My eyes flew past my mother and zeroed in on Sebastian. “Did you know?”
He nodded and raked his hand through his dark locks. “I just found out myself a few days ago. She visited me and told me to stay away from you.”
“A warning you obviously didn’t heed,” Olivia snapped without glancing in his direction.
“How could you not tell me?”
“Because we weren’t talking until yesterday.” He tossed me my clothes. “Besides, we’ve had other things going on.”
I sighed. “Okay.” I looked back at the woman who I had believed was dead for most of my life. “What brings you here?”
“I’m here to negotiate a trade.”
“A trade?” Sebastian asked.
“Piper for your sister, Chloe.”
“You have my sister?”
“I don’t. Jonathan has her, and he wants his wife back.”
“Wife?” Sebastian glared at me. A muscle in his jaw began to tick.
I rolled my eyes. “Jonathan has been calling me his wife since he kidnapped me. It is this stupid mating thing.”
“Did he touch you?” Sebastian growled.
“No,” I lied. It was mostly true. He hadn’t violated me, just crossed boundaries. It wasn’t something worth going to war over.
“None of that matters now. I have one day to bring you back to him or Chloe is dead,” Olivia stated coldly.
I put my clothes on and climbed out of the bed. “Then we need to go.”
“You’re not going back to that man.” Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest and stood guard at the door.
“I’m not going to let your sister be killed over this. There has been enough bloodshed.”
There are other ways to get my sister back. He spoke to me telepathically. I can have a team of assassins here in a few hours.
There has to be a peaceful way to resolve this. I want to see if we can negotiate with Jonathan.
There is no peace to be had between the gargoyles and the vampires.
Then there is a bigger problem here. Unless you’ve forgotten, I am a gargoyle and you are a vampire. How can we be together if you can’t find peace between our species?
Sebastian stared at me, the muscle in his jaw ticking, like the second hand from a clock.
He shut off any access I had to his thoughts. “We have to go, Bastian.”
“I know.” He made his way across the room and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. “I won’t lose you.”
“Come on, get over it already,” Olivia snapped. “Haven’t you figured out that you have no chance?”
“Are you trying to win the worst mother of the year award?” Sebastian asked without looking at her.
I couldn’t help laughing.
He placed a calloused hand on my cheek and kissed me gently. “I won’t let him hurt you. Remember my promise.”
I nodded. “I know.”
*****
Sebastian
It took everything I had not to snatch Piper’s hand and pull her back to me as she took her place at Jonathan’s side. She had no clue how important she was becoming to me. How the idea of another man laying a hand on her made my blood boil.
Olivia stood on the opposite side of Jonathan, and when Piper was in place, she pushed Chloe toward me. “Take your sister and leave.”
Jonathan grabbed Piper around the waist and pulled her against his side. “Spend some quality time with your family because very soon, my warriors and I will attack your kind in Colorado, and we won’t be taking any prisoners.”
My hands flexed into fists at my side. The demon that possessed my soul scratched at the surface of his cage, begging to be let out. His claim on Piper was as strong as my own.
I’ll be fine, Sebastian. Go home and warn your people. Piper gave me a modest grin for encouragement. I’ll find a way to return to you.
I have a better idea. I scratched my chest, reminding her of the weapon I wore. Chloe was only a few steps away from me. When she made it to safety, I would use the weapon. You need to find a way to step back from your mother and Jonathan. I can’t let them go after my people. I can’t let him take you. Do you understand?
I do.
“So, that’s it? You’re just going to let us go? You’re going to let us warn everyone you’re coming?”
Jonathan laughed. “I want you to warn them. I want you to tell them the prophecy will be upheld. I will marry my mate, and together we will destroy all of your kind.” He leaned over and kissed Piper’s neck.
She took advantage of the action, twisting out of his grasp and circling behind Jonathan before moving away.
I pulled out the amulet. “Apó pétra pou írthe stin pétra na epistrépsete kai na parameínei.” Energy shot out from the amulet, a brilliant white light, hitting Jonathan first. Piper moved to grab her mother, but the energy circled around all three of them.
“No!” I moved to help Piper, but Chloe grabbed my arm and held me back.
“You can’t help her now.”
When the light dispersed, Jonathan, Olivia, and Piper had been turned to stone. I ran to Piper and touched her face. It was cold, lifeless. “We have to do something, Chloe!”
Chloe placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “We will, brother. We will,” she promised.
*****
Within days of using the amulet, Jonathan and Olivia were secured in a secret vault within the vampire archives. I’d done everything I could do to reverse the spell. Viper was still looking for a way to revive Piper, but he had little hope of finding an answer. Chloe and the council were happy the threat was over. None of them cared that I’d lost the one person that had awakened my heart. I’d rather die than continue this life without her.
I placed her in my bedroom and spent every possible moment at her side. Even our psychic link was gone. There was no reaching her, no connecting to her emotionally or physically. I was alone. Worse, I’d killed the woman I love.
Tonight was worse than most nights. The alcohol seemed to saturate my system. I caressed her stone cheek and fought back the tears that threatened to fall at her loss. “Why didn’t you get out of the way?” I asked as I drank the whiskey straight from the bottle.
“What good did sacrificing yourself do? Now we’re both suffering.” I slammed the bottle down on the dresser too hard, shattering the glass and cutting my hand open. “Dammit!” I shook my head. “Just great. Not only do I need another drink, but now I’ve opened a vein. See how crazy you make me, Piper?” I asked as I placed the bleeding hand over her own stone one and started laughing hysterically.
“What a fine mess the MacGregor clan is. There are only two of us left, and both of us are going insane over lost love. We’re weak.” I collapsed at her feet as the sun rose, pulling me into a deep sleep.
Chapter Seventeen
Piper
I COULDN’T TAKE MY EYES off the vampire of my dreams as he slept at my feet. How he figured out a way to free me from the stone casing was beyond me. “Sebastian?” I knelt down to his level and placed a hand on his cold cheek. “Sebastian, can you wake up for me?”
He grabbed me, and pulled me onto his lap. “I truly wish this wasn’t a dream,” he whispered against my neck.
“This isn’t a dream.” I leaned into him and kissed his lips. I could taste the coppery flavor of blood mixed with alcohol.
His fingers tangled in my hair and pulled me into a deeper kiss, his tongue claiming every inch of my mouth. “Why did you sacrifice yourself?”
“She was my mother.” I answered him slowly as I tried to catch my breath.
Sebastian stared at me. “Every time I get angry at you for acting ridiculous, you shock me with the reasoning behind the action. You are infuriating, love.”
I smiled. “I may be infuriating, but lucky for you, I am also yours.” I kissed his cheek. “It’s time to return to reality, Bastian. Let’s get you into the shower and sobered up.” I stood, and held out my hands to help him
up.
“Are you really here?” He asked as he stumbled into my arms.
“I am. You freed me, Sebastian.”
“How?”
“It always comes back to the blood.” I kissed his open palm. “Let’s get you cleaned up so we can get back to what really matters.” I led him to the bathroom.
“And what is that?”
“Starting our life together. Now that Jonathan is out of the way, there is nothing stopping us from being together and creating a peace treaty between our two races.”
Dark Romance with a Bite
Welcome to the shadow world of Blood Courtesans. Where vampires are real, rich, powerful…and hungry.
Blood is bought and sold like fine wine, and the best blood goes to the highest bidder. It's not supposed to be about love...until it is.
Meet the Blood Courtesans: Standalone Vampire romances set in Michelle Fox's Blood Courtesans world by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling and Award-Winning Authors. All books have a happily ever after, and can be read in any order.
Reborn (Myra)--Michelle Fox
Ensnared (Star)--Rebecca Rivard
Bitten (Nova) & Taken (Nova, part 2) & Resurrected (Nova, part 3)--Kim Faulks
Marked (Winter)--Gwen Knight
Wanted (Corynne)--Kristen Strassel
Needed (Angel)--Ever Coming
Stolen (Dakota)--Marissa Farrar
Resist (Anya)--Tami Lund
Escape (Flora) – A K Michaels
Caught (Katharine)--Julia Mills
Cursed (Piper) – Jami Brumfield
Desired (Stella)--Monica La Porta
Fallen (Paige)--Ever Coming
Freedom (Flora)--A K Michaels
Pursued (Mia)--Lisa Carlisle
Coming soon!
Hooked (Poppy)--Selena Kitt
Note from Author Jami Brumfield
Thank you for reading Cursed, Piper and Sebastian’s love story. These star-crossed lovers had an uphill battle to find their love connection. Hopefully, her mother and Jonathan stay in their statue forms for eternity, and they continue to live happily ever after.
It was an honor to be invited to write in Michelle Fox’s Blood Courtesans world.
Please take a moment to pop on over to Amazon and leave a review and if you enjoyed this story, check out the others in the series here.
I have over 13 paranormal series I’ve authored. Check out my catalog of books here on Amazon and below. If you’d like more updates on things coming around the corner, join my newsletter here. I also have a reading club on Facebook, check it out here.
Thank you again for reading. Have a super week.
~Jami Brumfield
Adult Paranormal Romances
The Mating Challenge ~ Paranormal Shifter Romance in a dystopian world (standalone romance in the Vanished series)
Andrea Slater escaped an underground prison only to be captured by a shifter tribe and forced into a new form of imprisonment. As if, escaping death in 2014 and thrust into a dangerous future where the number one focus is procreation wasn't enough, now she had six super hot, alpha males competing to the death to have the honor of mating with her. What's a woman to do?
This is a stand alone romance. It is the second book in the Vanished series (book one, Death Interrupted is also available on Amazon). It is not necessary to read the first book in this series to follow the romance in The Mating Challenge but the first book can help enhance the story and can give readers a better understanding of the dystopia world the characters live in.
Death Interrupted ~ Contemporary romance in a dystopian world with paranormal and time travel elements (standalone romance in the Vanished Series, series starter).
PARANORMAL DYSTOPIAN ROMANCE
"Breaking News! Avalon Flight 370 has vanished. Authorities continue to search for the plane but the hopes for finding survivors are dwindling."
Ripped from the past on the brink death. Thrust into a future where freedom is taken away under the guise of protection. Secured away by the creatures that once hunted and tormented the human race. On the surface it looks like a world of peace but underneath the facade lies a war brought on by many secrets.
Will Blake and Melissa find love after being forced to live together, drugged into submission with the sole purpose of saving the human race? Expectations are high, emotional connections to the past are broken, and their lives will never be the same again.
Dragon’s Dream Dancer ~ Paranormal Shifter/Demon Romance with mythological elements (standalone romance in the Demon Fairy Tales Series)
Kensi McKenna is looking for a way to escape the dangerous and deadly future she is fated to live so she turns to exotic dancing as a way to obtain the financial support needed to break away from the small Oregon town. The night of her first dance, Tremaine MacGregor storms into the club and kidnaps her. Her first instinct is to escape, her second is to help the man and betray her family. No matter what she chooses her life will never be the same again.
Trey MacGregor is after an easy bounty. It seems like a piece-of-cake job so he goes it alone and leaves his family out of it. The moment he walks into the club where Mariah McKenna is supposed to work his life is turned upside down and becomes far more complicated. What he doesn’t know is the girl he steals away, his treasured mate, is his target’s sister. Theirs is a match gifted from the gods, but can they get past the obvious family problems?
Bearilicious Cowboy ~ Paranormal Shifter Romance with Mythological Gods and Goddesses in modern times (series starter and standalone for Aphrodite’s Love Connection)
He's not looking for love. She isn't ready for a relationship. Danger brings them together, but will it also tear them apart?
Tucker is more concerned with his duties as the alpha bear of his pack, then finding love. Unfortunately, an ultimatum from a power he can't refuse has made it clear he must settle for someone in order to keep his alpha seat.
Ashlee has been through her share of drama in the love department and the last thing she needs is to find another man to mess things up for her, but her best friend has other plans.
When Ashlee meets a dangerous man at a dating club mixer and another who wants to be her hero, she has some decisions to make. Will she choose love or a normal life? Will she defeat the monster that has her in his sights? Will she find out who set her up and why?
This is a complete story. There are no cliffhangers. It is the first book in the Aphrodite Love Connection series. Each paranormal romance in this series will have a HEA or HFN ending and all books in this series can be read in or out of order.
The Siren’s Promise ~ Paranormal Shifter/Siren Romance with Mythological Gods and Goddesses in modern times (standalone romance in Aphrodite’s Love Connection and part of the Zodiac Shifters multiple author project)
Arabella
Judge, jury, and now executioner. I was sacrificed to be a handmaiden to Persephone because of a birthmark that I share with my twin sister. Our psychic abilities moved us into the position of Sirens. Forced to measure the weight of a person’s soul and place them in the correct realm of the underworld. I grow tired of my duties. When a phoenix shifter washes ashore and I am asked to kill him I have a choice to make.
Logan
Exiled from my pack, hunted, and living on the streets. Fate lands me in a position to be aided by the gods. The offer to take a job on a single’s cruise as an entertainer is just what I need to escape and perhaps find peace from the mess my life has become. Unfortunately, my pursuers continue to track me. Death for a phoenix is difficult. We rise from the ashes, but like a cat, we only have a limited number of lives and the new clan leader is determined to eliminate me before I take my rightful place back as clan leader.
While the Gods of love work to bring these star-crossed lovers together, the gods of the underworld and the dream realms focus on breaking them apart. Which side will win? Good, bad, or love? Can a phoenix born under Pisces water sign tame a fiery Gemini siren?
The Wit
ch’s Vampire ~ Paranormal Romance with Mythological God elements in modern times (series starter and standalone romance for Mystery Springs)
ADULT PARANORMAL MYTHOLOGICAL ROMANCE
PAST LIVES AND LOVE
Sophie Waters’ life was turned upside down when her mother passed away from cancer but the news her father and aunt delivered to her after the passing was far more devastating and unbelievable. ‘You’re a witch doctor, a healer, and you’re needed here to help protect the supernatural inhabitants of Mystery Springs.’
‘Like hell,’ was her response but the moment the witches unlocked her powers there was no way she could deny the truth. And the moment she met her vampire prince there was no way she could leave Mystery Springs even if she wanted to.
From the moment the powerful and terrifying Giovanni Mancuso spotted the spunky girl in ripped jeans, green cotton hoodie with her jet black hair in a ponytail and her green eyes covered by black cat glasses he was lost. She was not like the other girls that frequented his nightclub. She was different on so many levels. The moment his eyes connected with hers his soul knew she was important.
She was his soul mate, his first love, a love lost centuries ago. Only she was different; stronger, powerful. Sophie and Giovanni explore their feelings while they attempt to uncover the secret behind acts of war on the supernatural people of Mystery Springs. Together they will face off against dream assassins, death, ghosts, gods, and their own families to save the small Colorado town and find a path back into the safety of each other’s arms.
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