Chapter 19

19

C ould I be any more pathetic? I sounded like a damned teenager going through puberty. But it was the truth—connecting with Mariana on that level would push me well beyond the brink of control, and if I wanted any chance of winning her back, I needed to take things slow. That, and there was that niggling doubt about how she’d respond. What if I bit her, and she hated every moment?

It would destroy me.

Mariana stared at me in stunned silence, those amber eyes of hers flaring wide while her teeth worried the soft flesh of her lip. But then the moment passed, and any hint of vulnerability was hidden behind an inscrutable mask. “Suit yourself,” she said. “Just don’t go passing out somewhere dangerous. I’m not risking my ass to save someone too stubborn to take proper care of himself.”

Okay, now that was a Mariana I remembered. I bit back a huff of laughter and turned my attention to Harp, who looked far too interested in Mariana’s and my interaction. “Where do we need to go?”

A suspiciously mischievous smile pulled at Harp’s lips, and I could practically see the gears turning in her head. “Veloria’s Blessing.”

“Veloria’s Blessing,” I deadpanned. She had to be kidding me. “As in, the castle’s chapel.” The sacred place all of the giants married if Harp’s stories were true. The irony of the location scraped at my already raw emotions. If only I hadn’t climbed the beanstalk, if I’d gone straight home that night instead, Mariana and I would have attended our own sacred ceremony. And I wouldn’t have traded the love of my life for a decade of outrunning monsters and endless fishing. “What makes you think we need to go there?”

“On the altar where the couples present themselves was a beautiful crystal decanter. It would be filled with wine before the ceremony, and the queen would pour it into the couple’s goblets. At the end of the ceremony, they would link arms and drink.” Harp’s gaze grew dreamy as she stared off into the distance. “I only witnessed it once before the curse was released, but I can still recall the way the decanter sparkled with magic when the queen poured the young couple’s drinks. It was beautiful.”

“And you think the decanter might be a magical artifact,” Mariana surmised. “If it is, it just might be strong enough to hold the curse.” She threw me a questioning look. “You know how to get there?”

I pulled the map out of my pack and held it open. “Veloria’s Blessing.” I scanned the parchment until I found the room I was looking for and grimaced. “Twenty doors up—too far to make in a single trip. We’ll need to work our way there, popping into rooms as we go to take the heat off. Gregar usually stops watching the door after about twenty minutes or so.”

Mariana groaned. “That’s going to take forever.”

I shrugged. “I’ve got time.”

She side-eyed me for a long moment. “We would move faster if you fed first. Just a little,” she hurried to add. “To be on the safe side.”

She was right, but I couldn’t do it. Not yet. “I’ll keep up.”

She pressed her lips together and gave me a curt nod. “See that you do.” She turned to Harp. “And thank you. Hopefully this decanter will be just what we need for my magic to work.”

“I’m happy to help,” Harp replied, then hesitated. “If this spell of yours succeeds, do you think the giants will return? They vanished the night it was cast.”

“I’m not sure,” Mariana admitted. “It’s not as if I’d be breaking the curse itself, just shrinking the radius of its effect.”

“I see,” Harp replied softly. “So you’ll be able to leave, but the giants may not return.” She gave me a wobbly smile. “I’m so, so happy for you, Jack, but I’d be lying if I said you won’t be missed.”

Ah, shit. How much of an asshole could I be? I hadn’t even considered the fact that Harp would once again be left on her own when we left.

Mariana cocked her head. “What are you talking about? You’re coming down the beanstalk with us. If that’s what you want, I mean.”

Harp’s mouth dropped in shock—something I was reeling from myself. That and consternation for not thinking of the possibility myself. Mariana was a witch. She could magic Harp down the beanstalk without batting an eye.

“But… I’m just an instrument,” Harp stammered. “A harp enchanted for people’s pleasure.” She looked down at the floor. “Why would you go to all that trouble for something like me? I’m not even real .”

“Not real?” I interjected, finally finding my voice. “What are you talking about? Objects don’t have thoughts and feelings. Not like you do.”

“He has a point.” Mariana studied Harp with an appraising eye. She reached out as if to touch the golden column rising up her back, then hesitated. “May I?”

A hint of pink colored Harp’s cheeks as she nodded, and it deepened into a dusky rose as Mariana slid her hand over the ornate pillar. When Mariana reached the top and moved over to pluck one of her strings, Harp’s breath hitched in time to the delicate twang.

And the look on her face when Mariana slowly circled around her, fingertips brushing over the instrument’s curved neck and down the soundboard—I knew that look. I’d seen it on Noah’s face when he followed Mariana around town with his puppy dog eyes. And if vampires had a reflection, I had no doubt I would have seen it in the mirror. The look of someone falling under Mariana’s spell.

Jealousy licked at the bruised remains of my heart, but I squashed it out with determined force. Harp wasn’t my rival. She was my friend. My best friend.

“Fascinating,” Mariana said as she finished her inspection. “The magic that was used to create you is so layered. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an enchantment this complex before.”

I fought off another wave of unwanted jealousy. Seriously, what was wrong with me? “Harp is one of a kind, that’s for sure,” I said gruffly. “But, um, we should probably get going. Especially if we want to check in with the others first.”

“Sure,” Mariana murmured, her gaze still roaming Harp’s person. She brushed her fingers along Harp’s collarbone, then lower, lingering over her heart. “Such a beautiful rhythm.”

Harp’s strings trilled with a burst of music as she beamed—an expression that immediately turned guilty when she glanced my way. She cleared her throat. “Good luck on your quest.”

I reached out and squeezed her hand. “We’ll return as soon as we can. I promise.” Then, to Mariana, “You ready for this?”

She rolled her shoulders. “I was born ready.” She cut me a look. “Last chance to feed before heading out there.”

My mouth watered at the suggestion, and I’d be lying if I said the added boost wasn’t tempting. I hesitated, eyeing the light brown skin peeking out above the thick red fabric of her hood. It’d feel so good…

Too good.

I frowned, turning on my heel and striding toward the platform steps. “I’ll be fine. Let’s just get this over with.” The sooner it was done, the sooner I could start winning her back for real.