Sleeping Beauty and the Demon (11 page)

“I’m going to say this as kindly as I can. I don’t care for you the way you care for me.” Rose’s eyes began to mist. “I’m going to return the necklace you gave me.”

Her gaze switched to Anthony as she said, “I’ll go to my bedroom and get it right now.”

Turning on her heel, she heard Patrick throw something against the wall. She flinched from the loud crash but kept walking.

“You wouldn’t be so loyal to Dragomir Starkov if you heard what he said to me during his magic show!” he yelled behind her.

Shoulders tensed, Rose tried to shut the door before she heard another word. But she caught, “Drago claimed you’d never be mine! Even if he had to murder someone and take you from this world to do it!”

Rose was horrified at the words. As she rode a streetcar to the Sunshine Theater, she became more and more afraid. Had Drago really threatened Patrick that way?
Does he actually mean to kill Patrick—and then me?

She gave her hat a straightening.
I won’t leave until I get the truth.

The streetcar clattered and rumbled while a conversation between a middle-aged man and woman snagged her attention.

“I can’t believe what the papers are saying about that
magician.
” The woman folded her hands primly in her lap.

“What magician?” the man asked.

“Dragomir Starkov.”

“I’ve heard of Harry Houdini, but I haven’t heard of him.”

“Houdini, while he’s talented, is merely an escape artist,” the woman, who Rose presumed was the man’s wife, replied with an air of importance. “On the other hand, Dragomir Starkov has talents only the devil could deal out. He wills animals back to life and transports himself to a different location right on stage. He even disappears into thin air.”

“Unfortunately, Josephine”—the man patted her chubby arm—“the press sensationalizes everything.”

Josephine, a solid woman with frizzy red hair, held up a copy of
The Gotham Times
and shook it. “My dear husband, it says right here that Starkov vanished off a clothesline as though he’d never been there. If you’re such a genius, tell me how he did it.”

Hemming and hawing, the man shrugged. “Must have been mirrors, I’d say.”

“Mirrors, Murray? Nine stories up?” The woman folded her beefy arms across her bosom.

“I dunno. It’s a mystery.”

Josephine pointed to the newspaper again. “Apparently, Dragomir the Magnificent has been wooing a young woman. That girl must be crazy! If I were her, I’d be terrified. One argument and she might go up in a puff of smoke.”

The couple laughed while Rose slouched in her seat.
I’m not crazy. I’m being controlled by the amulet Drago gave me.

The streetcar stopped in front of the theater. Rose jumped off and knocked on the side door. When there was no answer, she remembered what Drago told her about the time he spent in the basement workshop.

“I come here every day—right before my show.”

Rose glanced at her pin watch. It was six-thirty. She knew he was here.

Someone who looked like a member of the stage crew exited the building. Exhaling with relief, she stopped the door with her foot and hastened inside. Cheeks flaming, she descended the staircase to the basement—where the sounds of tinkering and Drago swearing under his breath filled the air.

Rose entered the workshop, but Drago didn’t seem to notice her. When he finally swiveled around, his mouth quirked with surprise and concern.

“Rose,” he greeted. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to discuss something with you.”

He stalked her way and her pulse thumped wildly. Under his dark gaze, it would be so easy to fall into his arms. But what was it he’d said inside his apartment?
“I’m a bad man.”

Gad.
She couldn’t believe how the statement flushed desire through her, even now. Still, she needn’t melt like ice cream on a hundred-degree day. It was important to find out why Drago had threatened Patrick.

“You really shouldn’t be here,” he said gently.

“I’ve been doing a lot of things I shouldn’t lately,” Rose admitted. “Such as trusting you.”

He raised an eyebrow. “That hurt.” After a moment he said, “Did you see any reporters outside?”

“Forget the reporters, Drago. They seem to come with the territory.” She paused. “If they want to learn something, nothing will stop them.”

His brows drew together. “Perhaps.” Then he smiled. It was the same sultry, mysterious smile that made her go weak at the knees. “All right. Now that you’re here, discuss away.”

She turned away from him and walked around the workshop. “I know you’re preparing for tonight’s show, but you never answered my question.”

“What question?”

“I want to know what you said to Patrick onstage.”

She stole a look over her shoulder. Drago remained silent as he ran his hands through his hair.

“Please tell me,” she said softly.

As they locked eyes, distress brought out the fine wrinkles across his forehead.

“You broke his jaw, Drago. The least you can do is admit the truth.”

His frown deepened, but still he didn’t answer her.

She went on. “Very well. I’ll tell you what Patrick claimed you said.”

Drago was listening intently.

“Apparently you said you’d do anything to keep me from him.” She paused. “Even commit murder.”

Drawing in a breath, Drago said, “He’s right.”

She gasped. “You can’t mean it—”

“Come sit with me, Rose.”

He indicated the stool. She sat. And after he pulled up a second stool, he reached for her hand across the worktop. “It’s time I told you everything about the amulet you’re wearing.”

She tensed. The necklace was hidden beneath her dress. She hadn’t taken it off since the night he’d given it to her.

“I have always wanted to get my hands on it. It possessed a dark history before it fell into the hands of a Romanian Gypsy tribe, a tribe that protected it for many years. Some of those Gypsies were my father’s relatives, so I felt compelled to track the necklace down. Once I did, I bought it from a private dealer. It’s familial, powerful, and sentimental all at the same time.”

“That explains why you had it,” Rose said. “But why did you give it to me?”

“I wanted it to blend in with the other gifts I gave you.”

“Blend in?”

“I didn’t want you to question it.”

“I’ve always suspected you used it to hypnotize me.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “As I said, the necklace has a dark history. It also has the special abilities of a talisman.
The power to control and the power to re-direct someone’s fate
.”

“What if I remove the necklace right now?” she asked.

He shook his head. “The spell it casts is permanent, even if you manage to take it off.”

“Permanent?”

“If you must know, the amulet’s hypnotic spell can only be lifted when I say it’s time.”

She locked eyes with him. “If this is true love between us, I don’t need the necklace to want to be with you. You should lift your spell.”

Drago jerked his head away. “Not yet. The amulet and its control are my way of protecting you.”

“Protect me from what?”

“It’s going to ensure that you do what I want.”

“Which is?”

“Carry out an act I saw in a vision.”

Her face flamed with frustration. “I don’t understand.”

“This has been overwhelming for you, Rose—and I don’t want to scare you further.”

“I can handle whatever it is. I’m twenty years old.”

Drago returned his dark stare to hers. “About that. If Morvina resurfaces, you’ll need all the protection you can get on your twenty-first birthday.”

“You know my Aunt Morvina?” Her pulse accelerated.

“I know something about her.”

Rose cocked a brow. “What, exactly?”

“That she is evil and heartless.”

“
How
do you know, Drago?”

“Please don’t ask me that.”

She frowned and studied the tools that lay on top of the table. “Does the amulet fit in with the threat you made to Patrick?”

“I didn’t mean that I will kill
him
.”

“Who, then?” she asked.

“Morvina, if she comes close to you.”

Rose squared her shoulders. She knew it was time to be brave and ask Drago everything. “What about the threat you made to take me from this world, if necessary. What did you mean by that?”

A heavy silence hung between them. Finally, Drago said, “Were people stunned by my disappearing act yesterday?”

“Yes,” Rose said. “My boss is especially curious about it. He took a photo of you, but there is no trace of your image.”

Urgency flashed in his eyes. “What has he done with this photo?”

“Nothing, yet.”

Drago reached for her hand and gripped it. “You must get that photograph, Rose. It’s of the utmost importance.”

“I can’t,” she cried. “I saw Richard lock it up.”

“Richard? Richard Bellum?”

“Yes.”

“Christ! That man has been a thorn in my side for months. Even more reason for you to confiscate the photo.” He paused. “I assume you’ve seen it?”

“Yes.”

“And it startled you, right?”

“Yes.”

Drago released her hand. The revealing glance he gave her made her blood freeze. “How do you know I didn’t enact real magic on the laundry line?”

Stunned, the possibility of what he said came crashing down on her. “A . . . are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“My manager confiscated all of the reporters’ film last night—except your boss’s, apparently,” he informed her. “We didn’t see him take my photo.”

Rose gripped her fingers tightly. “Why are you so worried about it?”

He sucked a breath. “If you must know, I don’t show up in photographs—or mirrors.”

She raised her hand to her mouth. “Are you some sort of ghost?”

“A ghost? No. I’m a warlock.”

“Good God!”

Drago rose and paced before her. “I’m putting myself at risk by telling you this, but you’d have found out sooner or later.”

Rose’s nerves began to fray like the seams of an ancient garment.

“ ‘Warlock’ is actually a weak term for what I am,” he explained. “I’m a powerful lord of black magic. And if I desire, I can take you from the here and now into another lifetime.”

The revelation tilted Rose’s world off its axis. She’d always been fascinated with magic, but seeing it this close frightened her like nothing else. Shaken to the core, she asked, “Take me into another lifetime? You mean time travel?”

He nodded grimly.

Struggling to breathe, she fanned herself with her handbag. “I don’t believe it.”

“It’s true,” he said. “When a vision of Morvina came to me, I saw you in the same vision.”

“That’s how you know about my aunt—and my curse?”

He nodded solemnly.

Horrified, she murmured, “It explains all the birthday gifts . . . and why you want to protect me.”

“I was a magician for many years in Romania,” Drago explained. “And using my powers here in America was the only way to find you.”

“Don’t you mean it’s the only way I would come to you?”

“Yes,” he said quietly. “If you’re under my wing, Morvina can’t hurt you.”

“I don’t know who to be more afraid of.”

“I’d never hurt you. I fell in love with you in my vision.”

Denial and terror mingled inside her. She turned away. “I need time to process this.”

He grimaced. “There’s more. You need to know the details of the amulet, before you hear them from somebody else.”

Without meeting his gaze, she braced herself.

“The necklace belonged to an Egyptian princess named Tousret. When Tousret took a lover named Amenhotep who was a priest from her court, the action sealed both of their fates. The Underworld God, Anubis, willed Tousret to kill Amenhotep. Then Anubis forced her to turn the knife on herself as punishment. Now any female who dons the necklace is doomed to murder her lover, then commit suicide.”

“What?” Rose screeched. “How could you do this to me?” She leapt off the stool and made for the door.

Drago stopped her with a thrust of his arm against the portal. “A bracelet made by Amenhotep’s fellow priests can neutralize the prophecy. Counteract the dark forces.” He paused. “I have it.”

The bracelet in his bedroom.

The information made her feel a little better, but not much. She tried to yank the door open, but the pressure of his hand was too strong.

“I know something about you, Rose. When we met, you secretly hoped my powers were real. Hoped they could alter the path of your curse.”

“Maybe I did—”

“Now that you know the truth, I can help you with Morvina’s spell.”

She stopped pulling on the doorknob. “Y . . . you can?”

“In my vision, I saw the accident you’re going to face. But if you cooperate with my plan, you won’t die.”

“What plan?”

“There’s no need to frighten you now. I’ll tell you when your twenty-first birthday draws closer.”

Rose’s breath became ragged and she sagged against the door.
Is Drago my only hope for survival?

“You aren’t going to die,” Drago assured her, “at least, not because of the amulet.”

“I don’t understand.”

“The necklace won’t put you in danger because it’ll allow me to direct you. Moreover, I’ll be wearing the bracelet of Amenhotep on your birthday.”

She looked at him. Tears lined her face. “This is all so confusing.”

He stroked her cheek. “I can’t tell you everything right now. But you need to trust me. Do you, Rose?”

She knew she should run out on him right then. He’d lied to her. His magic couldn’t be explained. It was deceptive of him, yes. Yet, she realized why he’d been untruthful. He was here to guard her.

Finally, she replied, “I trust you.”

“Good,” he said. “Now whatever you do, don’t tell anyone about this conversation.”

Her hands shook.

“If I’m going to shield you from Morvina,”—he knitted his brows—“the fewer people who know about my powers, the better. You can’t tell anyone I enact genuine magic. There’s much at stake here.”