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He exhaled sharply. “No, I'm far from all right. Someone wants to remove my Curse and they think you can help them do it.”

“You don't think I'm involved with this person, do you?”

“Of course not.”

“Good.” I exhaled roughly. “I'm sorry to ask this, but wouldn't it be good to have your Curse removed?”

Tristan jerked his head to look at me and then back at the road. “Yes, but it's not possible. I told you about Stylos.”

“Maybe Osric has found a way.”

“If he had found a way to safely remove a Curse from it's vessel, he could have put the word out, and Curses would flock to him. But he hasn't.”

“So, it probably isn't safe. Okay, then why involve me?”

Tristan frowned.

“Tristan?”

“Not out here.” He pulled into his driveway, parked beside my car, and hit the clicker to shut the gate.

We went into the house, but not to the kitchen. Instead, Tristan took me downstairs, past a heavy steel door, and closed it behind us.

“What is that for?” I motioned at the door, the sort you put on vaults.

He grimaced. “Just in case. Think of this as a safe room.”

I looked around. We stood in a room at least twelve feet wide, with a ten-foot-high ceiling. A corridor at the far side and a door to our left spoke of more rooms. A silk rug covered the hardwood floor and the furniture was antique.

“This is a hell of a safe room.”

“A safe place then.” He opened the door and went through.

I followed him into a full-sized kitchen, done in a more modern style than the one above. Stainless steel appliances, a butcher block island, and black cabinets. A table for four stood beyond the island.

“Are you hungry?” He opened the fridge.

“Why involve me?” I repeated my question.

“I don't know.”

I tried another way in. “You said the silver piece can hurt you. Can it be used to control you?”

Sighing, he straightened and closed the refrigerator. “If someone knew how to use it, yes. And please don't ask me anymore about it. I've been as honest as I can with you.”

“I'm not trying to get you to tell me more about it. I'm trying to point out that if Osric knew the piece was in the reliquary and knew it could be used to control you, why send it to me?”

Tristan frowned, his gaze sliding down. “I don't know.”

“Unless he didn't know the piece was inside.”

“But why send you the reliquary, if he didn't know about the piece? The reliquary wouldn't have drawn me on its own.”

“So, we're back to the beginning.”

“I should never have told you any of this.” He ran a hand through his hair.

“Regrets won't get us anywhere.” I took his hand. “We just need to be careful.”