Page 29 of Wicked Curses
Before she could think about the possibility that she might unleash something malignant, she pressed her finger against the top of the eight and traced its curving contours.
CHAPTERTWENTY
“What are you doing?”Orin demanded.
Since she had no idea what she was doing, she didn’t answer him. Instead, she followed the grooves carved into the wood and the feathers and sharp points of the arrows.
As she worked, she felt no magic from the symbol, and nothing happened, but these thingsmustmean something. Why else would they be here?
Tomorrow, before she went to the library, she’d find the other symbols too. She had to know where they all were.
When she finished tracing over the symbol, she stopped and stared at it as she waited for something to happen. Nothing did. She had no idea what she’d expected, but it all felt so anticlimactic.
She rested her palm against the symbol. Beneath her hand, she felt the thrum of the earth as it vibrated up through the wood. The power here came from the ground and not the symbol.
Removing her hand, she climbed down, lifted the chair, and returned it to the main room. When she set it down, she lifted her head to discover a couple of witches had entered the pub.
They stared at her with looks of such utter contempt they would have made her shrivel inside when she was younger. Now, she smiled and waved at them.
Their scowl deepened at her wave, and Sahira returned to the alcove. Though she almost ran over to hug the witches when she spotted Orin in the doorway with his hand against the wall while watching her.
She’d prefer the fallout from that to getting past this far too enticing and soul-destroying dark fae. It was too late now, and she was on a collision course with the man blocking the doorway and looking at her with an amusement that shouldn’t be sexy but was.
He lowered his arm before she reached him and stepped back a little. “Making friends, I see.”
She was relieved he’d moved out of the way but also a little skeptical. Orin liked to push boundaries and get into her personal space. She didn’t trust this new, more respectful man.
It had to be part of his game, but she was thankful he wasn’t trying to touch her all the time. As much as she hated it, she also loathed how her body reacted to his.
“Everywhere I go,” she replied flippantly.
She felt his dark eyes following her as she walked over to stand before the symbol again, but she didn’t look at him. “Can you take me to see the others tomorrow?”
He was the last one she wanted to ask for help, but she didn’t have any friends in this realm, and while Zeth might help her, she couldn’t impose on the demon. She’d prefer not to intrude on Orin either, but she’d never have enough time to locate the symbols before work tomorrow.
“Of course.”
Sahira rolled her eyes at his smug tone. “I’ll have to leave early to see them all before work.”
“I’ll be ready to go.”
She’d made a mistake. Having Orin help her with anything was a bad idea; he’d find some way to use it to his advantage.
She should have asked for directions and found the symbols on her own, even if it took her a couple of days. But she’d already asked him for help and couldn’t back out now.
“I’ll see you in the morning, then,” she said.
Brushing past him, Sahira ignored the increased beat of her heart as his scent engulfed her. His steps followed her from the alcove as she reclaimed the books she’d set on the table, but she refused to look back at him while focusing on the stairs.
The pub was starting to fill with assorted immortals looking to forget their troubles while ignoring the guillotine of scarogs hanging over their necks. Sahira hadn’t thought much about the beetles today; she’d been too busy learning her new job and getting to know her coworkers. Gromuck was an orc of few words, but Elsa was surprisingly friendly, considering the witches in this realm didn’t like her.
Sahira was so focused on her day, and her coworkers from the library, that she didn’t notice a witch stepping into her path until she almost crashed into her. Coming to an abrupt halt, Sahira tipped her head back, and her eyes widened on the tall woman with blonde hair and hazel eyes.
She almost apologized for almost walking into her but stopped when she realized the woman purposely stepped in front of her. She had no idea who the woman was, but the witch studied Sahira like she was lower than dog crap. Just what she needed to cap off her oh-so-enjoyable time in this realm.
Unwilling to engage with the witch, Sahira went to step around her, but the woman moved to block her path. Sahira glowered at her. “What’s your problem?”
“Is your mother Lydia?”
