Knight's Curse by Karen Duvall Read Free Book Online Page A

most comfortable around those who acted as I expected them to.
    His voice contained, but stressed to the point of breaking, he said quietly, “You little bitch.”
    I smiled again. I liked when our interactions were balanced. Actually, I preferred the scale tipped more to my side, and right now it was closer to me than it had ever been. “What’s the matter, Gavin?” I asked sweetly. “Couldn’t your badass Vyantara buddies decipher my mother’s message?”
    He didn’t answer, but I felt the heat of his glare. In fact, without my contacts in, I could see extreme emotions leak into people’s auras. His was bright red. Shui sensed it, too, because he growled from his perch to let me know he was paying attention.
    “They couldn’t, could they?” I asked. “Because she used bleach mixed with some unknown ingredient to make the ink to write something only I could read. You need me to tell you what it says.”
    Gavin crossed his arms and relaxed his face, his demeanor growing calm. “You and I can help each other.”
    “The only help I want from you is to get your fucking monkey off my back.” I leaned in to him, picking up the pungent odor of charmed ointments he used to ward off aging. He smelled of camphor and pepper. “Just tell me how to do that, and I’ll tell you what’s in this letter.” A letter I hadn’t yet read but for the first word: Find.
    He looked thoughtful for a few seconds before saying, “Kill him.”
    Surprise raised my voice an octave. “Kill Shui?”
    The gargoyle growled, topping it off with a hiss.
    “When he’s dead, he’ll turn to stone, and you’ll be free of your bond. Simple.” Gavin tilted his head slightly back to gaze down his nose at me. “A deal’s a deal. Now, what does your mother’s letter say?”
    His answer was too easy. There had to be a catch. “How do I kill Shui? Gargoyles are immortal. You reminded me about that a few minutes ago.”
    “They are immortal, but there’s a loophole. You just have to know what it is.” He gave me a sly look before his face brightened, his attention focused behind me.
    “Samuel! Just bring it here.” He motioned for the butler to lay his tray on the heavy, oak coffee table beside the couch. “Fresh baked cookies, yes? Very nice. You can go.”
    Samuel spotted Shui and blanched. “Sir, is that a monkey?”
    “Yes, it is,” Gavin said. “Now run along. I’m having an important conversation with my daughter and I want no more interruptions.”
    Samuel’s hand shook as he pointed. “But it has wings—”
    “Leave!” Gavin shouted, using his sorcerer’s voice. The deep cadence resonated against the stone walls and shook the contents of the tray. Samuel backed up, nearly falling over his own feet before turning to disappear up the stairs. Knowing how Gavin’s pneuma spells worked, I expected the butler would forget all about Shui by the time he reached the top step.
    Gavin looked at me, puzzled. “Where was I?”
    “Loopholes.”
    His eyes narrowed, but he grinned. “That’s right. Loopholes.”
    Silence. He wasn’t telling me what I needed to know. “So how do I kill Shui?”
    Gavin’s confused expression returned, though it was more theatrical now. “You said all you wanted to know was how to break free of your bond to Shui, and I told you. How you accomplish that goal is another question. Quid pro quo, my dear. Quid pro quo.”
    Bastard. He’d screwed me over. Well, not entirely, because I was now one step closer to freedom than I’d been an hour ago. Heart heavy with losing my bargaining edge, I glanced at the letter in my lap and slipped it slowly from its envelope.

four
     
    “I’LL KNOW IF YOU’RE LYING,” GAVIN TOLD ME , his snake eyes trained on my face. He scrutinized my lip movements, eye blinks, even the way I worked the muscles in my jaw. I did a mental eye-roll. This was so typical, and so totally my fault. I’d never managed to perfect my poker face, and now I had no choice but to read