Page 44

When Frederick and Pearl walked into Corvus’ bedroom, Cecilia flew to them. “You’re here. Thank God, you’re here! I have the magical binder here to hear your vows.” Suddenly she pulled herself up and looked at Pearl. “You’re here to marry him aren’t you?”

The words struck Pearl right in the chest. Her mind hadn’t really caught up to the implications of her coming here, but, of course she wouldn’t let Corvus die. Of course she would marry him if it would save his life. “Yes. That’s why I’m here.”

A sob burst out of Cecilia before she could choke it back, and she grabbed Pearl’s hands in a vice-like grip. “May God forgive me for ever speaking ill of you to my son.”

Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, Pearl noticed the magical binder shifting uneasily near Corvus’ bed, and it drew her focus to Corvus for the first time. Her breath caught at seeing him. He was white as a sheet, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was shallow. How had she not realized? He had shown signs of fatigue, but she had made all the wrong assumptions. And to be completely fair, he’d led her to believe there was no reason for concern. Flying to his side, Pearl grabbed Corvus’ hand and told the magical binder to begin the ceremony immediately. Mercutio was right there with her - placing his front paws gently over Corvus’ heart.

Wringing his hands, the magical binder glanced towards Cecilia. “I…I would love to, but I can’t bind someone who is comatose. There has to be consent between both parties for it to work. Even if you say the right words and sign the right documents, it won’t save his life if he can’t also do the same.”

Frederick cursed behind her. “He wasn’t nearly this bad when I left a few hours ago. What happened?”

With a voice softer than Pearl had ever heard it, Cecilia answered. “We’re getting close to the end now. He only has until midnight, and the curse will progress more and more rapidly the closer we get.”

Turning to Corvus, Pearl put a gentle hand on his cheek. No wonder he’d told her he loved her. He knew he might never get another chance. If she could save his life, they would have a very long conversation about being honest with each other. “Corvus. I need you to wake up, darlin’.” Her voice was soft, and she raised it slightly when she got no response. “Please wake up. I want to marry you. I’m here to marry you right now, but I can’t do it without you.”

Corvus’ eyes fluttered open, but they didn’t focus on anything. Mumbling briefly, Pearl could only catch a few words. “No…want…love…not force…”

Pearl’s tears began to drip onto his hands, and she picked one up and put it to her face. “But I do love you.” Corvus began to shake his head, but she spoke more vehemently. “I know you have reason to believe this is because I feel coerced and don’t want you to die, but darlin’, I’ll never forgive you if you die like this and don’t give me the time you said you would. I know we’d be doing things a bit backward, but even when you broke my trust, I could never let go of my love for you - no matter how much I wanted to sometimes. And the six months we’ve had together have been one of the happiest times of my life. I know you’ve grown and changed - I’ve seen it time and time again. I’m sorry I’ve been so slow to trust you, but please marry me and give us the time we deserve to figure it out together.” His eyes focused on hers for a brief moment, and he gave her a small smile before he slipped unconscious once again.

Laying Corvus’ hand gently on his chest, she wiped her tears and turned to the others in the room. “This isn’t going to work.” Seeing Cecilia’s face crumple, Pearl hastily continued. “I am not giving up, we just have to try something else. We need to find a book titled Generational Curses: Applications and Reversals for England’s Old Families. Do either of you know where Corvus might have kept it?”

A gasp burst out of Frederick, “He mentioned he’d read about his curse in a book and actually found the countercurse, but he would have to be at death’s door before it can be performed because that’s when the curse is most accessible.”

“I would say that we’re there. The book, Frederick. Do you know where it is?”

“I have it!” Frederick and Pearl both jumped. Cecilia had transported away and back before either of them could notice.

Pearl couldn’t help the small sigh that escaped her. If only the rest would prove to be this easy. “Wonderful, Cecilia.” Taking the book, Pearl sped through it with none of the care she would generally show a book of this age and value until she came to a curse that sounded like the one that was currently ravaging Corvus. Turning it towards Cecilia, Pearl didn’t even have to ask the question before Cecilia nodded. “That is the curse.”

It was as complex as Pearl had known it would be. If anyone shared even a drop of Winterbourne blood - no matter how far removed, it would hold some sway, but Corvus as the unmarried title holder would feel the full force of it. The curse had been sitting dormant until they began to get perilously close to the arbitrary deadline of his 31st birthday. It would start as mild fatigue and then within the last six months, the fatigue would continue to increase exponentially, and he would begin to feel sharp pains in his heart. With each day that his birthday drew closer, the symptoms would increase. It was meant to convince him to marry, but when he reached the final day, it would slow his heart so that his blood pumped slower and slower until his heart finally stopped.

Pearl hadn’t realized Cecilia had been reading over her shoulder – she'd thought Cecilia was fully distracted dismissing the magical binder and telling him how useless he was in the process. “So that’s how it works. He wouldn’t let me near this book until he was physically incapable of keeping me away from it, so I haven’t had a chance to read it before now. I can use my magic to focus on keeping his heart going while you and Frederick work to enact the countercurse. I won’t be able to do much against such a powerful curse, but I should be able to give at least some relief.”

“You can do that?” The words were out of Pearl before she could think about them.

“Of course I can. I have intricate knowledge of the inner workings of the heart. What do you think I do? Just sit around this big house all day and embroider pin cushions?”

Pearl tried to keep her face neutral, but that was exactly what she’d thought. The attempt was futile - Cecilia must have read something on her face. “Do you think you’re the only woman of any intelligence? I’ve learned many things in my time as a Winterbourne. I have almost endless time and endless resources. And people as high profile as I am can often become targets, so learning a way to defend myself has been vital. What better way to stop someone in their tracks than to stop their heart?”

It was almost laughable that so much had happened that Pearl had momentarily forgotten that this woman had killed her husband so artfully that no one had ever suspected it to be anything more than a heart attack. “Right.” Cecilia went to her son’s side, and Pearl turned back to the book as she saw a soft blue glow fill the room from the giant sapphire on Cecilia’s wrist.

She read through the counter-curse and then read through it again. As she did so, something niggled at the back of her mind when the counter-curse said the foundation charm was a necessary component. But which foundation charm? There were so many foundation charms in magic. Often blood provided foundation, but sometimes it was a string of specific words or…or. It hit her all at once, and she grabbed Frederick. “If we transport to my house, do you have the magical access to get us directly back to this room?”

A derisive snort was her only answer. When Pearl glared at him, he expounded with a sigh. “No, but you do.”

Pearl wanted to throttle him. She didn’t have time for his mysteries. “Why would I have access?”

“Remember when he brought you here for your birthday ten years ago?”

“Of course I remember.”

“Remember how he transported you straight to the library? Ever wonder how you were able to do that?”

That stopped Pearl in her tracks. She’d never considered it. “I don’t have time for this. Just spell it out for me.”

“This home has generations of wards on it, so for you to be able to transport directly here with no ties to the old families, he had to add your blood to the very foundations of this place. Because of my bloodline, it was easy enough to grant me access through the wards to less private places like the library and the front hall, but what Corvus did for you means there is nowhere you don’t have access in the manor or the grounds.”

Pearl’s eyes cut to Cecilia who nodded briefly in affirmation.