Page 38 of The Glittering Edge

“We used to talk about breaking the curse,” Corey says. “Remember, when we were kids? We said we’d find a way.”

“We aren’t kids anymore. I don’t like fantasies.”

Corey sits up. “Hear me out. What if we contact the witch coven that made the ward?”

“Your dad said they refused to help us.”

“Except theydidhelp us once. We could try again.”

Julian presses his long, thin fingers against his knees. “Look. I know you’re determined not to let this curse hurt anyone, but maybe you need to reconsider. You could get married someday, even have kids, and they’d be safe.”

Corey stares at his cousin, expecting him to say he’s joking. But Julian won’t meet his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

Julian sighs. “I’m saying that you’re young. It’s still possible to enjoy your life—”

“We promised we would never do that. I’m not letting this curse kill someone because of me.”

Julian stares at him, a sad smile playing at his lips. “Everyone dies, Corey. But if you try to cut yourself off from the world, I think that will hurt more in the long run.”

“Which one of us is cut off from the world? You’re the one who never leaves Meredith House.”

Julian’s smile turns bitter. “Yeah, thanks. I forgot.”

Corey’s anger disappears, replaced immediately by that same desire to fix everything. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“I know you didn’t mean it.” Julian lets his eyes drift beyond the pool to their grandfather’s house. “This curse isn’t going anywhere. Life is good and bad, always. Even if we got rid of the curse, maybe we’d all get terminal illnesses. Or we’d lose the company. What can we do about this curse? The witches won’t help us, we don’t have magic, and Giovanni De Luca is dust. So tell me, how wouldyoufix this?”

Shame wells up in Corey’s stomach and he suddenly feels like an angry child. But he stays silent.

Julian sighs, and then there’s a light touch on Corey’s shoulder. It’s Julian’s hand, clammy despite the heat. It’s at an awkward angle, like he’s never done this before. And that might be true, because earning Julian’s touch is rare.

Corey places his own hand over Julian’s for a moment. Then it’s over, and Julian stands, producing sunglasses from his pocket.

“I’m going to study last quarter’s earnings,” Julian says. “Enjoy brooding.”

“Yeah. See you later.”

After Julian leaves, Corey drops his head into his hands. He needs to get ahold of himself. Julian is right—nothing has changed.

Except Penny’s entire life. She went from the girl who was smiling in her dad’s band T-shirt to the girl standing in a dark parking lot, arms wrapped around herself, begging Corey for help.

Corey was seven the last time the curse killed a member of his family. He thought this time, he’d be able to accept it as a fact of life. To move on. But Corey wants to scream. He wants to tear the earth open with both hands. He wants to fight this curse with every last bit of strength he has.

Even if it’s hopeless.

Corey’s phone buzzes. He scoops it out of the grass and opens the football team group chat. Everyone is going to the drag show at Horizon Café tonight, and they’re coordinating a carpool.

Corey is about to silence the chat when he remembers something: Horizon Café is owned by Penny’s mom, which means Penny might be there.

As Corey’s fingers type out a response, there’s already a plan forming in his mind. It’s foolish. But not as foolish as sitting around and waiting for Mrs. Emberly to die.

He hits send:

I’ll be there.

Penny

WHILE THE PERFORMERS RUSH AROUND GETTING READY FOR THE DRAGshow, Penny is locked in the café’s back office, staring at her laptop with bloodshot eyes. She’s spent every free moment googlingcursesandwitches. Unfortunately for her, there’s no online database of covens in her area. All she’s found so far are forums full of people attempting love spells on assholes and research papers about the Salem witch trials.

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