Kadie’s brows shot up as she felt a surge of power surround her. The bracelet was much lighter than it looked. “So I’m going to wear it forever?”
“Or until I remove it,” Izabela said.
Kadie nodded. It was going to take some getting used to, but at least it was pretty.
Turning toward Saintcrow, Izabela asked, “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Not unless you can break Elowynne’s curse.”
“Sadly, I have not been able to do so. The magic she used is unknown to me. I suspect she obtained the spell from an evil spirit.”
“An evil spirit!” Kadie exclaimed. “Like from the underworld?”
“Exactly. There are some realms of magic that should not be tampered with. I have experimented with many kinds of magic but never that. It does awful things to those who dare to entertain it.”
Kadie grasped Rylan’s hand as a cold shiver ran down her spine.
Saintcrow leaned forward. “What kinds of awful things?”
“Sooner or later, the piper must be paid,” Izabela said. “There is always a price to pay for delving into that kind of power. It does not always come soon, but it always comes. I have heard of those who suddenly went quite mad. Others who committed suicide in heinous ways. Others who were stricken with a horrible disease that caused them to lose their fingers and toes, and then their arms and legs....” She paused when Kadie let out a horrified cry. “You get the idea.”
Saintcrow nodded. “So, if Elowynne has called on that kind of magic–”
“Sooner or later, she will pay the price.”
“Will her death break the magic she used on me?”
Izabela nodded. “Most likely. If not, the magic will weaken until it fades away on its own.”
“And if I destroy her?”
“Her death at your hand would likely also destroy you.”
“Are we wasting our time looking for a cure?”
“I think not. To my knowledge, there is always a way to break a spell or an enchantment no matter who conjured it. Some are just more difficult to unravel than others.”
Saintcrow nodded, thinking that whatever price Elowynne had to pay might be his only hope. As long as the payback came due before it was too late.
Chapter Seventeen
“I seem to be spending a lot of time here,” Saintcrow muttered the next day as he followed Izabela into her living room. “Kadie’s going to think we’re having an affair.”
Izabela looked at him, a broad smile on her face. “It might be interesting. I’ve never taken a vampire to bed.”
“I’ve got enough trouble on my hands,” Saintcrow said, with a wry grin. “I don’t need a jealous wife.”
“Nor I.” She laughed. “I’m not sure there’s enough magic in the world to defeat a jealous woman, especially one who is a vampire. Now, on to more serious things, like the talisman we talked about to hopefully help subdue your violent outbursts. It took a lot of trial and error, but I think I may have finally succeeded.” Reaching into one of her voluminous pockets, she withdrew a copper-colored cuff. It was close to three inches wide and half an inch thick.
Saintcrow grunted softly. “Do you think it will work?”
“We won’t know until we try. Copper is believed to bring balance. Iron is often associated with people’s primal urges, inner power and rage, all of which you seem to have in abundance these days,” Izabela explained, as she slipped the cuff over his right wrist. “If I have concocted the spell correctly, the cuff will help you control your anger. If it doesn’t work,” she said, with a shrug, “you’ll still have a nice ornament.”
It was heavier than it looked. The moment it touched his skin, he felt the power within it sink into him. But would it work against Elowynne’s dark magic? Only time would tell.
“Thanks. What’s the charge?”
“If you were a mortal man, I would ask for your firstborn child,” she said, stifling a grin. “But for you, there is no charge. Unless, of course, it works.”