" I whispered. "Alex,

one with my bl

it's

wouldn't need a curse." His voice was

sed to make m

y mother's hand as if it burned. "The curse is mo

my boss for

e. Or that she was sick. Or that she

ever a

id quietly.

. The heart monitor beeped, slow and weak, and

ho di

ght can use

re other

mother had many enemies. And my family

errifying sentence

e to my

k to live in

" Alex said. "B

xcuse m

doorway, clutching a clipb

" she said. "I'm sorry, but I

ned to h

know who funds the cardi

linked. "I.

d

O

to read you the p

she said, backing out of the r

nk y

oor c

im. "You fund

whole

never t

e shrugged. "Also, th

, small and cracked, and then I was crying and la

and something in

is," he

e wha

I've never he

r made me la

uld do it m

ent hot. "M

le

ha

lex. Just

ending machine hummed in the corner, and a s

f his coffee and

is p

hree do

uld be

wing. Make

shed the cup away. "Olive,

ka

you ref

t he

savings. You refused. You w

How do you

findings ," he sa

y. Her future. I don't t

's pr

's di

s." He folded his hands on the table. "F

do you

ree hundred thousand. I'll also have my peopl

to pound. "An

ontr

nd of co

s held mine. "You w

t say a

nything for a

"I think the coffee has affec

anc

in

ing. Public

hy

er. It can only be broken if I'm already promised to someone else. A human would shame her famil

o use me as

"Whitney can't touch my fiancée wi

thr

King of Dem

t was a figu

was

e in my hands.

a good

ake relat

No emotions. Just business. When the year is over, you walk awa

at do y

voice softened, just slightly. "And maybe, for

, he was looking at me as if h

fraid of y

shoul

m n

hy

ght me," I said

ved. Something strange passed

s throat and lo

d gruffly. "

eard my name

her face blotchy, her hands trembling.

len

Please don't be angry

slowly. "Ex

oice cracked. "I knew. I

s hit li

u k

here, she would pay my brother's tuition. He's about t

sol

you! She said they'd only talk

ing. "I was standing in that costume while she told me my

n't know about

eteria went silent. "Don't y

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I

u w

flin

. "I don't want t

, plea

ea

bbing quietly. Then she turned and

. I felt like something in

eached across the table and set h

y," he sa

st friend sinc

kno

u know all

e said. "Every page. The nigh

's cr

rese

ry creepy

touched his m

breath and looked

le

es

l si

htened slightly

has three days, and I don't

lose," he said quietly. "Th

at a w

the

eath and held ou

n it, my fake fianc

trong that I nearly gasped. His eyes flashed with

," he

he morning when we went

My mother lay quietly, her face p

eaking in low, clipped tones. "Move her to the private wing...

er and brushed the h

ave good news. I'm going

lids fl

t jumpe

yes o

hey were awake. She looked at me,

vvy

Mom. I'm

e... c

happy to

e, and I saw her go sti

staring

was watching her, too, with

and clamped around my wris

rembled with something I had never hear

oss. He's helping us. H

he said. "Wha

x Kn

ce turned the

," she

What's

gers digging into my skin, her

me, Olive

liste

you signed..." Her breath rattled in

. "Mom, what are y

ispered. A single tea

om

r eyes shifted to Alex, and they burned with a hat

lex went ver