Page 45 of Breaking the Bloodstone Curse
“That sounds perfect,” she said, cuddling against him. “Though to be honest, as long as we’re together, I don’t really care where we go.”
Brax felt the same way and was about to say so when they both heard a beeping from the cockpit at the front of the ship.
Brax groaned.
“That’s the proximity alarm—I’d better go check what the fuck is going on.”
“I want to come with you!” Serenai pressed closer to him, her eyes darting around the luxurious living area. “We don’t know where that thing went—it could be anywhere!”
“Come on then, baby.” Brax rose easily with her still in his arms and carried her to the cockpit. “Let’s go check together and then we can get you into a more modest dress for our meeting with Jacobim.”
He nodded down at her bare breasts, which were still on display thanks to the scarlet gown. She might have to dress like a Yonnite Mistress while she was on Yonnie Six, but he’d be damned if he let some other male admire her assets when they were away from it.
The possessive protectiveness washed over him again and this time it felt justified. He had admitted his feelings to Serenai and she had returned them. And after all this was put behind them, they were going to be together.
He dropped an affectionate kiss on her forehead, loving the feeling of her warm, curvy figure settled in his arms.
He had no idea how close he was to losing her forever.
28
SERENAI
“Well-a-day, well-a-day. And it’s cursed bloodstones, so you say?”
Jacobim O’Teribrux was an odd little man with gray-green skin and a shock of bright orange hair that rose straight up from the top of his head into a kind of swirly point. He was wearing a jacket and trousers that seemed to be cut from some extremely fine satin or silk—it shone different colors as the lights in his living area hit it when he moved. This made it impossible to say what color his clothes were, but Serenai didn’t really care about fashion at this point.
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” she said, motioning for Brax to hand him the box the necklace was in.
But Jacobim refused to accept the box.
“Just open it, if you please. I’m wary of the curse jumping to me,” he said to Brax, who nodded and opened the box.
Serenai wondered if he was speaking in some kind of rhyme on purpose but she didn’t dare to ask for fear of offending him.
“As you can see, it’s a very beautiful necklace but it comes with a curse—a red-eyed creature that appears to the owner of the bloodstones,” she told the little man. “I believe that it killed my mother—she had the necklace seven days before she died and, well…just read the prophecy,” she added, nodding at the parchment paper that was on top of the glittering necklace.
Jacobim O’Terabrux plucked the parchment from the box and unfolded it to read. He skimmed it silently, frowning.
“Ah yes, I see! That’s bad indeed,” he said at last.
“We’re not exactly sure what it means,” Brax rumbled.
“Especially the part about ‘forget your name or lose your life,” Serenai added.
“Well-a-day, it gives a hint, don’t you see? Of how from the curse you can break free,” Jacobim answered.
Serenai felt a rush of relief.
“So it’s possible to break the curse? Oh, thank the Goddess!”
“Don’t get too glad, my lady fair. The price is high, so have a care,” Jacobim cautioned her.
Serenai frowned in confusion.
“So…you have to pay a price to break the curse? But what do you pay? And how?”
“Does it have to do with the ‘lose your name’ part?” Brax asked.
