The Vampire's Cursed Kiss (Shadowvale Book 2)

by Kristen Painter

After she finished squeezing the water out of her hair so her curls could air-dry as much as possible, she dug her purchases out of the shopping bag they were still in. She’d been too tired last night to put them away. Hopefully, they weren’t too wrinkled.

  As she pulled the clothes out, she realized something extra had been added to the bag. Another small brown bag was tucked inside. She opened it, dumping the contents on the bed. More jewelry. A cute pair of silver hoops and three beaded stretch bracelets in colors that matched the clothing she’d bought.

  There was a note, too.

  A couple extra pieces on the house. Enjoy!

  Wow. What a thoughtful and nice thing to do. Because Andi hadn’t gotten any daytime jewelry, just the sparkly stuff for the evening. What a great way to ensure repeat business, because she was definitely getting Con to take her back to Stella’s Bargain Bin for her family dinner outfit.

  For this morning’s meeting, however, she went with the dark jeans, a black T-shirt, the funky appliqued cardigan, and the leopard shorty boots. It was totally her style, but not too crazy, she hoped, for the witch.

  Hey, witches were a little left of center, right? This outfit shouldn’t raise any eyebrows.

  Another twenty minutes and she was made up, her curls were sufficiently dry and tamed, and she was dressed. She headed back to the kitchen to wait on Con.

  There was no waiting. He was already there, sitting at the counter drinking another cup of coffee with Chloe at his feet.

  His brows shot up. “You’re ready early.”

  “Am I?”

  “I figured another ten to fifteen minutes, easy.” He stood.

  She shrugged. “Picking out my clothes didn’t take long.”

  He laughed. “I don’t suppose it did. That reminds me. You’ll need something for tonight.”

  She stretched her arms out. “I could wear this, but I’m thinking it’s too casual. I’d rather have something a little dressier. I want your family to like me.”

  “They will. Your outfit doesn’t matter.” He hesitated. “Okay, it might matter a little to my mother. Don’t worry, Fletcher can watch the shop if we need to visit Stella’s again.”

  “That would be great.” A new thought occurred to her, about what his family would think when she left, but she kept that to herself.

  “You want another cup of coffee before we go? We have time.”

  She shook her head. “I’m already jittery enough.”

  “Then we can go. I just need to open one of the back windows for Chloe. She likes to sit at the screen and watch birds. Then I’ll take the scenic route to Amelia’s, but I don’t think she’ll mind if we’re early.”

  Andi rubbed her hands together. Getting this help could change everything.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Constantin left the bayou and took the roundabout route through town to show Andi more of Shadowvale. The town was nicely lit in the evenings, but seeing something by daylight, such as it was in Shadowvale, was still different.

  She watched out the window with great interest. “I know you said the sun never shines here, but that didn’t really sink in until now. It’s bright enough, for sure, but there’s definitely not a hint of sun.”

  “Like I said, it shines above the twilight line, but that’s not a place any sane vampire would go.”

  “I’m sure.” She tilted her head to see the sky better. “But always overcast below that, huh?”

  “Always. You get used to it.”

  “I’m sure. But at first, that might be a little…depressing.”

  “Not for a vampire. Not when the alternative is death-by-sunlight or being trapped indoors all day.”

  She snorted. “Well, when you put it that way.”

  “There are places in town you can go for artificial sunlight.”

  “Really? That might do the trick.”

  She was talking like she was considering staying in town after her curse was lifted. Was that because of her feelings for him? Constantin figured it had to be. Why else would she stay here? She obviously had a life somewhere else.

  She sat back and faced forward again. “So what’s this Amelia like?”

  How did one describe Amelia Marchand? “She’s…a very interesting character. Old, but she doesn’t look it because of her magic and the magic of this town. Both of which are very strong. She’s crucial to Shadowvale’s existence. She’s the reason many of us are here. Especially my family.”

  “Oh?”

  He nodded. “My great-uncle, Pasqual, essentially did to her what Miranda did to me.”

  In his peripheral vision, he could see Andi’s mouth come open. “And you guys live here? And she doesn’t make life miserable for your family?”

  “Not at all. She’s the reason we’re here.”

  “I need to know more of this story.”

  “She was so deeply in love with Pasqual that she wanted to give him the best gift she could think of. A place where he could daywalk, but without fear of the sun. So she created this town for Pasqual. From what I understand, the sacrifice—and the magic—involved was tremendous.”

  “I can imagine. Why would your uncle walk away from such a gift? And a woman who clearly loved him more than herself.”

  “No one really knows. But as you can imagine, when he left she was beyond heartbroken.”

  Andi stared at her hands neatly folded in her lap. “I’m not sure I can imagine that, actually.”

  “I assure you, it was devastating.” He knew from personal experience all too well what that pain felt like. “Amelia wasn’t just hurt, she was also incredibly lonely, too.”

  “All alone in a town? That would be a little eerie.”

  “There were a few other families in town, but nothing like the population we have today. Anyway, because of that loneliness—and, I suppose, the desire for some kind of connection that was as close to family as she could hope for—she reached out to my parents and invited them to move here.”

  “And they did? I mean, obviously, but that had to be weird. Strained, at least.”

  “I don’t know if it was or not, my parents don’t talk about it much. But the timing was right. Accusations of being a vampire had been made against my mother—her already suspicious seamstress found a vial of blood in the pocket of a dress that needed alterations—and things were pretty hot for them. So moving made a lot of sense. Especially to a place as safe and hidden as Shadowvale.”

  She peered at him. “You make it sound like you didn’t come with them.”

  “I didn’t. Neither did Valentino. Only my sisters still lived with them at the time. But after a few years of them being here, we came, too. My cousin Isabelle joined us about a year later. Life in Shadowvale for a vampire is unlike life anywhere else.”

  “I bet it is. The no-sunlight thing has to be life-changing.”

  “More than that. We don’t have to hide who we are. We aren’t feared. And our particular nutritional needs are taken care of with a regular delivery service. It’s the best of being a vampire combined with the best of being human.”

  “That is pretty nice. But there are a lot of other kinds of supernaturals that live here, too, right?”

  “All kinds. And there are humans that live here, too. But everyone comes here for one reason. Because of their own personal curse. Shadowvale is a safe haven for everyone who’s different. No one has to live in fear of being an outsider here. Being different is pretty much expected.”

  “That’s kind of amazing.” She squinted a little. “And the witch we’re going to see started this whole town?”

  “Yes.”

  Andi shook her head and let out a little whistle. “She must be loaded.”

  “She is, but the town essentially pays for itself through the gem mines that inhabit the mountains surrounding Shadowvale.”

  Andi’s eyebrows rose. “Gem mines? For real?”

  He nodded. “It’s a big business. It’s the main business. There’s a whole team of lapidaries tha
t—”

  “Lap-a-whats?”

  “Gem cutters. There’s a whole team of them that work on the best and biggest stones that are unearthed. But a lot of the smaller ones are sold as rough, too.”

  “Wow.” She let out a little laugh. “Do Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs live here, too?”

  “Yes. Well, sort of.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “Now you’re just messing with me.”

  He snorted. “No, I’m not, I swear. But she prefers to be called Bianca Wynters.”

  “That’s wild. For real?”

  “I promise. She runs the Red Apple Bed and Breakfast that faces the big park in the middle of the residential district. Although it’s not so much a B&B as it is a boardinghouse.”

  “If you tell me there are seven rooms—”

  “No, there are eight.” He paused for effect. “She lives in one, after all.”

  Andi’s gaze was stuck to him. She inched forward until her seat belt strained. “Do miners live there?”

  “They do.”

  “And are they dwarfs?”

  “They are. But you know they’re not really that small, right? Short, yes, but solid like linebackers. Hardy stock, those guys. And hard workers, too.”

  She sat back, waving her hand. “I know all about dwarfs. I dated one years ago. Good guy. Never liked it when I ate apples.”

  “They’re a superstitious bunch, aren’t they?”

  “They are.” She laughed. “How do you know all this?”

  “Bianca’s a vampire. You get to know your own kind after a while.” He shrugged. “In a town like this, you get to know almost everyone. I even know the alpha of the werewolf pack, Rico Martinez. Met him when he came into my shop to order a book on rugby.”

  “Werewolves and vampires getting along… I had no idea this town was so wild!”

  “Never a dull moment in Shadowvale.” He turned onto Hollows Lane.

  Andi went quiet for a few moments. “There are some impressive houses here. Not that yours isn’t. Your place is great. But these are kind of…”

  “Grand?” He nodded. “Amelia set the tone for that with her home, I’m sure. Hard to build something on the same street as hers without trying to live up to a little of that.”

  “Big house, huh?”

  “Very. The grounds around it are quite something, too.”

  “And she lives there alone?”

  “She did for almost her entire life here, but recently her niece moved to town and now lives there as well.”

  “That’s nice that she has company now.”

  “Oh, she had company. She has a staff. But Emeranth is family, so that’s different. Having her around has helped Amelia a lot.”

  Andi went silent and stared at her hands again, making Constantin wonder if she was thinking about her sister. For as poorly as he and Valentino got on, neither had ever done anything as harsh as cursing the other into a book.

  He pulled into Amelia’s driveway, glad for the new distraction. “We’re here.”

  Her head lifted, and she sucked in a soft breath. “You weren’t kidding about this house. Amazing.”

  “Wait until you see the inside.”

  He parked near the front door, then got out as Andi hopped out, too.

  Beckett, Amelia’s majordomo, opened one of the doors. “Mr. Thibodeaux. Good morning.”

  “Good morning, Beckett. This is my friend, Andromeda Merriweather. I spoke to Amelia about her.”

  Beckett smiled at Andi. “Miss Merriweather, welcome to Indigo House. I’m the majordomo here.”

  “Thank you. Nice to meet you.” Andi clasped her hands in front of her and smiled back without her usual enthusiasm. Was she nervous? Maybe. Probably smart, considering who Amelia was.

  “We’re a little early,” Constantin said.

  “It’s fine,” Beckett assured him. “Amelia’s already in the sitting room. Follow me.”

  Andi gave Constantin a look that confirmed her nerves.

  Without hesitation, he reached out and took her hand.

  She seemed surprised by that for a moment, then smiled gratefully.

  Then the house distracted her with its luxurious interior. As they followed Beckett, Andi’s head turned like it was on a swivel. Constantin had no doubts she’d have a lot to say about it later.

  At the doors to the sitting room, Beckett stopped and announced them. “Your guests are here, Amelia. Mr. Thibodeaux and Miss Merriweather.”

  Amelia stood. “Come in, Constantin.”

  “Thank you for seeing us, Amelia.”

  She gestured to the couch across from her chair, which was pulled close to the crackling fire in the fireplace. “For you? Of course.”

  He put his hand on Andi’s elbow. “This is my friend, Andromeda. As I told you on the phone, she’s the one I released from the book.”

  Amelia didn’t extend her hand to greet Andi, but she nodded with great concern. “I’m so glad Constantin was able to free you.”

  “So am I,” Andi answered. “Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Marchand.”

  “Amelia will do. Please, sit.”

  Constantin let Andi go ahead of him, then they both took a seat on the couch.

  Beckett gave a short bow. “Unless there will be anything else?”

  Amelia glanced at them. “Would you care for something to drink? Coffee? Tea?”

  “No, thank you. I’m fine,” Andi said.

  “So am I,” Constantin added. “We don’t want to take up any more of your time than necessary.”

  Amelia gestured at Beckett. “That will be all.”

  He left, and Amelia settled herself a little deeper into her chair. “This spell, who cast it?”

  Constantin let Andi speak.

  She cleared her throat. “My sister did. But we’re sprites, so we don’t have that kind of magic. I’m sure she bought the spell from a witch, but I don’t know who.”

  Amelia nodded. “I see. That witch should be ashamed of herself. At best, a spell like that is gray magic. At worst, it’s a virtual death sentence, making it black magic. How long were you bound?”

  Andi twisted her hands together. “I was in the book for almost a year. And it wasn’t a very nice book.”

  Amelia’s brows lifted, and she looked at Constantin.

  “The Hidden History of Insane Asylums in 19th Century Europe,” he supplied.

  “I see,” Amelia said. “That does sound dreadful. What are the terms of the curse? The limitations? Tell me what you know.”

  “First of all,” Andi started, “my wings are gone. I don’t know if my sister did that separately, or if it’s part of the curse, but without them I have very little power or magic. I’m not even sure I can take on my full sprite form. Secondly, Con and I are tethered. We can’t be more than a hundred feet from each other, tops.”

  Amelia nodded like she was taking mental notes. “And to break the spell?”

  Con chimed in since he knew this one. “Three genuine kisses, forty-eight hours apart.”

  Amelia’s gaze narrowed. “Interesting.” She looked pointedly at Andi. “Anything else?”

  Andi shook her head, saying nothing.

  Amelia sighed. “If you were still in the book, I could probably do more, but since you’ve been released, the spell is well underway. It’s a much more difficult proposition.”

  Andi’s hands stopped fidgeting. “But can you do anything?”

  “I don’t know.” Amelia paused. “It’s like stopping a rolling car. At five miles an hour, you could just stand in front of it and bring it to a stop with neither you nor the car any worse for wear. But try that at sixty miles an hour, and it’s not the car that’s going to get hurt. While you were in the book, the curse was going at five miles an hour. Now that you’re out, it’s moving at a good clip. Understand?”

  Andi let out a long breath and nodded. “Yes. And if there’s any chance you might be hurt, then I don’t want you to even think about it.”

  Amelia of
fered them a gentle smile. “There might be something else I can do.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Andi felt as torn and twisted up as an old rag. She couldn’t tell Amelia the truth about the curse, not with Con sitting right next to her. But maybe it didn’t matter anyway, since as the woman had pointed out, the curse was already well underway and nearly impossible to stop. Still, she had to act like anything that could be done was good news.

  So she smiled hopefully. “What do you think you can do?”

  Amelia tilted her head, her eyes bright. “I believe I can break the tether.”

  Andi hung on to her smile. “That would be…great.”

  Except it wouldn’t be. Not really. Her proximity to Con was an important part of the process in getting him to fall for her. Without that magical tether, he could put her in a hotel. And out of sight was out of mind.

  Then his big hand closed over her knee. “That would be great.” He smiled at her. “You could go shopping on your own. Explore the town. You wouldn’t be stuck in the shop with me, bored silly.”

  “I wouldn’t be bored, but it would be nice.” She tried to be positive. “I could run down to one of the restaurants nearby and get us lunch.”

  He gave her knee a reassuring squeeze that didn’t jive with the look in his eyes. “You could get a room in town, too, if you wanted to.”

  She didn’t have to try to look earnest, because her words were coming from her heart. “I don’t want to. I’d much rather stay with you. If that’s okay.”

  “Of course it’s okay.”

  She exhaled. He was such a kind man. Kinder than she deserved. But maybe…she could be better. Maybe she could become the sort of woman that he already thought she was. People could change, couldn’t they? “Thank you.”

  Amelia shifted in her chair. “Then are you interested in attempting the separation?”

  Still feeling some reluctance, Andi nodded. “Yes.”

  Amelia stood. “It’ll take me a few moments to create the counterspell. And I’ll need a lock of hair from both of you.”

  Con got to his feet. “Take what you need.”

  Andi nodded as she rose. “Yes, whatever you need.”

  Amelia lifted the thin chain around her neck, pulling it free of her brilliantly colored caftan. At the end of the chain was a small pair of petite gold scissors. “I had a feeling I’d need these today.”