“Waxing gibbous,” Evander says.
“That was correct as well.”
“So the curse probably happened that night?” I ask.
“It would appear so.” Tabatha sets the crystal down and puts her hand on Lucas’s chest. “Then what happened?”
“We went about our day, and I met Abby in Chicago. Lucas came up once the sun set, and that’s when we went to the bar.”
“You said the air felt funny,” Lucas tells me. “And it did.”
“Right, but we couldn’t tell why. It was the curse settling in, wasn’t it?”
Tabatha nods. “Your binding is strong. What spell did you use?”
“I don’t know. I just made it up, and Lucas told me whatever I said was spoken in Enochain.”
“That’s probably why it worked. The curse has been halted in a way I’ve never seen before.” Her eyes meet mine. “You saved him, Callie.”
I get hit with emotion, terrified of how close I came to losing the love of my life.
“I will reinforce it with another binding as we figure out the curse. Is Professor Harrison on his way?” she asks Evander.
“Yes, he won’t be here until nightfall, though.”
“Who’s that?” Eliza asks, not liking the idea of a stranger coming into the house.
“A professor from another Academy who’s spent years researching dark curses and how to break them.”
“I don’t want to owe anyone a favor.” Eliza crosses her arms.
“He’s quite eager to expand his research,” Evander assures her. “And he’s an old friend. Witches and warlocks help one another without expecting anything in return, unlike vampires.”
I set my jaw and give Evander a pointed look. Not now.
“Did you tell him the curse is on a vampire?” I reach down and run my fingers through Lucas’s hair.
“I did, and I trust his discretion on this. A curse strong enough to affect a nearly two-thousand-year-old vampire is one hell of a strong curse. If—” he cuts off when Kristy elbows him. “—when we break this, it could offer much insight onto how to break curses on our kind.”
Tabatha straightens up and turns to me. “Your turn. I need to make sure the curse didn’t rebound on you when you reached in and bound it.”
“It can do that?” Lucas asks, sounding worried.
“An active curse can be thought of as a living entity,” Tabatha explains and scans the crystal over me. “Your aura has changed.”
“In a bad way?” Lucas asks and sits up too quickly. He winces and puts his hand over the wound.
“No.” Tabatha looks into my eyes, still reading my energy. “It’s stronger yet…different. Have you been able to control your powers?”
“She’s not a kid, Mother,” Evander says under his breath.
“It’s fine,” I tell him and look at my hands, remembering how I burned Lucas. In some ways, I do feel like a kid all over again, with my emotions directly affecting my powers. “I’m getting used to the extra power and know I need to be more careful to stay in control.”
“Good. We can always discuss that later. Now, why don’t you go get a cup of coffee and I’ll add another binding to the curse?”
I nod, knowing she’s kicking me out for a reason. It’s probably going to hurt, and the one they should worry about is Eliza. At least Lucas can command her to go up to the guest room if necessary.
Kristy pours us two cups of coffee, adds a ridiculous amount of sugar to hers, and motions for me to come with her onto the back porch.
I sit on the top step and sip my coffee. “Do you remember when things were simpler?”
“Since we’ve been friends?” Kristy playfully nudges me with her elbow. “Not really. Though I do remember when things weren’t so…so critical.”
Silence falls between us, and I look out at the woods. The words I haven’t even wanted to admit to myself bubble on my tongue. Closing my eyes, I voice my truth. “Do you think it’s my fault?”
“How is this your fault?”
“I don’t even know…maybe because I love Lucas and the universe is trying to get back at me for falling in love with someone I’m not supposed to be with.”
“Callie,” Kristy says slowly. “You know I’ve had a hard time getting used to the fact that you’re with a vampire, right?”
“Right.”
“But there is nothing wrong between you and Lucas. He loves you, so, so much. I’ll admit I was worried for a while—and I still think he’d do anything, no matter the cost, if it meant protecting you—but I’ve seen it firsthand. That man, that vampire, loves you in that sickening, the-hills-are-alive kind of way that I thought only existed in romance novels. And you, little miss I don’t need a man, have fallen hard for him, but not in a way that you lost your footing.”
She sets down her coffee mug and angles her body toward mine. “You two are good together. He’s good for you and made you face a lot of things you’ve been avoiding for years. The universe isn’t punishing you. If anything, the universe should punish those who say you two are wrong.”