Page 47 of Hunted
“Not unless you give me something first,” he said, not the least bit afraid of me.Payment first.Of course.
“What do you want?”I ground out.
He smiled.It wasn’t a pleasant expression.Here was a man who was used to being used.One who had learned to own his worth and demand payment when due.“A memory,” he said.“One that defines you.”
I blinked.“What?”
“A memory,” he repeated.“Unedited.Untouched.Yours.Given freely.You’ll forget it forever.It will becomemine.”
I looked at Sanka.The sorcerer scowled.“What kind of nasty spell do you need that for?That’s the kind of shit gets you labeled as a black magic user.”
“Is it safe?”I asked, already knowing I was going to give in to his demands.I had to.I had to get this monster out of my head.
“No,” Rags said from where they had gone to pour themselves a cup of tea from the teapot that sat on an uneven countertop on the far side of the room, next to an old potbellied stove.“It’s not safe.But it’s fair.”
I turned to Richard, of all people.I don’t know why.He shrugged.“I’d do it, if I was in your position.”
Of course, he didn’t have to.I didn’t even know why he was still hanging around.Sanka’s suppression charm and a bit of distance would free him from Acacia.I wasn’t so lucky.
I hesitated.“Which one?”I asked, my voice barely a whisper.“Which memory?”
“I won’t know until I see what you’ve got to offer,” he said.“But it has to be valuable to you.Has to be apartof you.”
I closed my eyes.“Fine.Yes.Take whatever you need to get rid of this parasite inside me.”
“Josh—” Sanka started to protest, but I held up a hand to silence him.I didn’t want to hear his concerns.I didn’t need to dread this more than I already did.I knew I would do it anyway.I wanted Acacia out of my head no what matter the cost.
The curse breaker stepped closer and placed one hand on either side of my head without preamble.Magic flowed through me, different than any I had felt before.This man’s power was similar to Sanka’s, but not.A bit like the vampires who were talented at mind manipulation.A bit like some witches I’d seen working their magic.This magic took bits and pieces of other magics and made them into something more.
It only took seconds, but it felt like hours, as I relived a rapid-replay of my most cherished memories—some I hadn’t even realized were there until he pulled them up, examined them, and tossed them aside, like shuffling through an old deck of cards.
“Ah!”he finally said, clearly pleased with what he was seeing.
My heart stuttered in my chest as the memory replayed in my mind, remembered sensations flitting over my skin like a ghostly caress.
The memory of the night Sadavir kissed me for the first time.
The curse breaker zeroed in on it immediately, as if he could sense the pain in me at the thought of losing this.Not because it was of any value to him or anyone else.But because it was precious tome.
But I knew that all powerful magic had a price.I didn’t want to be the weapon Acacia made me.So, I made this sacrifice willingly.I told myself we could make new memories, once I was rid of Acacia.But the tears welled up and spilled from my closed eyes anyway.
“All set,” the curse breaker said a second later.
When I opened my eyes, I felt hollow.Was that it?I had barely blinked.I didn’t know what I had given him.But I felt a vague sense that something valuable was missing.Something I had cherished...
The curse breaker held a glass vial filled with faint light.He corked it as I watched, then slipped it into his sleeve.“We’ll have to wait until the Cold Moon,” he said with a nod.“I’ll do the severing then.”
“The Cold Moon?”I muttered, feeling dazed.“What is that?”
“December,” Sanka said on a sigh.“Great.”
“That’s it?”I asked, still feeling off-center.“Just...give you a memory and wait amonthfor the full moon?”My heart sank.A month was a long time for Acacia to fuck with my mind—and mess with the court through me.
“For now,” the curse breaker said drawing me out of my sudden spiral.He turned, paused, and started rummaging around in his backpack.Then he tossed me a pendant.It burned when I caught it.And there was something familiar about it...it took a moment for me to realize what the heartbeat I felt against my palm meant.
The pendant pulsed in time with my hunger, like a dark second heartbeat.
“You’ll need that,” he said.“To survive what’s coming.Acacia’s going to make your life a living hell until I can get her out.”
