Love Cursed, page 7
He nodded. “The books in the Roman Coven I tracked down all say it’s rumoured to be buried somewhere in Roma, although nobody’s been able to figure out where – which is strange given the magical signature it should give off. But now we know Clodia used it in her spell to help hold Sebastio and Lianna and leach their powers, I think I’ll be able to recalibrate the magical signature and track it down.”
“It could be anywhere in Rome,” Violetta said. “It’s a long shot to think we’ll find it.”
“I don’t think so,” Jules said. They all turned to look at her and she waved her hand. “Given how Clodia used it, the gem would be tied to the area where the spell was cast.” They kept staring at her. “Am I the only one here who’s read Varagustus’ Treatise on the Properties of Powerful Stones?”
“I think you’re the only one ever to read Varagustus’ treatises on anything,” Tomaso said dryly. “The man was a positive bore. Not to mention all his treatises are thousands of pages long. And most of them are written in a lost language.”
“Not lost,” she said. “I understood it.”
“What did it say?” Bastien asked her.
She took a sip of water, ordering her thoughts. “Gems like that need a link to someone or something with ties to the Gods. I don’t think the link was made to Clodia given her spell backfired.”
“Of course,” Tomaso said. “The link was made with the place, and to a smaller extent, Lianna and Sebastio.” He pointed to the Temple of Vesta. “It must be somewhere here, close to wherever the curse was cast.”
“This is fantastic,” Bastien said.
“Really?” she asked. “But we’ll need to use magic to find it and,” she waved her hand at herself, “you can’t do that when we’re down there looking for the curse-spot.”
“We don’t have to wait until night to find it,” Tomaso said. “I can start to look for it during the day when I can use my magic without it affecting you. I’ll find it. I promise.”
She nodded, managed a smile. Somehow, despite what he’d done to her, she couldn’t help but like and trust him. She supposed it was because Violetta and Bastien did. And he seemed to have so much knowledge about all sorts of things – even if he thought Varagustus boring.
She finished the last mouthful of pasta, drank down another glass of water, then pushed her plate away. “So, what’s next?”
Tomaso let out a loud breath. “I want you to look at this map and see if there’s anything familiar to you. It might help us to pinpoint where to look if there is.”
Jules stared at the yellowing map he placed in front of her.
“It just looks like lines and squares and squiggles.”
“I know.”
“We’re not very good with maps.”
“I know.”
She stared hard at it, trying to see something. Nothing came. She made a sound of frustration. “I’m sorry. This doesn’t look familiar at all.”
“It’s all right, dearest,” Violetta said. “We don’t expect you to know much of anything.”
“What? Why?” Her gaze jerked to Violetta. Did her grandmama have such little faith in her?
Violetta waved her hand. “The curse, of course. Its purpose is to actively stop you from doing anything that might break it.”
“Oh … of course.” Her shoulders slumped. “So, I’m virtually useless.”
“Not at all,” Tomaso and Bastien said together.
“You’re the only one who can find the place the curse was cast,” Tomaso said. “You’re vital to the success of our endeavour.”
“What about the pentacle?” Bastien asked, frowning Violetta’s way. “Surely that left some magical trace – it was so strong.”
Violetta nodded as she and Tomaso shared a look. “From what we saw in your vision, it looked like it was burned up in the final burst of power. Even if it wasn’t, the strongest magic would barely register after all these years. You would have to be a super-sensitive to find it.”
Jules jerked upright from her slump. “I am.” They all turned to stare at her. “What you said about the sensitive thing. I’m that. Maybe not in how you meant, but my allergy to magic makes me super sensitive to it. I might pick something up.”
Bastien stilled beside her. “That might be what Esta referred to – about Lianna’s soul finding the place. Perhaps she guessed the curse would make Lianna’s reincarnations allergic to magic.”
“That’s a supposition. I don’t remember her being certain of anything of the sort,” Violetta said carefully.
“But it makes sense.” Bastien stood. “We have to get down there and check it out.”
“Julianna has only just recovered from her vision. Perhaps we should wait until tomorrow night,” Violetta said, her concerned gaze on Jules.
“I want to do this,” Jules said, standing. “I might not be able to help track down the HeartsBlood Gem, and I can’t help with finding the lover—”
“That’s what I tried to tell you before,” Tomaso interrupted. “I did an invocation spell when Violetta called to say this was happening. It took a few tries, but I eventually found this Sebastio. I have contacted him and he is excited to be able to meet you … again.”
“When is he coming?”
“Not until just before midnight on Valentine’s Eve. He can’t reveal himself until then because of the curse.”
She nodded, relieved Tomaso’s knowledge extended to knowing God invocation spells – she’d have to ask him about that one day. But for now … “The only thing I can do is go to the Forum and find where the spell was cast. So let’s go.”
“We should wait until midnight – it’s quietest then.” Tomaso looked her up and down. “That will give you time to shower and change. You’ll need to dress warmly. It’s cold outside.”
Chapter
Nine
Bells clanged, announcing it was midnight – the seventh passing into the eighth – as they followed Tomaso through a maze of streets that were curiously empty. Their footsteps echoed in the air around them, sounding lonely and a bit lost.
But Tomaso wasn’t lost and finally they emerged onto the Via del Corso, crossed the Piazza Venezia and then made their way down the Via dei Fori Imperiali. A few cars and trucks still rattled along the thoroughfare – Rome never truly slept – but it was nowhere near the chaos and cacophony that had deafened – and terrified – her on the crazy taxi ride from the airport to Tomaso’s villa three days ago.
They walked silently and quickly down the wide Via dei Fori Imperiali towards the Colosseum and the Forum, which lay in ruins beside the behemoth. The Colosseum glowed, dressed in light from the moon and the spotlights on the grounds surrounding it.
“Even in ruins, it is still a colossus.”
“It is. And the history in those stones …”
“It’s loud.”
“Uh-huh.”
She shuddered as something inside her curled into itself. Her skin prickled and crawled uncomfortably, like it did when someone was using magic nearby.
But there was nobody around except for her and her companions and none of them would use magic around her, so it couldn’t be that. Still, she had to fight the need to turn and run – far, far away.
“You okay?” Bastien whispered, leaning down so his warm breath brushed her ear.
She took a deep breath, edging closer to him. “I’m fine.”
“Not true.”
“It’s not not true.”
“You know you’re not making sense?”
Tomaso turned. “Come. I’ve placed a spell to keep the security cameras and guards away for a time. It shouldn’t affect you at all because it’s not in the air, but more like a virus I placed on the guards and the electronics,” he said to Jules, “So don’t worry.”
She wasn’t – she was more worried about what was happening to her right now. She glanced around but still saw nobody near them – and to feel like this, someone would need to be using magic close by.
As they drew closer to the ancient ruins, the prickling increased. As did the shouting of long-dead crowds, the ancient cries of the enslaved and the roars of the animals kept inside for the amusement of the Roman people. The noise surrounded her, pushing at her. Her stomach roiled, her heart beat faster.
They stopped at the edge of the road opposite the Colosseum. The concourse that ran around it stretched in front of her, wavering. Was it moving or was she moving? She wished whatever it was would stop expanding and contracting like that. She was going to be sick.
She had to force herself to keep breathing evenly, to not wrap her fingers tightly around Bastien’s arm. He was the only thing that felt real. The only thing keeping her from running away, screaming from the force of history pounding at her from the structure in front of them – because that’s what this had to be. She wasn’t just sensitive to magic, but to the impact of it through history.
“No point standing here,” Violetta said. “Let’s go.”
They stepped off the curb together and ran across the road.
The moment her foot touched the concourse, history came crashing down on her. She stumbled under its weight, losing her grip on Bastien.
Emotion – terror, elation – vibrated up through her feet. Her heart raced, her skin prickled so it almost hurt. The need to flee was a shout in every nerve.
“Are you all right, dearest? You don’t look very well.”
“I don’t feel very well.”
“Jules.”
“What’s wrong?”
She tried to form words, but pitched forward, landing on her hands and knees, and vomited her dinner all over the stones.
The world span faster. And alongside the spinning, pain began to make itself known. It filled her head alongside the roars and screams.
She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t go any further. It was too much. Too much.
“Shit,” she heard someone say, then arms were around her and she was lifted and carried away.
Jules came to slowly, the softness under her head and body telling her she was on a bed. She opened her eyes to be greeted by darkness. She shuddered. Why did it have to be so dark? She still didn’t like it even though she now knew the source of her fear of it. Her head felt like it was full of wet sand, her eyes equally so. What the hell had happened?
“You passed out.”
“Again?”
“Yes. The history in the stones—"
“It overwhelmed me. Gods-damned curse.”
“You said it.”
She wondered how long she’d been out. Now her eyes had acclimatised a little, she realised there was a small amount of light in the room but when she turned her head, she saw it came from a nightlight. She had no idea if she’d lost more days or not. She needed her phone. It was there on the bedside table – she could see its outline in the glow from the nightlight.
She shifted but couldn’t move. A warm weight lay over her waist, warmth aligned along her side – Bastien curled up behind her. He was still fully dressed and dark shadows marked the skin under his eyes. She didn’t want to wake him – he’d obviously had very little sleep. But she wanted to know how much time she’d lost. The fact he was still in his human form told her it couldn’t be more than a few hours, but still, she needed to check. If there was enough time, she’d like to go back and try again.
She moved carefully, edged forward, enough to grip her phone with her fingertips, then pulled it towards her until she could pick it up.
She pressed her thumb on the home button to light up the screen.
The date lit up with the time:
4:05 am.
10 February.
She jerked upright, clutching her phone.
Beside her, Bastien came to a crouch, hands lifted. “What is it? What’s wrong? Who’s there?”
“I’ve lost another two days.” She turned her phone off then on again, but the date didn’t change. They’d gone to the Colosseum at midnight just as it tipped into the eighth and now it was the tenth? “Fuck.”
“It’s okay.” Bastien came down beside her to hug her. “We’ve got time. And you did so great. You’ll do better next time.”
She wanted to give in to his comforting warmth, but instead, pushed away to stand and pace. “I did great?” She snorted. “If you call throwing up and passing out for another two days ‘great’, then I guess I’m the champ at that.”
“Don’t, Jules. Don’t blame yourself,” Bastien said softly from behind her. “You’re not to blame for how the curse affects you.”
“Then who is?”
“Clodia.”
“Well, good luck blaming her – she’s dead.”
“Yeah, and a part of me wishes she wasn’t so that I could make her pay for doing what she did to us just so she could steal and use Goddess-gifted powers that weren’t hers.”
“Goddess-gifted powers? How do you know that?” Gasping, she turned to grab his arm. “No. Don’t answer that.”
His mouth curled into a gentle smile. “It’s okay. I can talk about Clodia and my opinions about her. The curse only stops me from talking about Lianna—” He winced.
She brushed trembling fingers over his brow. She hated that he could hurt like this because of her. “Maybe just tell me what you remember of Clodia. Nothing else.”
He swallowed hard, nodded, then said carefully, “Clodia was not Vesta’s chosen vessel for her most cherished power and she hated that fact. She was sent a vision about who it would be given to, which is how she came to be there to take you from your parents the moment you were born.”
“But … hang on. I didn’t think Vestal Virgins were chosen until they were at least six.”
“Not usually. But you were an exception because you were Goddess-blessed.”
She wished people would stop talking as if she and Lianna were the same person – they weren’t, even though Lianna had been with her all these years, a presence in her head, talking to her. So she just said, “My dreams … visions – they never showed me that. Her parents? They just happily gave her away?”
“I don’t know about that. I do know your family always birthed strong witches. Which is how Esta came to be chosen too. She was your – Lianna’s – cousin.”
She knew Esta was a distant relation of theirs – otherwise, she wouldn’t have been reincarnated in Violetta – but she’d never put two and two together and realised that Lianna and Esta must have been related because she and Violetta were related. “She must have been very powerful for Clodia to pull her into the pentacle the way she did.”
“She was, but Lianna was more so. Her power frightened Clodia. I think that infuriated her. It also made her insanely jealous. Nobody realised how much until—”
His mouth pulled tight. They were obviously skating close to the edge of what he could and couldn’t tell her. She had to move the conversation back to just Clodia. “Tomaso mentioned her spell must have gone wrong. Why? How?”
He frowned. “That’s a great question.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Thank you.”
“We always knew she never got your power—”
“Lianna’s power,” she said. “I don’t have any power. Not like her.”
Bastien’s brow furrowed deeply. “Despite the fact she was a trained witch, she never had access to her full powers either. Clodia channelled them and used them for her purposes as High Priestess from when Lianna was young. If Clodia had gotten full control of them, they would have made her virtually immortal. But she died soon after the casting.”
“But something must have gone right,” Jules said. “Because her curse has lasted all these years.”
“Yes.”
She rubbed the ache in her brow that was steadily growing stronger as they spoke. “What I don’t understand is where did the power go? If Clodia didn’t get it and Lianna didn’t get access to it to stop herself from dying – and I certainly don’t have it – where is it?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never …” His frown deepened. “You should discuss this with Tomaso and Violetta in the morning.”
“After you recover from your change.”
“Yes. After that.”
Silence fell between them. There was something she wanted to ask him, but she was afraid it would hurt him.
“Ask me.”
“What?” Jules picked at a hangnail.
“You want to ask what power Lianna … had?” He swallowed hard.
“How did he know?”
“He knows you incredibly well.”
“You don’t have to tell me. Not if it hurts you—”
“She had the power to light a fire in hearts and hearths,” he said quickly but showed no sign of pain.
“It doesn’t sound like much, does it?”
She screwed up her nose – she had to agree. “That doesn’t seem worth going to this much effort over.”
“Are you kidding?” He turned to her, his face alight with an energy she’d not seen in him before, a lightness. “The power to change a man’s heart and therefore his thoughts through the power of your very presence. It’s influence incarnate. Something that could shape nations. It’s the only thing worth this much effort. That and … love.” The last word was choked and his hands spasmed on hers.
“Don’t.” She put her hand over his mouth, his soft, full lips warm against her palm. “Don’t hurt yourself. Not for me. Not for this.”
He shook his head. “No. I’m fine. I shouldn’t have—” He swallowed, paling a little, his eyelid flickering.
“Bastien, stop it.” She clasped his face in both hands, her thumbs stroking his cheeks. “You know I hate it when you’re hurting.”
“So you know how I feel when you hurt.”
Her mind skipped sideways in a way that made her feel slightly sick. “Yeah, well … Clodia. Total bitch, right?”
He snort-laughed, his eyes crinkling in that way she liked. “Right. I never—”
His words choked off as he spasmed out of her grasp and flipped off the bed.
