A Curse Unbroken

by Cecy Robson

  grandmaster The master of a master vampire. Grandmasters are among the earth’s most powerful creatures. Grandmasters can recognize whether the human he or she turned is a master upon creation. Grandmasters usually kill any master vampires they create to consume their power. Some choose to let the masters live until they become a threat, or until they’ve gained greater strength and therefore more consumable power.

  keep Beings a master vampire controls and is responsible for, such as those he or she has turned vampire, or a human he or she regularly feeds from. One master can acquire another’s keep by destroying the master the keep belongs to.

  Leader A pureblood werebeast in charge of delegating and planning attacks against the evils that threaten the earth.

  lone A werebeast who doesn’t belong to a clan, and therefore is not obligated to protect the earth from supernatural evil. Considered of lower class by those with clans.

  master vampire A vampire with the ability to turn a human vampire. Upon their creation, masters are usually killed by their grandmaster for power. Masters are immune to fire and to sunlight born of magic, and typically carry tremendous power. Only a master or another lethal preternatural can kill a master vampire. If one master kills another, the surviving vampire acquires his or her power, wealth, and keep.

  mate The being a werebeast will love and share a soul with for eternity.

  misericordia A plea for mercy in a duel.

  moon sickness The werebeast equivalent of bloodlust. Brought on by a curse from a powerful enchantress. Causes excruciating pain. Attacks a werebeast’s central nervous system, making the werebeast stronger and violent, and driving the werebeast to kill. No known cure exists.

  mortem provocatio A fight to the death.

  North American Were Council The governing body of weres in North America, led by a president and several council members.

  potestatem bonum “The power of good.” That which encloses the earth and keeps demons from remaining among the living.

  purebloods (aka pures) Werebeasts from generations of were-only family members. Considered royalty among werebeasts, they carry the responsibilities of their species. The mating between two purebloods is the only way to guarantee the conception of a were child.

  shape-shifter Evil, immortal creatures who can take any form. They are born witches, then spend years seeking innocents to sacrifice to a dark deity. When the deity deems the offerings sufficient, the witch casts a baneful spell to surrender his or her magic and humanity in exchange for immortality and the power of hell at their fingertips. Shape-shifters can command any form and are the deadliest and strongest of all mystical creatures.

  shift Celia’s ability to break down her body into minute particles. Her gift allows her to travel beneath and across soil, concrete, and rock. Celia can also shift a limited number of beings. Disadvantages include not being able to breathe or see until she surfaces.

  solis natus magicae The proper term for sunlight born of magic, created by a wielder of spells. Considered “pure” light. Capable of destroying non-master vampires and demons. In large quantities may also kill shape-shifters. Renders the wielder helpless once fired.

  surface Celia’s ability to reemerge from a shift.

  susceptor animae A being capable of taking one’s soul, such as a vampire.

  Trudhilde Radinka (aka Destiny) A female born once every century from the union of two witches who possesses rare talents and the aptitude to predict the future. Considered among the elite of the mystical world.

  turn To transform a human into a werebeast or vampire. Werebeasts turn by piercing the heart of a human with their fangs and transferring a part of their essence. Vampires pierce through the skull and into the brain to transfer a taste of their magic. Werebeasts risk their lives during the turning process, as they are gifting a part of their souls. Should the transfer fail, both the werebeast and human die. Vampires risk nothing since they’re not losing their souls, but rather taking another’s and releasing it from the human’s body.

  vampire A being who consumes the blood of mortals to survive. Beautiful and alluring, vampires will never appear to age past thirty years. Vampires are immune to sunlight unless it is created by magic. They are also immune to objects of faith such as crucifixes. Vampires may be killed by the destruction of their hearts, decapitation, or fire. Master vampires or vampires several centuries old must have both their hearts and heads removed or their bodies completely destroyed.

  vampire clans Families of vampires led by master vampires. Masters can control, communicate, and punish their keep through mental telepathy.

  velum A veil conjured by magic.

  virtutem lucis “The power of light.” The goodness found within each mortal. That which combats the darkness.

  Warrior A werebeast possessing profound skill or fighting ability. Only the elite among weres are granted the title of Warrior. Warriors are duty-bound to protect their Leaders and their Leaders’ mates at all costs.

  werebeast A supernatural predator with the ability to change from human to beast. Werebeasts are considered the Guardians of the Earth against mystical evil. Werebeasts will achieve their first change within six months to a year following birth. The younger they are when they first change, the more powerful they will be. Werebeasts also possess the ability to heal their wounds. They can live until the first full moon following their one hundredth birthday. Werebeasts may be killed by destruction of their hearts, decapitation, or if their bodies are completely destroyed. The only time a were can partially change is when he or she attempts to turn a human. A turned human will achieve his or her first change by the next full moon.

  witch A being born with the power to wield magic. They worship the earth and nature. Pure witches will not take part in blood sacrifices. They cultivate the land to grow plants for their potions and use staffs, amulets, and talismans to amplify their magic. To cross a witch is to feel the collective wrath of her coven.

  witch fire Orange flames encased by magic, used to assassinate an enemy. Witch fire explodes like multiple grenades when the intended victim nears the spell. Flames will continue to burn until the target has been eliminated.

  To my Jamie and our babies. I’ll love you forever.

  Acknowledgments

  To Sue Grimshaw, my editor and friend who laughs at my jokes while encouraging my overactive imagination to run amuck. Thank you for your dedication to my work and for giving me the opportunity to share the trials and triumphs of my characters. You are a rock star.

  To team Random House, I am in awe of all that you do to help me succeed. You have my respect now and always. Special thanks to Gina Wachtel, Katie Rice, Kimberly Cowser, Beth Pearson, and everyone who’s had a hand in publishing and promoting A Curse Unbroken.

  To Nicole Resciniti, my agent, my friend, and my lifeline. You were the first professional in the publishing world to read the first few books in the Weird Girls series. You loved them then. You believed. And now here they are for all to read. Thank you for the faith you demonstrated in the sisters and me from the start.

  To my husband, Jamie, who sees my faults, weaknesses, and imperfections and still loves me anyway. About the whole moving-across-the-country thing…ah, yeah, let’s not do that again. Love you, babe.

  To my Weird Girls fans: This novel marks the end of Celia’s journey for now. I think it’s time to tell Taran’s story, don’t you? Thank you for standing by me and Celia. Maybe one day she’ll forgive me for everything I put her through.

  BY CECY ROBSON

  Shattered Past

  Once Perfect

  Once Loved

  Once Pure (coming soon)

  Once Touched (coming soon)

  Weird Girls

  A Curse Awakened: A Novella

  The Weird Girls: A Novella

  Sealed with a Curse

  A Cursed Embrace

  A Cursed Moon: A Novella

  Cursed by Destiny

  A Cursed Bloodline

  A
Curse Unbroken

  PHOTO: KATE GLEDHILL PHOTOGRAPHY

  CECY ROBSON is the New Adult author of the Shattered Past series and the award-winning author of the Weird Girls urban fantasy romance series. A self-proclaimed professional napper, Cecy counts among her talents a jaw-dropping knowledge of useless trivia, the ability to make her hair big, and a knack for breaking into song despite her family’s vehement protests. A full-time writer, registered nurse, wife, and mother living in the South, Cecy enjoys spending time with her family and silencing the yappy characters in her head by telling their stories.

  www.cecyrobson.com

  Facebook.com/Cecy.Robson.Author

  @CecyRobson

  www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomCecyRobsonAuthor

  The Editor’s Corner

  March into romance this month with Loveswept—our authors are savvy, and their hot books will warm up the cool winter evenings.

  Jennifer Chance’s Rule Breakers series turns up the heat in Risk It as a wealthy playboy and a beautiful con artist engage in a high-stakes game of seduction. USA Today bestselling author Lauren Layne revisits her salacious Sex, Love & Stiletto series with The Trouble with Love, where a jaded columnist discovers a steamy way to get over an old flame: falling for him all over again. USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy returns to the tantalizing world of Club Sin with Tamed. In Cecy Robson’s latest urban fantasy romance, A Curse Unbroken, the search is on for an unholy grail, while evil is licking its wounds—and looking for revenge. Another of our Loveswept USA Today bestsellers, Jamie K. Schmidt, revisits Club Inferno, the erotic playground where glitz and glamour mix with leather and whips, in Fever. Seduction returns to Violetta Rand’s Devil’s Den, a Texas strip club where hearts can’t hide when the chemistry is right. In the latest Disgraced Lords novel from USA Today bestselling author Bronwen Evans, A Touch of Passion, a vivacious thrill seeker clashes with her dutiful defender—causing irresistible sparks to fly. Then Maeve Greyson unleashes a thrilling tale of magic in My Highland Lover, as a feisty Southern gal falls into the arms of a rough-hewn Highland chieftain. And in Sharon Cullen’s steamy historical romance Sebastian’s Lady Spy, love is a hazard best avoided—until an unforgettable affair exposes their undercover hearts.

  But there’s more!

  Come Flirt with us—Saying yes has always come easy for Fallon. Now, as Renita Pizzitola’s steamy, poignant Crush series continues in Just a Little Flirt, winning her dream job means Fallon must say no to the guy she wants the most. And in the new Extreme Risk novel, Slashed, from New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff, a burned-out underdog and a vulnerable tomboy defy the pressure to be perfect and go after what they really want.

  Until next month ~Happy Romance!

  Gina Wachtel

  Associate Publisher

  Read on for an excerpt from

  Unforgiven

  by Lori Adams

  Available from Flirt

  Chapter 1

  Taken

  After all this time, I have found the reason for me; I have gained what I wanted most.

  I am Sophia St. James and I am a spirit walker.

  I am more than I once was: the procession of words and descriptions, the weight of blood and bones, the image at the end of someone’s gaze. I pushed my way through the ordinary and into the space of what is extraordinary—a holy space where knowing myself needs no sound or pronunciation. My instinctual body has awakened my primal life force and given me the ability to hear lost souls begging for guidance, that sweet confection in the air. I have the means to help these souls cross over. I have the weapons to defend them against evil. And I have made a grave—unimaginable—mistake.

  Looking back, it seemed as quick as a thought, the idea and execution of making a second version of myself. Call it a double or a twin, she is a Ka conjured from an ancient Egyptian spell book who emerged as accurately as if my image had been peeled from a mirror. But in my naive innocence—my distraction in learning to destroy the evil demons around me—I left my other Self vulnerable to the most dangerous demon of all, the one who loves me.

  I am my own undoing.

  —

  It’s midnight on Christmas Eve, and peaceful snowflakes drift over Haven Hurst, Connecticut, adding delicate layers of bluish white snow that has already blanketed the town. Lights twinkle inside warm houses. Bells ring high in church steeples, their distinct gongs marking the night’s celebration. Inside the spiritual barn on the outskirts of town, a different sort of celebration has just concluded on this holy night—the annual gathering of new spiritual recruits into the Fold.

  A cheerful crowd has assembled for the mystical graduation in a green meadow that stretches farther than the eye can see. Colorful round tents, reminiscent of medieval times, stand bold among the trim grasses and lush foliage. Each tent displays its respective banner to mark allegiance to its calling: Guardian, Halo, Spirit Walker, Demon Hunter, Messenger, and Seer. Men and women in sacred armor and ceremonial garb stand among the hallowed gardens. A breeze stirs the luxuriating scent of honeysuckle vines that wind their way up ancient stone columns to a wide balcony. Off to the right, a sheer waterfall drops into a pool and adds holy water to the bubbling brook that meanders around the tree of life.

  I am standing on a stage in the center of it all with two fellow spirit walkers and three new warriors for the Halos of the Son. The ceremony has just ended and Michael Patronus, my boyfriend and Halo warrior, is clutching my hand. I hear him speaking but his deep voice sounds miles away, as though my ears have been stuffed with beeswax. This seems appropriate because my head is buzzing.

  Staring up from the sea of guests are the concerned faces of my friends and new spiritual family: Michael’s parents, Katarina and Dimitri. His brothers Raph and Gabe. His aunt Sasha and uncle Pavvo. Cousins Uriel and Milvi. My demon hunter friends Kanati and Chang`e, and their friends. Several more Halo warriors and guests whom I don’t know are watching and waiting. Moments earlier, at the end of the ceremony, I gasped to a ripping sensation in the deepest part of me. I lurched forward, clutching my chest. Michael caught me before I could fall, and now everyone is due an explanation for my odd behavior.

  I grip Michael’s hand because I know the worst has happened. Ka has gone beyond our boundaries and taken the gentle vibration of my spirit with her. Somehow, Dante, the Demon of Persuasion, has Taken Ka and my soul to Hell.

  “Sophia!” Michael whispers with quiet urgency. “Where is your soul?”

  I turn away, letting my eyes drift up to the perfection of blue sky as I search within myself for what I know I won’t find. I felt the tearing away of stitches that bind my soul to flesh. That tender space may be vacant now, but until I can make myself whole again—until the wisdom of my whole body is no longer in doubt—I have to find alternatives to the emptiness that Michael senses. I have to keep my loss a secret.

  As I feng shui my thoughts, a clear path slowly becomes visible to my mind’s eye. I know what I have to do. It is the only plausible solution, so without hesitation I draw upon my rainbow aura, gathering all the spiritual energy stored inside me. It’s a powerful, conscious force that moves my vibrating circuitry while a warm light navigates through my veins. My indigo dreadlocks throb. My scalp tingles. My crystal dagger and pistol crossbows shake in their holsters. The mixture of energy pulsates in my right hand as my Chelsea Light illuminates with the full force of my power. I close it into a fist and squeeze my eyes shut. Reining in the power, I guide the colorful light inside me to fill the void where my soul once lived. A poor substitute for the real thing, I know, but the dappled aura might be enough to camouflage my loss. It might buy me time to fix my mistake.

  When I open my eyes, I’m aware that Michael’s heart continues to beat inside my chest, too. The second heartbeat is strong and constant, telling me that our supernatural connection hasn’t been broken. I’m flooded with relief. Besides being a comfort to me, it will help my cause. If Michael can feel it, too, maybe he won’t worry
so much.

  Drawing in a deep breath, I turn and find his beautiful angelic face distraught, his pale blue eyes frantic. I force a smile but it does nothing to smooth the crease in his brow.

  “I’m fine, Michael. Really.”

  “Babe, please don’t try to—”

  Rama Kuan, my Ascended Master, steps up and lays a hand on my shoulder. His presence cuts off Michael’s tender plea. “Hey, wahine, you okay?”

  I nod and continue the charade. “It’s just been a little overwhelming. Fighting off lesser demons and then using all my strength to decapitate Wolfgang. The Demon of Impatience has grown stronger since he turned into a full-fledged monster. And then with my Chelsea Light rising to the surface…” I grimace in defeat of my own excuses.

  Michael is not buying it. I show him my right palm, still glowing with a faint bluish purple light that matches my dreads. I tell him I’m having trouble controlling my energy, which accounts for nearly fainting earlier. It hurts to lie to Michael. It hurts to know that he might think I’m weak. But the pain and the lies are necessary.

  “I wasn’t expecting so much power. Is that normal?”

  I feign innocence but I’m very aware that having weapons that pulsate with a powerful blue light is not normal for a spirit walker. I’ll be sure to explore that freakishness right after I take care of more important issues. Like finding Ka and my missing soul.

  Michael considers me with a long, penetrating look. As a former guardian angel—just recently elevated to spiritual warrior—he has retained the ability to sense the condition of souls. He can read my emotions. Lucky for me, my aura and soul have been a mystery to him since the day we met.