Page 15 of Curses and Cauldrons

“Jo?” A woman’s soft voice reaches us before the person enters the room. I scramble to help Josephine, pulling down her skirt while she yanks up the straps of her dress to cover her bare chest.

Piper Beaumont, with all her vibrant red hair and downcast eyes, walks into the room. She stops short the moment she sees us.

“Oh. Um. I’m sorry.” She whips around like she’s going to run out of here, only to stop abruptly again. Slowly turning back tous like it’s taking all the effort in her body, she gnaws nervously on her lower lip. “Jo? Are you okay?”

Piper’s eyes dash to me before she lowers them, like she’s afraid I’m going to attack her. Still, that’s not stopping her from standing up to me if her friend is in trouble.

A second later, Piper stumbles forward with anoof. Ambrose appears behind her, his arms snatching her body to him before she falls on her face.

“Sorry, I didn’t see you lurking in the dark,” he says with a laugh. His eyes widen as he finds me and Josephine across the room. It’s dark, but there’s a possibility that Ambrose and Piper are both getting a full-frontal view of my dick.

I adjust and zip up my pants, not bothering to tuck my shirt back in. A zipper has never sounded so loud.

“I was afraid you’d been kidnapped and murdered, Blackthorn. I was looking for your dead body somewhere in this house.” Ambrose raises his eyebrows. There’s an absolutely delighted grin on the golden prick’s face. “Looks like I was partially right. Although I suppose a petite mort doesn’t quite count.”

“Oh God.” Josephine pushes up off the couch, but I’m literally at her feet. She has to do an awkward maneuver to avoid pushing her crotch in my face. Not like it matters at this point. She nearly tips backward, but I grab her hips to steady her.

She peers down at me, eyes wide. Her breaths quicken as her alarm turns to full-blown panic. I release her as soon as she has her footing, her bare toes peeking out from the edge of her dress. I don’t know why it strikes me as particularly vulnerable and human all at once. The sight makes me want to gather her in my arms and hold her tight.

Instead, I stand, but keep my distance. I’m still not sure what this was. A spell. Some other magic. My head is muddled andI’m probably too drunk to have an actual conversation right now that wouldn’t insult Josephine’s family and coven.

“I should go.” I nod at Josephine and then to Piper. With a jerk of my head at Ambrose, I exit the room. He’s still holding Piper, and I’m not sure which of them looks more shocked.

Join the club.

8

JOSEPHINE

My heart is racing. It hasn’t calmed down since I dragged Roman Blackthorn upstairs into my family’s library. Now I’m watching his back as he walks away. After I just let him go down on me until I came all over his face.

I slap a hand over my eyes and drag it down my face with a groan. Make-up be damned. I’m sure it’s a mess at this point anyway. Piper slips out of Ambrose Roth’s arms and is by my side in a second. Her hand hovers over my shoulder like she wants to touch me, but knows better.

“Jo. Are you okay? Was all that…” Her gaze jerks toward the door and back. “Consensual?”

“Yeah,” I whisper, blinking like I’m in a blurry dream and can’t see straight. How drunk am I? Not so drunk that I didn’t fully consent to what just happened. Maiden, help me. “He could… It didn’t hurt when he touched me.”

Piper gasps, her jaw hanging open. “Is your curse broken? How?”

I shake my head, wondering those very same questions myself. “I don’t know.” I hesitate, but I have to test this. “Can you touch me?”

Piper sucks in her bottom lip. She rarely looks anyone in the eye these days, but she holds my gaze for a few seconds before dropping her head. I didn’t miss the hope there. My chest swells and I try not to cry. I used to pray to the Maiden to break my curse. To free me from the pain of a simple touch, but I gave up that dream years ago. It almost hurts to hope that maybe it’s over. I want to believe something good might finally be happening to me, but I’m so damn scared.

Piper has her own curse, and I recognize that very same hope in her eyes. If mine is broken, then maybe hers could be too.

“Are you sure?”

I thrust out my hand. “Yes. Do it.”

I hold my breath as Piper gently touches the back of my hand. Pain lashes over my body. It’s not like it’s any worse than normal, but tears well in my eyes. The optimism that already built a home inside me collapses. I look away from my friend before I choke out the words, “It’s still there.”

“Jo.” Piper’s voice is so soft and kind it’s almost too much.

I swallow back tears and straighten my shoulders. “I didn’t think it was gone anyway.”

“But…it is. With Roman.” Piper’s delicate brows lift and she looks out the door where Roman just ran off. Without a thanks or proper goodbye or anything. That was probably just a standard Saturday night for him.

“Yeah, well…” That’s all I can say because I honestly don’t know how to explain what just happened.

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