Page 43 of Of Curses and Beauty

Daric glanced at her quizzically, hoping she didn’t mean what he thought.

“Money.” She said it like it was obvious and Daric hoped his face didn’t betray his thoughts.

He pulled his hand from hers in case the physical connection somehow allowed her access to his mind. He’d seen crazier things, after all.

“Right,” he said, turning his focus back to the spectacle in the middle of the room.

Baxter didn’t notice their curious stares among all the others, clearly enjoying being the center of attention. He called for a round of drinks for the room, which resulted in cheers from everyone but the barmaids. As they scrambled to fill tankards, Baxter climbed on a table, raising his drink above his head and almost colliding with the large wrought-iron chandelier suspended from the ceiling. He stomped his boots on the table until the roar of the crowd became a low rumble.

“Ladies,” Baxter angled his tankard toward the few women around him, sloshing ale on those below him in the process. “I regret to inform you that I will soon be a married man.” A couple of girls shrieked in protest and Baxter pressed his free hand to his heart, a pained expression on his face. “It is unfortunate news indeed that duty has staked its claim on me, but fear not, for I am still a free man for this night at least.” Chuckles followed this statement and Baxter felt sorry for the poor wives of these fellows. It was no wonder Alaine held such misguided ideas about love and marriage. “My good fellows, I must also let you know that my bride shall be none other than the beauty, Alaine.”

Hoots and hollers abounded and Daric nearly roared at the barmaid that attempted to top off his drink. Eudora pierced him with a look that had him uttering a hasty apology at her retreating form. He felt himself falling back into old habits that reminded him of darker times. Once again, he was alone and tired. So damned tired. The leash on his emotions had frayed, nearly undone by the cruel words spilling from the cock that crowed above them all.

Had he his crown—his title—he would put an end to it all. It wasn’t lost on him that he’d given up his kingdom for a love that couldn’t exist without it. He turned an assessing glance on Eudora, but she was already shaking her head, likely guessing at the direction of his thoughts.

“I’d like you all to join me in a toast.” Around them, cups rose in salute as Baxter prattled on about his perfect life. Daric didn’t think he’d ever resented someone more. “To playing the game and winning the prize.” Baxter upended his drink, gulping down the last of its contents.

A chorus ofhere, hereandcheerswere accompanied by the clinking of glasses.

Daric’s rage became a living thing inside his chest, begging for relief, for action, for anything to douse the flames that burned within him.

Someone placed a steaming bowl of stew on the table before him and another in front of Eudora. He stared at the hearty meal, knowing his body needed it, but unwilling to put forth any more effort into living. It hit him then that without the curse holding him hostage, he could end it. He could just give up, stop trying.

“Don’t even think about it.” Eudora’s sharp whisper startled him out of his trance.

“Stop doing that.”

“Then stop wearing your heart on your sleeve. I think your rain cloud may be invading my space and I am not here to mope and feel sorry for myself.”

“And why are you here?” He didn’t know. He appreciated her help, but beyond her desire to right a wrong, he couldn’t fathom why she would stick around. It certainly wasn’t because of his charming personality.

“Because,” she said, drawing out the last syllable, “unlike you,Ihaven’t given up yet. Until Alaine exchanges vows with that sorry excuse for a man, she is not married. That means there is still hope. There is still a chance that this marriage will not happen. It is up to us to ensure that it doesn’t happen.”

“But why?”

“Because I worked too damn hard finding your perfect match to have this wish slip through my fingers at the last second.”

His perfect match. That she was.

Running his hands through his unbound hair, Daric exhaled a long breath. His urge to kill Baxter had ebbed, though he wouldn’t turn down the opportunity if it presented itself. Eudora was right. He’d accepted Alaine’s marriage as easily as she had. He’d given up on them because she believed there was no other way to save her family, but Daric knew that what seemed impossible often wasn’t.

“So, what can we do?” he asked.

Eudora’s answering smile was all teeth.

Chapter 38

Alaine

Alainewoketwodayslater to an overwhelming sense of dread. Bolting upright in her bed, she scanned the room for any sign of intruders but found nothing to warrant her spike of anxiety. For days, she’d been plagued by fits of unease. Recurring nightmares meant she hadn’t gotten a full night’s rest since waking in her family home. Her thoughts continued to volley between her impending marriage and an unreasonable fear that she had never freed herself from the curse.

“Everything’s fine. You’re free and you’re saving your family.” Alaine repeated the mantra she’d been echoing when the stress became too much, but the words rang hollow. She didn’t feel free. In fact, she felt more caged now than she ever had in the cottage.

Sighing, she stretched back out on the bed, pulling her blanket up to her chin in the hope that it would provide some measure of comfort. Her eyelids quickly grew heavy as sleep beckoned once again. She’d nearly given in to the dark embrace when her eyes flew open and flicked to the window, latching onto the faint glow that slipped past the curtains.

She’d grown accustomed to the warm rays of the sun creeping in to wake her at the cottage, but here the sun didn’t reach her window until afternoon. It certainly didn’t account for the cool radiance that illuminated her bed chamber.

The floorboards creaked as she slipped from her bed, her toes curling against the unwelcome cold. Her feet were leaden as she closed the distance to the window, but her body tensed as though readying for action. It took a moment for her mind to catch up to the wakefulness of her body, but when it did, the pieces of the puzzle slid into place. Throwing aside the curtains, she pressed her face to the glass, her look of horror etching in the frost that coated it as she watched the glittering snowflakes fall to the ground.

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