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From the open windows in my bedroom, I stared at the stars, frowning. The pack of dips had arrived and were howling and raging at the enchanted border of the estate. Hector stood beside me, his arms crossed.
“If that noise doesn’t stop, I’m going to lose my mind,” he said.
“It’s Talia they want. My magic can’t stop an entire pack of hellhounds, protect Talia from Fabian, and keep the enchantments secure on the estate. Sinsorias will have to call them off.”
“The estate will manage,” Hector said in that half-consoling, half-condescending way that only brothers can manage. Javi knows what to do with the horses, and the beasts will be fine with the added enchantments.”
“They broke their bonds.”
“No, she broke them.”
I ran a hand down my face. I needed a shave. “We don’t know that.”
He rolled his eyes. “You can deny that she loves you, but she is gaining your power.”
I grabbed his shirt collar. “If she loves me, she will die.”
He pursed his lips, unfazed. “Your fault, not mine.”
My hand loosened, and he stepped from my grasp. My shoulders fell. I leaned back against the window frame. Explaining to Hector how badly I wanted Talia to forgive me was pointless. She shouldn’t forgive me.
I shook my head, turned, and stomped into the bathroom, where a willow wraith slept against the stone wall. Her many arms stretched out, and her thin head drooped to her chest.
“Get out,” I barked at the wraith, waving a hand.
The creature lifted her ugly head slowly and peeled her feather-thin limbs off the wall one by one, until they hung in little gray lines that wriggled like worms. Her feet, strange suctioned appendages, made little wet popping sounds as the creature made her way toward a window.
“Another one?” Hector asked over my shoulder. He grimaced as the translucent wraith fingered its way over the windowsill, all spiderweb movements and wet suction sounds. “I thought they normally stayed in the cave.”
The thought of the waterfall below the house brought back memories of Talia’s warm skin against my cheek.
“When she saw me as a bear, she looked at me with curiosity rather than hatred and disgust, and it made me lose control.” Now, I could never touch her again.
“I think you’re gaining some of her human qualities, brother. Pull yourself together.”
Hector half-turned away as I bathed, but shouted over the water pouring from a stone lily in the wall.
“If she does fall for you, you’ll get your magic back.”
The water racing down my back chased away all scent of bear. “She hates me.”
Hector turned fully toward me. “Does she? Think about it. What if she already loved you before that prude told her of the curse? You said she kissed you. Your curse might already be draining into her. You might already have more magic.”
I raked water from my face and tried to ignore the way his words suggested Talia’s own downfall hadn’t been avoided. “She’s too smart to fall for a murderer.”
Hector rolled his eyes. “Just try silencing those stupid hounds. I can’t take that noise.”
“Silence!” I screamed. When I opened my eyes, Hector was smiling broadly at me.
The hounds had ceased their barking.
His hand fell on my shoulder. “It’s coming back.” Tears welled up in his blue eyes—I’d only seen my brother cry two other times in our lives. Once when he’d first discovered me after learning of my curse, and once when I’d nearly died from an attack by two members of the Wild Hunt in my cursed form.
With a shout, I clapped a hand on his shoulder and shook him. Then just as quickly, my enthusiasm died. “But that means…”
He charged after me into my bedroom. “Wait, stop. It means—”
I whirled on him. “It means she’s already leeching the curse from me.”
