A Curse Unbroken (37 page)

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.

B
Y
C
ECY
R
OBSON

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

C
ECY
R
OBSON
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.