Curse Reversed

by Rebecca Royce

  For the last three weeks all she’d wanted to do was sleep, eat, watch movies, and be generally lazy alone with Mitchell. He’d wanted the same thing.

  He had drained an ancient entity of energy for her. She had been willing to lose her body to an ancient witch for him. They had earned some down time.

  And for the first time in her life, she didn’t have a woman who thought herself a goddess trying to insert her being into her body. When her energy had come back it had returned with a vengeance. Mitchell wasn’t the only person running every day.

  Unfortunately, she still didn’t have much magic. But if that was how it was going to be then she was happy with what she did have.

  “Earth to my love. What are you thinking about?” He kissed her cheek. “It can’t be course selection. Freshman year there aren’t that many choices.”

  She had finally picked a school, a small one several miles from Mitchell’s university. If she was going to do this she couldn’t throw herself into it full on. She wanted to wade into the water. Get used to people before she tackled a large university. Truth was, she had no idea what she wanted to study or what she could do now that doing something was possible.

  “I’m thinking about everything.” She turned to regard his handsome profile. “Life. Everything we’ve been through. This sense I have that it’s still not over, somehow.”

  Mitchell tugged her against him. “That’ll take some time to believe. You’ve had this your whole life.” The ding that sounded in the apartment when someone came close assaulted the quiet. So far it had just been the pizza delivery box arriving. Flying boxes. Sometimes she loved magic. She just wished she had more of it.

  “Did we order something?”

  He shook his head. “Not something. I asked a friend to drop by with some paperwork. Hope that’s okay.”

  “It’s your apartment. You can have anyone you want by.”

  In fact, she’d started to wonder if she’d stayed too long. She knew he loved her. There was no question about that, but maybe her being there all day every day was too much. Mitchell was used to having a lot of space.

  He looked over his shoulder as he floated to the girl. “What you just said, that’s why I asked her to come.”

  She got to her feet. At least she’d gotten dressed. For the first week she’d stayed in her pajamas the whole time. A woman she’d never met came into the room. Coiffed in a business suit with her dirty-blonde hair pulled back in a clip, the woman was serious looking and stunning.

  Mitchell came around her side to stand next to Eleanor. “Ellie, this is Melanie. She’s actually Ava’s best friend, and I hope she’s still mine. Melanie, this is Eleanor St. Vincent.”

  “If we weren’t friends I wouldn’t be here on a Saturday afternoon. You were hexed. You’ve been all around forgiven.” She extended her hand to Eleanor. “Welcome. Glad to meet you. Ava speaks so highly of you. Sounds like you all took on a curse and not one of you thought to call me?”

  Eleanor looked between them. “Do you work in curses?”

  “Law.” She leaned forward. “Sometimes it feels like curses.”

  “Oh.” Manners dictated Eleanor respond to that. “I imagine it must be very challenging. Um, it’s so nice to meet you Melanie. I’ll admit, I’m not sure why you’re here. Do I need to sign something in relation to the curse?”

  Mitchell put his arm around Eleanor. “I meant to tell you about this. And then I started reading about caves. Distraction should be my middle name.”

  “Mitchell thought you could use my help. I guess your grandparents have you tied up as being not capable of making your own decisions because of your years in the institutions. We need to get you freed up from that. I wish it were as simple as just letting you out of it, your grandparents saying yes, she’s great. But legally, you have to petition for it. That’s where I come in.”

  A piece of paper appeared in her hand. “We get this filled out. I petition it for you. Assuming they don’t fight it, you become legally in charge of yourself. If they do, that’s why you have me. No big deal.”

  Eleanor doubted anything in law was really no big deal. But Mitchell was right to think on this, she did need to get legal control of herself. At any point they could demand she come home to them, and she’d have to.

  Melanie walked over to the table. “Technically, we are saying that with the curse reversed, that’s a legal term, as opposed to just saying off, you are now capable of making your own decisions.”

  “Where do I sign?”

  Melanie indicated on the paper and Eleanor affixed her signature. That much magic she could do.

  “Great.” The other woman answered. “You are technically my first solo client since I went out on my own. Thanks for this, Mitchell. You guys are going to Kim’s tonight?”

  Mitchell answered her, chit-chat taking place all around Eleanor. This was life. She was going to be responsible for herself. Whatever that proved to be.

  On their walk back from the party, she got the message that her grandparents would not be disputing the curse reverse and would be releasing her from their legal control. The Enforcers clearly liked to have a good time. When Stefan got up on the roof, it was past time to leave.

  “I’m free.”

  Mitchell nodded. “I didn’t think they’d put up a fight. They really do want you to be happy.”

  “In their strange, rigid way. Yes, they do.” They swung their arms between each other.

  He looked up at the sky. “I waited to ask you something. You had to be free first. Free to tell me no. Free to tell me yes. Just free.”

  He had such a serious look on his face. She touched his cheek. Eleanor was pretty sure she knew what he was going to say. Freedom gave it away. That’s what he needed more of. “You can always ask me whatever you want. Always. And you’re beautiful in the moonlight.”

  “That’s my line.” He took her hand from his cheek and brought it to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. “I love you. I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?”

  That was why he’d done it, why he’d brought Melanie and hurried this along. Happy tears streamed down her face. “I thought maybe you were going to ask me to leave the apartment.”

  His face fell. “What? No of course not. I want you officially moved in. I want your stuff there. I want you with me, always.”

  She threw her arms around his neck. “Yes, I’ll marry you. I love you.”

  He sighed. “Don’t ever let me go, okay?” His question was whispered in her ear. “I don’t know what I’ll do if I don’t have you to hold me.”

  To hear Mitchell vocalize that undid her. She shivered in his arms. To the rest of the world, he always seemed so strong. He didn’t have to be that way with her.

  And somehow they were going to have a forever.

  Eleanor didn’t do much wedding planning. School had started and she needed to study. That was okay. Her future mother-in-law had been happy to do the whole thing, and when she’d needed help, Eleanor’s grandmother stepped in. Together, they’d gotten everything done in three months. Dressed in the traditional blue that witches wore for weddings, she felt sort of beautiful.

  Of course, most brides probably did on their wedding day.

  “You ready?” Kim handed her a rose. “You look so pretty.”

  Eleanor nodded. “I am.”

  She was more than ready to get the whole process of this day done. Being married to Mitchell was what she wanted. Parading around in front of others, she could do without. They were practically married in all ways except the soul bonding.

  She’d officially moved in, and they’d gotten into a flexible, yet working routine for their lives. Her needing to study all the time didn’t bother him because he tended to have his head in books, too. He cooked, and she cleaned. And he lit up whenever she came home like she was the best thing he’d ever seen.

  It was time. She was on her grandfather’s arm, and she was walking down an aisle. Mitchell was there. He was so handsome
she didn’t mind everyone else’s eyes on her. Really, this was just about the two of them.

  Everyone else was… extra.

  Until there was something wrong. She quit walking. A sinking sensation settled in her stomach. What was wrong?

  “Eleanor?” Her grandfather tugged on her, and she shook her head. No, she couldn’t move. The room felt cold. What was going on? It was like someone in here… hated them.

  How did she know? Well, she wasn’t sure. A question mark appeared in front of her eyes. Mitchell’s private way to communicate with her. She lifted her gaze. She had to say something to him. “I can’t explain it… Hated. Cold. Directed at us.”

  Mitchell left the altar. It was unheard of to do so during a wedding ceremony but something had gone wrong. “Kim?”

  “I don’t see anything. No hex. No curse. But I missed it on her the first time. Ancient madness.”

  Lawson rose from the pew where he sat with Ava. “I’m not seeing anything either.”

  “There is something.” She doubled over.

  “I am getting full magic from her. Like it’s turning on.” That was Stefan’s voice she heard. “Terrible timing but great news. Hate? Anywhere here hate her? Because you can just get out. I’ll help if you need it.”

  Eleanor lifted her head and saw him. There he was. Trident. Where had he come from? He shot daggers at Mitchell from the side of the clearing.

  “There.” She did her best to indicate with her chin and everyone at the wedding turned to look at him.

  He stormed forward. “You killed our lady.”

  The explosion came from his hand the second he moved. No one was prepared for it. She could see all of it as it happened as though it was slow motion when she knew it was not. Mitchell was going to get hit. And she had no doubt it was a kill hit.

  She dove forward, and in that moment, an image appeared in her mind. It was a ball, a clear one like the one she’d jokingly made for Mitchell. That had been fluorescent. This one wasn’t. She’d seen it before.

  The last time she made it.

  Yes, she remembered. She’d created that ball the day she herself had sent her magic away. Lying in that tattoo parlor all those years ago she’d known she couldn’t let anyone have the magic she’d started to develop. At fourteen she’d understood she could do things beyond which her mother knew.

  But she’d bet the witch who wanted her had always known what she was capable of. Dark magic could always be countered with good. It wasn’t that simple. Most magic didn’t have a good or bad component.

  The ball she made exploded in her mind, like a crack in the universe sounding in her ears. She shoved her power forward. It did come from empathy, but it was also from love. For so long she’d been deprived of it and now she wouldn’t be losing it.

  Nothing could hurt Mitchell.

  She pushed back, sending her own power to resist Trident’s. Her hands heated up. Trident wanted to burn Mitchell. She narrowed her gaze. Her power was untried, untapped, and it was all instinct driving her forward. Eleanor shattered Trident’s hold.

  Her dress tore in half, sweat breaking out all over her body. She cried out. But it worked. Trident hit the floor and time seemed to catch back up to itself. She collapsed, her grandfather trying to hold her up, but it was Mitchell who kept her upright.

  “How did you do that?” He kissed both her cheeks. “What just happened?”

  “Hard to explain.”

  The world went black.

  She came to in Mitchell’s bed. He sat next to her, reading something. The pages turned without his hands moving them. She rolled toward him, wrapping her arms around him. “You can’t seem to get married, can you?”

  He snorted. “Not yet. But the day isn’t over. How are you feeling?”

  “Tired but okay. I’m not even sure what I did.”

  He wiped her bangs off her head. “You pushed Trident’s spell back on himself. It was… incredible. Don’t ever tell me you don’t have magic again. I can’t do what you did. I wouldn’t even know how to try and ninety-nine percent of spells I can learn by simply watching someone do them. I can’t do that. That’s talent. That’s why they wanted you.” He leaned over to kiss her cheek. “For a moment there I thought you were changing your mind. You stopped walking, and I thought… damn, she’s suddenly realized she’s too good for me.”

  She met his mouth with her own. “Don’t ever think that. Guess we need a redo.”

  “How about right now?”

  And that was how she ended up marrying Mitchell in her jeans. Just the two of them and the bishop. They’d met alone, in an Institution. It made sense they would join souls alone, with just the witch marrying them, under the moonlight.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling him deep inside of her for the first time. He loved her. He sighed against her neck, his body shuddering while he held her close.

  They’d earned this moment. Just the two of them. Forever. She’d never, ever ask for more. By the universe, how she loved him.

  Thank you so much for reading Curse Reversed (Wards and Wands #2). If you enjoyed it, I hope you’ll consider leaving it a review. Reviews help Indie Authors like me get our works out in front of readers. Wards and Wands isn’t quite over yet. I’ve decided that Ava’s friend Melanie (now Ellie’s friend too) needs her own book. Be on the lookout for Tragic Magic (Wards and Wands #3) coming soon. In the meantime if you’re in the mood for something else Paranormal by me I’d like to invite you to check out my book Tradition Be Damned (Last Hope #1) available now here: https://www.books2read.com/u/4EyWgl

  About the Author

  As a teenager, I would hide in my room to read my favorite romance novels when I was supposed to be doing my homework. I hope, these days, that my parents think it was worth it.

  I am the mother of three adorable boys and I am fortunate to be married to my best friend. I live in Austin Texas where I am determined to eat all the barbecue in town.

  I am in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and try to use all of these elements in my writing. I've been told I'm a little bloodthirsty so I hope that when you read my work you'll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. I love to write series because I love to see characters develop over time and it always makes me happy to see my favorite characters make guest appearances in other books.

  In my world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.

  I'd love to hear from you! Please visit my website at www.rebeccaroyce.com to sign up for my newsletter and learn about my books!

  Here’s where you can find me online:

  www.rebeccaroyce.com

  https://www.facebook.com/authorrebeccaroyce/

  www.twitter.com/rebeccaroyce

  Instagram: rebeccaroyce79

  Wings of Artemis: https://www.facebook.com/groups/736777976504277/

  Last Hope: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1841635032766330/

  The Warrior: https://www.facebook.com/TheWarriorSeries/

  * * *

  Cheers!!

  Rebecca

  Please turn the page for a complete list of my books!

  Other books by Rebecca Royce…

  Wings of Artemis

  Kidnapped By Her Husbands

  Rescued by Their Wife

  Crashing Into Destiny

  Meeting Them

  Reclaiming Their Love

  Loving Them

  Ship Called Malice

  Saving Them

  Dark Demise

  Light Unfolding

  Still Waters (coming soon)

  * * *

  Last Hope

  Tradition Be Damned

  Past Be Damned

  Destiny Be Damned

  Compassion Be Damned

  Future Be Damned (coming soon)

  * * *

  Dragon Wars

  Forever

  Eternal

  Always

  Evermore

  End
less

  * * *

  Wards and Wands

  Hexed and Vexed

  Curse Reversed

  Tragic Magic (Coming Soon)

  * * *

  Safe Haven

  Everywhere and Nowhere

  Dimension X (coming soon)

  More coming soon….

  * * *

  Soul Bound

  Prisoner of the Dragons

  More coming soon….

  * * *

  Shadow Promised

  Strange Days

  Weird Nights

  Bizarre Years

  More coming soon…

  * * *

  The Warrior

  Initiation

  Driven

  Subversive

  Redemption

  Justice

  * * *

  Warrior World (spin off of The Warrior)

  Deacon

  Micah

  Jason (coming August 2018)

  * * *

  The Westervelt Wolves

  Her Wolf

  Summer’s Wolf

  Wolf Reborn

  Wolf’s Valentine

  Wolf’s Magic

  Alpha Wolf

  Angel’s Wolf

  Darkest Wolf

  Lone Wolf

  * * *

  Fallen Alpha

  Alpha Rising

  Alpha’s Strength

  Alpha’s Sacrifice

  Alpha’s Truth

  Alpha Enticing

  Hidden Alpha (coming soon)

  * * *

  The Capes

  Seductive Powers

  Adrenaline Rush