Page 4 of Wicked Curses
“The immortals here all help to build homes for the new arrivals,” Zeth said.
“That’s nice of them,” she muttered.
“We were all you once too—stuck, confused, and convinced there was some way to escape. It takes time, but you eventually accept there might not be.”
Orin would never accept that, and from the look on Sahira’s face, she felt the same way.
“You can always stay in my room,” Orin offered.
“I’d rather sleep outside,” Sahira murmured.
“No need,” Zeth assured her. “There are plenty of rooms upstairs, and you two are the only ones residing here now. Everyone else has moved out. I can ask Belda to get you the key to a room, and I’ll take you up.”
“I’ll be the one to take care of my family,” Orin said.
“Family?”
“His brother is engaged to my niece, but we arenotfamily,” Sahira stated.
Some of her shock was wearing off, making things a lot more fun. He much preferred a feisty witch to this numb one.
“Thankfully, we’re not blood,” Orin agreed.
Sahira turned up her nose before shifting so her back was mostly to him. Behind Orin, voices rose as chairs scraped back and something clattered.
With his elbow on the bar, he craned his head as a lycan and vampire stood over a table. Each of them had their hands on the green surface of the table while they swore at each other.
“Hey!” Belda shouted, thrusting her finger at the door. “There’s no fighting in here. Take it to the pit, or you’ll each be in a cell!”
“What’s the pit?” Sahira asked.
“It’s where immortals settle their disputes in this realm,” Orin told her.
When the vampire jerked his head toward the doorway, the lycan nodded his agreement.
“You’re in for some fun today.” Orin looped his arm through hers. “What a great day for you to arrive!”
“Oh, fuck off.”
Orin laughed as he led her toward the door.
CHAPTERFOUR
Sahira was still toostunned to resist as Orin escorted her through the pub and toward the door. She frowned when she spotted the metal shutters pinned open inside the windows. The metal was at least two inches thick.
She forgot about Orin’s hold on her arm as they followed the rest of the immortals out the door and onto the porch. “What’s with the shutters?” she asked.
“Protection,” Zeth responded.
“From what?”
She wasn’t sure if Zeth didn’t hear her over the growing din of conversation and excitement surrounding them or if he became distracted by the chatter as more immortals from the town joined the crush of bodies propelling them onward.
How is this possible? How can we be trapped here?
She had no idea, but they were, and she had to figure out if she could escape this mess. Trying to control her rising panic, Sahira focused on getting out of here as they crossed a red dirt road.
Finally getting her wits about her, she started taking in details of the town. It was a strange combination of old wood buildings and stately, elaborate structures that must have taken immortals, with their superior strength and speed months to erect.
