Witch In Charge - Celia Kyle Page 0,56

to untie one of those sorts of links.”

“I don’t understand,” Kelly said. “Links?”

“It’s telling that the ancestor is referred to as a ‘son of a bitch.’ That typically means that an unsavory action has been perpetrated by one individual onto another. As such, the representative of a certain family could curse not only the ‘son of a bitch’ in question, but extend the ramifications to an entire family line.”

“That sounds about right.”

“Oh, it is.” Again, not conceit—just fact. “This means not only do we have to ascertain the transgression, but both of the parties involved. We need to know who the aggrieved was, because it’s possible we’ll need their family's grimoire to break the curse.”

Kelly's heart sank all the way to the center of the earth. Given how long it had been since all the shit went down, it seemed impossible to track down a specific spell book. Families had a way of scattering over generations. Histories became distorted and heirlooms were lost along the way.

Besides, even if they managed to turn up a member of the family that laid the curse, grudges often ran deep. Just look at her friend Wren Oberon's family—they'd held onto a feud for generations! It was entirely possible any descendant of the original curse caster might not want to set Ronun free. Vengeance is vengeance, after all. The thought only made her sink deeper into dejection.

“It’s not a rule,” Owyn said in his own special show of sensitivity to her feelings. “That’s only in particular instances. There’s every likelihood that we won’t even need the family grimoire.”

If he was saying that for her benefit, it was working. Or maybe it was the excitement sparking in his eyes.

“What are you saying?” she asked.

“I’m saying that we should find your friend and gather as much information as we can. I’m interested in the case.”

“Are you serious?”

As low as she had sunk, a fluttering inside her buoyed her right back up. She'd never even considered asking him about it, worried her involvement would turn him off immediately. But no. Owyn Stahagan, the strongest curse breaker alive, was on the case. In fact, he looked downright enthusiastic. Well…for him.

“Of course,” he said, pitching a scarf around his neck. “If anyone stands a chance of solving your friend’s problem, it’s me.”

This time, she detected just the tiniest hint of conceit in his voice. Still, that didn’t mean he was wrong.

“Besides.” He pulled open the door and looked back to her. “I love a challenge.”

“You know what?” She got out of her chair and the two of them set out. “Me too.”

Twenty-One

Though Kelly spent most of her nights under the frosty wing of Owyn Stahagan, she knew Ronun’s route by heart. Not that it was particularly complicated to stroll around the grounds. Still, as sprawling as parts of it were, tracking him down seemed like a daunting task.

“Which way?”

They stood outside, under an ornate streetlamp. Owyn’s breath fogged the air with his question. It was the most enthusiastic she’d ever seen him. Even more than when he lit up over the fragment of Elurial text.

“Let’s try going past the library,” she said.

He cocked an eyebrow as they set off. “I’m surprised you know which way that is.”

Was that a joke? It sounded like a joke. Given that the old man was drier than cheap chianti, it could be hard to tell.

When they couldn’t find Ronun out on the grounds, they headed back inside.

“Maybe he's near the cafeteria,” she said before her brain could catch up to her gut, which tugged her in that direction. Somehow, Kelly knew he would be there.

And he was. Tucked back in that same booth with that same witch she had seen the last time. Given what she had come to learn about Kalliope, the whole situation looked like trouble. Not only that, but seeing her man nestled at a table with another woman pissed her off.

Sure, it was all business, but still. How could Kelly not feel that way seeing the two of them huddled close in a dark, empty room? Besides, she wanted to be the one to break his curse, not some rando witch bitch! Where the hell did she get off?

Not with Ronun, that was for sure.

“Kalliope Le Blanc,” Owyn hissed under his breath.

The intensity of it caught Kelly off guard, and she looked over at him. Or she would have if the old man hadn’t surprised the hell out of her by breaking into a run.

Turns out, Kelly wasn’t the only