A Curse Unbroken
Page 12
“It’s a rip-off of most treasure-hunter games. You pick which character you want to be and you send him or her beneath the Madiyan Kulom, a famous Indian temple and the last place Shah was believed to be. Your character fights his way through a maze until he finds Shah. Shah is replicated as a large clear crystal with an ‘X’ etched into the side—also another fact these geeks shouldn’t know.”
“Okay, then what happens?”
“That’s it. ‘Your wish is granted’ flashes across the screen and you get ten thousand points.”
Aric was right, nothing very extraordinary about this game. With technology being what it was, it actually sounded rather boring. I sat up. “So you’re thinking one of these geeks found the real Shah and wished for money. In exchange Shah obtained something of value. Notoriety, perhaps?”
Aric slipped out of bed. “That’s what we’re thinking. If the legend is true, Shah’s wishes have been expended and his time is drawing to a close. He only has a few wishes left to grant before he cracks and is no more.” He crossed his arms. “The last wish is what concerns me most. It’s supposed to be the most significant and potentially tip the scales on the side of good or in evil’s favor.”
“So if the bad guys get it…”
Aric nodded. “The good guys may never recover.”
Damnit. I worked through the facts. “If these are humans who have him, do you think they’ll wish for something so extreme that it would affect the world that greatly?”
“I don’t know. But just because they’re human doesn’t make them immune to evil deeds or thoughts. And this game they created, along with the records it’s breaking in sales, will assure that Shah lives on in infamy. The way I see it, Shah’s been compensated well enough.”
Aric was right. Considering how he was making out, Shah likely considered the geeks’ quest for money and fame a worthwhile wish to grant.
The thing was Alliance members weren’t the only ones who monitored chatter. The Tribe, while severely broken, still had a few devoted followers remaining. “What’s left of the Tribe will want Shah, won’t they?”
The planes of Aric’s face tightened. “Or the shifters or some new threat. The dark ones are angry, Celia. The attack from the shifters proves they want blood and to gain an upper hand at all costs. We have to get Shah before anything else does.”
Yeah. We do.
I followed Aric into the bathroom, wrapping myself in a silk robe as he dressed. Truth be told, I liked my wolf very naked. I stroked his shoulder when he tugged on his jeans. “Too bad we can’t survive on our love, huh?”
He smiled and kissed my lips. “Yeah. Time to get back to work.”
I tried to smile back and I would have if he didn’t remind me where he was headed and what it meant. I’d grown used to Aric’s constant presence. Martin, his Alpha and lead Elder, had granted him a leave of absence based on the severity of my injuries. It was another way he’d demonstrated his approval of our matehood, and a way of apologizing for the harm Anara had caused.
My hand skimmed over my belly. Martin meant well, but his good deeds couldn’t erase all the damage Anara inflicted. Anara was gone, but there was still evil out there, waiting to hurt innocents incapable of protecting themselves.
Aric was right. It was time to go back to work.
For both of us.
“I’m ready to go back to work, too,” I told him.
Aric finished yanking on his dark blue T-shirt. “You don’t have to. Stay home. I’ll support us.”
“You mean hang out, cook for you, and wait naked at the table for your return?”
Aric laughed. “You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.”
I tried not to laugh along with him. Aric considered himself a modern-day werewolf. When it came down to it, though, he was pretty old-fashioned. His mother had quit her job as an accountant when she married Aric’s dad. She’d doted on her husband, and then Aric when he came along, making sure they had everything they needed. While Aric didn’t demand the same of me, I knew he loved the idea of coming home every night to my open arms, and a hearty meal befitting a badass wolf.
“I want to work, Aric. Besides, waiting for you to come home will drive me crazy.”
Aric shrugged. “If that’s what you want, fine. But if it gets to be too much, stop, no questions asked.”
“I think it will be okay.” Or I hoped. Visions of exploding demon parts danced in my head. I shuddered and adjusted the belt on my ivory robe, careful to hide my scars. “What’s going to suck is I have to travel far to chase Shah. I don’t like us being apart….”
The scent of shock and anger hit my nose like a blast of cold air. Aric was suddenly facing me and he wasn’t happy. “What do you mean, ‘chase Shah’?”
I frowned. “We just discussed me going back to work. That means tracking Shah. My job is working for the Alliance and getting the bad guys.”
“Don’t you mean working for Misha?” Aric growled. “Damnit, Celia. I thought you were talking about returning to nursing!”
My frown softened only because I was trying not to cry. “You mean going back and delivering babies? Sorry, Aric, I don’t think I’m strong enough to do that.”
Aric rubbed his eyes before gathering me in his arms. “I know, sweetness. I didn’t mean…” He sighed. “There are other jobs in the nursing field. If it suits you, work with Taran in the cardiac lab.”
“It doesn’t suit me, Aric. What does is ridding the world of evil.”
“As a were that’s my duty. You are under no obligation to be involved in our affairs.”
I pulled away from him then. “How can you say that? This is my world, too.”
Aric crossed his arms and glared. “Because you are my mate, my fiancée, and soon to be my wife.”
“Just because I’m all those things doesn’t mean you have a right to tell me what to do.”
“I’m not.” He held out his hands. “Can’t you understand that I don’t want you hurt?”
“Can’t you understand that I’m not going to sit around catering to your every need while whatever evil creature wants Shah gets him first?”
Aric became quiet. “I don’t expect you to do anything but to keep safe. That can’t happen if you’re back with the vamps.”
“Okay, then what happens?”
“That’s it. ‘Your wish is granted’ flashes across the screen and you get ten thousand points.”
Aric was right, nothing very extraordinary about this game. With technology being what it was, it actually sounded rather boring. I sat up. “So you’re thinking one of these geeks found the real Shah and wished for money. In exchange Shah obtained something of value. Notoriety, perhaps?”
Aric slipped out of bed. “That’s what we’re thinking. If the legend is true, Shah’s wishes have been expended and his time is drawing to a close. He only has a few wishes left to grant before he cracks and is no more.” He crossed his arms. “The last wish is what concerns me most. It’s supposed to be the most significant and potentially tip the scales on the side of good or in evil’s favor.”
“So if the bad guys get it…”
Aric nodded. “The good guys may never recover.”
Damnit. I worked through the facts. “If these are humans who have him, do you think they’ll wish for something so extreme that it would affect the world that greatly?”
“I don’t know. But just because they’re human doesn’t make them immune to evil deeds or thoughts. And this game they created, along with the records it’s breaking in sales, will assure that Shah lives on in infamy. The way I see it, Shah’s been compensated well enough.”
Aric was right. Considering how he was making out, Shah likely considered the geeks’ quest for money and fame a worthwhile wish to grant.
The thing was Alliance members weren’t the only ones who monitored chatter. The Tribe, while severely broken, still had a few devoted followers remaining. “What’s left of the Tribe will want Shah, won’t they?”
The planes of Aric’s face tightened. “Or the shifters or some new threat. The dark ones are angry, Celia. The attack from the shifters proves they want blood and to gain an upper hand at all costs. We have to get Shah before anything else does.”
Yeah. We do.
I followed Aric into the bathroom, wrapping myself in a silk robe as he dressed. Truth be told, I liked my wolf very naked. I stroked his shoulder when he tugged on his jeans. “Too bad we can’t survive on our love, huh?”
He smiled and kissed my lips. “Yeah. Time to get back to work.”
I tried to smile back and I would have if he didn’t remind me where he was headed and what it meant. I’d grown used to Aric’s constant presence. Martin, his Alpha and lead Elder, had granted him a leave of absence based on the severity of my injuries. It was another way he’d demonstrated his approval of our matehood, and a way of apologizing for the harm Anara had caused.
My hand skimmed over my belly. Martin meant well, but his good deeds couldn’t erase all the damage Anara inflicted. Anara was gone, but there was still evil out there, waiting to hurt innocents incapable of protecting themselves.
Aric was right. It was time to go back to work.
For both of us.
“I’m ready to go back to work, too,” I told him.
Aric finished yanking on his dark blue T-shirt. “You don’t have to. Stay home. I’ll support us.”
“You mean hang out, cook for you, and wait naked at the table for your return?”
Aric laughed. “You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.”
I tried not to laugh along with him. Aric considered himself a modern-day werewolf. When it came down to it, though, he was pretty old-fashioned. His mother had quit her job as an accountant when she married Aric’s dad. She’d doted on her husband, and then Aric when he came along, making sure they had everything they needed. While Aric didn’t demand the same of me, I knew he loved the idea of coming home every night to my open arms, and a hearty meal befitting a badass wolf.
“I want to work, Aric. Besides, waiting for you to come home will drive me crazy.”
Aric shrugged. “If that’s what you want, fine. But if it gets to be too much, stop, no questions asked.”
“I think it will be okay.” Or I hoped. Visions of exploding demon parts danced in my head. I shuddered and adjusted the belt on my ivory robe, careful to hide my scars. “What’s going to suck is I have to travel far to chase Shah. I don’t like us being apart….”
The scent of shock and anger hit my nose like a blast of cold air. Aric was suddenly facing me and he wasn’t happy. “What do you mean, ‘chase Shah’?”
I frowned. “We just discussed me going back to work. That means tracking Shah. My job is working for the Alliance and getting the bad guys.”
“Don’t you mean working for Misha?” Aric growled. “Damnit, Celia. I thought you were talking about returning to nursing!”
My frown softened only because I was trying not to cry. “You mean going back and delivering babies? Sorry, Aric, I don’t think I’m strong enough to do that.”
Aric rubbed his eyes before gathering me in his arms. “I know, sweetness. I didn’t mean…” He sighed. “There are other jobs in the nursing field. If it suits you, work with Taran in the cardiac lab.”
“It doesn’t suit me, Aric. What does is ridding the world of evil.”
“As a were that’s my duty. You are under no obligation to be involved in our affairs.”
I pulled away from him then. “How can you say that? This is my world, too.”
Aric crossed his arms and glared. “Because you are my mate, my fiancée, and soon to be my wife.”
“Just because I’m all those things doesn’t mean you have a right to tell me what to do.”
“I’m not.” He held out his hands. “Can’t you understand that I don’t want you hurt?”
“Can’t you understand that I’m not going to sit around catering to your every need while whatever evil creature wants Shah gets him first?”
Aric became quiet. “I don’t expect you to do anything but to keep safe. That can’t happen if you’re back with the vamps.”
