Strike at Midnight(55)

Weekend? That wasn’t on the plan. As soon as I could ship off Mia back to her sticks in the woods, I would do so.

“We thought you might wish to return once you had cast the spell,” I said, desperately needing her to get the hint. The less time this woman spent at the castle, the more comfortable I would be.

“Oh, nonsense,” she said, swooping her hand down as if to wipe the notion away. “I’m looking forward to it. I don’t get out too often.”

“But you haven’t brought much with you,” I said through gritted teeth. I really needed her to get the point.

“A witch always carries light,” was all she replied.

Great. I was going to have to be a bitch to a witch in an enclosed carriage. That would teach me to not get business sorted before we set off on our way. But in my defense, it had been early, and I hadn’t felt like going off to try and hunt down another witch at a moment’s notice. It was pretty clear that Mia was our only option at this point, and she knew it.

“Look, Mia,” I said, sitting back in my seat a little. “I’m not exactly comfortable with a witch being in the castle. I don’t know you, and I don’t know what you’re capable of. That doesn’t sit well with me.”

She rolled her eyes and leaned forward to pat me on the knee. It pissed me off that I jolted when she did so.

“I’m not going to hurt your man, and the rest of you are quite safe from me.” She leaned back and shrugged. “You have nothing I want.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “My man?”

She ignored me then turned to Rapunzel and said, “And you? I am sorry for the dark curse you have cast over you, but the answer to its cure will become clear if you open up to it. Don’t tarnish all people with the same brush. It is very ignorant of you.”

“What about the curse?” Rapunzel asked, and all color drained from her face.

Mia ignored her then turned to Melody and said, “And you…” She studied her for a moment. “You’re fine.”

Melody gave us a smug smile and carried on watching the show.

“What the hell are you going on about?” I asked Mia as my anger squashed any common sense.

“The prince? The one you’re worried about?” Mia said as if I was clueless for not getting it. “He is no threat to me, so he has nothing to fear. And neither do you.”

“How the hell do you know about that?” I snapped. I didn’t think I had mentioned that part to Briar.

“I’m a witch,” she said, looking at me like that explained everything. “Same with Rapunzel’s curse. Every curse can be broken, but it’s up to the cursed to find the answer. If you think you’re doomed, then the curse latches on even tighter. The answers are always there to be found. Any witch knows that.”

“But you knew she was cursed?” I asked, wondering what the hell I had walked into.

“Of course,” she said, raising her eyebrows against what she no doubt saw as idiocy coming from my mouth. “I’m a witch. I can see it. It’s like a dark cloud with a tainted rainbow rippling through the middle. A nasty one at that.”

“But it can be broken?” Rapunzel asked, and none of us missed the hope in her voice.

“It’s a curse. Of course, it can be broken, but I have to say it’s a good one. It’s latched on to you nice and tightly.”

“And you don’t know how to break it?” I asked this time. This woman had manipulation written all over her, and I didn’t want her to start playing with Rapunzel’s head.

“Curses aren’t like spells,” she said, settling back into her own seat. “Each one has their own special key if you will. Spells are more generic. The answer in breaking it is in the key and the key can only be discovered by the actual cursed.”

“Like a real key?” I asked, and Rapunzel answered for Mia with a soft smile on her face.

“I think she means a metaphorical one.”

“Great help,” I said sarcastically, then I thought about what Mia had said about staying for the weekend. “But back to the point about you staying after today…”

“I’ll take it as payment, seeing as we haven’t negotiated that part yet. By me staying here for the weekend—and you ladies making a bit of an effort to have fun—we’ll consider ourselves even. Agreed?”

“I think Rella was thinking more along the lines of virgin sacrifices,” Rapunzel said on a chuckle, and I nudged her with my elbow.

“Well,” Mia said, “that would be a bit difficult if all you could offer up were in this carriage.”

It looked like witches knew way too much about things they shouldn’t be privy to, but I couldn’t help it when I turned to Rapunzel and said, “You’re not a virgin?”

The girl could still go out and get it on with someone in daylight if she so chose, so I don’t know why the hell I sounded so surprised.

“Why the hell didn’t you say that about me?” Melody asked, and I looked at her as if she had lost her marbles.

“Are you kidding me?”

“You don’t know who I’ve slept with,” she said with a frown on her face.

“You were doing Marcel for the first two months you got there,” I replied, “and your bedroom is next to mine. Remember?”