrong with me? I’d been so emotional lately.

  Trent pulled into his driveway, unhooked my seat belt, and dragged me across the seat so I was next to him. I buried my face against his shoulder and sobbed.

  He held me, rubbing my back, not saying a word. At this rate, he was going to change his mind about marrying me and insist I should find someone who could give me the life he couldn’t, and I didn’t have the energy to have that argument with him again.

  “Sorry,” I said after a moment. Straightening, I wiped my tears. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m fine. I promise.” I forced a smile.

  Trent frowned. “You don’t seem fine,” he said carefully.

  “I am. Just hearing everyone whispering about me being pregnant brought up a lot of feelings and stuff.” I picked at my fingernails, fighting against the wave of rising emotions.

  “Chloe, honey, I need to know you’re okay with all of this, because once you change, there’s no going back, so if you have any doubts or—”

  My head jerked up, eyes wide, terror clawing at my chest. “I don’t.” I shook my head adamantly. Panic gnawed at my brain. “I want an eternity with you. I want that more than anything.”

  He remained silent.

  “Please tell me you know that.” Fresh tears pooled in my eyes. I should’ve kept my big mouth shut about the whole pregnancy thing. When he still didn’t speak, I whispered through trembling lips, “Trent?”

  Finally, he looked at me, and I held my breath. “I hate that you have to choose between me and being a mom,” he said.

  “I don’t,” I said forcefully. “We can adopt, remember?” My tone was frantic. “Unless… have you changed your mind about changing me?”

  “No.” He angled his body toward me. “I will never change my mind about that.”

  He took my face in his hands and drew me closer, his lips working against mine with a sort of desperate tenderness.

  “I love you, Chloe, and if there was a time longer than eternity, I’d want it with you,” he whispered.

  My breath hitched, and I nodded, leaning against his chest. “I’d want that with you, too.”

  I vowed right then and there that I’d ignore every last rumor at school, and that I’d do whatever it took to make a deal with Ivy; not just for my own selfish reasons, but to help ease Trent’s guilt over feeling like he was making me choose between him and motherhood, however misplaced it was.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE:

  The Cost of Magic

  WHEN TRENT DROPPED ME BACK OFF at the school, I rushed inside to find Abby. “Hey,” I said, out of breath. “I need to stay after today so I can get caught up on all the stuff I missed.”

  “Yeah, okay.” She tilted her head, eyes narrowed. “I can let Mom know.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled, then turned to go to my locker.

  I really didn’t need anything, but I had to waste some time until my meeting with Isach and Ivy. Thank God I had my own car now and didn’t have to rely on Abby.

  Once the hallways were mostly empty, I headed out to the student parking lot, which was also nearly empty. I climbed into my SUV and turned on the radio. I still had close to thirty minutes. Ugh. What was I supposed to do? Nerves warred inside of me, making it impossible to sit still.

  “Hey.” Isach knocked on the window, and I gasped with surprise. He was early.

  I pushed the button to put the window down. “Hey,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound as nervous as I felt. “So, what’s going on?”

  “Do you still want to meet with Ivy?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I said without hesitation. “Are you sure you’re okay with this, though?”

  He shrugged. “It can’t hurt to talk to her, but I’m not making any deals today,” he said, his voice stern and leaving no room for argument.

  “That’s fine,” I said. I wasn’t planning to make any deals today, either. I simply wanted information that I could share with Trent.

  “Follow me,” he said; then he strode to his car and got in before I had the chance to ask him if he knew where Ivy was staying.

  I did as he said and followed him out of town. He finally stopped at Ivy’s condemned-looking hou
se. Seriously, why didn’t she do something about the exterior?

  Unease swirled in my gut as I got out of the car. “How did you know where she was staying?” I asked.

  “I can sense her magic.” He rolled his eyes. “She must think I’m stupid.”

  “Why?” I rushed to keep up with him.

  “I can feel the magic she used to protect herself. It’s thick, but I can get through it if I have to.” He grinned proudly. “Like this could stop my coven from attacking her.” He shook his head.

  “Let’s not have any magical wars, okay? We’re just here to talk.” I stepped onto the porch, and the front door swung open.

  The same thing had happened when Trent and I came here to talk to her. Did she have security cameras installed? Or could she just sense us somehow? I glanced at Isach, momentarily debating if we should actually go inside. He nodded, and I crossed the threshold.

  “Hello, Chloe.” Ivy sat on the same cream-colored couch as before.

  “Ivy,” I said with a small nod. “I’m sure you remember Isach.” I motioned toward him.

  “Of course.” Ivy’s smile was tight, her eyes narrowed with distrust. “Please, sit.”

  Hesitantly, I sat in one of the empty chairs. Isach remained standing, though he shifted closer to me.

  “I see you’re still human,” Ivy said, a hint of disappointment in her tone.

  I tilted my head. “We both know when it comes time for me to change, you’ll be notified,” I said.

  She did remember she promised to unlink me and Trent, didn’t she? I shifted uncomfortably in the chair, suddenly feeling like maybe the deal Trent and I had made with her wasn’t as solid as we’d thought. Which meant being here now, trying to make yet another deal, was extremely stupid.

  “Of course,” Ivy said. Her gaze darted to Isach, then settled back on me. “Well, enough with the formalities. There’s only one reason you’d bring a Zoya here.”

  My heart jackhammered, and my breath was ragged. “You said you could help me and Trent have a child.” I licked my dry lips. “And that it would require an upfront payment. Well, Isach’s here, so tell us what all of this entails.”

  “You’re the only one who can do a spell like this, Ivy, so why am I here?” Isach asked, arms crossed.

  Ivy smiled. “You’d be correct about that.” Her entire demeanor was smug, as if she was somehow superior. “I am Chloe’s only hope at motherhood.”

  I tucked my hands under my legs and curled my fingers against the cushion in anger. I hated how so much of my life, my future, rested in Ivy’s hands.

  “You’re not strong enough to do the spell on your own,” Isach said, arrogance filling his tone.

  Ivy’s smile faded. “Sadly, you’d be correct about that, too.” She uncrossed her legs and smoothed her skirt over her knees. “I would be if the curse was broken.”

  “If it’s broken, that means I’m a vampire, and I can’t conceive that way. So…” I shrugged. I glanced up at Isach. His expression was guarded, his body tense.

  “Yes, we do have quite the conundrum, don’t we?” Ivy stood and paced around the back of the couch, her dozens of bracelets jingling with each step. “What do you propose we do, Chloe?”

  I cleared my throat and sat up straighter. “Isach will give you the magical boost you need to do the spell. Then—”

  “Chloe.” Isach gripped my shoulder and shook his head. “Before we make any deals, we need to know what the spell entails and what the consequences are for using such powerful magic.”

  I sighed. He was right. We needed information before I could make a decision, and I still needed to talk to Trent about all of this, too.

  “It’s a potion, not a spell.” Ivy stopped pacing and faced Isach, arms crossed. Then she rambled off a long list of ingredients she’d need, and I didn’t know what any of them were.

  “Chloe and Trent will have to drink it before… Well, you know,” she said. Her cheeks turned pink, and my eyebrows shot up. She was embarrassed?

  “And then what?” Isach asked, his tone firm and level.

  I was grateful he was here because I wouldn’t have any idea what questions to ask or what any of it meant. He was going to have to explain it to me when we left.

  “Then, they will conceive.” Ivy resumed pacing, and I wanted to scream at her to just sit down. She was making me dizzy with her constant back and forth.

  “How does it work, Ivy? The potion? How does it make it possible for them to conceive?” Isach shifted like he was preparing to fight—or flee. I didn’t know which.

  At one time, I’d been terrified of him, and now… I considered him a friend, someone I could trust. When had that happened?

  “The male body can produce sperm its entire life. Though Trent is technically dead, he still has a heartbeat, he still produces certain bodily fluids, including sperm. It’s just not… alive.” She grimaced as if that was painful to say. “The potion will basically bring his sperm back to life, making it so he can impregnant you.” Her gaze landed on me for a moment. “And for you, this potion will make you extremely fertile.”

  I swallowed hard, my heart beating hard in my throat. That was it? A simple potion we had to drink? It seemed too good to be true, which meant the cost had to be astronomical.

  Tempering the hope building in my chest, I took a deep breath. “That’s all there is to it?” I asked.

  Ivy nodded. “That’s it. But you have to understand… I’m altering your bodies. It’s very powerful magic.”

  “What’re the consequences?” I whispered, my gaze never wavering from hers. “There are consequences, right?”

  “Always.” She moved to sit on the couch again, and her expression softened.

  For a fleeting moment, I thought she might truly care about me, about what this meant to me, how it would affect my and Trent’s life.

  “What are they?” I asked again.

  “That’s not really important right now, Chloe, because as you were so quick to point out, I can’t even make the potion. I’m not strong enough.” Her eyes narrowed.

  “I can give you a magical boost,” Isach said, his posture still as stiff as ever. Just looking at him made my muscles ache. “Now, the consequences. What are they?”

  Ivy leaned back, an amused smile lifting her lips. “And why would you do that, Zoya? It’s because of you my coven is weakened. Why are you so willing to help Chloe? Seems to me you’d want her dead so she won’t break the curse your family put on the Halsteads.” Her words dripped with venom. Sitting forward, she clasped her hands in front of her. “Tell me what’s in this for you, and then I’ll tell you what the consequences are.”

  The room fell silent, and dread landed in my stomach like a lead weight. Isach didn’t trust Ivy any more than I did, and there was no way he’d risk her finding out about Abby. And that meant Isach probably wouldn’t answer Ivy’s questions. If he didn’t, there was no way Ivy would help me.

  “This curse was long before my time,” he said through clenched teeth. “I want no part of it anymore, so if I can help Chloe get what she wants so she’ll be willing to break this curse, then I’m going to help her.”

  Shock zipped through me. Not that I didn’t know all of that already, but I was impressed with how he managed to answer her while keeping Abby a secret.

  “Despite what you think, Ivy, you’re not the only one who wants this curse broken,” Isach said, his tone ringing with sincerity.

  “That’s certainly an interesting development.” Ivy stood again. “Would either of you like a cup of tea?”

  “No,” we both said at the same time.

  “The consequences?” He raised a brow.

  “Just one more question.” Ivy wandered around the room, inspecting the décor as if she’d never seen any of it before. “What’s in this for me?” She raised a brow, pinning me with an unflinching stare.

  “Of course, you want something.” I rolled my eyes. Didn’t anyone ever do anything just because?
r />   “Yes, I do.” Ivy nodded. “Everything comes at a cost.”

  I was not in the mood to listen to her launch into one of her lectures. “What more do you want from me, Ivy?” I stood and flexed my fingers, unable to sit a second longer. “I’ve already sworn a blood oath to break the curse.”

  A sinister smile flashed across Ivy’s face, then vanished. “It’s not you who will have to pay the price for this.” Her gaze darted to Isach. “He will.”

  A chill wiggled up my spine, and I slowly turned to glance at Isach. So, Ivy didn’t just need him to help with the spell; she wanted something more from him. But what? I was afraid to ask.

  The muscle in Isach’s jaw ticked, and I held my breath. Please don’t let him lose his temper and do something stupid. Ivy was my only chance at motherhood. I couldn’t risk this meeting going badly. Not that it was going super great right now, but at least she was talking to us.

  “What do you want?” Isach bit out.

  Ivy’s normal, deceivingly friendly smile was back in place. She walked with purposeful strides and stood in front of Isach. “Immunity from your coven,” she said. “You barged into my home, destroyed every magical warding I had in place, stole Chloe and Jax from me, and then your coven made a move against me, demanding answers.”

  A silent stare off ensued, and my heart threatened to erupt from my chest. Even I knew Isach had no control over what his coven did or didn’t do. There was no way he could promise immunity.

  “You know I don’t have that kind of authority,” Isach finally said. “I’m sorry they moved against you. I tried to convince them not to.”

  Had he really? I couldn’t tell if he was lying or not.

  “I know, which is why I want your blood oath that should they make another move, you will stand with me and my coven.” Her voice was much too self-assured and gleeful, almost like she knew she was asking for the impossible and enjoyed toying with us, with me.

  “You want me to stand against my own coven?” he asked.

  For the first time since we arrived, Isach’s stoic demeanor faltered, and my stomach sank. There was no way he’d agree to that.