Page 54 of Curses & Keys
“None of them are designed to permanently kill a supernatural, only to dissuade them from exploring further,” the man insists. “Besides, they didn’t hurt her. Did they, Dr. Galanis?”
Having heard enough, I step between Jamison and Gatlin to face the man. “Who are you?”
Eyes glued to the newcomer, Mathias reveals his identity. “Rupert Evanston, vampire.”
The stranger glances over at Mathias. “Dr. Rupert Evanston. Archaeologist and, yes, vampire. Although that hardly matters.” Dismissing him, he turns to me. “We’ve waited a long time to meet you.”
Rupert then motions to the passageway behind him. “If de Vere will kindly use his magic to light the way, I’ll take you to meet the rest of our society.”
Jamison glances at Mathias, who nods at his unspoken question, then he tosses a small ball of light at the torch near the door. Fire immediately catches, lighting the passageway with a small glow. Gatlin, our protector, stalks through the door first and grabs the lit torch. Jamison catches my hand in his and walks through with me in tow.
Looking back, I see Hawthorne enter, then Mathias. Rupert closes the door behind us all.
“Follow the passage,” he tells Gatlin, who moves cautiously forward. “In about fifteen meters, there will be a small alcove on the right with a stone pedestal. In its center stands a bird. Turn it to the left.”
Gatlin huffs in irritation but says nothing. It doesn’t take long to reach the alcove. After following Rupert’s instructions, the pedestal slides to the right, opening another dark passageway.
Jamison lights another torch, and we walk for an additional ten minutes.
“The passageway ends at a wall. It’s biometric, though. Once we’re there, I’ll move to the front and open the last door,” Rupert calls out to Gatlin.
My nose twitches in the cool dry air. They’ve gone to a lot of trouble to hide themselves. If I hadn’t known Letz, I’m not sureI would have trusted anyone enough to follow them through this maze. You could hide a body down here, and nobody would ever find it.
The group halts, and Hawthorne positions me in the curve of his body right before Rupert slips by us, as if he doesn’t want the vampire touching me. His hand warms the curve of my hip, and I shift closer, wanting to feel his body against mine. I look up past his strong jaw and lips that beg to be kissed to find his green eyes staring down at me, and I lick my lips, wondering what his lips would feel like on mine. A spark flares between us, and the air grows heavy with tension.
Rupert shouts, “Voilà!”
Startled, I turn. The stone barrier slides open to reveal a series of steps. Reluctantly, I lift my hand from Hawthorne’s chest, but he immediately captures it in his, keeping the two of us connected.Damn, this man makes me weak in the knees.How am I supposed to focus?
Thankfully, the stairs lead up to a circular chamber filled with wooden pews but the air remains cool and dry, like the passageway. Confused, I glance around and see plastered walls. Are we above ground or not?
“This is where we conduct our meetings,” Rupert says, coming to stand in front of me. His dark eyes are alight with excitement and a glint of curiosity. “Letz and I started this journey and society together. Along with another, whom I’ll introduce in a second. It’s my honor to meet you, Dr. Galanis, and to introduce you to our members.”
“What is the name of your society?” I ask, following the instructions Letz murmured in his last moments.
“The Keepers of the Cursed,” Rupert replies with a broad smile. “Now that formalities are over, let me introduce you.”
Letz said they had sixty members. Doors slide open along the walls, revealing men and women. The scent of their magic fillsthe air, replacing the musty smell. Walking into the chamber, they find their seats amongst the pews except for one. A familiar man, fierce-looking with a full head of hair, strides confidently down to us.
Jamison inhales sharply. “Henry?”
The man flashes a wry smile. “Hello, Jamison. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you earlier. Had to follow protocols.” His gaze moves to me. “When I was younger, I dabbled in ancient history and landed a job at the Vatican along with Letz and Rupert. We started this society, and for years, I was able to indulge myself. Unfortunately, my family and the bank needed me more, but I serve whenever I’m needed. Plus, my position allows me to guard the safe deposit box. It’s nice to officially meet you, Dr. Galanis.”
Unnerved by all the supernaturals staring at me, I move a little closer to Hawthorne. “Phaedra, please. I’m here because of Letz. It was his dying request.”
Rupert looks at Henry, and a sad expression crosses both of their faces. “This isn’t how we wanted to welcome you, but we know Letz would have been thrilled to see you here.”
Henry’s arm sweeps out to indicate the rest of the room. “These are the members of our society. Given the circumstances, we’ll forego individual introductions, but they would love to ask you a few questions, if you don’t mind?”
Sixty might not seem like many, but when you thought you were the only one for thousands of years, this feels like a small army. Exposed to supernaturals in a way I never expected, I have to wonder what the gods will think of this. I didn’t tell these supernaturals or lead them down this path. And technically, the work they do protects humans without exposing themselves to them. It follows the rules. Right?
Unease fills me, but at the same time, I’m curious to know about this society that claims to follow in my footsteps. “Noquestions about my past.” When he agrees, I motion to the people surrounding us. “Okay.” Hawthorne squeezes my hand, reminding me of his presence, and some of my apprehension eases.
Henry steps to the side and raises his voice. “I know we’re all dying of curiosity. Dr. Galanis has graciously agreed to answer our questions. Nothing personal.” His amber eyes return to me. “I’ll go first. What do you do when you can’t remove a curse?”
Heads swivel toward me, and I almost sigh in relief at the innocuous question. “It depends. Sometimes, I change the curse into something…milder. Other times, I take the object back to my place to study it further. In my experience, all curses can be removed, but some take longer.”
Hands shoot up across the room. I motion to the young woman in the front row. Based on the faint notes of sandalwood and cinnamon, she’s a mage.
