His bottom lip trembled. “Are you going to tell people about me and my—leanings?”
I leaned into my hip. After Ludolf had basically outed me for not having powers or being able to shift the other night, I knew what an embarrassing, painful experience that was. I shook my head. “Not unless I need to.”
He nodded. “Thank you.”
I ran my tongue over my teeth. “One more thing. What can you tell me about a curse of glowing purple liquid.” I thought back to the Bruma Eve party at my old law firm.
My former coworker, Eve, had rushed me and thrown the potion on me. I tried to remember all the details that could help Quentin identify what I’d been hit with. “It was cold—but also hot when it hit me—I mean, the theoretical person in this situation.” I gulped. “Asking for a friend.”
Will snorted.
But Quentin seemed not to catch on. He pulled a stack of books closer. The top cover read Curses and Counter-Curses: A Study in gold lettering. He drummed his fingers on it. “I’d have to do some research. Can you tell me the effects it had on your friend?”
I crossed my arms, throat tight. “It, uh—took away her magic.”
He blinked up at me. “Wow. That’s really rare. I actually haven’t heard of that before.”
My heart sunk. Great.
“But I can look into it for you?”
I nodded. “I’d appreciate it.” Not that I had much hope now of finding a cure for my “rare” curse.
“Sure thing. It’ll have to wait until after the opening of the new collection tomorrow, er—” He glanced at his wristwatch. “Actually, tonight.”
“Sure.” I turned to go, but hesitated. “Do curses ever have… side effects?” Like giving you the ability to speak to animals?
He nodded. “Oh yes, they certainly can.”
Okay, then. I’d always had a hunch that the speaking-to-animals thing hadn’t been the intended effect of the curse, but more of an unexpected twist. I mean, Eve had been given the curse by a dude down an alley on a dark night and claimed she had no idea what it was. I was inclined to believe her, if only because she seemed desperate enough to take a curse from some rando.
And also, maybe, because she’d seemed genuinely apologetic when I’d spoken to her a few weeks ago. If what Eve had said was true, I doubted whoever had cursed me wanted to take my powers and then give me some new ones as a consolation prize.
22
OPENING NIGHT
Knock knock knock! The pounding at my door felt like someone was knocking directly on my head.
I groaned and rolled over in my bed, cocooning myself in my comforter and wrapping my pillow around my throbbing noggin. I regretted everything.
Heidi, Will, and I hadn’t stumbled home until midmorning, the light bright and stabbing my eyes, and the smells of the Darkmoon making my stomach turn. It felt like I’d thrown myself into bed seconds ago.
“Jolene?” Peter’s voice drifted up the stairwell from outside.
I groaned again and flopped over onto my back, lying spread eagle. Had I forgotten I wasn’t twenty anymore? That I couldn’t stay out all night dancing and drinking potions? That I didn’t have magic to spell the hangover away? What had I been thinking?
“Jolene?” Peter knocked again, and a muffled bark sounded after.
Stop sleeping on the job!
Oh. I just had to love that mangy mutt of his.
I dragged myself to my feet and planned to just stagger downstairs but stopped. After that near-death experience with the lion, I’d resolved to take better care of myself.
I took a moment to comb my hair back into a long ponytail. I threw on a plain tee and my least hole-riddled jeans and new boots and grabbed a hoodie before nearly falling down the stairs. It wouldn’t be that hard to stay upright if the world would just stop spinning already.
I yanked the door open and blinked my bleary eyes at Peter and Daisy. “Hey.”
“Whoa.” Peter’s eyes widened. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Just what every girl wanted to hear.
Daisy panted, a big grin on her face. Looks like someone had a rough night.
I shot her a flat look, glanced at Peter out of habit, and then remembered I didn’t have to hide my abilities from him anymore. I growled at his dog. Yeah, well, not all of us can eat a bunch of grass and make ourselves ill as a cure-all.
Daisy’s ears flattened and she snarled. I do not eat grass.
I cocked a brow and whined. Not what I heard.
Her dark eyes grew bigger. Peter told you that?
Peter cleared his throat, an amused grin on his face. “Sorry to interrupt….”
I beamed up at him. “Not at all. Daisy was just saying she hoped I felt better.”
He cast an uncertain look down at his snarling dog, then back at me, a grin playing at the corner of his mouth. “Uh… right.” He jerked his head toward the dark street behind him. “You ready to go?”
I yawned and scrubbed at my cheek. I couldn’t believe I’d really slept all day and it was night again. I looked up at him, which sent the world reeling and my stomach lurching. I pressed a hand to my chest until my equilibrium returned.
“Sorry—I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’m a little hungover. I forgot—it’s opening night for the Cursed Objects Collection, isn’t it?”
Peter nodded. “Yep, and we’re headed up there, if you’re game?”
I gave him a tight smile. “Game.” I swallowed and willed the contents of my stomach to stay there. “As long as we move slowly.”
He grinned. “We’ve actually got to hurry—I just got some pretty big intel.”
Oh, boy. This wasn’t going to be easy.
“But first, let me help you.” He drew his wand, pointed it at me and closed his eyes. He muttered a spell under his breath,
