Page 18 of A Dream of Stars and Curses

Although, dying with him pressed to me and his mouth on my neck doesn’t sound so bad.

I blush as I soak up the tea. All over my kitchen like this, it cools quickly, and I allow Lady back in the room before we know it. When I grab another mug, I hate how suspicious I am of it. What if this one breaks, too? I don’t have the patience to wipe it all up again and make another cup. And what if that breaks as well? What if I’m stuck in some never-ending circle of shattered pottery and wasted tea? Maybe the one mug I broke somehow unleashed a curse upon all my other mugs.

Maybe it’s me who’s cursed.

I sigh and swallow the worry. Of course I’m not actually cursed. I mean, no, I suppose I wouldn’t know, but accidents still happen. There’ve been a few things now, sure, but they were all small things. Hardly on the same scale as what the Dreamcatcher was tasked to do. Whoever is really after me likely won’t move from nightmares to spilled tea. Although, isn’t there some superstition about breaking glass? Maybe it applies to mugs, too. Maybe it’s not just superstition but one of those things the Veiled have hidden in plain sight.

I tell myself again that I’m not cursed but decide against candle scrying, just in case. This doesn’t seem like the right time to set anything on fire, even if it’s something that’s meant to burn. With my luck lately, an ember will spark onto my clothes and burn me alive.

I’m more relieved than I care to admit when my second attempt at tea doesn’t break another mug.

I down it quickly, because I’ve changed my mind: I won’t try any kind of scrying right now. I want to see Leverett. I’ll be nervous around him, but that’s a good kind of nervous, and I know he’ll say just the right thing to put me at ease.

‘Do you want to go for a walk?’ I ask Lady.

She gives me a happy bark and tail wag in response. No matter how I feel, my puppy is happy enough for the two of us.

‘Right, let’s go. Let’s see Leverett.’

As I grab the leash off the wall, I swear my dog throws me a knowing look.

Leverett smiles in surprise when I enter the shop. I’ve tied Lady up outside with a bowl of water since she’s not allowed around all these old books.

Leverett walks around the counter and over to me. ‘I didn’t expect you back so soon. After what happened, I... I figured you needed more space. Your cards haven’t arrived yet, I’m afraid.’

I cock my head. ‘Why would you think that?’

I did need space, but not for whatever reason he thinks. At least I hope not. Whatever will I say to him if he says it’s because I’m in love with him and needed to sort out my feelings? I guess I’ll just shrug and wave it off?

He takes a step away from me, his face unsure. ‘Then I must confess something to you. The night you spoke with the Dreamcatcher, I carried you to your bed. I thought Bonnie would have told you by now?’

I blush. I’m still angry at myself for missing it, though if I had been conscious enough to realise, I’d have passed out the moment he took me into his arms.

‘She mentioned it, yes.’

‘I thought perhaps you needed space because I overstepped. Under ordinary circumstances, I would have asked your permission, but you were already asleep from Kate’s tonic. I had no business entering your bedroom uninvited, either. I apologise, and I apologise again because I should have said something last time you were here.’

I swallow at the sincerity in his tone. That’s what he thought this whole week?

‘Oh, no, not at all,’ I hurry to say. ‘I’m not angry about that. I had to get into my bed somehow, and I don’t think Kate could have carried me. Bonnie is stronger than I am, but I don’t think—’

Wait. Could she technically have got me upstairs? I bet it was her who suggested Leverett take me, too. I clear my throat when I get hung up on him taking me. ‘It’s fine.’

‘Good,’ he says. ‘I’m glad to hear it.’

We fall into an awkward silence. Or maybe it’s only awkward because I’m still hung up on him taking m— the thing. I glance towards his counter, see myself sitting on it with my legs wrapped around him, his fangs in my neck—

This isn’t helping.

‘Anyway,’ I say and blink to clear my head. ‘Could we talk about this social event again?’

‘Of course. Do you want to go upstairs?’

I shake my head, perhaps a little too desperately. ‘No, down here is fine. You can’t always close your shop just because I’m here.’

He pulls up a stool from the storage room for me, and we sit at his counter together. Since there are no customers around, it still feels kinda private, so... my cunning plan didn’t quite work.

‘What can I tell you?’ he offers.

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