Page 43 of Minnie

Where I can go to watch Amber and her guys be all lovey-dovey. Fun, indeed.

“And it’s not a couple’s cruise or anything. Maybe you’ll even meet someone.”

I already met someone, not that Amber knows anything about that. And I don’t even know what he really looks like, because he kept shifting into other people. It’s probably just another curse of my mother’s. And honestly, even if it’s not, how am I supposed to date with Formula M and the curse messing things up every step of the way?

Amber seems to tell her arguments aren’t working, because she clasps her hands together in front of her chest. “Please, please, pretty please? You’d be doing me a huge favor. This babymoon is really important to me, Minnie.”

Which is what really gets me. “Okay, fine… if the null witch thing doesn’t cancel out the curse, I’ll go on your babymoon with you.” And suffer through it, because that’s the least I can do for Amber.

Except, I belatedly remind myself, I can’t afford it!

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Amber cries. “I’d get up and hug you, but it takes so much effort to stand up and sit back down. Can I just give you an air hug?”

And, because Formula M isn’t much for hugs, I cross the room and give Amber a real one. It feels nice. Almost like we truly are friends. Which we’re not. Amber’s just stuck with me. But maybe, if we break this curse, she won’t have to be.

I turn to Delphine. “How’s this going to work? You take off your necklace, and poof, curse broken?”

Delphine shakes her head. “I nullify powers while I’m around.”

Amber runs her hands over her belly in slow circles, and I wonder if the babies are kicking again. “But there’s a chance the effects could be permanent, right? That the curse won’t come back once it’s nullified?”

“It’s not impossible,” Delphine says, though she doesn’t sound overly confident.

My stomach clenches. “Do either of you have any gum?”

Amber and Delphine both shake their heads.

I try to take slow, deep breaths instead. Even if the nullifying effects are temporary, maybe I can handcuff myself to her for a week. Amber and her guys go on the cruise. I don’t die. Win-win. And I can always figure out how to convince Delphine after we make sure her powers actually work.

Amber’s phone dings, and she glances at it. “Julian’s got the Cleanly Den van parked—”

“At the edge of town,” I finish for her. I can no longer feel him there, but it’s where he’s gone the other gazillion times we’ve tried this. Like the time Violet’s mate, Cash, tried an ancient ritual he found in an old library book—no luck. And the time Amber was convinced that if I truly ‘believe’ the curse is gone, it will be—didn’t work. And when we sacrificed a necklace of my mother’s that she forgot to take back after she disowned me—didn’t do a lick of good.

Amber claps her hands. “Okay, once I give Julian the go-ahead, he’ll start driving toward Scarborough. Delphine, the curse keeps Minnie tethered to Julian. If he gets too far, it hurts her, and she has to follow… or he has to come back. We’ve already marked how far he can get when Minnie’s wearing the magic dampener… and when she’s not.”

I run my fingers along the black pendant. “It isn’t strong enough to cancel out the curse, but it weakens it enough that I no longer feel where Julian is, and he can get a lot further away before it kicks in.”

Delphine nods.

“We should probably test Delphine’s powers first,” I add. “Before Julian starts driving. Just in case they’re not as powerful as the magic dampener.”

Delphine reaches for her necklace. “Does that mean you want me to take this off?”

Amber and I both nod.

Delphine removes her necklace and all three of Amber’s cribs collapse and fall to the floor.

“Oh, shit,” Delphine cries.

Amber looks a little pale as she stares at the broken cribs.

I try for a joke. “At least the babies haven’t been born yet.” Talk about lame.

Amber nods. “I think we’ll have to buy new cribs. Non-magical ones this time. Just to be safe.”

“Sorry again,” Delphine adds.

“No, Minnie’s right. It’s good that we found out now, before the babies got here.” Look at me, giving practical life advice.