He nodded. “Yeah. So what, because she made the distinction between being able to and wanting to do it, you think that there is another layer to the magic? Something that will block her from reversing it?”
“Something like that, yeah. Magic comes from somewhere, right? Sometimes, magic has a price. Maybe she can’t reverse it because of that.”
“This is a whole lot ofbecause. Are you sure Alice can’t be here sooner?”
“No, but the last time I spoke with Portia, she assured me Alice was on her way.” With a resolute head nod, Ruby stood. “Gimme a shot at her.” She followed behind Jazmin, going out to the beach bar.
The sand was warm under her feet, but she walked with purpose up to the witch who was now lounging by one of the infinity pools. Her face was obscured by the book she was reading (Sweets and their Magical Uses … how terrifying. Maybe her familiar was Ocho.)
Ruby sat beside Jazmin, looking intently at her. “Hi.”
“Let me guess,” Jazmin said, bored and still not looking away from her book. “Lady friend?”
Ruby snorted and rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Lady friend. Don’t worry, I razed him about that one.”
“Good.Lady friendmakes you sound like your five hundred years old with a milky eye, a face full of warts, and a comfy grave under a rotting tree.”
“Right.” Ruby shook her head to remove the horrible image. “Thanks for that. I’m gonna have nightmares. But seriously, I need to know why you can’t remove the curse.”
Finally, Jazmin lowered her book and turned in her seat to stare at Ruby. “Did you just really use those specific words?” Her nostrils flared. “I can’t tell you why I can’t remove the curse. I’m actually still in a bit of a state of shock that I cansaythe wordcursearound an Adair wolf.”
“I’m not an Adair wolf. I’m just hooking up with one …” and falling in love, but she couldn’t say that to a jilted woman. “This curse. It’s not a curse at all, is it?”
The witch narrowed her eyes but didn’t speak.
“It’s two curses,” Ruby guessed. “But somehow, they’re linked. I wonder why that is. Can I take a guess?”
“This is hell,” Jazmin mumbled.
“Not quite, but close enough. Whatcanyou tell me?”
“Nothing.”
“I don’t believe you. You can, but you’re choosing not to.”
“I told you, I can’t talk about it.” Jazmin opened her mouth, and though it looked like she was speaking, no words were coming out. Instead, it was just the strange sound of a kitten mewling that came out of her mouth as Jazmin spoke.
“What the hell? Are you ill?” Ruby asked.
Jazmin shook her head. “Part of the spell is that I can’t talk about it. I sound like a cat every time I try to bring it up in conversation.”
“You boundyourselfin a spell?” Ruby shook her head. “You were really that angry about being broken up with him?”
Jazmin’s face turned sour like she was sucking on a lemon. “You don’t know what it was like.”
“Well, no. You’re right. I don’t know what it was like to find out that my future husband was actually meant for someone else. If he loved you, and I mean, really loved you, he would’ve chosen you no matter what.”
“You don’t know how mates work. I guess yourman friendwould’ve told you if you were his true mate.”
“Doubtful. I’m a succubus. Can acreaturebe a true mate? Wouldn’t it be a human or another shifter?” She huffed out a breath. “You’re purposefully distracting me by talking about Ethan and me. Stop that. Are you a siren? Jeez!”
Jazmin leaned back in her seat. “I might have been doing that, yeah. But the questions should still be asked before you get your heart handed to you.”
“It can’t go anywhere, so it doesn’t matter what my heart thinks.”
This got the witch’s attention. “What do you mean? You’re into tall, dark, and alpha over there?”
“Yeah, but it’s not that easy for a succubus. My life isn’t my own like a witch or a shifter.”