Page 64 of Beneath the Cursed Veil

I kept my face neutral, not betraying how much that idea bothered me. I knew it was insane to want something permanent with a woman I’d only known a little over a week. But I did. Badly.

“Hey guys,” Corvo said, making his presence known.

“Not now. We’re busy.”

“You might want to?—”

“What if you made her your familiar?” Kaia interrupted. “You feel Corvo’s emotions and can kind of sense where he’s at right?”

“I already have a familiar.”

“Well you clearly made some sort of weird bond with her and the familiar bond doesn’t have a binding mark.”

“V, my man, you need to listen.” I looked over at the window, but he wasn’t on his usual perch, sunbathing.

“Where are—” I caught the flick of his tail in my peripheral. He was scrunched up on one of the high bookshelves. “Why are you up there?”

“Because I don’t want to be turned into a hat.”

I got to my feet, pushing the chair back. “What did you do now?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“But you’re hiding,” I growled. “From me.”

“You’re a little crazy when it comes to Meera?—”

“Did you push her out the window again?”

“No,” Corvo groaned. “Fuck’s sake. I didn’t push her the first time. I told you; she tripped.”

“On you,” Kaia added, picking her nails clean with the blade end of a dagger.

He narrowed his eyes on her. “Not helping.”

“Corvo.” I ground my teeth together. “The point. Find it.”

“Right, so, I know you’re all focused on the necklace, but you don’t need to worry about it anymore.”

Kaia and I looked at each other. “Why?”

“Because she’s gone.”

A second passed where I froze. A single breath. The beat of a heart.

Time held still.

Then the spell broke.

“What do you mean by gone?” My hands clenched into fists. I stepped around my desk. If she ran . . .

“She got dragged through a portal by some brownies.”

“WHAT?” I exploded, sending books flying across the floor.

Corvo cocked his head. “And that right there, is why I’m up here.”

I couldn’t listen to this. Without wasting another second, I took off down the hall. My blood rushed to my head as my steps quickened. I didn’t let myself hesitate when I got to my door.

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