Love & Curses(18)

“No.”

The Reaper’s jaw shifted, bone popping over bone. “You have no say. It is done.”

“But it was a mistake.” Andy struggled for air and coughed.

“There are no mistakes. I will take you both.” The fiend opened its mouth, rotting teeth glinting with puss. Wider and wider still, and inside a pit of darkness. Death’s maw gaped, the Soul Eater preparing for its meal.

With his last strength, Andy jerked against the bony shackles holding him captive. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. He’d always imagined a long relationship with Calista filled with laughter and love.

Love.

The only thing Death could never steal.

“I curse you,” he gritted out, and choked on the smoke invading his throat.

The fiend jolted, his grip tightening until Andy was certain his clavicle would crack. “You dare?”

“I curse you….” He struggled to suck in air. “With our love.”

Death jerked back, releasing his hold, a screeching hiss grating Andy’s brain. He cringed, as claws seemed to rake through his mind. Barely able to think, he focused on his true love.

“You can not curse me,” he roared.

“Yes.” More than anything, more than his next breath, he wanted to spend his life with his golden-eyed love. “For as long as our love lasts, I curse you to stand aside, to never interfere in Calista’s life, to allow her a peaceful death whenever that is fated to occur.”

Death bolted into the air, gray clouds swirling around him. The walls vibrated with his deep growl, the reverberations rattling Andy’s bones. Pain speared his ligaments, his tendons stretched to a mere thread. Oh shit, I’m going to shake apart.

The Reaper exploded, a mass of ash and cinder missiled through room.

Andy rolled and crawled across the floor, the window light guiding him. Fingers questing, at last he found her.

“Calista.” Heart pounding, he grappled in the dark for her neck and any sign of a pulse.

Nothing.

Ah, God, no. He couldn’t be too late. He wouldn’t accept that. Pressing his mouth to hers, he gave her two rescue breaths and began CPR. “Come on, baby. Breathe damn it.”

He pulled her close and buried his face into her hair. His tears fell freely as he poured out all the love he held in his heart and prayed she could feel it in hers. Everything he’d said had been true. He would love her forever and live for the day they could be together again.

Without warning, the lights flickered on, and the windows slammed open.

Calista drew in a deep, sharp gasp. Startled, Andy stared into his beautiful soul mate’s eyes. Alive and warm in his arms, she met his gaze.

“You’re here,” she rasped. “What happened?”

“Oh, God, baby! I thought I’d lost you forever.” Somehow he’d managed to curse Death, and they’d survived it. Joy warmed him to his very soul. He would spend his life with this woman. “Dear Lord, how I love you.”

She returned his embrace. “I love you, too.”





Chapter Nine



Three Weeks Later

“He’s a wonderful man, your Andrew.” Aunt Nadya sipped her coffee.

Calista shifted her gaze, her tummy fluttering as she caught a glimpse of Andy’s shirt before he disappeared into the restaurant’s kitchen. “Yes, he is.”

“And he was very kind to invite an old woman like me on his date.” She set her cup on the linen-covered table.

Calista turned and patted her aunt’s hand. “It’s not a date, Auntie. This is his restaurant.”

Her aunt snorted. “Well, all I know is that was the best Crawfish Etoufee I’ve tasted in…well, ever.” Grabbing her fork, she scooped up a healthy bite of Cherries Jubilee and shoved it in her mouth, chewing slowly. She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and moaned. “Dear Lord, child. Heaven, pure Heaven. He’s a keeper, that one.”

Calista smiled. Yeah, she thought so, too. All these years of broken hearts and pining after whichever latest boyfriend had dumped her. What a waste of time—except for the fact they’d led her to the most giving and wonderful man she’d ever met. All the others were nothing compared to her Andy.

A potent heat swirled through her chest, increasing her pulse and snagging her breath. Her Andy. Oh, yes. She liked the sound of that.

Her gaze shot toward the kitchen door again. He’d said he loved her, but his confession had come at the culmination of a terrifying night where they’d both almost died. He hadn’t said the words again since. Not that she expected him to tell her he loved her every ten minutes, but surely he would have repeated the sentiment sometime during the last three days.