Tank could continue to stand on it.
“I have cursed a million people,” Jodi said, thinking that she was annoyed enough at Tank to curse at her right now. “But not with magic, no. Of course not. That way lies madness.”
“Exactly,” Tank said. “And Blue might be a drunk, but he’s not insane.”
Jodi almost disagreed automatically, and then she thought about it. That was true. Bluebeard had struck her as strange but rational. And if he had been placing curses on people, then he would be more than slightly crazy.
Of course, no one put a curse on himself.
“My presence activated the curse,” Jodi said thoughtfully. What had Bluebeard said to her that morning?
Since the last death, I haven’t looked at a woman. I haven’t talked to a woman, except in passing, and I never ever touch one. I try to avoid people as much as possible. I’m afraid if I get to know a woman’s face, the image will get in my brain, and then… then it’ll start all over again.
He had finished with a whisper as if it had all been too much to contemplate.
He had looked at her, seen her, talked to her, and brushed against her. And then his image—his younger image, the image from the Kingdom, the image fifteen women had seen before their deaths—had shown up in her bedroom.
“Holy crap,” Jodi said softly, letting her arm down.
Tank slid, then threw herself flat against Jodi’s arm, grabbing onto her wrist. Tank swore in the old language. Her grip was surprisingly strong.
“Sorry,” Jodi said and eased her to the top of the dresser near the door.
“Holy crap what?” Tank asked as if she hadn’t panicked, as if she hadn’t swore. She brushed herself off. Her gauzy black dress was covered in fairy dust.
“This poor man thinks he’s been killing women,” Jodi said, more to herself than Tank. “And he hasn’t harmed a soul.”
“Finally! Someone who understands!” Tank said and clapped her little hands together, releasing more fairy dust sparkles.
Jodi glared at Tank. “You knew this all along, and you let him suffer?”
“No, I didn’t know it,” Tank said. “I suspected it, though. It was the only thing that made sense. I’ve been around evil. He’s not evil. He never has been.”
Jodi had had that same sense. She had discounted it because of the charm. How many other people had done so?
“He’s been punishing himself for no reason,” Jodi said, still thinking out loud.
“Oh, there’s a reason,” Tank said. “Those women died.”
Then she floated up just enough to get in Jodi’s face. Again. This time Jodi brushed her away.
“That’s a bad habit,” Jodi snapped.
“It gets your attention,” Tank said.
“You already had my attention,” Jodi said.
“Did not,” Tank said. “You were thinking out loud.”
Jodi did not like how accurate Tank’s assessment was. “Fine. What do you want?”
“ Those women died ,” Tank said, as if that was enough to get through to Jodi.
“Yes, I know,” Jodi said. “And how does that affect me…?”
Her breath caught. It affected her because of the curse. The curse had activated again. The women died because Bluebeard had noticed them. Then his curse turned on them, somehow killing them. Which was why he couldn’t remember killing them himself.
“Oh, great,” Jodi said. “Now I’m a target.”
“Yep,” Tank said. “There’s only one thing we can do.”
“And what’s that?” Jodi asked.
“Figure out how to lift the curse.”
Chapter 14
Lifting a curse wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Tank couldn’t just wave her tiny arms, say “Hocus Pocus!” and lift the curse. Nor could Jodi throw some comfort magic against it.
Jodi and Tank had to figure out the nature of the curse, then they had to find the cursecaster. If the cursecaster was still alive, then he could lift the curse—or be forced to. (Jodi did not have offensive magic, so she wasn’t sure how you’d force anyone to do anything. She’d never forced someone to
“I have cursed a million people,” Jodi said, thinking that she was annoyed enough at Tank to curse at her right now. “But not with magic, no. Of course not. That way lies madness.”
“Exactly,” Tank said. “And Blue might be a drunk, but he’s not insane.”
Jodi almost disagreed automatically, and then she thought about it. That was true. Bluebeard had struck her as strange but rational. And if he had been placing curses on people, then he would be more than slightly crazy.
Of course, no one put a curse on himself.
“My presence activated the curse,” Jodi said thoughtfully. What had Bluebeard said to her that morning?
Since the last death, I haven’t looked at a woman. I haven’t talked to a woman, except in passing, and I never ever touch one. I try to avoid people as much as possible. I’m afraid if I get to know a woman’s face, the image will get in my brain, and then… then it’ll start all over again.
He had finished with a whisper as if it had all been too much to contemplate.
He had looked at her, seen her, talked to her, and brushed against her. And then his image—his younger image, the image from the Kingdom, the image fifteen women had seen before their deaths—had shown up in her bedroom.
“Holy crap,” Jodi said softly, letting her arm down.
Tank slid, then threw herself flat against Jodi’s arm, grabbing onto her wrist. Tank swore in the old language. Her grip was surprisingly strong.
“Sorry,” Jodi said and eased her to the top of the dresser near the door.
“Holy crap what?” Tank asked as if she hadn’t panicked, as if she hadn’t swore. She brushed herself off. Her gauzy black dress was covered in fairy dust.
“This poor man thinks he’s been killing women,” Jodi said, more to herself than Tank. “And he hasn’t harmed a soul.”
“Finally! Someone who understands!” Tank said and clapped her little hands together, releasing more fairy dust sparkles.
Jodi glared at Tank. “You knew this all along, and you let him suffer?”
“No, I didn’t know it,” Tank said. “I suspected it, though. It was the only thing that made sense. I’ve been around evil. He’s not evil. He never has been.”
Jodi had had that same sense. She had discounted it because of the charm. How many other people had done so?
“He’s been punishing himself for no reason,” Jodi said, still thinking out loud.
“Oh, there’s a reason,” Tank said. “Those women died.”
Then she floated up just enough to get in Jodi’s face. Again. This time Jodi brushed her away.
“That’s a bad habit,” Jodi snapped.
“It gets your attention,” Tank said.
“You already had my attention,” Jodi said.
“Did not,” Tank said. “You were thinking out loud.”
Jodi did not like how accurate Tank’s assessment was. “Fine. What do you want?”
“ Those women died ,” Tank said, as if that was enough to get through to Jodi.
“Yes, I know,” Jodi said. “And how does that affect me…?”
Her breath caught. It affected her because of the curse. The curse had activated again. The women died because Bluebeard had noticed them. Then his curse turned on them, somehow killing them. Which was why he couldn’t remember killing them himself.
“Oh, great,” Jodi said. “Now I’m a target.”
“Yep,” Tank said. “There’s only one thing we can do.”
“And what’s that?” Jodi asked.
“Figure out how to lift the curse.”
Chapter 14
Lifting a curse wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Tank couldn’t just wave her tiny arms, say “Hocus Pocus!” and lift the curse. Nor could Jodi throw some comfort magic against it.
Jodi and Tank had to figure out the nature of the curse, then they had to find the cursecaster. If the cursecaster was still alive, then he could lift the curse—or be forced to. (Jodi did not have offensive magic, so she wasn’t sure how you’d force anyone to do anything. She’d never forced someone to
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