The Curse (20 page)

Guilt plagued him when her cheeks lost their rosy hue and her eyes widened in trepidation, then lost focus, staring through him. She started trembling.

Lightning crackled overhead and thunder rumbled.

Wind raced through the park.

Bloody hell.

FIFTEEN

S
top it, Lanna.”

Lanna realized Quinn was shaking her shoulders. She blinked, looking up into his worried gaze. “What?”

“The storm,” he hissed near her ear. “Are you doing that?”

Thunder rumbled overhead.

She gulped air, glancing up at dark clouds threatening to break open and flood the earth. Breathing deep, she tried to calm herself. Slowly, the sky quieted. Elements reacting to her was only one problem she had because of taking Grendal’s potion. She did not drink by choice.

The cruel wizard had poured his potion down her throat to turn her into powerful puppet to do his bidding. No one, not even Grendal, had been prepared for bad reaction of her majik. Good thing. Explosion helped her escape wizard and Transylvania, but what had potion done to her majik?

Go home to Transylvania? She would not.

Could not.

She did not want to lie to her favorite cousin, but if Quinn knew truth, he would rush home with her to fix problem. And end up dead.

So technically, he was at fault for any dishonesty on her part. She patted his arm. “I am sorry about bad weather. Was not intentional. You scare me with threat of teleporting.”

He let go of her and shook his head, muttering, “You can affect the weather.”

“Sometimes. It is accidental.” She rubbed her head, which ached from little sleep. “You are master deal maker. What can I offer VIPER for me to stay? Not long. Only until I find teacher for majik.”

“Regardless of my negotiation skills, there is nothing either of us can offer VIPER in exchange for their allowing you to remain in this country. I would have to go through weeks of meetings. I simply don’t have the time right now.”

His phone buzzed. He grumbled something and put his phone to his ear, but he looked at Lanna and said, “Do
not
leave.”

“Finally we agree. I have no plan to leave.”

He covered the mouthpiece with his hand. “I only meant don’t leave while I’m on the phone. You
are
going home before anyone finds out you’re here.”

Her cousin would not win argument. Once he accepted this, he would talk to VIPER and fix everything. He must.

Quinn hid his mouth with his hand when he spoke into the phone, but Lanna heard the first part. “I had my mind closed to telepathy. I’m dealing with my family … problem. I spoke to Evalle. She’s getting what we need tonight …”

His gaze lost focus and he stopped speaking.

She had seen him look that way when he spoke telepathically and must be holding phone in place as a pretense.

With Quinn busy, Lanna sent her gaze skipping over chess players still in tight battles. Most were much older than her … except that blond one. Kellman. The one she had spent almost an hour with, and still had yet to pay her any attention beyond her skill at chess.

A lock of blond hair fell across his forehead, like a slash of light against his tanned skin. Only thing out of place in his orderly appearance. In spite of clothes that did not fit, Kell had efficient, controlled look.

A serious boy. Much too serious for someone her age, and so intent on chess he missed important things.

Like me
.

No man should miss Brasko woman standing so close.
We are like sun after dark winter, warm and bright.
How could he not notice sun?

She was not wallpaper flower to be ignored. She had been adored since very small and noticed by boys as soon as she had breasts, instead of socks, to fill bras.

But Kell paid her no more mind than he paid the wrinkled-up man who took her place as his chess partner.

Still, he was nice boy and she owed him. He had stepped up next to her when a smelly older man in shaggy clothes and greasy hair had bothered her. She had struggled to keep her anxiety from upsetting weather and could not use majik to get rid of smelly man.

Cousin had told her not to use majik on humans, and her powers had already failed her three times since taking potion, so she only used energy force in small amounts that would not put anyone at risk.

She could tell Kell had been afraid when he stepped in to help, because he swallowed hard as if he expected a fight. He still moved between her and the smelly man. Kell said she owed him a game. When the man left, Kell had been surprised when she sat down to play.

But had he looked at her while they played? No. Had he talked to her? Only to ask what color she wanted to play. Then nothing.

Same way he was ignoring her now.

Staring hard, she moved her lips in a silent chant to the wind and sent three leaves down from tree above Kell to fall across his face.

He looked up, then down, startled. His eyes reached out with question, then his gaze landed on Lanna.

She tilted her head to say hello again. To let him know she had not left the park. She winked at him.

Red flags brushed his cheeks. He jerked his gaze back to the game.

She had embarrassed him with wink? This boy who had been her champion with nasty man?

Quinn made a sound that came out part tired and part out of patience as he shoved his phone back into his pocket. His eyes were shadowed. He had been sick not long ago. Lanna could tell. Men in this city needed to have fun.

Quinn said, “Back to what we—”

She spoke at the same time. “Let us sit down, Cousin.”

“Are you not well?”

Guilt pinched her over his instant concern. “Yes, just tired.”

Snagging her suitcase on the way, she led him to the shade now that clouds were gone and sun was out. Dusting off a spot on concrete wall, she sat down not far from Kell.

With Quinn settled between her and Kell, she could see them both while she spoke to her cousin. “I did not mean to cause you trouble.”

His eyebrows climbed in a show of disbelief, then he seemed to dismiss whatever he was going to say. “Then let me charter a private jet to get you home. It’ll be more comfortable than commercial flying. You can sleep the whole way.”

She shook her head. “That could be dangerous for others.”

“Why?”

“When I was upset on way here, airplane had bumpy ride.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think my majik shook airplane. Elements do not like when I get upset.” A side effect of Grendal’s potion.

Quinn leaned down, speaking in a tight voice. “You
rocked
a commercial flight? With storms?”

She hoped he saw how she felt bad about this. “The pilot said weather was clear. One hour later, I am dizzy. Very sick and plane started to bounce and shake. People stumbled around. Much screaming. I am sick everywhere, in bathroom, walking, at seat. I try to sleep, anything to fix problem. When I calm down, plane calmed down. Happened many times on way here. My fault. I do not want to hurt anyone.”

“Oh, good goddess.” Quinn put a hand on his forehead and closed his eyes.

She muttered, “Much praying on flight, too.”

Quinn washed his hand over his face, looking more tired than before. “When did this start happening?”

She couldn’t tell him about Grendal, but she had to make Quinn understand one thing. She could not return to Transylvania. “This is why I can not go home. My majik … has problems.”

“What exactly do you mean?” he asked.

“Long time ago, you were right. You said I need teacher for majik.” She held up her hand to stall what she knew he would say. “Not in Transylvania.”

“Why not? They’re your people.”

“My majik caused small fire to explode and burn neighbor’s barn. Village is afraid of me.” All of that was true enough.

“Did someone threaten you?” her cousin asked in soft voice that would raise fear in demons.

“No, but they think I am dangerous.” She shrugged. “I am sorry to burden you, Cousin, but I have nowhere else to go.”
And you are the only one who can keep Grendal from taking me again if he finds me
. “Mama asks you please help me.”

Quinn had a look that said this couldn’t be worse timing.

Lanna hated to be trouble, but she would make it up to him. Her cousin had messed-up aura. He was unhappy. She would work hard to make his life better while she was here.

He finally said, “I’m not sure what I’m going to do. We’re in the middle of something major right now. I don’t know—”

He would not help her? She must have looked like she would cause storm again because her cousin hurried to say, “Don’t get upset. I’ll figure out something. Give me a minute.”

He started typing on his phone, and she let out tight breath she was holding.

Just then, another Kell raced past her, sliding to stop beside first Kell. Boys looked exactly alike. Twins. But second Kell was free spirit. Full of energy. Excitement.

So not like his quiet chess-master brother.

What luck to find two attractive young men her first day.

The new brother said to Kell, “We’ve got to clear out of the shelter.”

Kell asked, “Why? What’s wrong, Kardos? Did you get into trouble?”

Kardos shook his head and jostled something in his hand. Dice? He rolled the cubes around and around. “Not this time. It’s the gang wars going on. Child services is rounding up any underaged kids around the shelter.”

That surprised Kell. “We
look
eighteen. They don’t know we’re seventeen.”

“Doesn’t matter. We’ll get hauled in for public loitering if we don’t have an ID.”

“We have to tell Evalle.”

Lanna thought about Quinn’s call. Her cousin spoke of an Evalle.
Is that common female name in this country?

Kardos argued, “She can’t help us right now, not until after sunset.”

Why would she not help Kell and Kardos until sunset?

Kardos kept jiggling dice in his hand, more like nervous action than anything else.

Kell made grumbling noise, then apologized to his opponent for not finishing game and stood up. He followed his brother to statue of woman with firebird. The boys spoke too soft for Lanna to hear.

Moving her lips with silent chant that Quinn would not see, she heard what Kardos whispered to his brother.

“… too risky to hide in the places we know. There’s a badass group of trolls in the city.”

“What, like some weird kind?” Kell acted annoyed, but Lanna could tell he worked to hide his concern.

“Don’t know what kind of trolls they are, but Jurba said—”

Kell growled at his brother, “We don’t have the money for you to be gambling with Jurba, and he
is
a troll!”

“He’s a local troll, not one of the out-of-towners.”

“How does that make it okay?”

“Because I know him. We’ve shot craps a lot.”

“Kardos!”

“Hey, I usually win, so no big deal. Back to our real problem.” Kardos bunched his shoulders in a conspiratorial move. “Jurba warned me to watch out for any guy with a scar in the shape of a runic
S
on his arm. Says the glamour won’t hide the scar. He drew the design for me. Here’s the kicker. Good thing I found that out or I wouldn’t have noticed a guy with that scar outside the shelter. He was handing out free food.”

“At the shelter? Is he gone?”

“No, and he’s studying everyone who goes into the shelter like he’s looking for something or someone.”

“That’s because the damn local trolls use the place like a bunkhouse sometimes.” Kell rubbed his neck, eyes filled with worry. “Then how are we going to get our money and other stuff hidden in the shelter’s back wall?”

“I don’t know, and Jurba said to avoid the trolls with the scar at all costs. He just got word that those trolls are taking local ones to some headquarters location and threatening the local trolls if they don’t do what they’re told.”

“Where’s the headquarters?”

Kardos threw his hands up in the air. “I don’t know. Jurba knows, but I was in too big a hurry to find you to care. He’s on his way to meet his buddies and grab a truck big enough for them and his girlfriend. They’re getting out of the city.”

Kell’s face lost his nice tan, turned white when he raised his eyes to his brother. “If a
troll
has nowhere to hide, then we’re SOL. The best thing we can do is stay right here where we’re surrounded by people until dark.”

Lanna did not know SOL, but she understood that these boys were in trouble and would lose their shelter soon. She knew what it was to hide dangerous things and the desperation of having no place safe.

That was how she ended up here.

Kell had helped her without even knowing her name.

Glancing around, Kell scowled and rubbed his neck. “We’re screwed.”

“No, we’re not,” Kardos argued. “Jurba said he’d take us with them.”

Lanna felt better because this Jurba would help them. Wait. Jurba had information that might also help her. Would VIPER want to know about strange trolls? Enough to let her stay if she traded for learning troll location?