Page 43 of Curse of Ancients

“No, you won’t because I won’t allow it,” Warren growled.

“Bayu, please. Like I told them, I found a way to reverse the curse.”

She looked like his auntie, but her voice was wrong. Bayu’s heart sank, but he still played the game. “Yes, and you wrote it down. What do you remember of the instructions?”

“Not much. I was in a hurry to get it all transferred to the paper before I was caught. I do know we have to use some of your blood, then we recite the words.”

“So, it was a counter curse?” Carleigh asked.

“Yes. Yes, it was.”

“How can you be sure? Do you know much about curses? Or was it labeled as the Bayu Tan counter curse?”

The woman scowled at Carleigh. “I overheard the head mage talking to one of his underlings. He told her to hide the book so I wouldn’t find it.”

Carleigh wiggled her bracelets before crossing her arms over her chest. “Yet you found it anyway? How did you manage that if you were their prisoner?”

“They do not think I can understand their language. I have not spoken to them in English since being captured.”

“Where is this paper you wrote the counter curse on?” Carleigh asked.

“In the room where they are keeping me.”

“And is that room in the main house or one of the smaller ones?” Nekoma asked.

“The smallest one. It’s the farthest from the main house. Bayu, please believe me.”

He didn’t, and that hurt his heart. “Where were you when they captured you?”

“Here. It is the address you gave me.”

Carleigh scoffed. “Try again. There are cameras all around this property, and neither you nor they were on the feed.” She pulled out her phone, and after a few seconds, she said, “Tabby, sorry to bother you, but we need Major at the safehouse. I can send Nekoma if he’s available. Great, thank you.” She thumbed off her phone, then told the fae, “He’s at the office with Erik Andino, a Hound from the Troy office who transferred to Atlanta. Since you can’t poof over there, he’s going to drive to Anthony’s.”

“That’ll take him about half an hour. In the meantime, I’m going to go to the compound and have a look around.” Nekoma opened a portal and stepped through.

“Bayu, why do you not believe me?” the woman asked.

“It’s not that I doubt you, but there is too much at stake if the mages have somehow cursed you as well. You might have the best intentions, but that doesn’t mean you cannot harm us. While we wait on Nekoma to return, please tell us everything you have learned about the Black Lotus since they kidnapped you.”

“They do not talk about themselves. They do not talk much about anything.”

“But you must have observed something. Anything you can give us will be better than nothing.”

“They kept me blindfolded until they put me in the shack.”

“If that’s true and one of the female mages hid the spell book, how were you able to get your hands on it?” Carleigh asked.

“She did not hide it as she was told to.”

Carleigh motioned with her head for Bayu to follow. Warren and Silas stood watch, and when Carleigh and Bayu were well away from the woman, she lowered her voice anyway. “I do not believe her. In fact, I don’t think this is your Gemi.”

“I do not either because this woman hasn’t once asked about Juni. Not only that, but her speech is all wrong. I believe she is one of the Black Lotus who somehow has transformed herself to look like my aunt.”

A whoosh sounded, and Nekoma reappeared with a journal in his hand. “I did not find the paper, but I did locate this.”

The woman gasped, her eyes wide. “How did you get that? It was secured in a box with a lock on it.”

“And the truth comes out. I do hate a liar.” Warren secured her hands behind her back and zip-tied them together. She fought him as best she could, but she was no match for a Gargoyle. “No more lies. Keep your mouth shut or I’ll gag you too.”