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“You were there for me, even though you’re not from our house. For that, I am grateful beyondwords.”
The midwife carried the bucket of water and birthing goo out of the room, and I closed the door behind her. My mind spun with how appreciative she was and what an opportune moment this offeredme.
“Listen, Gwenth, can I ask you something in private? Woman towoman?”
“Anything.” Her baby already suckled at herbreast.
“Is there a witch living in this manor?” The time for subtlety was out the window since I doubted I had the time to ask anyone else who exactly didmagic.
She stared at me with a piercing expression. “Why would you ask such a question?” Her voicesqueaked.
“Please, Gwenth. Someone I know is in gravedanger.”
She licked her dried lips and looked at the door, then back at me. “This can’t be repeated to anyone or I’ll lose mybaby.”
“I would do nothing to bring harm to her or you.” I reached over and touched her arm, reassuringher.
“Rek brought a witch into our home a few weeks ago. A voodoo witch from Tritonia. I saw them in the basement. One of the servant girls was down there too.” She looked down at her baby, tears cramming her eyes. “If I hadn’t been pregnant, I would have left this house thatnight.”
I flinched at the words voodoo witch from Tritonia.“What happened?” I stroked her arm. “Please.”
Her breath hitched. “Rek cut his palm and let the witch drink from his blood. Then the witch gutted the poor servant girl like a pig before bathing in the blood.” She trembled, and a tear fell down her cheek. “After that, I left. I couldn’t watchanymore.”
A chill clasped around my heart, and I loathed Rek. Death magic. “Where is the witchnow?”
“Gone. She most likely returned to her vilehome.”
And just like that, my worries were confirmed. Blood had been spilled, so the curse couldn’t be broken by a simplespell.
“Did you see Rek or the witch holding an object in their hand? A charm or jewelry box. Anything out of theusual?”
Gwenth shook her head. “Actually, the witch held something silvery in her fist, but it was too dark for me to see exactly what itwas.”
Fuck!If we found the item, it would break the curse. We had to convince Rek to hand it over. I cringed at how ridiculously impossible that sounded. But we were so close. And I’d brought all the herbs I could find to create a persuasionspell.
Talin and Raze had to get their cousin alone for me to attempt my spell. We’d show him we’d saved his mistress and baby. Surely, the man carried someempathy.
By the time I’d wiped down my stained dress and hurried back to the main room, Talin and Raze nowstood.
“How did it go?” Talinasked.
“Good, both mother and child are safe. Any news onRek?”
He shook hishead.
“I don’t want to alarm you, but…” Raze’s gaze was on the window, his next words expelled as agrowl.
Panic strangled my lungs, and I felt a sharpening ache settle in my chest, and laughter burst through my skull.Lilita.
Desperation swallowed me. I snatched Raze’s shirt and hauled him toward me. We clashed. Me on tippy toes, his hands on my back, his starved fingers pressing into my flesh. Our mouths met, fast and ferocious. Energy zapped between us, his tongue pushing forward with such ease, I parted my lips, taking him. Shivers scaled up my spine, a mixture of the goddess’s warning and my power holding Lilitaback.
“What in the world?” Len’s raw voice boomed behindme.
We jerked apart and still my skin sizzled with the need to finish what we’d started because Lilita lingered in mymind.
Len’s mouth hung open in the doorway, his limp arms hanging by his sides, as if the shock had truly left him immobile. “Raze, you’ve brought your whore to myhome?”
A growl rolled through Raze’s chest, but that was the least of my problems because a prince was gone. “Where’s Talin?” I darted into the hallway with the giant bear statue. The front door remainedclosed.
