“And that’s fortunate for me.”
 
 “I’ll pay you whatever you want.” Cursed Mates.
 
 It had to be bad. Deadly, even.
 
 What had felt like a gift with Carrow—her blood returning my full senses and the connection I felt to her—was possibly a nightmare.
 
 Given the way my life had gone, it likely was a nightmare. I hurt everything I touched. It was no surprise that I would have a Cursed Mate and hurt her, too.
 
 I dragged a hand over my face, waiting for the Oracle to name her price. “Well?”
 
 “I’ll let you know if I come up with something. Then I’ll charge you.”
 
 “Fine. Thank you.” I nodded sharply, waiting for her to leave.
 
 She vanished. I turned to Carrow’s room, frustration pulsing through me. One of the most powerful oracles in the world had just delivered opened-ended terrible news, then disappeared. I’d have to find out more about this Cursed Mate situation, but not tonight.
 
 Tonight, I needed to watch over Carrow.
 
 I walked toward the bed and took a seat in the chair next to it, leaning back to guard her.
 
 Carrow
 
 Groggy, I shifted within a cocoon of soft sheets, blinking against the shaft of sunlight that shone across my eyes. I opened them, my vision clearing. The Devil was seated in a chair near the bed, watching me wearily.
 
 Affection rushed through me.
 
 “How do you feel?” His voice was slightly rough.
 
 “Fine. What are you doing there?”
 
 “Sitting.”
 
 “Weird.” I sat up, my head spinning at the movement.
 
 Memories rushed back. Last night, my vision, his tattoo. His secrets.
 
 The affection vanished, and I shifted away from the Devil, glaring at him. “Why did you sit there all night?”
 
 He shrugged. “You needed sleep, and I didn’t think we should let down our guard.”
 
 “Oh.” That was…nice.
 
 I ignored it. I didn’t know how to process nice right now. Especially not from him. Not when there was so much happening.
 
 I pulled the bathrobe closer around me. “My vision was different.”
 
 “I could tell.”
 
 “How?”
 
 “You passed out. And your magic surged like I’ve never felt. Something about it is changing.”
 
 I nodded. “I could control it. Zoom around inside the vision like I was controlling a video game. It was…wild.”
 
 “It’s not greater control, Carrow. I could feel your power growing. Your capacity for it.”
 
 “Isn’t that supposed to be finite? Every supernatural is born with a certain amount of power, and they learn to control it, for better or worse?”