A Curse Unbroken by Cecy Robson Page A

Three were his fellow programmers like you said, one was his girlfriend, two were young archaeologists, and the two others were locals familiar with the area. Five have died since the profits from Shah’s videogame started rolling in.” She lifted her phone when it buzzed in a text and checked the screen. “Make that six. The first was Dilip’s girlfriend, the next were his programmers. Guess who died next?”

    “The archaeologists.” Unlike Agnes, I didn’t see this as a fun game of Clue.
    “You’re right,” she said, barely batting an eye. “The female died first. It took Dilip longer to find the male.” She tapped the screen of her phone. “But now he has. If the locals he hired aren’t dead yet, they soon will be.”
    “What about the police?”
    “What about them?” she asked.
    I held out my hand. “Millions at stake. Nine people involved—eight dead—or on the to-die list. It doesn’t take much to narrow down Dilip as a suspect.”
    Agnes leaned forward and glared at me like I was too stupid to breathe. “He has Shah, and therefore all the power he needs to keep suspicion off him, or send the police after the kid who pushed him off the swing in second grade if he wanted to.” She laughed without humor. “The thing is, this fool doesn’t know everything he’s in for with Shah.”
    I crossed my arms. Agnes was having too much fun. “What’s Shah going to do to him, Agnes?”
    “Whatever he wants now,” she sang. “Dilip’s his holder, but not his master. To think he ruled over Shah was his first mistake.”
    “Just tell me what he’s going to do,” I said, growling as a result of my mounting impatience.
    Agnes narrowed her eyes at my command, but told me anyway, motioning toward the stack of old scrolls. “These scriptures describe the magic worked and incidences surrounding Shah the last time he was used for personal gain. It seems he wasn’t hidden to keep others from stealing him. He was being punished for being an asshole.”

    “An asshole?” I asked slowly.
    “That’s right. Basically, once Shah feels he’s made a fair trade, he starts to fuck with his holder.”
    Okay. This wasn’t necessarily a good thing for us . “In what way?”
    “Any way he pleases. Let’s say Dilip wants world domination now, riches beyond his wildest dreams.” She giggled. “Or say an ice cream sandwich. Shah could choose to fill his entire house with ice cream sandwiches and nothing more.”
    I considered what she told me. “Shah has reached notoriety and fame because of the game Dilip created for him.” Agnes nodded. “In exchange, he’s given Dilip money, power, protection, and exoneration from possible murder.”
    “Again you’re correct,” Agnes agreed.
    “And now that he’s fulfilled his duties, it’s time for him to have fun with Dilip.”
    Agnes’s wicked grin was confirmation enough.
    A thought occurred to me. “Tell me this, does Shah have to be with Dilip at all times?”
    “No. Dilip just has to be the last one to touch him to still be considered his holder.”
    “If that’s the case, Shah could be anywhere.”
    “Technically yes, but Dilip’s too greedy and too paranoid to leave him behind.” She frowned when her laptop swooshed, announcing she had an email. I watched her scroll down her screen, her eyes taking in everything quickly. When she finished, she leaned back in her chair, scrutinizing me closely. “A were team invaded Dilip’s Malaysian compound tonight. It seems they failed,” she said when I didn’t respond. “Their bodies were just found in a nearby river, riddled with cursed gold bullets.”

    I hadn’t bothered to sit when I first entered the library. Now I wish I had. I felt sick. My only comfort was that I knew Aric and his Warriors weren’t among those dead. I’d only left them about an hour ago.
    Agnes returned to playing with her braids. “Dilip is a fool, but he’s not stupid, and very much wants to hang on to what he thinks is his.