Page 73 of Once Upon a Curse for True Love
“Come on.You’re the one who needs a career change, not me.”
They spent the rest of the night plotting and planning between bites of take-out food from their favorite Thai restaurant.Ideas were tossed back and forth like a tennis match—some practical, others outlandish.Maybe King could be persuaded to make an exception, or they could find a loophole in the policy.Maybe Andromeda could work remotely, or Donatello could transfer elsewhere.
For the first night in four days, Andromeda slept without crying into her pillow.And when Sarah Michelle burst into her room at an unwizardly hour the next morning, already dressed in a sleek pantsuit, Andromeda blinked at the light filtering through the blinds, feeling like she’d just closed her eyes.
“Get up,” her roommate commanded, yanking open the curtains with unnecessary enthusiasm.“I’ve been thinking all night.I know how we’re going to fix everything.”
Andromeda groaned, burying her face in her pillow.“Can’t your breakthrough wait until after coffee?”
“Nope.The longer you and Malatesta sulk in separate corners of Salem, the harder it’ll be to make peace.”Sarah Michelle plopped onto the bed and started explaining her idea, bouncing with excitement.
An hour later, showered, caffeinated, and wearing clothes that weren’t pajamas for the first time in days, Andromeda paced the living room, chewing on her thumbnail.“Will it work?”
“Not without the big guns.We’re going to play dirty.”
A curl of apprehension twisted in Andromeda’s stomach.“How?”
“We need the help of the Chief’s wife.”
Andromeda stared at her roommate.“Why?”
“His gut reply will be no.”Sarah Michelle grinned.“But it’ll be harder not to fight for what you guys mean to each other in front of the love of his life.Come on.Mila agreed to meet us for breakfast in twenty minutes.”
“Now?”Andromeda’s voice rose half an octave.“I’m not prepared!I don’t even know what I’m going to say!”
“You’ll tell her the truth.”Sarah Michelle was already heading for the door.“That you’re in love with a stubborn, by-the-book detective who’s too conventional to see a third option, and you need her help.”
Andromeda grabbed her bag, hurrying after her roommate.“And she’ll put her neck out for two strangers against her husband?”
Sarah Michelle’s answering smile was confident as she pulled the door closed behind them.“Mila King is happily married to the most rigid, rule-following man in magical law enforcement.If anyone knows how to navigate the system while keeping love alive, it’s her.”
As they headed for the café, the hope she’d barely dared to acknowledge yesterday was blooming now, bold and certain.
Turns out, door number three existed.She could have both the career and the man she wanted.Love and ambition didn’t have to be mutually exclusive.
And if they needed to bend a few rules to make it happen?Well, that had always been her specialty, anyway.
Chapter Thirty
An Ambush of Witches
RILEY
Chief Inquisitor Riley King was having a boring morning in his office.He stared at the expense report in front of him, thinking he couldn’t complain.After the undead-zombie scare of last week, he’d take paperwork any day.Even if running Salem’s Magical Police Department sometimes felt like herding cats—if the cats had powers and a penchant for giving him headaches.He was cross-referencing three different codes for the same brand of dragonfire-proof file cabinets because no one at SMPD had figured out standardized supply entries when a familiar presence brushed against his consciousness.
The sensation was like warm honey spreading through his mind—sweet, comforting, and unmistakably Mila.
His wife was in the building.
Riley straightened in his chair, going on high alert.Mila rarely came to the station unannounced.For her to show up on a random Wednesday morning, something must be—
“Everything’s fine,”her voice drifted through their mental bond, a teasing lilt coloring her words.“Sucks I can never surprise you.”
The tension in Riley’s shoulders eased.Even after two years together, the telepathic soulmate bond they shared never ceased to amaze him.The ability to speak into each other’s minds, to share thoughts and feelings, was rare in the magical community.
“What are you doing here?”he asked through their connection, leaning back in his chair.“Are you okay?”
“All good.”
