Chapter 25
“Why does Gabriel know all of this stuff that you don’t?” I asked, leaning back on the couch and closing my eyes.
I was trying to remain calm, but the thought of seeing Gabriel again had my blood racing. After we found somewhere to stash the conduit so James could tolerate being in the house, he suggested we call Gabriel for advice on what to do about it. James was currently pacing the length of the living room, thumbnail fixed between his teeth. I’d never seen him so frazzled before.
“He’s older than I am,” James muttered. “Not by much, but he’s more experienced. I only had Liz; she had to teach me everything. He had an entire family behind him—what are you doing?”
While he’d been talking, I’d stood and crossed the room to step directly into his path. Rather than halting, James’s next pass took him into my arms. As they closed around his waist, he rested his head on my shoulder for once.
“I’m trying to relax you a little,” I said, rubbing soothing circles over his back. “Is it working? ”
“Yeah,” he sighed, tension leaving his body. “It’s working.”
Huddled together in the middle of my living room, it hit me: I’d never stopped long enough to just hold him. I’d been… selfish. I’d been so caught up in how our situation affected me that I hadn’t even begun to think about what he was going through. He’d been facing a life with a mate who could have wanted nothing to do with him. And he’d dealt with it.
I didn’t deserve him.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?” His voice was muffled by my shirt.
“Because I don’t do this more often.”
“You don’t have to apologize for that.”
“I’ve been selfish. This whole situation is affecting you as much as it has me and I should have realized that. I haven’t been the best partner to you. Regardless of my opinion about being bound by fate, it’s clear that what we’re doing is more than casual. No matter how we identify it, I’ve been slacking. I’ve been the worst version of myself lately, and I’m sorry.”
James lifted his head and looked at me, an adoring smile on his lips. “Wow, Ryder Clark is growing up.”
“Shut up,” I snickered, playfully smacking his chest. “Now tell me about that diamond.”
The mere mention of the thing made him shiver. “What about it?”
“You said it’s always been cursed. How?”
James led me over to the couch and only began to speak once we were both settled. I laid on his chest, tracing meaningless shapes over his arm. “Have you heard of the Koh-i-Noor diamond?”
I shook my head.
“It’s the diamond that sits in the English monarch’s crown.”
That got my attention. “How the hell did it get here ?”
“That’s only a piece of it. It’s one of the largest cut gemsto nes in the world. It’s hard to know exactly when, but it was discovered in India during the seventeenth century. The Mughals invaded India, and the Mughal ruler commanded a throne of gems be built for him. The Koh-i-Noor was one of those gems. It sat at the top, front and center. Eventually, the Persians took down the Mughals, and the gems in the throne were stolen by the Persian leader who wore the Koh-i-Noor in an armband. For years, between raids and battles, they exchanged hands as rulers rose and fell, eventually ending up back in the possession of a Sikh ruler. His fondness for the gem is where the diamond’s power comes from. That caught the eyes of the British. To them, it was a symbol of power—and they wanted it. In the 1800s, they tricked the young Maharaja of Punjab into signing ownership over to them. He was only ten.”
I stared up at him, stunned. “Is there anything you don’t know?”
He tried not to smirk too smugly. “I have a fascination with history. And I may have done some research. Anyway, Queen Victoria meant only to display the stone, but her husband, Prince Albert?—”
“Okay, now you’re just making up names.”
He gave me a flat look, and I zipped it. “As I was saying, the prince ordered it recut and polished so she could wear it. Hindu folklore says that ‘he who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God or woman can wear it with impunity.’”
“So the curse only affects men?”
James nodded. “That’s likely why it was used against us. No one knows where the other pieces went when Prince Albert resized it. Though I’ve heard stories of them being used in witchcraft, which is likely what happened here.”
“How do you know that’s what we’ve got?”
“The clarity, mostly. I can feel the power coming off that thing. There’s a long history there, and ancient curses are often the most potent. The fact that someone else bound it to us with a new curse only amplifies the first.”
“And with the silver chain…”
“I’m practically human again.” James had one arm around my shoulder, toying with the fingers on my left hand. “You said you feel like you’ve been the worst version of yourself lately.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Are you saying humans are the worst version of vampires?”
He chuckled. “I’m not saying anything. The ancient curse brings misfortune to the men who own it. I think the new one placed on the jewel targets our insecurities. It takes the worst parts of us and makes them our entire personality.”
“That’s why I’ve felt so smothered.”
James sighed. “And why I’ve wanted to smother you. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for that.”
“Why? You did.”
“Because your behavior can be blamed on the curse. I’ve always been a commitment-phobic asshole; yes I’m admitting it, don’t look at me like that!”
He snickered, unable to hold it back. “Damn it. I owe Shiloh a weekend off.”
“Why?”
“I bet them you’d never admit to it.”
I sat upright, jaw dropping. “You bet on me?” James could only laugh in response. A deep, belly-aching laugh that—as offended as I was about the situation—warmed my heart. I wasn’t about to ruin that. So instead, I moved to stand up. “That’s it, I’m…”
A knock at the door turned my blood to ice. “… getting the door apparently.” Despite my words, I couldn’t make myself move .
“I’ll get it, love,” James said softly, rising and wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. He held me close and kissed my neck before stepping around me.
Carlos was going batshit, and while James welcomed our guest, I corralled the dog into the kitchen to calm him down. As helpful as Gabriel had proved, his presence still gave me the creeps. Funny how one good deed couldn’t outweigh murdering my friend . My friend who tried to kill me. And James.
Shut up.
“Ryder?” James called.
“Hm?” I was distracting myself by scratching Carlos behind the ear. Totally for his comfort. Not because it was soothing for me.
“Will you come here?”
I didn’t want to, but I secured Carlos before joining James and Gabriel in the entryway. He was dressed more casually now, in jeans and a sweater, but it didn’t make him any less intimidating. His eyes lit up the living room as he took in my appearance. I tried to ignore the feeling crawling under my skin when our eyes met, but it was hard.
“Right here, love,” James whispered, and the unease faded from my body. All I had to do was focus on my vampire. “Gabriel says he can help us. We have to destroy the silver first so he can touch them, but we can’t do that here.”
“Why not?”
It was Gabriel’s turn to speak, though I kept my eyes trained on James. “The only way to destroy silver is to submerge it in sulfuric acid. Unfortunately, the resulting fumes are toxic to humans if performed in an enclosed space. Since we can’t touch the chain, you’ll have to be the one to place it in the acid. Once enough time has passed, we’ll be able to retrieve the diamonds and destroy both of them appropriately.”
“The acid won’t destroy them? ”
“The only sure thing capable of destroying a diamond is intense heat—like a building fire, for instance.”
My gaze shot to Gabriel’s smirk. Okay, now he was taunting me. But I tamped my anger down.
“We can do it at my place,” Gabriel offered. “I have an outdoor patio with enough open space to where you won’t feel the effects of the acid.”
Oh, how convenient. I shuffled in place, shoving my hands in my pockets. “All right.”
“Why don’t you go ahead of us and get set up?” James suggested. “We need a minute.”
Gabriel smirked at me. “Sure thing,” he said, letting himself out of the house.
James took my chin in his hand, tipping my gaze to his. I hadn’t even realized I was still staring at the front door. “Breathe, love.”
I did, and stepped into his arms. “I know,” I muttered, burying my face in his neck. “I’m being ridiculous.”
“I don’t think you’re being ridiculous,” he said. “But I, for one, am ready to get this over with. It’s not my life on the line anymore; they’re fucking with you now. That curse could have swayed your decision about the bond.”
I frowned at him. “It didn’t. I’m still here. A decision I made on my own, despite an ancient curse. Don’t worry, it’ll take more than a little witchcraft to change my mind about you.”
“It could have.”
“That’s the curse talking. Or do you really want to sit here and argue about how stubborn I am? Because you know I’ll win.”
James snorted. “You’re right.”
Deciding I was fed up with all of the hunter nonsense, I threaded my fingers through James’s hair and pulled him in for a deep kiss. “Let's get rid of these suckers.”