Kurt poured a mound of sparkly dirt in the middle of the water bowl. Then he stuck a few sticks in the middle of it. “Now, close your eyes and concentrate on your breath. Try to empty your mind and just follow your breathing as if it’s the only thing you need to think about right now.”
“Is that because I might stop breathing if I don’t think about how to do it?” Mallory asked.
“No.” Kurt chuckled. “I just don’t want you putting any crap from your brain into my spell. You could inadvertently do that because you’re so closely tied to this curse. Thoughts are very powerful things. Emotions follow thoughts. If you think about your breaths and nothing else, there’s less chance of your affecting the outcome. Make sense?”
“Yeah. I think so.”
“Then do it.”
Something about this guy seemed military. She wanted to saySir, yes, sir, but instead she just closed her eyes and did as he directed.Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out…
A few moments later, she smelled something burning. Fortunately, she was sitting next to a firefighter, so she wasn’t too worried. Dante would say something if the guy was about to set the place on fire.
Kurt was mumbling something in another language. She had no idea whether it was Latin, Spanish, or some indigenous language. She began to wonder how he would know that, then redirected her thoughts back to her breathing and just hoped it worked.
Suddenly her brain felt weird. She took her head in her hands. “Ohhh…”
Dante grabbed her shoulders to steady her. “Are you okay?”
She opened her eyes. “Yeah. Something just made me really dizzy. It didn’t hurt. I’m okay. Sorry if I scared you.”
Dante let out a deep breath. “Don’t be sorry. I’m just glad you’re all right.” His attention snapped to Kurt. “Does that mean it worked? Is the curse broken now?”
Kurt shrugged. “Maybe.”
“When will we know?” Dante asked.
“When nothing happens to her for a long, long time.”
“It sounds like you’re saying wait and see.”
“Yup.”
Mallory wanted to utter something sarcastic, like “awesome,” but this guy was trying to help. Waiting would be hard, but she really had no choice. She could hardly criticize him, even if the effort turned out to be futile. He did say he was flying blind… Maybe the bargain price was a “guinea pig” discount.
* * *
Noah and Dante were eating a hasty dinner before leaving their apartment for their next twenty-four-hour shifts. They were in their uniforms and ready to go.
Noah had to work up his courage to confront his brother—it was now or never. “Look, Bro. I know you think you love her, but you’ve got to be kidding me… She’s cursed! Hasn’t it occurred to you that maybe everyone close to her will be cursed too?”
“I’m fine.”
“So far.”
Dante leaned back and crossed his arms. “What are you suggesting?”
To avoid a hasty answer, Noah shoved a bite of his chicken pot pie into his mouth. He thought it was going to burn a hole in his tongue, but he was a phoenix. He could always grow a new one in his next incarnation.
“I’m not saying you don’t have a right to your opinion,” Dante continued for him, “but I’d prefer it if you’d keep it to yourself. Telling me what you think isn’t going to make a damn bit of difference.”
“I was afraid of that,” Noah said.
“Afraid? What are you afraid of? Do you think you’re going tocatch it?”
“I’m not afraid for myself. I’m afraid for you, dickhead.”
Dante picked up the remainder of his chicken pot pie and tossed it in the garbage. “I said I was fine,” he ground out between clenched teeth. “Maybe you’re just jealous because I have a relationship and you don’t.”
