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When my wallet was empty and her hand was full, she smiled and leaned back, counting her winnings.
“When an individual comes to me to a have a blood curse removed, we begin with a brief interview,” she explained. “Some shifters know exactly what caused their curse. Others have carried tainted blood for so many generations, they have no idea at all. And often, we are left wondering exactly what form the curse has taken. Isn’t that right, Mr. Kerry?”
Denny leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. Thankfully, he didn’t respond.
“All of these things, we must know if we intend to sever the ties that bind the curse to the blood,” Striga continued. “Following the interview, I initiate sessions of hypnosis, or, failing that, another method of guiding the victim to a trance-like state. Once achieved, I guide the victim of the curse toward a regression—a journey through their lineage, so to speak, until we can determine the root of the problem. Then it’s merely a matter of digging that root up, and… hmm, burying the hatchet in the hole, I suppose.”
“What’s that mean in plain English?” I asked Denny.
“She’s being deliberately obtuse,” he grunted. “To break a blood curse, you have to fulfill your initial oath.”
“Or reverse the damage that was done when you broke your oath,” Striga added. “That’s all.”
“That doesn’t sound that difficult.” Certainly not hard enough to warrant thousands of dollars’ worth of spiritual guidance.
“I only wish you were correct,” Striga cooed. “Then again, I would be a much less wealthy woman for it if you were. Reversing a forsaken vow… it is an art few are prepared for or capable of mastering. As Mr. Kerry would know.”
“My mother carries a blood curse,” I said quickly, before Denny could open his mouth. “It’s preventing her from feeling her connection to her mate. Is that something you could help with?”
“A very tragic thing,” Striga said sympathetically. “And a very common effect of a curse as well. Do you know what caused it?”
“Some ancient ancestor killed her brother’s mate.”
“An ancient curse. How interesting. And I do love a challenge.” She licked her lips and turned her chin up, like I’d just whipped out a filet mignon. “I would need her here to make any progress on it, of course. And we would need to determine an appropriate price—”
“Melony Houghton,” Denny interjected, which was just as well. Ma was still in a coma. Transferring her all the way out to Vegas wasn’t in the cards right now. “Do you think she’ll come back here again?”
“Of course. I have something she wants.” Striga straightened, clearly proud of that. “Just like you, Mr. Kerry, everyone always comes back.”
“When she does, will you tell her that Xander Miller wants to speak with her?”
“Tell her I’m here alone,” I added, and Striga laughed.
“Oh, how devious of you, Mr. Miller. You are a delight, aren’t you?” She tucked my money into her pocket and snapped again. A second later, the man in white reappeared. “You’ve paid me well, amused me greatly… and you’ve almost managed to mind your manners. So, I suppose I will see what I can do.”
Chapter20
Felicity
“The bait is in the water,” Xander declared over the phone. He’d called me as soon as he left Mama Striga’s. Though the news sounded positive, I heard the exhaustion in his voice. “As long as Striga makes good, I reckon Melony will be reaching out soon.”
“That’s good, right?” I held my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. In my experience over the past year, there was always another shoe, and Xander’s hesitation at the question only increased that worry. “Right?”
“I’m not exactly looking forward to it, Cheeks, but it sounds like she really does have Ryder here, and that’s definitely worth celebrating.”
“You don’t sound like you’re celebrating.” I didn’t hear any champagne bottles being popped or glasses clinking together in the background. “You sound like you’re worried and wiped.”
“Striga had an aura up while we were there,” Xander said. “It was so faint, I barely noticed it at first, but now that we’re out, I’m feeling pretty drained. That could have something to do with it. But also…”
He sighed, and I closed my eyes.
What now?
“Don’t mention it to anyone, but I think Denny’s got a blood curse.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Striga heavily implied it.”
“Another blood curse?” At this rate, half the shifters in the continental U.S. must have been suffering from them. “Are you going to ask him what it’s about?”
“Hell no. He’s gone all quiet and grouchy. If I bring it up, I’m pretty sure he’ll bite my head off and then I won’t be any use to anyone.” A growl of frustration rumbled in his throat. “It’s best to leave it be. For now, at least. I’ll be staying with Denny’s family while we wait for Melony to make contact. And once she reaches out, we might need his nose so we can track Rylan. The situation’s too delicate to have Denny pissed at me or worrying that I might turn on him.”
