

### CURSE OF STONE

### a Counting Curses novella

### By Jen McConnel

CURSE OF STONE

By Jen McConnel

Published by Jen McConnel

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2016 Jen McConnel

Cover Designed by Paper and Sage, 2016

This book is a work of fiction. Characters, locations, and events are products of the author's mind, or have been used in a fictitious manner. The author acknowledges the right of all trademark holders for products mentioned in this work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, or to actual events, is purely coincidental.

License Statement:

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use, then please return to your favorite eBook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Thank You!

About the Author

Sneak Peek

Copyright

### CHAPTER ONE

"Julia, un momento!"

Julia paused, shifting her bag on her shoulder. She really didn't feel like talking, but it was impossible for her to be intentionally rude. "What is it?"

Giuseppe pulled a rose out from behind his back. "A beautiful lady deserves a beautiful flower, no?"

She hesitated. Her middle-aged super had been sort of hitting on her ever since she arrived in Rome six months ago, but the fact that he was married and had three kids had made her feel like it was only moderately creepy. But a rose? "No, thanks, Gio."

His smile fell, but his words were warm. "But you need something to brighten you up."

"Do I look depressed to you?"

After studying her for a moment, he nodded, and Julia cringed. "You work all the time. Always study, study, never play."

She shrugged, pretending nonchalance. "That _is_ why I'm here, remember."

"Other students know how to smile."

With a sigh, Julia reached for the rose. She brought the bloom to her face and inhaled theatrically, but she was surprised when the familiar scent really did bring a smile to her face. "Okay, fine. See, I'm smiling."

Giuseppe grinned at her, flashing the gold tooth in the front of his mouth unselfconsciously. "That's more like it. Now maybe the flower will lead you to a little romance."

"I thought it was the other way around; romance brings flowers, right?"

He waggled his eyebrows. "Does that mean that to you I wear the face of romance?"

Julia rolled her eyes. "'Night, Gio. Thanks for the flower."

"Ciao, bella! Remember to smile more often!"

_If only it were that easy_ , she thought as she trudged up the stairs to her small apartment. _It's been a long time since anything made me smile._ One of the reasons she'd signed up to spend a year in Rome was because everyone at the study abroad office had said it was the best place on earth, but so far, she wasn't enamored with the city. Rome was smelly and dirty, and the jumble of tourists and hawkers made the city streets anything but peaceful. Then again, it wasn't like she had anywhere else she was yearning to go, so she tried not to hold it against the city.

Dropping her keys on the table, Julia tossed her heavy bag on the end of her bed. Sure, Rome was the best place to study art and history, and she was earning credit for all of the courses she was taking, but after half a year of living abroad, Julia would have happily traded all the credit and enriching experiences for some peace and quiet.

She pressed her palms against her eyes. There was no point wasting time being homesick; she had work to do. With a sigh, Julia put the rose in a glass of water and then pulled her textbooks out of her bag. Turning the coffee pot on, she settled in at the small kitchen table, trying to memorize the names of the different Renaissance artists she knew she'd be tested on in class next week, but her focus wasn't there. Her passion and enthusiasm, already worn thin after the events of the previous year, had completely deserted her after the first week in Rome, and she was secretly counting down the days until she could leave.

True, spending New Year's in Rome had been pretty spectacular. Her roommate, Kai, had forced her to go out with a group of students, and Julia had actually had fun. The streets were packed with people, and everyone seemed in a wonderful mood. It had almost made Julia happy to be there, and she'd resolved to perk up for the rest of her time in the Eternal City, but her attitude adjustment fractured as soon as the second semester started up. Now that it was almost February, Julia's mood was frosty again.

"Knock, knock!" Kai called from the hallway, and Julia closed her book in relief.

"In here."

Kai poked her head around the corner, her spiky teal hair looking even more wild than usual. "I sort of hoped you were out."

Julia's face fell. "Sorry if I'm in the way."

"No, that's not what I meant!" Kai crossed the room and grabbed a mug, draining the coffee pot. "I just sort of hoped you'd be out having fun or something."

Julia sighed. "This year has been a pretty big mistake."

"So change it."

Julia looked at Kai, studying her roommate's open face. Even with the funky hair and the Monroe piercing hovering over her lip, Kai was the nicest person Julia had ever met, and she felt guilty for dumping her problems on her roommate but there was no one else to confide in. "I just don't know about anything anymore," she said after a moment's hesitation.

Kai grinned. "That means you're ready for something new. Like an adventure."

Julia grimaced. "Coming here was supposed to be my adventure."

"And you've still got, what, five months left? Who's to say your wild Roman times are behind you?"

"What do you think is going to happen? I mean, I go to class, I come home and study, and then I pass out."

Kai reached over and plucked the textbook off the table. "Question. And I want an honest, gut reaction, answer. Don't think."

Julia nodded slightly.

"Why are you here, Julia?"

"Because I didn't know what else to do."

The words hung in the air for a moment, and Julia swallowed.

"I mean," she continued, not watching Kai, "I'll be done with my coursework once I get home. Then it's just student teaching, and graduation." She paused. "It felt like it was now or never if I wanted to study abroad," she finished lamely.

"But it seems like a waste, Jules. You're miserable here; why'd you pick Rome, anyway?"

"All the art," Julia began, faltering.

Kai shook her head. "I know you keep saying you want to teach art, but girl, I've never seen anyone so bored with her homework."

Julia shrugged. "My mom always wanted to see Rome," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper.

A dark cloud passed across Kai's face. "I'm sorry, Jules, I didn't know."

Julia looked away, trying to keep her eyes from filling with tears. "It's okay. Sort of a stupid reason to do something, right?"

Kai shook her head. "No," she said softly, "it's a great reason. But would your mom really want you to be miserable?"

The words slipped out before she could stop them. "Believe me, this isn't anything new."

There was a pause, and then Kai got up and put her arms around her roommate. "She wouldn't want you to torture yourself, Jules. It's okay to be happy."

A sob welled up in Julia's throat, and she sniffed against Kai's shoulder. "I know. It's just, nothing seems like it matters now."

Kai squeezed her. "But you matter. You need to figure out a way to keep living."

Julia didn't say anything. How could Kai possibly understand? Both her parents were alive and well in New Jersey. They called once a week, and Kai adored them. Of course Kai would think it was easy to just keep living, but ever since her mom's fatal diagnosis of cancer two years ago, Julia had just sort of accepted the fact that her life was over. She skipped a semester of school to care for her mom, but that hadn't mattered in the end. When they were lowering her mom's casket into the cold, dark earth, Julia had felt like her own life was over.

Kai let go of her and sat back. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pestered."

Julia shrugged.

"Do you want to talk about her?" Kai asked softly.

_What was there to say?_ Of course she did; she wanted to talk about how her mom loved mocha everything, both the color and the flavor, and how she'd been the coolest single parent when Julia was in high school, never grounding her for anything. She longed to tell someone that her mom's favorite color had been robin's egg blue, and that she hoped people were right when they said that Julia looked like her. But she hadn't been able to form the words once in the year since her mom passed, and slowly, Julia shook her head.

"No. But thanks. I'm sorry for dumping on you."

Kai shrugged slightly. "It's okay." She paused, and an uncomfortable silence settled over them.

That was another reason Julia never talked about her mom. People always got weird, sooner or later, and she hated the sympathy and awkward stares that accompanied any conversation about her. It was better to just keep her mouth shut. Forcing a smile, Julia tapped her textbook. "I've got to get back to work."

Kai nodded, but her face looked pained. "Do you want to go out to dinner later?"

"Nah. Thanks, though."

"I just feel like I need to make it up for you; I'm sorry for putting you in a shitty mood."

Julia shook her head. "You didn't do anything, Kai. It's okay; seriously."

"I still think you're going to need to eat. Why not come out with me?"

Julia glanced at the kitchen window. The sun would be setting soon, but it was only about five o'clock, and most of the restaurants nearby wouldn't open until seven or later. "I don't know. Maybe if I get enough work done."

"If you're not careful, you'll work yourself to death!" Kai cringed as soon as the words left her mouth. "I didn't mean that."

"I know." Julia struggled to keep her expression neutral. "Let me study, okay?"

Kai nodded as she left the kitchen. "But think about dinner!"

Julia shrugged, focusing on the book in front of her. "Maybe."

_Not likely_. Julia sighed softly when she heard Kai close the bathroom door down the hall. "What's wrong with me?" Thoughts of her mom's final days filled her mind, and she rose quickly, refilling the coffee pot. Those kind of memories weren't helping, but Julia couldn't seem to stop dwelling on the worst moments of her mom's death. _Shouldn't I be over it by now?_ She sighed, staring around the tiny kitchen without seeing it. _Isn't there a limit on this kind of grief?_

### CHAPTER TWO

Slinking to the back of the old lecture hall, Julia stifled a yawn. She'd been up most of the night pretending to study, and she'd skipped dinner. Lack of food, too little sleep, and copious amounts of caffeine left her feeling like she was hung-over, but there was no way she could skip a class. She just had to push through, and remember to eat as soon as the lecture was done.

The old auditorium chairs screeched whenever anyone sat down, and someone slid into the seat across the aisle from her, but Julia didn't glance over. She hadn't really bonded with anyone in her program, and she usually accepted her isolated state in the lecture hall. After a pause, though, her neighbor leaned into her peripheral vision. Julia tensed, wondering if she could get away with ignoring Fernando. Of all of her classmates, Julia had less inclination to talk to him than anyone else; Nando's party-boy persona had never charmed her, even though it seemed like all the other girls in the program were in love with him, and Julia usually avoided him. Not that he wasn't handsomer than a person had any right to be; he was easily the most charming, effortlessly sexy guy she'd ever met. But charming or not, Nando never seemed to take anything seriously, and Julia didn't think she'd ever be able to handle someone that frivolous.

"Pst, Julia," he hissed theatrically, and Julia resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she glanced at him. Nando flashed his brilliant smile. "Can I borrow your notes?"

She sighed, trying not to stare at his dark eyes. "Where were you yesterday, anyway?"

He grinned. "I can't give away all my secrets, now, can I? Then I wouldn't be an international man of mystery."

Julia shook her head, but she still handed him her notebook. "Here. Hurry up."

Fernando raised his eyebrow, flicking a strand of black hair off his forehead. "That's the first time a woman's told me to go faster!"

She rolled her eyes. "It won't be the last," she muttered, dropping her gaze from his flirtatious brown stare. The room dimmed, and Julia tried to focus on the images from the outdated slide projector. As the teacher droned on and on about the different masters of the Renaissance, Julia struggled to stay awake. Her brain was like mush, and despite the hours she'd spent reading last night, the information in the lecture seemed to come too fast for her to keep up. Fernando passed her notebook back to her just in time for the pop quiz that Julia had been dreading. She struggled through a couple of the questions, but finally, she turned the half-finished quiz upside-down on her desk and stood up.

Not meeting anyone's eyes, Julia shoved her notebook into her bag and slipped out of the lecture hall. Her vision blurred, and she paused in the dim hallway, rubbing her temples. _Maybe I can plead with the instructor for a re-take_. She wasn't sure what excuse she'd use, but shapes were swimming in front of her eyes, and Julia knew if she stayed in the lecture hall any longer, she'd either pass out or start crying. Neither was an option. She took a ragged breath, trying to recover her fragile self-control.

"You okay?" Fernando's voice broke her trance, and she bit her lip, swallowing her annoyance.

"Long night." Turning to leave, she was surprised when Fernando fell into step beside her.

"Partying? Doesn't seem like your style."

"Studying." _Or just trying to have an excuse for my insomnia._

"Brown-noser."

Reflexively, Julia glared at him, but he was smiling. "I probably just failed that quiz," she pointed out.

"Don't sweat it. You know how many quizzes we're likely to have this semester?"

Julia groaned. "Don't remind me."

Fernando followed her out of the building and down to the busy street, and Julia tried to figure out a way to get rid of him. She didn't want to be rude, but she was too tired to worry about social niceties. Finally, she decided to be blunt. "Look, I'll see you later."

"Let me walk with you. You look like you're about to pass out."

"I'm fine."

A scooter raced by, blaring its horn, and Julia jumped at the sound. Fernando eyed her critically. "Oh, yeah, totally fine. That Vespa was a real threat."

Trying to steady her racing heart, Julia took a deep breath. "I just didn't get any sleep, so I'm a little jumpy."

Nando eyed her critically. "How much coffee have you had?"

"What?" Julia stared at him dumbly.

"Well, I assume if you didn't sleep last night, you're only vertical by virtue of some good drugs or espresso, and you don't look like the meth type."

She shrugged. "I don't know. A couple of pots."

Fernando whistled. "No wonder you're jittery! Let's get some food in you."

"Seriously, I'm fine."

Ignoring her, Fernando grabbed her hand and steered her down the street. "I know a great lunch place. Come on."

Julia let him pull her along, too dazed and tired to protest. But when they rounded the corner, she shook off his hand. "What will it take for you to stop pestering me?"

Fernando grinned. "Let's discuss that after we eat." He pointed to the shop they'd stopped in front of, and she raised her eyebrow.

"Are we seriously going to have Chinese food in Italy?" Even as she spoke, she realized that she'd just agreed to have lunch with him, and she looked away, suddenly self-conscious.

"Best cure for a hangover."

"I didn't sleep, that's all."

"Same dif. You do know that the body reacts to sleeplessness the same way it reacts to drugs, right? 24 hours is like being drunk, and at 48, you start blacking out. I've even heard stories about guys dying after a week of sleep deprivation in prison and stuff."

Julia didn't have a response to that. With a sigh, she followed Fernando into the dimly lit restaurant, nearly walking into the red paper lantern suspended from the ceiling. The hostess grinned when she looked at Nando, and he winked at her in response. Julia bit back an unexpected surge of jealousy and shook her head, exasperated with herself. _It's not like anything's going on with us,_ she chided herself, her cheeks getting warm at the idea.

Once they were seated at a tight corner booth, the waitress set a plate of unordered rangoons in front of them and smiled at Fernando again. Ignoring the two of them, Julia grabbed the food, not caring that it burned the roof of her mouth when she bit into it. _Nando was right, damn it. I am hungry._

"So," Fernando began, leaning back easily and watching her. "What's the deal?"

Julia shoved another rangoon in her mouth. "What do you mean?"

He laughed. "I've figured out most everyone else in our little program, but you I don't get."

She shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable. "Nothing to get, I guess."

Fernando snorted. "Everyone has a story. What's yours?"

Julia took another bite of food, even though her mouth felt like sand. "What's yours?"

His brown eyes sparkled as he leaned toward her. "I'm half Italian. Army brat. It seemed like a good idea to spend a year in the motherland before I start working."

Julia studied him. His complexion was sort of olive, now that she thought about it, but she'd always assumed he just had a tan. "What are you studying?"

"Here? The same stuff as you."

"No, I mean, back home."

He shrugged. "Doesn't really matter. Grandad wants me to take over his shop next year, and you can't really get a degree in the family business."

"Wouldn't, like, business or something be a good idea?"

"Maybe. But at this rate, I won't graduate anyway, so what's the point?"

She looked at him, surprised. "You're just here for the hell of it? How can you afford this?"

Fernando shrugged, grabbing the last rangoon before Julia could reach for it. "My college fund pretty much covered this year."

"But why not finish your degree before you start working?"

His face clouded, and he waved off the question. "Nope. It's your turn."

She looked around, desperate for another distraction, but the waitress was nowhere in sight. "I don't know what you want to know."

Nando watched her face carefully. "Well, considering I just told you my condensed life story, I'd say fair is fair."

She fiddled with the paper placemat, studying the familiar red printed Chinese zodiac images that every Asian restaurant she'd ever been to seemed to have. "I guess I wanted to come here to study art," she finally said.

"You guess?"

Julia shrugged. "I'd planned on teaching art, but now that I'm almost done with my degree—" she broke off, surprised. _Why am I telling him this? I barely know him._

Before he could press her for more details, however, the waitress reappeared carrying a heaping tray. She set the unordered smorgasbord down on the table, and Fernando grinned up at her.

"Perfect, Rose! Can we get some tea, too?"

Rose nodded and slipped away. Julia stared at the assorted dishes. "When did we order?"

Fernando laughed. "This place doesn't really have a menu; they just bring you whatever they've got in the kitchen." He scooped a mound of fried rice onto his plate. "Dig in; they're the best place in town."

Julia laughed. "It's Rome. I didn't even know there were _any_ Chinese places here!"

Fernando grinned at her. "That doesn't mean they can't be the best!"

The rangoons had been amazing, so Julia followed Fernando's lead and filled her plate, grateful for the interruption. She shoveled food into her mouth, as much from hunger as from the hope that Fernando would forget what they'd been talking about if she kept her mouth too full to talk, and for a while, it seemed to work. They ate in hungry silence, and Julia was almost embarrassed when she realized that they'd practically licked their plates clean.

Fernando leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile and patted his stomach comically. "So good!"

Julia giggled, and the sound surprised her. "You were right," she said shyly, wondering if he had any idea how long it had been since she'd laughed.

He grinned at her. "Now that's something I could get used to hearing you say."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't count on it."

"So, what's wrong with art now?"

_Shit_. He'd picked up the thread of conversation that she'd tried to bury with the meal. Julia shrugged, not meeting his eye. "It just doesn't seem to fit anymore."

Fernando let it drop, but when they parted ways outside the restaurant, he put his hand on her shoulder. "Julia, I can tell you've got something intense on your mind. I wish you'd talk about it."

She tried to ignore the electrical shock that coursed through her arm at his touch, and she stepped away. "I don't think so," she said, struggling to keep her tone light. "Even if that's true, do you really think I'd spill to the first guy who bought me lunch?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "The first guy?"

_Shit. Now he thinks I'm some weepy wallflower._ Julia flushed and waved her hand dismissively. "You know what I mean. First random guy in Rome—" she trailed off, then changed tactics. "I barely know you," she finally said lamely.

Fernando's lips curved up into an easy smile. "In that case, I think my first task is to get to know you." He winked. "That's one challenge I'm definitely up for." With a grin, he turned and sauntered away, leaving Julia staring after him in surprise. Her heart gave an unexpected flutter as Fernando turned a corner and walked out of sight, and puzzled, Julia watched the street for a moment, half-hoping he'd reappear.

### CHAPTER THREE

A crowd of people clustered around the corner when Julia turned onto her street, but she didn't take much notice. All she wanted was to make it to the peace and quiet of her apartment and sleep for a week. Giovanni spotted her and waved his arm frantically in her direction, but Julia tried to ignore him. She couldn't slip through the crowd, though; people stood three and four deep, blocking the entrance to the building. Julia sighed, resigned, and crossed to where the super was standing.

"What's going on, Gio?"

Sweat stood on his brow, but he grinned like a school boy. "A find, a wonderful find! There's history under our building, Julia!"

She glanced around at the excited crowd. "What are you talking about?"

Gio pointed to a small boy, clutching a plate-sized chunk of stone to his chest. "This child, he play in the basement, and he found a treasure!"

Julia shook her head skeptically. "It just looks like a big rock to me."

Gio barked out something in Italian, and the boy looked up, startled. At first, he shook his head, but Gio argued insistently, and finally, cringing, the boy stepped through the crowd and handed his rock to the super.

Gio lifted the stone up reverently, as if he were handling a holy relic. "Maybe the museum will buy this, and then old Gio will be rich!"

Julia looked over his shoulder. The rock certainly looked old, but she didn't know if the museum would bother. But then she saw the writing.

"Gio, is that Latin?" She pointed to the letters, the enthusiasm of the crowd seeping into her tired body.

Gio squinted, and then he nodded. "A curse upon she who was untrue," he began to read. "By Hecate, Mercury, and Mars, a curse upon the vile woman." Gio laughed in delight, pausing his recitation. "I've heard of these curse stones! In ancient times, you wanted to fight an enemy, you used your words, not your fists. It took very powerful magic and much money to write a curse."

Julia's skin crawled, but Gio didn't seem to notice her expression. Loudly, he continued reading. "May all the heavens rain down upon her, may she never know a day's rest, and may her soul be blackened for eternity. Cursed be the daughter of this house, cursed be the black hearted Julia."

Her ears started ringing, and for a heartbeat, Julia felt like she was suffocating. Dumbfounded, she stared at Gio. "What? What did you say?"

Gio grinned at her. "This curse, Julia, it is to your namesake!" He teased.

Before Julia could answer, a crack of thunder echoed around the square, and the crowd dispersed, hurrying to get out of the way of one of Rome's flash thunderstorms. Purple clouds swirled overhead, and heavy drops started to fall. In seconds, Julia's hair was plastered to her head, and her limbs felt heavy. As she dashed for the shelter of the building, the ancient words of the curse echoed in her ears, and Julia shivered. It was a bit too freaky that the archaeological find had mentioned her name. _What a creepy coincidence._

***

After a long, hot bath, Julia collapsed into her bed. The storm hadn't lasted long, but exhaustion had caught up to her as she waited it out, and she didn't think she'd have any problem falling asleep as soon as she got back to the apartment. She wasn't big on naps, but given the way she hadn't been sleeping lately, she figured it wouldn't hurt to lie down for an hour or two.

Even though the shutters were drawn and the room was dark, her mind wouldn't settle. She rolled over and punched her pillow before flopping wearily, onto her stomach. _Sleep._ She willed herself, squeezing her eyes shut. _Sleep_. But sleep wouldn't come. Kai was gone, and the apartment was warm, like a cozy oven. _It's no wonder everyone in Italy sleeps in the afternoon_ , Julia thought, her eyes heavy. _Even in February, it's too warm to do anything else_. But despite the heat and her languid body, Julia didn't sleep.

_Maybe it's the Chinese food_ , she wondered. It had been a heavy meal, especially on top of all the coffee she'd had the night before. She stayed in bed for a few more minutes, determined to rest, but sleep was elusive. With a sigh, Julia lifted herself out of bed and lay down on the floor, swinging her legs up the wall. _A little yoga might help_ , she thought, settling into the familiar posture naturally.

Her mom had wanted to learn yoga at the start of her diagnosis, so Julia had signed them both up for a class at the Y. For some reason, the postures and breathing exercises had been addictive, and Julia and her mom continued practicing at home, even when her mom was too sick to leave her bed. Toward the end, the only thing she could do was press her forefinger and thumb together in a mudra, but she swore that it helped keep her calm.

Julia folded her hands together in the familiar mudra, and a sob started to form in her throat. Her chest tightened, and for a moment, Julia couldn't breathe. "I miss you, Mom," she whispered to the empty room.

Silence wrapped around her like a blanket, and for a moment, Julia imagined she felt her mom's feather light touch on her brow. She shut her eyes, her mind sweeping back to the final days of her mother's illness. Julia clenched her teeth, trying to control the memory, desperate for a glimpse of her mother before the illness left her hollow and wasted, but Julia couldn't quite seem to be able to remember what it had been like when her mom was healthy.

The doctors had wanted to screen her for cancer, too, but Julia had been too afraid of what they'd find. She'd lied to her mom and told her that her scan came back totally normal, when in fact she'd never even scheduled the appointment. The lie was worth it, though; she'd seen the worry lift off her mother, and if that one little lie helped give her a more peaceful death, Julia was happy to do it. Besides, after everything her mom had been through, doctors and hospitals had become the stuff of Julia's nightmares.

Her mind circled back to the present, and Julia sighed. _At least nightmares would mean I'm asleep_ , she thought sourly.

Heaving herself off the floor, Julia dug her books out of her bag and shuffled into the kitchen. If she wasn't going to sleep, she reasoned, she might as well get some more work done.

***

Kai breezed in at twilight to find her roommate face down on the table. She took one look at Julia and the empty coffee cup in front of her and raised an eyebrow. "How many pots today?"

Wearily, Julia raised three fingers.

"That's impressive, but not altogether healthy. You need to take a break from studying, Julia."

Julia groaned into the table. "I know. I tried to nap earlier."

Kai snorted. "It's no wonder, the way you've been binging on coffee lately. Take a shower and come out with me tonight."

Julia lifted her face. "Seriously? I haven't slept in over twenty-four hours."

"So? I can find things to do that will tire you out." Kai raised her eyebrows suggestively "This _is_ the eternal city, after all."

After a moment's hesitation, Julia nodded, ignoring the stunned expression on her roommate's face. "Anything's better than staying here, I guess."

"There's the spirit. Go take a long hot shower. Do you want to be touristy tonight, or shall we party with the locals?"

Julia stood up from the table and stretched her arms overhead, ignoring the way her shoulders popped. "Whatever you want." She smiled tentatively at Kai before she left the kitchen. "Thank you for badgering me. I'm sorry I've been in such a slump."

Kai waved her hand in front of her face. "No worries. But time's a wasting, chica. Go!"

***

Julia had almost fallen asleep in the shower, but she didn't tell Kai that. Maybe a night out with her wild roommate would be just what the doctor ordered to cure her insomnia. Even though she didn't usually like to fuss, Julia swept gold eye shadow on her kohl-lined eyes. For a minute, she wondered if, with enough makeup, she might actually be able to look sexy and mysterious. She grinned flirtatiously at herself, and her reflection bared its sharp teeth at her. Julia shrieked, staggering away from the mirror.

"Julia? What's going on in there?" Kai rattled the knob on the bathroom door.

Julia let her in, her heart pounding. "What's wrong with my teeth?"

Kai inspected her for a minute, and then shrugged. "They look fine to me."

"They aren't...sharp?" Julia ran her tongue along her teeth, but Kai was right; they felt normal.

Kai laughed. "No excuses. I don't care if you grew fangs in the shower, you're not getting out of coming with me tonight."

Julia let her lead her out of the bathroom, but she glanced back at the mirror once and shuddered. _What in the world had that been about? Maybe I'm tired enough that I've started hallucinating,_ she thought fearfully as she and Kai trooped down the stairs. Julia wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.

### CHAPTER FOUR

The night out had been more fun than Julia cared to admit, and when she and Kai staggered into the apartment just as the first rosy tinge of dawn hit the sky, she didn't bother to hide her smile.

"Thanks for taking me out. I guess I needed that!"

Kai grinned, but her smile turned into a jaw-cracking yawn. "No worries. We can talk when we wake up; I could sleep for years!"

Julia silently agreed with her, but once they'd parted ways in the hallway, she found herself lying wide awake, staring up at the ceiling. Her limbs were heavy with wine, and her thoughts were foggy, but Julia couldn't seem to force her body to comply. She lay on her back, on her side, on her stomach, rotating like a chicken on a rotisserie, until she finally glanced at the clock on her nightstand and realized she'd been lying there, sleepless, for four hours.

With a sigh, Julia swung her feet around and got out of bed, heading for a shower and a cup of coffee. The apartment was still, and Julia felt a shiver of unease as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, but she didn't see anything other than her tired expression. _I haven't grown fangs,_ she admonished herself silently. _I'm just tired, that's all. And I'm not hallucinating,_ she told herself firmly _._ Scrubbing at the makeup that was left over from last night, Julia took a quick shower and put on fresh clothes, glad to be rid of the smoky, boozy smell that had clung to her all night.

But instead of putting on a pot of coffee and settling into her usual routine, Julia grabbed her purse and headed out into the street. There were plenty of fabulous little cafes scattered all around Rome, and she spontaneously decided that she'd rather study somewhere away from the apartment. _Maybe the night out really did loosen me up_ , she mused as she waved to Gio and walked out into the muggy morning.

As if the weather had been waiting to spite her, storm clouds opened up overhead the minute her foot touched the cobblestone street, and Julia scurried under the awning of the building, trying to avoid the downpour. She probably should have given up on her café errand and gone back upstairs, but some long buried stubbornness propelled her on. _I want a real espresso, damn it,_ she thought, surveying the wet street. She gritted her teeth and broke into a light run, trying to ignore the rain pelting her head and shoulders.

By the time she reached a little corner coffee shop, she was drenched, and her feet skidded dangerously on the tile floor as she opened the door. Before she could complete her fall, however, a pair of strong hands gripped her biceps, pulling her upright.

"Careful!" The familiar voice almost made Julia slip again, and she stared up at Fernando.

He grinned at her. "That was quite an entrance."

Embarrassed, she shook his hands off her arm and ran her fingers through her wet hair, trying to act casual. "Yeah. The floor is slippery; watch it."

Nando chuckled. "Come sit with me." He pulled out a chair at a small table near the door and gestured to it.

It wasn't really an invitation, more of an instruction, and his directness startled Julia into silence. Pushing her hair away from her face again, she sank into the proffered chair. "Thanks, I guess."

Nando raised his eyebrow. "I save you from wiping out, and that's all I get?"

Julia crossed her arms over her chest, her good mood forgotten. "I need coffee."

He laughed and pushed a tiny espresso cup across the table at her. "Here. If that's what it takes to make you human, you can have mine."

It smelled divine, but Julia shook her head stubbornly. Drinking Nando's coffee felt too intimate, like they were on a date or something. "I'll order one."

"Let me." He was up and moving toward the counter before Julia could argue. She hesitated for a moment, but the smell of espresso was overpowering, and she finally picked up Nando's cup and downed it, scalding the back of her throat in the process.

When he came back a few seconds later with two more cups, he whistled. "You know they only call them shots, sweetie. Doesn't mean you need to throw it back like that!"

Julia stuck out her tongue at him, and then grimaced. "God, that hurts."

"What hurts?"

She didn't meet his eyes. "Burned my tongue."

He laughed. "Go slower this time."

His words were laced with innuendo, but Julia tried to ignore his tone. "Is that one for me?"

He grinned, handing over the cup. "You can have both, if you really want, but it's strong."

Julia sipped her second espresso and shook her head. "I don't know what's the matter with me."

"Too much studying?"

"That, and too much partying last night." She made a face. "I should be passed out in my bed right now."

Fernando raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you doing here?"

Julia finished off her second shot. "Couldn't sleep."

Nando's eyes widened in surprise. "Julia, have you slept at all since I saw you yesterday?"

She thought about lying, but then she shook her head, defeated.

Fernando let out a low whistle. "Damn. That's, what, thirty hours without sleep?"

"Thirty-six," she corrected absently. "It really, really sucks."

"That's it," he said, standing up and quickly finishing his coffee. "As much as I want to sit here with you, you need sleep. Come on," he prodded, tugging on her arm.

"Come on where?"

"I'm taking you home and putting you to bed." His earlier flirty tone had been replaced by concern, and Julia swayed unsteadily on her feet for a moment, trying to figure him out. Finally, she exhaled loudly and raised her hands in mock surrender.  
"Fine. But it won't do any good. I can't sleep."

Fernando held the door for her and ushered her out to the street. "We'll see about that."

### CHAPTER FIVE

When they rounded the corner to Julia's apartment building, she noticed Gio in the street, leaning over the little boy who had found the stone tablet the other day. The burly super was gesticulating wildly, but the little boy kept shaking his head. He tried to step around Gio, but the super barked a sharp word and the boy stopped, looking chastened, but he refused to look up.

Fernando tipped his head toward them. "What's that about?"

Julia shrugged. "I don't know. That's the super. Maybe it's something about the curse."

She kept walking for a few steps before she realized Nando wasn't with her. Curious, she glanced over her shoulder.

He was watching the super's argument intently. "What curse?"

"Some stone tablet. The kid found it in the basement yesterday." Julia watched him, surprised at his interest. "Why?"

He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Can we talk to the super before we go up?"

"You don't have to walk me to my door or anything, Nando. I can make it upstairs alone." She tipped her head toward Gio. "Why don't you talk to him, and I'll see you in class tomorrow?"

Fernando shook his head. "This will only take a minute."

He grabbed her hand, and Julia tried not to notice the way her skin tingled at his touch. She let him tow her across the street, and when they stopped in front of Gio, she cleared her throat.

Gio straightened up and the kid took that opportunity to scamper off, but Gio only cursed under his breath. He glanced at Julia, and then he shot a pointed look at her hand, still clasped in Nando's. Quickly, Julia let go, but the super still had a gleam in his eyes that she couldn't quite name. Shifting nervously, she gestured to Nando. "Gio, this if Fernando. He's a friend of mine from school."

The men shook hands, and Gio gave Fernando a wink. "It is good to see our little Julia happy. But if you hurt her-—"

Julia flushed. "He's just a friend, Gio."

Fernando broke in smoothly. "Julia was telling me about your find."

Gio puffed out his chest and nodded. "Yes. It will bring money and fame to old Gio."

"Have you turned it over to the authorities yet?"

The super deflated. "What I do is my business."

Fernando shook his head. "That wasn't what I meant. I'd like to see it, if you still have it." He pulled a business card out of his pocket and passed it to the super. Julia raised her eyebrow, but Nando ignored her.

Gio studied the card, and then he nodded once at Fernando. "Maybe you will make me an offer, no?"

Fernando lifted one shoulder noncommittally. "Could be. Can I see it first?"

Gio grunted and led the way into the building, and Julia poked Fernando in the ribs. "What was all that?"

He shrugged, but she thought the back of his neck looked red. "I'll tell you later."

Mystified, she trailed the men into the dark office of the apartment building, tucked at the back of the stairs.

Gio slid a rusty key into the top drawer of his desk and pulled out the stone tablet. Seeing it again made Julia nervous for some reason, and she rubbed the goose bumps that had appeared on her arms. Fernando shot her a curious look, but she ignored his gaze.

"This," Gio said reverently, handing the tablet to Fernando, "is very, very ancient, no?"

Fernando took the tablet carefully, his fingers cradling it without too much pressure. _He looks like he's held antiques before_ , Julia thought, watching. Given Nando's party-boy persona, she would have thought he'd be the last person with any kind of reverence for history. She watched Nando, seeing a whole new side of him as he studied the stone.

Fernando turned the tablet over in his hands gently, his lips moving as he deciphered the old Latin. He jerked his head up after a moment and looked straight at Julia. "When was this found?" He was asking Gio, but his eyes never left Julia's face.

"Yesterday. Well, actually," Gio amended, "two days ago. The boy who found it in the basement, he wanted to keep it for himself, and so he told a lie yesterday, but Gio has learned the truth. It will fetch a good price, you think?"

Nando shrugged, and his eyes flickered away from Julia. "Maybe. I'd have to take it into the shop to see for sure."

Julia looked at Nando, confused. What in the world was he talking about? Nando shook his head slightly at her and focused on the super, who pouted as Nando handed the tablet back to him. "What kind of security deposit would you require?"

Gio thought for a minute, and then his round face lit up in an impish smirk. "Take Julia with you. She can look out for the tablet for old Gio."

Julia frowned. "I don't even know what you guys are talking about, Gio."

Fernando crossed to stand beside her. "An antique shop. Gio wants to get the stone appraised."

"And I will send it with this boy if you keep your eyes on it, Julia." Gio looked at her expectantly, and Julia sighed.

"Fine, Gio. I'll go with him."

The super locked his office happily and shepherded them both back out into the street. "Good, good. And you will bring home news of a fortune to old Gio."

When the super had gone back inside, Julia turned to Fernando. "Do we have to do it right now? I thought you wanted to make sure I got some sleep."

Fernando shook his head at her sadly. "Julia, believe me, I had no idea about this. But if I'm right, you won't sleep at all until we deal with this tablet."

Julia started to laugh, but the sound died on her lips when she realized Fernando wasn't teasing. "Nando, what the hell are you talking about?"

He took a deep breath and pushed his dark hair off his forehead. "I think this curse is to blame for your insomnia."

### CHAPTER SIX

Julia stared at him for a minute, and then she turned around. "You're insane."

Fernando stopped her before she could go back inside the apartment building. "Hear me out. I read the curse in the office; it mentions someone named Julia."

She waved her hand. "It's an ancient piece of stone. You can't possibly believe the curse was written about me."

He shook his head. "No, it wasn't, not originally, but I think the curse may have transferred to you when it was unearthed."

Julia snorted. "That's ridiculous. And besides, how do you even know anything about stuff like this, anyways?"

Fernando looked at the ground. "My grandfather owns a shop." He glanced around and lowered his voice. "Mostly, he handles..." Nando swallowed. "He deals with black market antiquities."

Julia stared at him. "Seriously?"

"Everything my grandfather sells isn't—let's just say some of it is...." He paused, looking miserable. "I've seen something like this before."

Julia wanted to press him on that point, to find out what in the world he was talking about, but her mind was still trying to process the fact that Nando had just told her that his grandfather was one of those people without a conscience who sold ancient treasures to private collectors. _Does he handle modern art, too, or just ancient?_ "I can't believe you know somebody like that."

Fernando flushed. "More than know him." He paused, and then he handed Julia the same business card he'd shown Gio. "I'm pretty much the heir to his business. This is the family business I was talking about before."

Julia stared at him, stunned. "How?" She finally managed to squeak out.

He shrugged. "Now that my dad's gone, it's going to pass to me."

She hadn't realized he'd lost his father, and part of her wanted to find out more about that, to explore the unexpected common thread they shared, but she was overwhelmed with information. The curse. His dad. The shop. Julia narrowed her eyes. "Give me one good reason why I should believe any of this."

His dark eyes met hers, serious and pleading. "Because I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Too late for that." The words slipped out before she could stop herself, and Fernando watched her critically.

He didn't ask for clarification, though. He straightened up and nodded toward the tablet. "All the more reason to deal with this quickly."

Julia stared at him skeptically. "But it's ridiculous! I don't even believe in things like curses." _Don't you?_ A traitorous voice whispered in her mind. _Isn't that exactly what you thought when Mom died?_

Ignoring the thought, Julia crossed her arms, ready to tell Nando "no" once and for all, but his next words left her breathless.

"Julia, this very well could become a matter of life or death if you don't do something fast."

The words were ridiculously melodramatic, but Julia felt a strange certainty that Nando meant what he said. She exhaled, remembering the pain she'd felt at her mom's funeral. As depressed as she had been lately, did she really want to join her mom so soon? Slowly, Julia shook her head. "Okay," she finally conceded. "I'm willing to listen."

Fernando smiled, but his eyes looked strained. "That's all I ask. We need to go see my grandfather."

"And how are you planning to do that? Hop a plane to the States, just like that?"

He grinned, and this time his expression was his familiar, flirty one. "Didn't you read the business card? Papi's got his shop here, in Rome."

***

Julia tightened her arms around Fernando and squeezed her eyes shut. "Are you sure this thing can hold two people?"

Nando laughed as the Vespa took a curve a little too fast. "Of course! How else do you think I pick up chicks?"

Julia wanted to let go of him then, but the fear of falling into the crazy traffic surrounding them kept her arms locked around his waist. "Very funny."

"It'd be more fun for you if you open your eyes."

Julia shook her head. "No, thanks. I don't need to see if we're about to crash."

"Trust me, Julia!"

She could feel the warmth of his back on her face, and the earnest tone of his voice made her feel fluttery inside, but Julia tried to brush it off. _Fernando's just a big flirt; he probably doesn't mean half the things he says._ Still, she realized with a shock that she did trust him, sort of; would she be riding around Rome with him on the two wheeled death scooter if she didn't?

Carefully, she cracked one eye open, and then the other. She lifted her chin off Nando's back, but she kept her arms locked tight around him, trying to ignore the warmth of his muscled torso under her hands. Looking around, Julia watched Rome race by, and she started to smile. It was sort of exhilarating, and Nando was right; for the first time since she'd come to Italy, she almost felt like she belonged. It was hard to feel like a tourist when you were smack in the melee of Rome's famous traffic.

A laugh burbled out of her chest, and she felt Nando chuckle against her. "See?" He hollered. "Not so bad, is it?"

"It's actually kind of fun!" Just then, Nando steered the bike between a truck and a taxi, and Julia gave a terrified gasp, but she kept her eyes open.

The Vespa turned down a narrow alley, splashing through puddles and barely avoiding pedestrians, but Nando managed not to get them killed. He brought the scooter to a screeching halt in front of a nondescript red door. There wasn't a sign above it, or any kind of marker, except the street number, 2 ½ B. Julia looked up at it and felt a shiver of anticipation run down her spine, even though she still only half-believed that the curse had anything to do with her.

"Is this the place?"

Fernando nodded, opening the door for her. "Yeah."

"It doesn't look like a shop from the street."

He grinned at her crookedly. "That's sort of the whole point."

Julia flushed. "Oh, right. Illegal. I almost forgot."

Nando took the tablet from her carefully. "Better let me do the talking. Papi doesn't need to know how involved you are."

Julia nodded, and nervously, she followed Fernando down a narrow, dark hallway. He led her to a nondescript door and slipped a key into the lock. The door swung inward on silent hinges, and Julia followed him into the shop.

She wasn't sure what she'd expected a black market shop to look like, but it wasn't this. The room was sparsely furnished, with just a few beautiful antiques and works of art. It looked more like someone's office than a store, with a large counter taking up the center of the room like a big reception desk. A skinny, weathered old man was standing behind the counter, and his face lit up when he spotted them.

"Ah, Fernando, il mio ragazzo dolce!" He crossed to them and reached up to pinch Fernando's cheeks, and Julia hid her smile with her hand as Nando tried to duck away from the attention. The old man's eyes swung toward her for a moment, and then he gave an approving nod. Julia felt like she'd passed some kind of test, but she wasn't sure what.

"Grandpa, this is a friend. She speaks English; can you switch?"

The old man laughed, and patted his grandson's cheek. "For you, of course." He glanced at Julia again. "Welcome, bella."

She flushed and shook his hand. "Thank you. Um, your shop is...different."

He laughed, his eyes dancing. "You were maybe expecting a den of sin and stolen goods, no?"

Julia blushed even deeper and stammered, "I guess—I didn't mean—"

The old man patted her hand. "Don't worry, bella. I understand. I can see that this is new for you. I am a matchmkaker, shall we say. I don't keep the lonely things here, for I don't need to. When the right match comes along, I notify the interested party." He chuckled. "You need not fear saying that you've seen any dirty goods, for my warehouse isn't here."

Julia nodded, not sure what she should say, and shifted nervously on her feet, waiting for Fernando to explain the curse.

Fernando cleared his throat. "Papi, that's not why we're here."

The old man turned his attention to his grandson. "No?"

Nando shook his head. "No." Carefully, he unwrapped the curse tablet and set it on the counter in front of his grandfather. "We're here about this."

The old man sucked in his breath, the air whistling through his teeth sharply. The unexpected sound was like nails on a chalkboard, and for the first time since Nando had started talking about the curse that morning, Julia's frayed nerves reminded her just how tired she was. The men ignored her, and she struggled to get herself under control.

"My sweet boy, you know I no longer handle such things." The old man quickly wrapped the tablet back up, and Julia noticed that he took care not to touch the stone. "I'm sorry to see you mixed up in something so wicked."

"I know you won't sell it, but I know a guy, and he's worried that the curse is still active somehow."

The old man looked at him skeptically, and then shook his head. Turning abruptly to Julia, he asked, "Would the bella like some coffee?"

Her heart had fallen when he dismissed the tablet, but that didn't mean she was going to turn down coffee. Adrenaline had kept her awake since Nando told her his theory about the curse, but weariness suddenly crashed into Julia, and she had to fight the urge to lean against the counter. "Yes, please." _Besides, if we stay, maybe Nando can figure something out._

The old man vanished behind a dark curtain for a moment, and Fernando slid closer to Julia. "It'll be alright. We'll get him talking over coffee."

Julia smiled at him. "That's sort of the point, right?"

A wide grin stretched across his face. "I wouldn't have pegged you as devious, Julia!"

She laughed, but then she glanced uneasily at the wrapped stone tablet sitting between them on the counter. "I still don't know why you think that has anything to do with me."

Before he could answer, his grandfather came back into the room, carrying a scuffed silver tray with three thimble-sized espresso cups. He leaned toward Julia, and she took a cup with a smile.

"Thank you, um, sir."

He flashed a blinding smile that was startling like Fernando's. "Of course. Anything for my grandson's girl."

"Papi, we aren't—"

The old man interrupted Fernando. "What did you say your name was, bella?"

"Julia," she answered, sipping the thick espresso absently. She knew it was strong; she could tell by the smell, and yet it didn't seem to be waking her up at all.

"Ah," the old man said softly, and Julia looked up to meet his watchful gaze. "You are the reason my boy is mixing with this curse."

Julia faltered. "What are you talking about? I mean, yeah, the stone was found in my building," she darted her eyes guiltily toward Fernando, "but I don't see what else it has to do with me." She tried to be firm as she repeated herself, but a sick fear had slithered into her mind, and she was starting to worry that she knew exactly what the curse had to do with her.

Nando sighed. "I've been trying to make her understand, Papi, but she can't see it."

The old man nodded thoughtfully. "I doubt she would. It's a hard thing to know." He reached across the counter and took Julia's hand. Hesitantly, she let him hold it for a moment, surprised at the softness of his bent, aged hands. Finally, he sighed and looked up at her.

"How long since you have slept, sweet Julia?"

She pulled her hand back. "What does that have to do with anything?"

He glanced at his grandson. "She knows what it says?"

Fernando nodded. "She knows the words, but she doesn't think an ancient curse can do her any harm."

He sighed heavily. "Names are funny things, child." After a pause, he cocked his head toward the curtain he'd disappeared through earlier. "Maybe, if we are going to talk, we should sit."

"That's a good idea, Papi," Fernando proclaimed, taking Julia's hand in one of his and lifting up the curse tablet in the other. Julia saw the old man wince when his grandson touched the curse, and a snarl of fear started to unravel in her stomach.

"You're both serious about this, aren't you?"

Neither of them answered her, but Fernando towed her along behind his grandfather as they passed through the curtain to a small room. A hot plate sat on a table beside a small espresso machine, but that wasn't what caught her eye. The walls were lined with bookcases, and ancient leather spines were mixed together with ratty paperbacks. A jumble of objects filled the tops of the bookcases, everything from a cracked lampshade to a clay goddess figurine that Julia really hoped was a replica. _Where would he have gotten an actual Willendorf?_ Julia pulled her eyes away from the clutter, worried that regardless of what Nando's grandfather had said, she'd just spotted something illegal.

Fernando's grandfather smiled at her as he perched on an old wood stool and gestured to a pair of folding chairs. Julia sank into one, and Fernando scooched his chair closer to her, but she tried not to be disappointed when he let go of her hand.

"Names carry power," the old man began again, staring intently at Julia as he spoke. "In the old days of Rome, your name identified your family and rank, and it told anyone who knew it exactly where you stood in the ladder of society."

Julia nodded, a faint memory from history tugging at her brain. "Aren't most of the names we remember from famous Romans actually their last names, not their first names?"

He nodded. "Julius Caesar, for example, was simply the pater familias of the Julii clan."

The knot that had begun unraveling in Julia's stomach lodged in her throat. "And that's the same family as the name on the curse."

"Clan Julii was very powerful, not just because of Caesar, but many other times in the history of Rome. And with great power often comes great enemies."

Julia swallowed nervously. "And the name...Julia?"

The old man glanced at Fernando, and then shook his head gently. "It could be any daughter of the clan. Women were named with the feminine form of their surname."

Julia shivered. "So there's no way to tell who this curse was meant for?"

He clucked his tongue. "I would not be concerned with ancient history if I were you, bella. Whoever the curse stone was meant for, it now belongs to you."

"But how is that even possible? I mean, I haven't done anything that deserves cursing."

The man shrugged. "Most people who are plagued with ill fortune don't deserve it. But names have power, now and in the ancient world, and the magic that bound this curse relies solely on the name." He shook his head sadly. "Perhaps the magician who bound the curse was very strong, or maybe the curse itself wasn't spent when its first target left this earth."

Fernando jumped in, noticing the stricken expression on Julia's face. "It's not a death sentence, Julia. We'll figure out a way to break this."

She tried to nod, but her head felt frozen on her shoulders. "I don't know."

Fernando's grandfather sighed. "Child, ignore my boy. It _is_ a death sentence, and a rapid one, unless you can untangle yourself from this stone."

She stared at him, petrified. "But nothing on the curse says anything about death!"

The old man barked a laugh. "And how long do you think you can live without sleep? A few days before you descend into madness, a few more before your body shuts down." He eyed her critically. "Now is the time for truth. When did you last sleep?"

She gulped. "Two days ago," she said softly. "I can't sleep now."

Fernando reached over and squeezed her hand. "All the more reason to solve this thing fast."

The old man shook his head regretfully. "I do not know if that is possible."

Julia's voice broke. "But you just said—"

"I know about such curses, yes, but that is the extent of my knowledge. I am not a man who is possessed of the cure."

Julia sighed heavily, sinking back onto her chair. "That's it, then." Her words felt hollow, and she closed her eyes, trying to unravel the tangle of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.

Fernando shook his head. "What if we just bury the tablet? Wouldn't that take care of the curse?"

His grandfather flinched. "I care not to imagine what other curses the magician who cast this wove into the spell. It seems to me that hiding it without knowing more might lead to your own demise."

"But we have to try something," Fernando argued, his pulse visible in his throat. "Otherwise, Julia might—"

"No," Julia said quietly, but the word cut him off. Nando turned to her, stunned. "No, I don't want you hurting yourself over this."

The old man eyed her respectfully, but Fernando spluttered, "Are you just going to sit there and give up?"

She shook her head slowly. "I'm not ready to give up yet. But," she added fiercely, remembering the pain of her mother's death, "no one else has to suffer with me."

The old man nodded at her. "Spoken like a brave soul."

Julia flushed, and Fernando cleared his throat. "It's your choice how you handle this, but it's also my choice if I'm going to help you. And, Julia," he said softly, lifting her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, "I am planning to help you."

The air between them crackled with tension, and finally Julia looked away, confused, but she didn't let go of his hand.

Fernando's grandfather coughed. "Now that that's settled," he began sadly, "what do you plan to do?"

Julia shrugged helplessly, feeling overwhelmed. "This morning, I didn't even believe in things like curses. Now I've got to figure out a way to break one?"

"What about a priest?" Fernando offered hesitantly, watching his grandfather. "They deal with exorcisms, right? That's not that different from a curse."

His grandfather shrugged elegantly. "Could be." But something in his eyes told Julia he had his doubts, and her heart fell.

Forcing a smile, she stood up. "Thank you for the coffee. I guess we should get going."

The old man nodded and clasped her hand as he stood. His dark eyes held hers for a moment, and then he sighed. "There is no time to waste."

### CHAPTER SEVEN

Fernando wove the Vespa through the crowded streets as if nothing could hurt him, but Julia was almost used to the sickening motion now. _Besides_ , she thought as she held onto Nando, _it's not like playing it safe kept the curse away from me. I might as well live a little._

"Where are we headed?" She called over the wind.

"I know a priest; I thought it would be easier to ask a friend for help."

She nodded against his back. "Will you tell him about me?"

Julia felt his shoulders lift. "I don't know. I guess that's sort of up to you."

She bit her lower lip. "Maybe we should wait and see what he says about curses in general."

They raced through Rome, and as the wind whipped her hair, Julia's heart clenched with longing. She'd been so miserable for so long; how much life had she been missing? _If this curse does kill me_ —She trailed off, forcing herself to think positive. _No more moping_ , she promised herself firmly. _No matter what._

Fernando pulled up to the curb, and Julia untangled herself from the scooter. When Nando stepped to the street beside her, he surprised Julia by wrapping her in a quick hug. "It'll be okay," he whispered into her hair, and Julia felt herself leaning toward him, enjoying the sensation of his solid strength around her. She blinked up at him and caught her breath; their faces hovered inches apart, and for a fleeting moment, Julia wondered what it would be like to kiss Fernando.

_Just do it_ , a little voice whispered in her mind, but before she could work up the nerve, Fernando released his hold on her and gestured to the small red stone church in front of them. "We better get moving. If this doesn't work, we'll need time to think of something else."

Julia nodded, but her heart sank. What had happened to the shameless flirt she'd had coffee with that morning? Ever since he found out about the curse, Nando had seemed heavier, more serious, and she wasn't sure she liked the change in him. Before, almost everything he said was light and teasing, but now his words rang with meaning, and Julia felt pulled to him despite her earlier intentions to avoid romance. _Am I just drawn to him because he's helping me?_ She wasn't sure, but damsel in distress or not, Julia had to admit that something about Nando kept pulling her closer.

Acting on impulse, Julia reached for his hand. "Okay. Let's do this."

He didn't let go, even as they climbed the worn stone steps to the church. The arched doorway was simple, and it took Julia's eyes a moment to adjust to the dark interior of the church; other than the large window over the door, there didn't seem to be any sources of natural light, and the candles glowing near the altar didn't do much to break the darkness. She blinked a couple of times, and Fernando let go of her hand to cross to the basin of holy water waiting near the door. He dipped his fingers in, and suddenly he looked nothing like the boy Julia thought she'd been starting to know. His entire face loosened, as if years were washed away by the water, and for a moment, she thought to herself that that's what he might have looked like as a child.

She wondered if she should use the holy water, too. She'd been so battered by the events leading up to her mom's death that any semblance of faith had faded away when they put her mom in the ground, but seeing Fernando's heartfelt display made her ache for something to believe in. Before she could make up her mind, however, a short man in a dark robe materialized out of the gloom.

The priest nodded to Julia, but when he spotted Fernando, his face broke into a wide grin. They embraced quickly, clapping each other on the back, and Julia wondered how Fernando knew the priest.

"Padre," Fernando's soft voice echoed across the church, "I need a favor."

The priest raised an eyebrow. He said something in Italian that Julia didn't quite understand, but she caught the word "Bambino" and the way the priest tipped his head in her direction, and she flushed. _He thinks Nando got me knocked up?_ A prickle of unease spread through her. _Has that kind of thing happened to Nando before?_ She stared hard at him, trying to read his expression.

Fernando looked discomfited, but she didn't think he looked guilty as he shook his head at his friend. He replied in Italian, and after a short interchange, the priest turned to her and nodded gently.

"Perhaps we should go into my office? It is quiet this time of day, but I think you might not want strangers to wander past our conversation."

Julia nodded, wondering what exactly Fernando had told the man. She cocked her eyebrow at Nando, but he just shrugged and pointed to the priest's retreating form. Hurrying to catch up, she followed him up the nave of the church and through a small door to the left of the altar.

The priest's office was small and surprisingly homey; the walls were paneled with warm wood, and the small sitting area included a loveseat and a pair of upholstered chairs. Julia moved to the couch, and she suppressed a grin when Fernando sat beside her, his knee almost bumping her own. His proximity made her earlier fears seem foolish, and she started to relax beside him.

Taking one of the chairs, the priest steepled his fingers and looked at them. "Now, my friend," he began, "what is this evil you speak of?"

Fernando glanced at Julia, and at her nod, he pulled the stone tablet out of his bag and handed it to the priest. "It's an ancient curse, Padre."

The man examined the stone with interest, and then he nodded. "Yes, I can see that. But why does something so old concern you?"

"Weird things have begun to happen," Fernando paused and cleared his throat. "I think the curse may have been reactivated somehow."

"Ah." The priest tapped his index finger on his chin for a moment. "And you want me to take care of it?"

"Is there a way to break it, Padre?"

The man sighed, and his eyes flicked to Julia. "I should tell you, my children, that such Pagan nonsense will not trouble true believers. However," he raised his hand, cutting off Fernando's objection, "even our Holy Father the Pope has continued the practice of performing exorcisms." He closed his eyes in thought, and when he opened them, he leaned forward and looked straight at Julia. "If it is just a matter of an ancient curse, then I can attempt to exorcise the stone, but if, perhaps, it involves a specific person, then I think that I must exorcise them, as well."

Julia's pulse sped up. _This is real,_ she realized. For a moment, nobody moved, but then Julia nodded, meeting the priest's stare. "We think the curse is affecting me."

He frowned slightly. "I thought as much. Are you frightened, child?"

She hesitated, but then she nodded. "I'm not ready to die."

"We are none of us ready to die, but the Good Lord always has a plan."

Fernando sat forward eagerly. "Then you'll help us?"

The priest shrugged. "I can but try. The outcome is in the Lord's hands." He stood up and gestured to the chair. "Would you please sit here, my child?"

Julia's heart flopped. _Is he going to do this now, just like that?_ She swallowed nervously, and Fernando squeezed her knee before she stood up. She smiled at him gratefully, even though her pulse was still racing, and she crossed to the seat the priest had indicated.

The priest opened a cupboard near the back of his office and emerged with two glass containers. One held liquid, and the other looked like it was filled with salt. Turning back to them, the priest nodded at Fernando. "Place the curse in her lap."

Fernando immediately did as the priest said, and Julia swallowed her revulsion. Until then, she hadn't touched the tablet, and the weight of it across her thighs was disconcerting. _Am I making it worse by holding the stupid thing?_ She pulled her hands back, but the stone still sat on her lap, and tentatively, Julia reached a finger out to touch it. Nothing happened, and Julia let out a ragged breath.

The priest nodded, and Fernando sat back down on the love seat. Working silently, the priest shook salt out on the floor, making a tight circle around Julia. Then he sprinkled the water, walking around her a second time. A few drops splashed her face, but Julia was afraid she'd mess up the exorcism somehow if she wiped her cheek, so she kept her hands in her lap, clenched on top of the curse tablet.

The priest left the room for a moment, and Julia exhaled nervously, looking at Fernando. He smiled at her and winked, but before either of them could speak, the priest returned, carrying a small gold sensor on a chain. Sweet smelling smoke billowed in the air in front of him, and he circled Julia a third time, swinging the incense. He stopped in front of her, and swung the smoke toward her face. Julia stifled a cough as she was engulfed in a cloud of incense.

"In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sanctus, qui procedit: deleo in malum." The priest chanted in Latin, flicking Holy Water on Julia and the tablet in her lap, and then he walked behind her, repeated the prayer, and sprinkled water on the top of her head. She exhaled sharply when he stepped away from her, setting the water and the sensor down on his desk. Julia's skin prickled, but otherwise, she didn't feel any different.

"Is it done?" The words slipped out, and she bit her lip, worried that she'd spoiled the ceremony in some way, but the priest only smiled at her.

"It is done."

Hesitantly, she looked at Fernando, then down at the tablet in her lap. "How will I know if this worked?"

The priest gestured to the tablet. "That curse is a sleeping curse. I think we'll have our answer if you sleep today."

Julia's heart sank. _That was it?_ It didn't feel very reassuring. _What if it didn't work?_ Before she could complain, Fernando rose quickly and clasped hands with the priest.

"Graci, Padre. We really appreciate this."

The priest shook his hand, and then smiled at Julia. "I hope that I have helped."

_I hope so, too,_ Julia thought, her heart heavy even as she followed Nando out into the sunlight.

### CHAPTER EIGHT

When Julia said she didn't think she could fall asleep right that minute, Fernando agreed to take her out for lunch, and then he promised they'd go sightseeing.

"Unless you're tired."

She shook her head. "I want to see Rome, Nando. This might be my only shot." _I've already gone two days without sleep_ , she thought biting her lip. _It won't be long before that starts to affect me._ Julia's pessimism was making her doubt that the priest had been enough to stop the curse, but she didn't want to voice those thoughts to Nando.

He seemed to be able to read her mind, though, and he narrowed his eyes at her. "Even if the exorcism didn't work, we'll figure something out."

Julia didn't share his enthusiasm, but she didn't argue. She wasn't prepared to let anything spoil her day, even the curse looming over her head. For the first time since her mom got sick, Julia realized that she wanted to live, to really live. Trying to ignore the irony, she focused on Nando, studying his face and just enjoying being close to him. After they grabbed a quick bite at a sandwich shop, Fernando took her hand.

"What do you want to see today?"

Banishing her fears, she squeezed his fingers, enjoying the easy way her hand fit within his. "Everything."

Fernando laughed. "Rome wasn't built in a day, you know, and I doubt we can pack it all in if the ancients couldn't!"

His tone was light and teasing, but Julia shook her head adamantly. "I've really only seen the school so far, and a few museums for class assignments. I need to see more of Rome."

Nando held up his hands in mock defeat and smiled. "Okay. We'll try to do it all."

Her heart lifted, and Fernando led her back to the scooter. When he didn't get on right away, Julia glanced up at him, surprised. "What are you waiting for?"

He grinned at her. "You wanted to do it all. Well, that's where we'll start." He pointed at the Vespa.

Julia looked at the scooter and laughed. "Do you want me to get us killed?"

"I'll be right behind you. Literally." He coaxed.

Julia's face heated up at the thought of Fernando pressed against her back. "But I've never driven one of these things before!"

"No time like the present." Fernando stared at her impatiently. "Well? Time's a wasting! Aren't there things you wanted to see?"

Nervously, she laughed. "I guess." After a moment's pause, she moved to the scooter and swung her leg over it gingerly. She grabbed the handlebars reflexively, trying to ignore the way her heart sped up.

Nando climbed on behind her and encircled her hands with his own. "This," he squeezed the left, "is the clutch. This," he squeezed her right hand, "is the break. Got that?"

"Left means go, right means stop. Okay."

"Let me know when you're ready. You have to kick the pedal and squeeze the clutch at the same time, but it takes some coordination. I can kick if you want."

She nodded, clenching the handlebars with a death grip. "Okay."

"Trust me; it's easier than you think. On the count of three! One...two..."

His last word was swallowed by the roar of the engine coming to life as the Vespa lurched forward.

"Careful!" Fernando's voice was right in her ear, and Julia jerked the bike to one side. A compact car blared its horn at them as Fernando grabbed the handlebars and steadied the bike. "Easy does it. Lay off the clutch a little bit."

She did, and the bike stopped lurching around. Squeezing the clutch gently, Julia laughed as they accelerated. "I think I'm getting the hang of it!"

"Sure you are." Fernando sounded pleased, but he didn't remove his hands from hers, and Julia could feel the subtle pressure of his forearms helping her steer. "Where to?"

"I don't know; I guess the Coliseum?

"You haven't even been there yet?"

She shook her head, and Fernando chuckled.

"All right. It's a tourist trap, but today, we'll be as touristy as you want." He shouted directions into her ear too fast for her to grasp, and finally, he just said, "Turn left up here. Then I'll tell you where to go next."

They lurched their way through the streets of Rome, and after a particularly hair-raising experience in a traffic circle, Fernando pointed to a curb and Julia pulled over. She looked around, disappointed; the Coliseum was nowhere in sight.

"Was I really driving that bad?"

"What?"

She gestured around the quiet street. "Didn't we stop so you could drive instead?"

Fernando laughed. "Sometimes, you're crazy, you know that?" He interlaced his fingers through hers. "We're here."

Julia stared around in confusion. "But I don't see any—"

Fernando pulled her into the shade of a tree. "The best way to see the Coliseum is coming down the Capitoline Hill. You need to immerse yourself in the history, not a wham-bam drive by tourist stop."

Julia smiled. "I didn't peg you as a romantic."

Fernando paused. "I guess I'm just full of surprises." He led her under a nondescript stone archway, squeezing her hand.

"I guess—oh!" The teasing words died on Julia's lips and she looked out at the ruins before her. Columns, walls, and beautiful, crumbling stones lined the wide path, and at the end of it, almost looking small in the distance, sat the Coliseum. "Wow."

Fernando nodded silently. Hand in hand, they moved through the ruins, and Julia felt the strange sense of being watched. There were a few other tourists scattered along the Capitoline road, but they weren't paying Julia and Fernando any mind. _It almost feels like the past,_ Julia thought, feeling foolish. _Like the past is watching._

Fernando echoed her thoughts. "I've always felt like there are ghosts here, waiting just off the path."

Julia nodded and stepped a little closer to him. "It's beautiful and creepy all at the same time."

Fernando chuckled quietly. "That's Rome."

For a moment, Julia wondered what the ruins around her would have looked like in their heyday. Despite her studies, it seemed like all the textbooks only showed pictures of the ruins; it was hard to imagine anything other than the weathered, ancient stones, but she knew that this had once been the thriving pulse of Rome. Craning her head back to stare at a row of columns, she asked, "Do you know what the buildings used to be?"

Fernando nodded. "That was a temple, I think, probably to Jupiter or Minerva." He pointed at the three columns she was looking at.

"Hard to imagine a temple there, when that's all that's left."

"History isn't always kind."

For some reason, his words made her think of her own history, of her grief at losing her mother. "You can say that again."

Fernando looked down at her curiously. "What's bothering you?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's more than the curse, isn't it?"

Julia was quiet for a moment, but then she nodded. "My mom died a year ago."

Fernando tightened his grip on her hand. "I'm so sorry."

Julia nodded, surprised that she wasn't fighting back tears. Usually, just thinking about her mom made her come unglued. "It was cancer, so it was sort of expected. Not, I mean, her diagnosis, but—"

Fernando grunted, tightening his fingers around hers. "That's really awful."

"Everything has sort of seemed pointless ever since. It's like, why go on living my life when she isn't here?"

"Is that why you're second guessing your teaching plan?"

She nodded, relieved that he'd understood. "Yeah, I guess so."

They walked in silence for a few more feet before Fernando spoke. "I lost my dad, too."

_I know_. Julia tipped her face up at him. "What happened?"

Fernando shrugged. "It's not really something I like to talk about."

Feeling shut out, Julia dropped his hand. "Oh."

Fernando glanced at her, and his expression looked conflicted. Julia looked away. "We're almost to the Coliseum. Let's go." She started to speed up, and Fernando followed her, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. The closeness she'd felt with him moments before evaporated, and they continued through the ruins in tense silence.

They still weren't speaking by the time they reached the Coliseum, and Julia paid her entrance fee without even glancing back at her companion. A couple of men dressed in tacky costumes stood outside the entrance, posing for pictures with tourists. Julia shook her head at the fake Roman armor and togas, and she and Fernando slipped by the crowd.

They had walked almost halfway around the ancient, massive structure before Fernando finally sighed. "I'm sorry."

Julia forced her tone to remain light. "What for?"

"Being an ass back there."

She shrugged. "It's your personal life. I don't really have a right to pry."

Fernando ran a hand through his dark hair. "It's not that I don't trust you, Julia."

Julia bit back a laugh. "There's no reason to trust each other. It's not like we really know one another or anything."

Fernando reached for her shoulders and turned her around to face him. He brought one hand up to her face, and Julia's heart thudded as his hand cupped her cheek. "That's not true," he whispered, "I do know you."

Julia stood, frozen, as Nando took a step closer to her. Her breath caught in her throat when he put his other hand alongside the other side of her face and brought his own face impossibly close.

"I see you, Julia. I see a sweet person, a smart person, a beautiful person." Slowly, he ran his thumb along her jaw, and Julia shivered. "I see a girl with the worst luck known to man," he chuckled, leaning closer. "But I hope your luck is changing."

Slowly, deliberately, he brought his mouth to hers, and Julia didn't pull away.

### CHAPTER NINE

The kiss was over before Julia could think, and her lips felt cold when Fernando pulled away. He eyed her cautiously, and then he smiled.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while."

"Why didn't you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You were, like, an ice princess until today. Every time I'd try to catch your eye in class, you blew me off."

Julia flushed. "I guess I didn't have romance on my mind." Her words were clipped, and Nando reached for her again, but she stepped back.

He sighed. "Julia, I like you. That should be obvious by now."

She shrugged, looking away to hide her confusion. "But that doesn't change the fact you thought I was an ice princess." A terrible thought wormed its way into her head, and she bit her lip. Finally, she looked up at Fernando. "Do you just think I'll be easy, now that the curse puts my life on the line?"

"What? No!" He glared at her. "Why would you even say a stupid thing like that?"

She crossed her arms. "I don't know, the fact that as soon as you heard about it, you're suddenly all over me?"

"All over you?" He sputtered. "Who's the one who was pressed against my back on that scooter?"

"Which you made me ride. Hell, you made me drive it!" Even though part of her knew she was being ridiculous, the bitter words kept welling up from somewhere deep inside her. "Did you really think I'd fall for it?"

Fernando threw his hands up in disgust. "You're crazy, you know that? Utterly and completely crazy."

She stared at him, taking in his dark hair and crooked smile, and her heart cracked. "If I'm crazy, then tell me why you suddenly got interested as soon as you knew about the curse. Tell me you didn't just think I was an easy target."

Fernando shook his head. "I was trying to tell you." He jammed his hands into his pockets. "But clearly, there's no point."

He turned, and Julia's stomach clenched. "Where are you going?"

"Anywhere away from you." He didn't look back, just tossed the words casually over his shoulder in his wake.

Julia stood, frozen, for a moment, but then she chased after him. "But I still need help!"

He whirled to face her, color creeping up his cheeks. "You accuse me of using you, and then you pretend like you still want me around?" Taking the curse table out of his bag, he shoved it at her. "There. Now I'm out of this."

Julia looked at the curse, and then back up at Fernando. Her voice broke. "But I don't know what to do."

He exhaled loudly. "That exorcism should work. All you have to do now is fall asleep, and things will get back to normal."

"But what if it didn't?"

Fernando's eyes hardened. "You've made it clear that that's not my problem."

Before she could think of a retort, Fernando turned and walked away. Julia watched him stride across the Coliseum and out of sight.

"Damn it," Julia muttered, looking down at the curse tablet in her hands. Why had she said something so stupid? For a moment, Julia felt dizzy and disoriented. She took a shaky step, tucking the tablet into her purse, she pressed her fists to her forehead. _Why do I ruin everything good?_

She shook her head sadly. For a moment, she thought about staying at the Coliseum, trying to recapture some of the enjoyment she'd just felt, but without Fernando, everything was flat. Annoyed with herself, she left the ancient stone monument and hailed a cab on the street. Even though she'd wanted to cram in as much of Rome as she could, she asked the driver to just take her back to her apartment.

Trudging up the stairs, she was glad that Gio hadn't noticed when she came in, and she crossed her fingers, hoping Kai would be out. Her irrational fear was gone, replaced by bone-deep weariness, and she didn't want to deal with anyone. Her key turned in the latch, and Julia poked her head around the apartment door. "Hello?" she called softly.

Stuffy, empty air answered her, and she sighed in relief. She wasn't ready to talk to Kai about everything that was going on, especially not now that she'd ruined whatever might have been blossoming between her and Nando. Carrying the curse tablet with her, Julia stopped in the bathroom, raiding the medicine cabinet for some kind of sleep aid. She finally found a bottle of nighttime cold medicine, and she downed it without thinking. _That'll help the exorcism along_ , she thought, trying to ignore the knot of worry that had been growing in her stomach ever since Fernando abandoned her.

Shaking her head, Julia lay down. _I can't think about him right now. I'll never sleep if I'm worrying._ But her mind wouldn't let go of Nando's wounded expression. Burying her face in the pillow, Julia squeezed her eyes tight. _When I wake up, I'll apologize. And then maybe things will get back to normal._

***

Despite her best intentions, the cold medicine, and the priest's magic, Julia couldn't sleep. The longer she laid there, the worse she felt. Eventually, it felt like something had sucked all the air out of the room, and the walls and ceiling seemed impossibly close. Julia's heart started to race, and she finally gave up any pretense at sleep when the apartment door slammed and Kai's footsteps shuffled down the hall. Feeling more hopeless than she had in a long time, Julia swung her feet around and got out of bed. Poking her head around the corner of Kai's door, she brushed her knuckles gently against the wall.

"Knock, knock."

Kai looked up with a smile. "Hey! I missed you this morning. How did you get up so early after last night?"

Julia shrugged, trying to ignore the tears that pricked that back of her eyes. "I don't know," she lied, "I guess I'm just a morning person."

Kai flopped across her bed. "I'm sure not! That was fun, but I think I need to take tonight off."

Julia glanced up at the window, and she started when she realized it was completely dark outside. "What time is it?"

"Close to eight."

Julia swallowed nervously. It hadn't felt like she'd been in the bed for more than a few minutes; how had the entire afternoon and evening been swallowed up? "Have you eaten?"

Her roommate nodded. "Yeah. I picked something up after class." Kai studied Julia's face. "What's the matter with you?"

Julia began to back out of the room. "Still feeling a little hung-over, I guess."

Kai shook her head and stood up. "It seems like something's wrong." She peered at Julia, who tried to hide in the shadows of the doorway. "Your eyes look sort of...crazy. Are you sure you're okay?"

Julia exhaled sharply. "I'm fine." She didn't want to drag Kai into the whole curse thing, but her roommate wasn't willing to drop it.

She reached for Julia's hand and pulled her into the room. "Seriously, Julia, you can tell me. Is this about your mom?"

Julia shook her head, and a small smile broke through her gloom. "No." For the first time in months, it was true; her bad mood had nothing to do with her mom's death. The relief she felt was quickly replaced with guilt, and Julia frowned. _How could I get so wrapped up in this that I've forgotten her?_

Kai squeezed her shoulder. "So what is it?"

Julia bit her lip, wondering how much Kai would believe. "I met this guy," she began, starting with the least deadly of her problems.

Kai grinned. "And?"

Julia picked at an invisible piece of lint on her knee. "I sort of chased him away after we kissed."

"You kissed? When did this happen?"

"Today, at the Coliseum."

Kai squealed. "That's way too romantic!"

Julia shook her head. "Not really. I basically accused him of using me for sex."

Kai's brow furrowed. "Wait, you guys had sex?"

"No."

"Then why would you say something like that?"

"Because I thought that was the only reason he wanted to be with me."

Kai shook her head in disbelief. "Girl, you got kissed at a historic landmark. That's super cute. What part of all this made you think the guy was just using you?"

"I'm afraid he was only hanging around because I'm going—I'm in trouble," Julia finished lamely.

Kai narrowed her eyes. "What kind of trouble?"

Julia shrugged, frantically trying to think of a way to back out of the conversation. "Nothing, never mind."

"Julia, what? Let me help you. Seriously; I want to."

"I don't want to be a burden." Julia's voice broke, and she closed her eyes, ashamed.

Kai slid an arm over her shoulders. "Are you sick?"

Julia didn't answer, but a tear slipped through her closed eyes and trailed down her cheek.

"Julia, please. Tell me. Whatever it is, it won't be so bad if you have help, and I want to help you."

Hesitantly, Julia's eyes flickered open and she met Kai's stare. "I don't think you'll believe me."

The line of Kai's jaw tightened. "Try me."

Julia blew out a frightened breath. "You'll say I'm crazy."

"Maybe. Or maybe not. You don't know until you try."

Without a word, Julia got up and left the room. Before Kai could follow her, though, she was back, carrying the wrapped curse. She set it on the bed between them and gingerly unwrapped it. "I think I'm cursed, Kai."

### CHAPTER TEN

To Julia's surprise, Kai didn't laugh. She listened as the whole story spilled out of Julia, everything about the curse tablet and Fernando, his grandfather and the priest, the kiss and then their awful fight. She wasn't judgmental, and Julia found that once she started talking about the whole mess, she couldn't stop. Finally, when Julia was spent, she risked looking up at Kai.

"Say something," she pleaded.

"I think," Kai began, staring at the stone tablet between them, "I need to call my brother."

That wasn't what Julia had been expecting. "What?"

Kai nodded thoughtfully. "He slipped up one time when he was drunk, and told me some stuff about a curse." Seeing Julia's expression, she hurried to add, "Not like this one. It was something else, something with his fiancé Riley. But I think he could help us."

Julia flung her arms around Kai. "So you don't think I'm crazy?"

Kai squeezed her tight. "Not entirely." She laughed. "I thought my brother was crazy. You? You're just a little sleep deprived."

Julia sobered immediately. "It's been almost three days since I slept."

Kai's eyes darkened. "I know."

"We don't have much time."

"I'll call him right now." Kai stood up. "Why don't you take a bath or something? Maybe hot water and bubbles will make you feel a little better."

Julia nodded, although she doubted it. "Okay. Knock on the door when you're off the phone?"

"Of course. But try not to worry about it right now. We'll figure this out."

Julia slunk down the hall to the bathroom, wondering what Kai was going to say to her brother. She ran the water as hot as she could stand, and then carefully lowered herself into the old claw foot tub. The stopper didn't really work, so she shoved a washcloth in the drain, hoping it would hold long enough for her to soak a bit.

She tipped her head back, letting it land on the lip of the tub with a gentle _thump_. Telling Kai might have been a mistake, but she couldn't ignore the weight that had lifted from her chest ever since she spilled everything to her roommate. _Maybe, just maybe, Kai will be able to help._

Julia stayed in the tub for a few minutes, but the water was still warm when Kai knocked on the bathroom door. Hurrying, Julia drained the tub and dried off, pulling her bathrobe around her as she met Kai in the kitchen. "Well?" She'd barely sat down before she blurted the word, but Julia was too impatient to be embarrassed.

Kai grinned. "He didn't have a solution, but he did have a suggestion."

Julia nodded. "What's that?"

"You might not like it."

Julia rolled her eyes. "Kai, I'm desperate, and I'm running out of time."

"Okay." Kai took a deep breath. "He said you need to find someone to break the curse."

Julia frowned. "But the exorcism didn't work; I told you that already."

"Not a priest. You need to find someone who knows about the curse."

Julia looked at her blankly. "What, like an historian?"

Kai shook her head. "No. Like a witch."

Julia couldn't help herself. She laughed. "You are insane."

"Listen to me," Kai said, her tone undeniably serious, "Tom said that stuff like this needs to be dealt with in a certain way. You gotta fight fire with fire."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"You have to find someone who still practices this kind of magic."

Julia stared at her. "What the hell are you talking about? It's an ancient stone curse."

Kai shook her head. "Those gods mentioned on the tablet? Some people still believe in them. My brother thinks one of those folks will be your best bet." She paused, and Julia narrowed her eyes.

"Other than the fact that this whole thing is ridiculous, what aren't you telling me?"

Kai sighed. "Tom said the only way to be sure you've broken a curse like this is to destroy the tablet."

Julia's heart thumped. "But we aren't sure what will happen to me if anything happens to the stone."

Kai met her frightened gaze across the kitchen table. "I know."

For a moment, they sat there in uncomfortable silence, and then Julia buried her head in her hands. "So that's it then. I'm dead."

"Haven't you been listening? We just have to find a witch and get the curse reversed."

"Right. If you hadn't noticed, Rome is a pretty Catholic country. Where exactly did you plan on finding this so-called witch?"

Kai grinned. "It just so happens, I know somebody."

***

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" Julia asked for the third time as they walked through the dark neighborhood. "I mean, it's late."

Kai nodded. "We're out of options. Besides, Miss Gramora keeps telling her students she's there for us, day or night. I'm just taking her up on that."

"Tell me again why you think your Italian teacher is a witch?"

Kai rolled her eyes. "Besides the fact that she told us so?"

"Seriously? Who does that?"

Kai shrugged. "Someone asked a question about religion the first day, and Miss Gramora doesn't really believe in holding anything back."

Julia thought about it. "Okay, so maybe I'm willing to believe your teacher thinks she's a witch, but why would she help me? I'm not one of her students."

Kai shrugged. "It doesn't hurt to ask." Glancing down at her phone, she stopped in front of a red stone building. "This is the place."

Julia looked up. "It doesn't look like anyone's awake."

Kai pointed to a lit window on the third floor. "I bet that's her apartment."

Julia snorted. "One lit window out of nine. I'd say the odds aren't in our favor."

Ignoring her, Kai climbed the stone steps and pressed on the ancient buzzer. "One way to find out."

After a moment, a garbled Italian voice echoed through the speaker, and Kai exchanged a few fluent words with the person. Nothing happened for the longest time, but just as Julia was getting ready to turn around and head back to their apartment, the door swung open and a middle-aged woman in boxers and a baggy t-shirt opened the door. She hugged Kai, and then turned to Julia with a warm smile.

"You'd better come inside." Her accent was thick, but her English was still easy to understand, and Julia followed the woman into dark apartment building. The three of them climbed the stairs to the third floor, and Kai shot Julia a triumphant smile when they entered the apartment they'd seen from the street.

It was a cozy studio, with the kitchen at the back, and Miss Gramora immediately headed for it, gesturing her guests to the small sitting area inside the door. Kai plopped down on a beanbag, and after a moment, Julia joined her on the floor, leaning against the wall.

"Tea, girls?" The teacher called from the back of the apartment.

Julia shrugged, but Kai nodded. "Yes, please. Do you need any help?"

"No, no, I'll be just a moment."

While they waited, Julia glanced around the small apartment curiously. A red and blue weaving hung on one wall, and there were a few houseplants stacked near the windows, but nothing about the apartment screamed "witch." She glanced at Kai and raised her eyebrow questioningly.

"Here you go, girls." Miss Gramora handed a delicate china cup to Julia, and then offered a matching one to Kai. Swooping back to the kitchen, she grabbed her own tea and settled down on the small ottoman beside Julia. "Now," she began, addressing Kai, "what's all this about a curse?"

Julia choked on her tea. What all had Kai said before they were inside the apartment? _I really need to learn Italian._ Kai ignored her surprise and pointed at Julia. "She's got a curse on her, and I thought you could help."

Miss Gramora sipped her tea and studied Julia. "Could be. Hold out your hand, child."

Hesitantly, Julia offered her palm to the woman. "It's—"

"Shh," the woman admonished, studying Julia's palm. A tense moment passed, and then she looked up at Julia in concern. "You're running out of time, girl."

Despite her skepticism, a lump lodged in Julia's throat, and she nodded. "I haven't slept for three days."

Dark eyes bored into hers. "Do you know the person who cursed you?"

Kai cleared her throat. "That's just it." Quickly, she told her teacher about the ancient tablet while Julia clenched her teacup, too agitated to drink. The cup rattled quietly against the saucer, and Julia realized that she was shaking. Hurriedly, she set her tea on the floor beside her and clenched her hands in her lap.

Miss Gramora leaned back, studying Julia. "That is a problem. If it were simply a matter of a recent hex, I'd say we should just reverse it and be done with it. But," her eyes flashed with humor, "it's a little hard to reverse the charges on something from so many centuries ago."

Julia's heart clenched. "So you can't help me?"

"I didn't say that. I just said it won't be easy." She tapped a slender finger along her chin in thought. "Do you remember exactly what the curse tablet said?"

Julia had left the stone back at the apartment, and she closed her eyes, trying to remember. Hesitantly, she recited, "A curse upon she who was untrue. By Hecate, Mercury, and Mars, a curse upon the vile woman." The image of Fernando's wounded face at the Coliseum popped into her mind, and Julia's voice shook as she repeated the rest of the curse. "May all the heavens rain down upon her, may she never know a day's rest, and may her soul be blackened for eternity. Cursed be the daughter of this house, cursed be the black hearted Julia."

Miss Gramora let out her breath in a sharp hiss. "No wonder that curse caught you. It's loaded with power, and the three deities it invokes don't mess around."

Slumping against the wall, Julia shook her head. "I'm so screwed."

"Don't give up, dear. Let me think about this for a moment." The woman closed her eyes, and after a few moments of silence, her body slackened as if she'd entered a trance. Julia shot Kai a "What now?" look, but Kai only shrugged and pointed back to her teacher.

After what seemed like hours, Miss Gramora opened her eyes. "I think," she said softly, "that I have the answer."

### CHAPTER ELEVEN

Closing the heavy curtains that framed her dark window, Miss Gramora bustled around her small apartment with ease. Kai and Julia had given up on helping; they just seemed to get in the way, so they were hanging back against the wall, watching the Italian woman make her preparations. She lit three cream colored candles and placed them in the center of the small sitting area, and then she grabbed a bundle of dried herbs from the bookshelf.

"Sage," she offered casually as she thrust the bundle at Julia. "Good for purification."

Idly, Julia wondered what she was supposed to do with it, but before she could ask, Miss Gramora turned out the lights in the apartment. The candles flickered in the center of the room, casting strange shadows on Kai and her teacher, and Julia swallowed nervously.

Miss Gramora stood near the candles, and she gestured for Julia and Kai to join her. Reaching her hands out, she grabbed both of the girls by the hand, even though Julia was still clutching the sage, and then Miss Gramora nodded at the empty space between the roommates. Hesitantly, Julia reached for Kai's other hand, and the woman smiled enthusiastically.

She closed her eyes, and Julia pretended to follow suit, but she kept cracking one eye open to watch what was happening.

"We are met in love and light," Miss Gramora intoned solemnly, "to banish a curse and rid this child from its influence. No force of evil can penetrate this circle." She paused for a moment, tipping her face upward. Julia watched her through her eyelashes. After a few beats, the woman sighed. "The circle is cast. We are between worlds."

She released their hands, and Julia blinked her eyes fully open. The apartment looked the same, and Julia glanced skeptically across the circle. Miss Gramora held out her hand and whispered, "Light the sage."

Feeling a little foolish, Julia stuck the bundle of herbs in the candle flame in front of her, and in a moment, thick, white smoke filled the apartment. She coughed when she inhaled it, but Miss Gramora shot her a fierce look, and Julia pressed her lips together and tried to contain the sound. The woman pointed to Julia's feet, and, hesitantly, Julia set the still-smoldering bundle down on the carpet beside her. She hoped she didn't burn the apartment down.

Miss Gramora made a strangled sound, and swooped across the circle, sliding the sage onto the large plate that the candles rested on. Julia forced an embarrassed smile in apology.

The older woman straightened her shoulders. "We call upon Hecate, Mercury, and Mars, and ask that they withdraw this ancient curse. The magic is spent, and this innocent girl is not the intended victim."

Julia waited for something to happen, but she didn't feel any different. Her limbs were heavy, and her thoughts were hollow, but that was how she'd felt for days. Before she could say anything, though, Kai caught her eye and shook her head gently. Staying silent, Julia kept watching Miss Gramora.

The woman now raised her arms over her head, and Julia and Kai did the same thing. "Guardians and guides, we ask that you witness this work. May the curse be lifted, may the curse be lifted, may the curse be lifted!" She nodded to the girls, and hesitantly, they repeated the words three times.

Lowering her arms, Miss Gramora continued. "Hecate, Mercury, and Mars, you will not be ignored. If you remove this curse from Julia, she will give you—" she paused and looked at Julia. "What will you give them?" She stage-whispered.

Julia stuttered, "Um. I don't know. What do they want?"

Miss Gramora rolled her eyes. "Just say anything."

"Okay." Julia took a deep breath. "I'll give them..." She trailed off helplessly.

"Cookies," Kai chimed in. "She'll give them cookies."

Julia expected Miss Gramora to snort or roll her eyes, but she just nodded. "Hecate, Mercury, and Mars, you will not be ignored. If you remove this curse from Julia, she'll give you cookies the first day she is well."

She clapped her hands together three times, and after a pointed look across the circle, Julia and Kai mimicked her.

"So mote it be." Miss Gramora reached for their hands again. "The circle is open, but never broken. Go in peace, guardians and guides."

After a moment, she squeezed Julia's hand before letting go, and then she smiled at the girls. "That should do it." She stifled a yawn. "And now, if you don't mind, girls, I really need to get some sleep."

Julia looked at her skeptically. "That's it?"

Miss Gramora nodded. "You should sleep soundly tonight, my dear. Magic never takes long to work."

### CHAPTER TWELVE

When Kai and Julia made it back across town to their apartment, it was close to midnight. Julia's feet felt like lead as they walked, and her heart fluttered, vacillating between hope and terror. _Time is running out,_ she thought, fighting back the panic that surged in her at the thought.

"That's was fun," Kai said in between yawns. "Creepy, but kind of fun."

Julia paused, her hands trembling. "But what if it didn't work?"

Kai gave her a quick hug. "It has to. Remember what my brother said."

Julia nodded, but she couldn't shake the unsettled feeling in her stomach. She really hoped Kai and her brother were right and all it took to remove the curse was Miss Gramora's strange brand of magic.

After she said good night to Kai, Julia stretched out on her bed and closed her eyes, willing her tired body to sleep. Her limbs were heavy, but she could feel her thoughts racing in all directions, and she was having a hard time calming her mind down. She tried counting backward from one hundred, an old trick that used to help her sleep when she was a little girl, but her thoughts whirled in different directions.

First the exorcism, then the witch ritual. What if nothing was strong enough to break the curse?

_Don't think like that_ , Julia admonished herself. _There's always a chance._ Still, fear gripped her, and she lay there, her muscles taut, as the night stretched on. Silence surrounded her, but Julia didn't feel calm or restful. Her chest clenched, and for a moment, she had trouble breathing. "Just what I need," she grumbled, keeping her eyes squeezed shut. "Now's the perfect time to start having panic attacks." She exhaled in disgust, trying to calm down. Deliberately, she inhaled through her nose, holding the breath for a moment before letting it out in a slow, hissing exhalation. The yogic breathing technique slowed her heart, and by her third intentional breath, Julia was feeling a bit more centered.

"Hello, sweetie."

Julia's eyes popped open at the familiar voice. "Mom?" she whispered, staring at the apparition in front of her.

The shadowy figure of her mom nodded. "Who else?"

Julia pulled the blanket up to her neck, watching the woman in astonishment. "But...you're dead!"

Her mother laughed. "Did you really believe that?"

"I saw them put your body in the ground, Mom." Julia swallowed. "You've been gone for almost a year."

"Oh, my poor baby." Tears filled her mother's eyes, and Julia choked up, too. "You must have felt so alone."

"Every day," she managed to say before she started crying quietly.

Her mom shook her head, wiping ghostly tears away with the back of her hand. "You know I never wanted to leave you, baby."

"But nothing matters anymore. Mom, when you left, I..." Julia trailed off, embarrassed.

"You what, baby?"

"I wanted to die, too," Julia whispered, looking away from her mother.

Instead of chastising her, her mother shrugged. "Then maybe you should."

Julia looked up, shocked. "What?"

"If you want to die," her mother said, "then just do it."

Before Julia could answer, the figure in her bedroom shifted, morphing into a dark, monstrous creature with blood all over its face. Julia shrieked, pressing her back against the wall, and the nightmare creature spoke with her mother's voice.

"Isn't it time you join me, Julia?"

Screaming, Julia threw a pillow at it, but it fell short. Then, all of a sudden, the room was bathed in light and the monster was gone.

"Julia?" Kai asked, her voice laced with fear as she hovered in the doorway, "What is it?"

"I think I had a nightmare," Julia began hesitantly.

Kai raced across the room and hugged her. "That's great! That means you fell asleep, right?"

Julia was about to agree, but then she saw her pillow across the room, and realized she was still standing up on the bed, her back pressed to the wall just as she'd been when she faced the vision. "Unless," she began worriedly, "it was a hallucination." Her eyes met Kai's worried gaze. "That would mean the curse isn't broken."

Kai glanced over her shoulder at the pillow on the floor, and then looked back at Julia. She bit her lip. "Somebody needs to stay with you, to see if you really sleep."

Julia snorted. "'Cause that sounds like the best job in the world."

Kai shrugged, stifling a yawn. "I'll stay with you, if you want."

Julia shook her head. "That's okay. Really," she coaxed, "I'm fine. I'm sure it was just a nightmare."

Kai looked at her skeptically. "But what if it wasn't?"

Julia shook her head. "Not possible. You said yourself that the curse is probably broken, right?" She sat back down on the bed and forced a yawn. "I'm really tired. Sleep sounds good."

Kai waffled a moment more, but finally, she left the room. Julia sank back against her pillows, her eyes staring blankly at the dark ceiling.

It hadn't been a dream. She was certain she'd never been asleep. That meant that the curse still wasn't broken, and if she was hallucinating about her mother, maybe she really didn't have much time left. _Didn't Nando say hallucinations are one of the last steps before I'd die?_ She shuddered. _Maybe I should just kill myself and get it over with_ , she found herself thinking, remembering the monster's last words. _At least then I'd have an answer._

The thought didn't scare her as much as it should have, Julia realized. Crossing the room, she pulled the curse tablet out of her bag and sat down on the floor. Unwrapping the stone, she set it on her lap, her fingers tracing the words carved into the ancient surface. "Is that how this ends?" she whispered out loud to the silent room. "I'm going to die anyway; why not now?"

Nobody answered; no visions appeared, and no one swooped in to rescue her. Julia sighed, her head throbbing. "Didn't really expect that, did you?" She asked herself, her voice bitter.

Looking at the stone tablet in her lap, Julia made a decision and stood up. "If I'm going, I'm taking you with me. I don't want anyone else to suffer like this." _Pills, maybe_ , she thought, _or a razorblade_. Before she could decide how to kill herself, she gripped the tablet firmly in both hands. She tried to break it, but even though it was light stone, it was solid. Frustrated, Julia padded out of her bedroom, remembering the hammer Kai kept in the kitchen, but she couldn't find it in any of the drawers.

_The roof._ The double answer dawned on her all at once. She could throw the stone tablet off the roof, watch it shatter on the cobblestones below, and then, once it was done, she would follow it. Julia smiled. _Then it will be done, once and for all_.

She didn't stop to think or leave a note for Kai. In her pajamas, Julia left the apartment and began climbing the stairs that led to the roof. She paused before she opened the door, and a flash of guilt hit her. _What about Nando?_ Julia shook her head, trying not to think of their kiss. He would know that, in the end, the curse was too much for her, but Julia hoped he and Kai would know that they'd tried their best to help.

It just wasn't enough.

With that sad thought, Julia stepped onto the roof. Dawn was just tinging the sky, and she could see the silhouettes of the familiar Roman skyline surrounding her as she walked forward to the low ledge surrounding the roof. She looked out at the neighborhood, drinking in the bustle of the street which, even at dawn, wasn't silent. Shopkeepers hurried below her, heading for their day's work, and she could make out the forms of couples walking hand in hand through the streets, returning from a night on the town. _Rome._ Julia's heart ached for a minute as she realized that she still felt like a stranger in the city she'd spent the past six months. _No time to fix it_ , she thought sadly. _What a waste._

Leaning over the ledge, Julia looked directly down. She held the curse tablet out in front of her. "This curse may have beaten me," she said to the air, "but I'm the last person who will suffer." Her fingers loosened their grip, and the stone plummeted to the ground. Julia heard a satisfying _crack_ , and, looking over the edge of the roof, she could just make out a few dark shapes that she assumed must be the broken pieces of the curse.

Julia smiled. She lifted her foot up onto the ledge, and then her other one. She spread her arms out like a diver getting ready for a swan dive, and then she closed her eyes.

"Julia!" An urgent voice from the pavement jolted her out of her reverie, and her eyes flew open. Startled, she looked down and spotted a figure standing near the place where the curse had landed. Squinting, she tried to see who it was, but she couldn't be sure.

"Julia!" The voice called again, more urgently. "Stay there! Don't move!"

She swayed on her feet, and suddenly, the ground seemed frighteningly close. With a gasp, Julia stepped back from the ledge, but her foot slipped out from under her and she started to fall. _I'm not ready to die!_ She thought as she frantically tried to right herself. She couldn't regain her balance, but she flung her body backward instead of forward, and landed with a hard _thud_ on the roof behind her.

She lay there, stunned, looking up at the morning sky for a moment before she started to laugh. Hysterical tears bubbled up in her eyes, and by the time the door to the roof flung open and footsteps hurried toward her, she was a hot mess.

"Oh, my God, Julia, I can't believe you almost—" Strong arms wrapped around her, holding her close, but Julia couldn't stop laughing. She pressed her face against the familiar chest, dissolving into giggles, and Fernando tightened his grip around her. "What a stupid thing to do!"

Julia tried to say something, but her laughter consumed her. Finally, close to choking, she tipped her face up and looked at Nando, trying to swallow down her hysteria. "You're here," she managed to say in between gulps for air.

He nodded. "I've been up all night, thinking about you. I'm sorry for what I said."

Julia's laughter shifted toward a sob. "I'm sorry, too. That was," she gasped, "the dumbest thing I've ever done."

Fernando squeezed her. "No. The dumbest thing would have been jumping off the roof."

She shook her head. "I needed to end it."

"By killing yourself?" He leaned her away from him and glared at her. "That's not an answer."

"But the curse is going to kill me, anyway! Nothing has worked."

Nando's face crumpled. "The exorcism didn't do it?"

She shook her head again. "Neither did the witch Kai took me too."

"Wait, what?"

Julia waved her hand. "It doesn't matter. What matters is, the curse isn't broken yet, and I'm running out of time." She debated not telling him about her vision for a moment, but then realized he may as all know how hopeless it was. "I started hallucinating today."

A shadow passed across his face. "This isn't the end. I promise you, Julia, we'll beat it."

"I'm out of ideas, Nando, and I think I'm almost out of time."

He pulled her to her feet. "We'll go back to see my grandfather," he told her firmly. "There's got to be something he isn't telling us."

His face was set in a grim expression, and Julia wondered what he wasn't saying. Still, despite the feeling that he was keeping secrets from her, she was relieved he was with her. _I can't do this alone,_ she realized. _If I can do it at all._ Julia leaned against him, suddenly cold. "I'm glad you're here."

He looked down at her, a smile tugging at his lips. "I'm not going anywhere."

### CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Fernando insisted on following her into her apartment and waiting for her while she took a shower, and even though Julia tried to protest, a secret part of her was thrilled that he cared enough to stick around. She got ready in a hurry, and Kai was still sleeping when she and Nando headed back to the street.

"Give me the curse; you don't need to waste strength lugging it around."

Julia stared at him dumbly, and Fernando stuck out his hand.

"Well? Where is it?"

Glancing up at the roof, Julia pointed around the corner of the building. "There."

"What?"

Silently, she led him around the alley. She spotted the broken fragments of the stone immediately, and she picked up the largest. "Here."

Fernando inhaled sharply. "That's what you were doing up on the roof?"

Julia shrugged. "I was going to jump. I just wanted to make sure no one else had to suffer first."

Fernando stared at the splintered piece of ancient stone. "Are you feeling okay?"

Julia shrugged. "If by okay you mean about to die, than yeah, I'm great."

Fernando ran his hand through his hair, agitated. "That was a really dangerous thing. We don't know what repercussions breaking the curse will have."

"We could glue it back together, I guess," Julia teased, "although some of these pieces look pretty small."

"Don't joke." Fernando's voice was deadly serious, and Julia stared at him, surprised.

"Why are you so worried?"

Fernando stooped down and picked up a fragment of the tablet. "You've never asked how my father died."

His change of topic surprised her. "I wanted to, but I didn't want to pry."

Fernando lifted his eyes to hers. "He found a curse tablet."

Julia's heart constricted. "What?"

"He bought a big shipment for Papi's shop. Some ancient villa; he didn't ask questions, and the seller didn't supply answers." Fernando shook his head. "Usually, that's fine for the business. But Dad thought he was just getting the contents of a house, and he got something worse."

"What did it say?" Julia asked breathlessly.

"'Let the foul Antonius rot at the bottom of the sea, by Neptune's trident and the wrath of Minerva, may his body decay and his line dry up.'" Fernando shut his eyes, reciting the painful words by heart. "My dad's name was Anthony."

Wordlessly, Julia put her hand on his arm, but Fernando no longer seemed aware of her presence.

"We all laughed about it, at the time. Papi didn't think it was funny, but he didn't say anything about the stone being dangerous. Dad kept it in his office as a paperweight for years, but one day I was carrying some boxes for him, and I knocked it off his desk." Fernando swallowed. "It shattered when it hit the ground, and a week later, my dad was gone."

Julia hated herself for wondering, but she had to ask. "How did he die?"

"Fishing accident. He was out with a buddy on his boat for the day, and a wave swamped them. The friend and the boat made it home fine, but Dad...Dad drowned, just like the curse said."

Julia sucked in a breath. "And that didn't happen until the stone was broken."

Fernando nodded, finally looking at her. "I killed him, same as if I'd held his head under the water."

"That's not true!"

"But I'm the one who broke the tablet, Julia. Me. It didn't break the curse; it just sped it up."

Julia interlaced her fingers through his, trying not to flinch when she realized how cold his hands were. "We don't know that for sure."

He turned his sad eyes toward her. "I just don't want to see history repeat itself."

She forced a laugh. "But at least this time, I'm the one who broke the tablet. And besides," she added, trying to make him smile. "I was already out of time. There's no way to speed up my curse."

Fernando exhaled, and Julia took a step closer to him.

"What happened to your dad isn't your fault, but I'm really sorry he's gone."

After a moment, Fernando brought his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. "I miss him so much."

Julia returned his embrace. "I know what you mean. I miss my mom every day, but I realized something on the roof."

He looked down at her. "Oh?"

"Mom wouldn't want me to waste my life missing her, and I don't think your dad would, either."

Fernando gave her a sad smile. "Then we better make sure you have more life to live and not waste."

***

The ride to the shop wasn't as terrifying or as exhilarating as Julia remembered. Gloom hung around her and Fernando, and the nagging fear that she'd signed her own death warrant ate at her. She barely noticed the busy streets or the bustle of the city.

Stopping at the familiar door, Fernando took her hand and didn't let go. Julia drew a deep breath, and together, they crossed the threshold into the shop. Fernando's grandfather looked up at them, his eyes glittering with anger. He barked a command in Italian, but Fernando shook his head and tightened his grip on Julia.

"Papi, we're out of time. She broke the tablet this morning."

The old man's expression shifted, and he shot Julia a look filled with pity. "Then it is done."

"It doesn't have to be! Please, Papi," Fernando lowered his voice, "help her for my sake."

The man ignored Julia, studying his grandson. "Amate lei?" He stared at Fernando's face and repeated his question in English. "Do you love her?"

Julia inhaled sharply, surprised. Fernando's fingers tightened around hers, but he didn't look at her. He kept his gaze trained on his grandfather. "I think I could."

Her heart flipped over joyfully, and Julia squeezed his hand. "If I had the chance, I think I could love your grandson, sir." She glanced at Fernando, and thought she saw a smile creeping across his face. "But I need a chance. If I die, we'll never know." She directed her words at the old man, hoping against hope that Nando was right. If his grandfather couldn't help, she didn't know what else to try.

The old man studied them both for a long moment, and Julia tried not to move. _What does he think of me?_ She chewed her lower lip nervously, and despite the impulse to turn and run, she didn't let go of Fernando's hand.

Finally, Fernando's grandfather sighed. His body deflated, as if he'd lost some kind of inner struggle, and his eyes were laced with pain when he looked at Julia. "There might be a way," he admitted, "but I can promise you nothing."

Letting go of Fernando, Julia flung herself over the counter to hug the old man. "Oh, thank you, thank you!"

He gave her a quick hug back, but then he stepped away. "No promises," he said again, "and this is very much your last chance."

"I'll do anything. I'm not ready to die."

He smiled at her sadly. "No one ever is." Taking a deep breath, he looked at his grandson. "Take her to the temple of Venus Genetrix."

Fernando stared at him blankly. "What good will that do?"

The old man sighed, exasperated. "Names have power, boy. Surely you can see?"

For a moment, Fernando looked confused, and then realization dawned on his face and he slapped his forehead. "All this time! How could I have been so stupid?"

Julia looked at the two men. "What are you talking about?"

Fernando turned to her, grabbing both her hands. "If this curse attached itself to you just because of your name, then we have to break it the same way!"

"I don't understand!"

"The temple of Venus Genetrix was built by Julius Caesar." Fernando's grandfather cleared his throat, watching her closely. "The Julii clan always claimed to be descended from her."

Julia shook her head. "I still don't understand how an ancient Roman goddess is going to solve this."

"Don't you see? If the curse could attach itself to you because of your name, maybe you can get protection because of your name, too." Fernando grinned at her. "Venus wouldn't abandon the Julii clan, not after they built her a temple and kept her happy all those years!"

"But," Julia stumbled over her thoughts, "but I'm not of that clan!"

The old man nodded at her. "Your name is, and your name may be enough. It was enough to condemn you; why shouldn't it be enough to save you, too?"

_It's no crazier than an exorcism or a witch ritual_. Julia straightened her shoulders and smiled at Fernando and his grandfather. "All right. What do I have to do?"

### CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Fernando had downloaded a map of the Forum on his phone before they set off. Julia studied it nervously.

"What if this doesn't work?"

Fernando shrugged, checking his bag a third time. "We've got to try it. Besides," he added, brushing a strand of hair off her face, "it's our best chance."

_It's our last chance_ , Julia thought, her chest tightening. Before she could voice her fears, Fernando leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. After a moment's hesitation, she kissed him back, trying not to acknowledge the desperate fear that simmered just under the surface of her thoughts. Julia shut her eyes, willing herself to block out everything but the sensation of Nando's warm lips against hers. He tasted like a strange combination of espresso and peppermint, and Julia melted into the kiss. The soles of her feet started to tingle, and Julia leaned into Nando, savoring the moment. When he finally pulled away, Julia licked her lips, wishing she could just keep kissing Fernando and forget about the rest of it.

He was watching her cautiously. "No crazy accusations?"

She shook her head. "No." She wanted to apologize again, but she had a feeling they'd somehow moved beyond that in the shop. "I really meant what I said to your grandfather."

Fernando leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. "I meant it, too. After all this is done—"

Julia kissed him on the cheek quickly. "Let's worry about that when there is an after."

"There will be." Fernando smiled at her. "Trust me."

_I want to_. Julia kept her fears to herself. "Do you have everything?"

"Yup. Lighter, check. Wine, check. Tablet, check."

Julia resisted the urge to riffle through the bag and see for herself. "Won't someone try to stop us?"

Fernando grinned. "That's why you've got me. I'm good at breaking the rules without getting caught."

Julia laughed. "Never thought I'd be grateful to be hanging out with a miscreant."

Fernando winked at her. "You know you've always needed a bad boy in your life. Admit it!"

Julia thought of the expression on his face when they entered the church, and she shook her head. "You're not a bad boy, no matter what you say."

Fernando stared down at her for a moment. "I don't think anyone else has ever seen through me the way you do."

Julia squeezed his hand. "You see me, too." She paused, swallowing. "Should we get started?"

He nodded. "Okay if I drive?"

She giggled. "We need to do this fast, and in one piece. Although," she added with a grin, "I might want to drive when we're done."

"It'll be all yours," he said as he hopped on the scooter.

Even though her limbs felt tired and clumsy, Julia climbed on behind him easily, as if she'd been riding sporty little Vespas around Rome for ages instead of days. "I'm ready," she said, wrapping her arms around his torso. She fumbled for a moment, but finally, her fingers found each other and she interlaced them, holding onto Nando like her life depended on it.

Fernando gave her clasped hands a quick squeeze before he grabbed the handlebars. "This will all be over soon."

Julia nodded against his back. "I hope so."

They set off, Fernando weaving expertly between cars and trucks as they made their way to the Forum. The drive went by in an instant, and Julia grinned sheepishly as Fernando parked the bike.

"I'm a really shitty driver, aren't I?"

He took her hand with a smile. "Everyone's bad the first time around. You'll have to let me teach you properly."

Julia nodded. "Can I see the map?"

Fernando handed her his phone without comment, and they walked into the Forum. Staring at the map, Julia glanced up at the ruins to orient herself. "If I'm reading this right," she paused, turning the map, "then the temple of Venus Genetrix used to be right up there." She pointed without looking, and Fernando let out a low whistle.

Confused, Julia glanced up. She'd pointed to the three lone standing columns that she and Nando had noticed their first time in the Forum. _Was that just yesterday?_ Julia shook her head, astonished. "Seriously?"

Fernando grinned at her. "I said it was probably a temple, didn't I?"

She nodded, but her smile was strained. "Doesn't that seem almost too easy?"

Fernando took her hand. "Nothing about this has been easy, Julia. I'd say it's a good sign that things are finally going our way."

Hand in hand, they picked their way over the hot stones until they were standing at the foot of the ancient temple. Julia tilted her head back, squinting at the sun. "What do you think it looked like?"

Fernando gestured to it. "Columns all around, probably, and maybe a sacred lake."

If Julia narrowed her eyes slightly, she could almost imagine that she could see the temple the way it used to be. "It must have been beautiful."

"It's a temple to Venus; of course it was beautiful."

His tone was laced with meaning, and Julia's eyes flickered to his face. Her breath caught when she realized he was staring at her, his expression intense. "The goddess of love." Her voice was soft.

"Of love, and of Rome, too. That's why Caesar built her the temple; his family claimed descent from Venus through Aeneas, the guy who founded the city." Fernando looked back at the temple. "If anyone can help you, it should be her."

Julia clutched the bag to her chest. "I sure hope so."

Before she could climb the ruins, Fernando put his hand on her arm. He glanced around quickly, and then he nodded his head toward a group of tourists sauntering past them. "Wait for them to go by," he whispered.

Julia nodded. Anxiously, she watched the cluster of men and women with cameras around their necks. There was one guy who kept turning around to take pictures of what was behind him, even after the rest of the group had moved on, and Julia clenched her teeth. _What if we get caught_?

Reading her thoughts, Fernando squeezed her hand. "Trust me. We'll be fine. Wait for it—now!"

His command startled her, but Fernando started to run up the steps of the ruin, dragging Julia behind him. She tripped on the uneven stones, and Fernando pulled her hand. "Behind that column!"

They slipped behind one of the three columns, standing in its shadow. Julia stifled a breathless giggle as Fernando peered around the ruin, looking like some kind of spy. "Is this a covert operation?" She whispered.

He grinned at her and pulled his head back into the shadow. "Just wanted to make sure no one had noticed us."

Julia swallowed, realizing that she was almost pressed against Fernando. She started to take a step backward, but his arms shot out and wrapped around her, pulling her close. "What—" she started to ask, but her breath caught as she felt the heat from Fernando's body pressing against her.

"Stay in the shadows," he said, his voice husky. Pulling her even closer, Fernando studied her face. "Julia, I—"

Heart racing, she took a small step back, making sure she was still sheltered by the shadow of the pillar. "We need to finish this," she said, dropping her eyes from Fernando's intense gaze.

After a beat, his arms dropped away from her, and Julia resisted the urge to lean against him again. "You're right." Tentatively, he reached for her hand, and Julia threaded her fingers through his. The contact made her skin tingle, and she suppressed a shiver.

"Where should we do it?"

He looked around the ruins, shading his eyes. "The altar would be best, or as close to it as we can get, I guess. That would be further back in the temple."

Julia peered around the column nervously. "What if someone sees us?"

Fernando shook his head. "We're up higher than the path now. If we try to stay close to the ground, we should be hard to spot from down there."

"Okay," Julia dropped to a crouch. "Let's do this."

They half-crawled and half-crab walked across the ancient stones. Heat radiated up from the dirt and marble, and Julia resisted the urge to wipe her face. _I'm just glad I didn't bother with any makeup; it would have melted off!_

Finally, they reached a place where the stone ruins sloped down, and Fernando dropped into the divot. "This might be it."

Julia looked around them. The pillars were certainly far away, but there was so little left of the ancient temple that she had no idea how close they were to the back of the structure. "And if it's not?"

Fernando shrugged, taking the bag from her. "It's now or never."

Julia swallowed nervously, and then she nodded. "I know."

### CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Taking the tablet out of the bag, Fernando handed the pieces to Julia. Carefully, she set them down on the ruined temple floor, fitting the fragments back together as best she could. There was a large chunk missing from the center of the stone, and Julia's heart sank.

"Nando, look." She said softly.

Fernando's face clouded, but he gave her a reassuring smile. "Perfect spot for the fire."

He leaned over and filled the gap in the tablet with crumpled paper, and then he flicked the top off the lighter, dousing the paper and stone with lighter fluid. Julia swallowed nervously, looking around them for the first time to check for things that might catch fire. It was dry and dusty, but the ruins were still made of stone, and she felt a little bit better. _At least I won't burn Rome down or anything_.

Nando handed Julia the lighter. She took it and paused, wondering what she should say. They had discussed their plans with his grandfather in the shop, but they hadn't scripted the ritual. Julia flicked the lighter aimlessly, but Nando nodded at her.

"Show time, Julia."

She shut her eyes. "Um, Venus," she began, opening her eyes and looking around the temple ruins. "I'm one of your own. My name is Julia; I'm named for the Julii clan."

She glanced at Fernando, and he pointed to the stone.

"Right. I've been cursed, and I think you're the only one who can help me. You'll always help my family, right?"

The air was thick and silent around them, but Julia hadn't really been expecting an answer. She knelt down and flicked the lighter near the paper. In a whoosh of blue flame, it began to burn, and she pulled her hand back quickly. "By this fire, I ask that you clear this curse. Take away the power of this ancient stone." Smoke billowed up in her face, and Julia choked on her next words. "Please let me live."

The paper burned fast, and in a moment, it was reduced to ash. The stone tablet was darker than before, but otherwise, it looked the same. Julia looked at Fernando. "Did that do it?"

He shrugged. "I hope so." Pulling the wine out of the bag, he uncorked it and handed it to Julia. "Don't forget the libation."

She took the bottle. "Right." The whole idea of petitioning an ancient mythological being felt weird to her, but both Nando and his grandfather had been insistent that the ritual had to include some kind of offering to the goddess if it stood a chance of working. Taking a quick gulp from the bottle for courage, Julia dumped the rest of the wine over the curse and the temple stones at her feet. "I offer this wine, Venus, to, um, encourage you to help me."

Impulsively, she set the now-empty bottle down and reached for Fernando's hands. Surprised, he let her pull him toward her, and they stood over the tablet, their fingers interlocked. "If you are the goddess of love," Julia spoke softly, "won't you give me a real chance to experience love for myself?" Tears filled her eyes, but Nando kept his gaze on her.

Unable to look away, Julia leaned toward him slightly. After a breathless moment that seemed to last for an eternity, he brought his lips down to hers. They both kept their eyes open as their lips and tongues connected, and a gust of hot wind surged up between them while they kissed. Something about _this_ kiss felt different, deeper somehow. When they finally broke away, Julia glanced down at the curse stone and gasped.

"The pieces are gone!"

Fernando pulled her into his arms. "Then maybe the curse is gone, too."

Julia leaned against him for a moment, and then she tipped her face back. "Was it really that easy?"

Fernando barked a laugh. "You call the last few days easy?" He ran his thumb along her jawline. "I'm pretty sure we've been through hell and back."

She nodded, and suddenly, she sagged in his arms, completely drained. "I'm so tired," she murmured.

He kissed the tip of her nose. "I take that as a very good sign." Wrapping one arm around her, he half led, half carried her back to the entrance to the forum. Eyeing the bike nervously, he glanced at Julia. "Can you stay awake long enough for me to get you home?"

Julia nodded, but her neck felt like spaghetti. "I can try."

"Here," Fernando gestured to the bike. "You get on first."

"But there's no way I can drive!"

"You won't be driving," he soothed. "Just sit in front of me, and let me worry about the rest. That way I know you won't fall off the bike."

Julia nodded, struggling to keep her eyes open. "Okay," she slurred, slumping against him on the Vespa.

The last thing she heard before she blacked out was Fernando's voice in her ear. "I've got you. Trust me."

### CHAPTER SIXTEEN

When Julia opened her eyes, she was flat on her back. Glancing around the room, Julia realized that it was her bedroom in the apartment, but she didn't remember getting back there. The last thing she remembered was kissing Fernando in the Forum; after that, everything in her mind was fuzzy and vague.

Sitting up cautiously, Julia glanced around the room. _Did I sleep, or am I hallucinating again?_ Before she could decide, the sound of a chair scraping on the floor drew her eyes to the corner, and Fernando hurried toward her.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and wrapped his fingers through hers. "How do you feel?" He whispered, stroking her hair.

"Okay," Julia said, still trying to process everything. "Did I sleep?"

He grinned at her. "I'll say you did! You passed out two days ago. I was almost afraid you were in some kind of coma."

"Two days!" Julia tried to jump out of bed, but her limbs felt like jelly. "I've missed class."

"Relax. I told the professor that you've had the flu."

She looked up at him. "Really?"

He nodded. "You're excused until you recover, no penalty."

She leaned back against the pillows. "Thank goodness!"

Someone knocked at the door, and Kai poked her head around. "Oh, my God, she's awake!" She squealed, rushing into the room. She jumped on the foot of Julia's bed and leaned forward to embrace her. "You scared me, girl!"

Julia hugged her tight, fighting back tears. "I scared myself." She glanced up at Nando, wondering if he'd told Kai about what happened on the roof, but he shook his head gently.

Pulling away, her roommate winked at Julia. "You might want to brush your teeth," she stage-whispered, "before you thank your boy."

Julia laughed. "I think if I haven't scared him away by now, morning breath won't do it."

Kai giggled. "Still. I'll leave you two love birds alone." She sprinted to the door. "I'm so glad you're feeling better!"

Nando flushed. "Actually," he began, "there's something I need to do."

Julia's heart fell, but she tried to smile. "Thanks for sitting with me. And for everything, I guess."

He nodded. "Did you want to have dinner with me tonight?"

Julia perked up. "Really?"

Nando smiled. "Really. Like a date and everything."

Julia grinned. "I think I could do that."

"Good. I'll pick you up at eight."

Julia glanced around the dark room. "What time is it now?"

"After two. Does that give you enough time?"

Julia nodded, even though part of her just wanted to curl back up and sleep for ages. "I'll be ready."

Fernando flashed her his flirtiest smile. "You better be."

***

Julia redid her hair three times before Kai finally stepped in and told her to leave it down. "He's already seen you at your worst, sweetie. Besides, this is sexy."

Looking in the mirror, Julia had to agree with her, but a pit of unease still rested in her stomach. "What if he doesn't like me?"

"Girl, he helped you break that curse. Why are you worried?"

Julia dropped her eyes, avoiding her roommate's frank stare. "I mean, all that was sort of surreal." _And we almost said that we were in love_. She hadn't told Kai about that part of it, and she didn't plan to. "What if he's only interested because I'm strange?"

Kai laughed. "You are strange. It's part of your charm. But seriously, he's into you. That boy barely left your side for the past two days."

"Really?" Julia's heart lifted hopefully.

"Really. Curse or not, he likes you, Julia."

Julia flushed. "What do you think of him?"

"What I think isn't important, although he's pretty cute. What do you think?"

Julia bit her lip. "Is it silly to think he's somebody I could fall for?"

Kai hugged her. "This is Rome. Nothing is silly here!"

After a moment, Julia grinned. "Thank you. For all of it."

Kai gave her a quick hug, careful not to smudge Julia's makeup. "You'd have done the same for me. I'm just glad it's all over." She paused, searching Julia's worried face. "It _is_ all over, right?"

Julia thought back to the forum, and the way the curse tablet had vanished into thin air. "I think so."

"Good. I'm not ready to lose you just yet."

Julia paused. "Kai," she began guiltily, "I'm sorry I've been such a shitty roommate this year."

Kai shrugged. "You've been depressed. I get it. But I'm glad you didn't let any of this beat you down too much."

Julia nodded. She had already decided she'd never tell anyone but Nando just how close she'd come to ending it all. "Life's too short."

"That dress, on the other hand—"

Self-conscious, Julia glanced down at her sundress. "Is it awful?" It skimmed the tops of her knees, and she felt flirty and pretty in it. Kai had lent it to her.

Kai cocked her head to one side. "Not too short, not too long, not too much skin; girl, it's your Goldilocks dress!"

Impulsively, Julia twirled around once, laughing. "Everything finally feels just right."

Almost on cue, there was a knock at the door, and Kai winked. "Go have your perfect date, but be prepared to dish when you get home."

Julia crossed to open the door, but she paused with her hand on the knob. Summoning her courage, she winked at Kai. "You don't have to wait up."

Flushed, Julia barely heard Kai's catcall as she opened the door and smiled at Fernando. Her boldness began to evaporate when she saw him leaning casually in the hall, and she smoothed her dress, suddenly nervous.

Fernando's eyes skimmed her body, landing with a smile at her face. "You look wonderful."

Julia flushed even deeper, shutting the apartment door quickly behind her. "Thanks." She took in his collared shirt and deep blue jeans. "You, too."

Nando cocked his head to one side. "That's it?"

Julia looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

He stepped closer to her, his eyes playful. "That's all I get? I spent hours getting ready."

She giggled, and the tension left her body. "Would it be too much to say you look like a male model?"

He grinned, holding out his hand to her. "Now that's more like it. Still, I can't compete with you." Seriousness crept back into his tone, and Julia's heart started to pound. Before she could think of a witty retort, he clasped her hand. "Ready?"

She took a deep breath. "As I'll ever be."

They descended the stairs to the street. Julia looked around for the Vespa when they got into the cool night air, but she didn't see it. "Where's your bike?"

Nando interlaced his fingers through hers, gently swinging her hand back and forth. "I thought we'd walk. How does that sound?"

Julia smiled up at him. "Perfect."

Hand in hand, they started to stroll down the dark street. People spilled around them, tourists and locals mixed together in the crowd, and Julia took a deep breath. She hadn't really allowed herself to believe that they'd broken the curse until now, and as she walked with Fernando, relief surged through her. _I'm alive_ , she thought, marveling at how good that felt.

Soft music drifted down the street, and Fernando pulled her toward it with a smile. "Where are we going?" She asked.

He grinned. "There's a trattoria around the corner I love. Good food, and dancing, too." He ran his thumb back and forth on her hand, and Julia repressed a delightful shiver.

"I don't know if I'm any good at dancing," she began, but Fernando pulled her to a stop and placed his finger across her lips.

"Now isn't the time to worry, Julia." Gently, he traced her lips with his fingertip, smiling at her sharp intake of breath. "Now's the time for living."

Julia barely managed to nod before he brought his lips to hers. She savored his kiss until someone on the street whistled, but instead of breaking away in embarrassment like she might have done a few days ago, Julia linked her arms around Fernando's neck and laughed.

"I didn't know dancing and living were synonymous."

Nando kissed the tip of her nose. "My father used to say he was never as alive as when he was dancing with my mother."

Hesitantly, Julia reached up and brushed his dark hair off his face. "I'm sorry he's gone, Nando."

His arms tightened around her. "I'm just glad you're still here."

***

The sun was just coming up as Julia made her way back to her apartment. Nando had offered to walk with her, but she'd wanted to be alone. Replaying memories of their wonderful night in her mind, Julia smiled as she walked around puddles and broken pavement. She was still smiling when she reached the apartment building, and Gio grinned at her as he swept the front stoop.

"Ah, bella, that's a good look for you!"

Julia laughed, wondering what her hair was doing after spending an intentionally sleepless night with Fernando. "What? Tired?"

"No! Happy." Gio grinned at her. "You are like that dove, light and free."

Flushing, Julia reached for the delicate silver necklace around her neck. Fernando had given it to her somewhere between dinner and dancing and winding up back at his apartment. "Thank you."

She tried to move past Gio, but he was in the mood to talk. "That dove, it's a holy symbol. You will be blessed."

A vague memory from church years ago tugged at Julia's mind. "Isn't it the holy spirit?"

Gio grinned, showing his gold tooth. "Yes, yes, but it's older than that, too. That's the mark of Venus; you will be doubly blessed."

_Is that why Nando gave it to me?_ Fingering the necklace, Julia smiled at the super. "I hope so. I could use a little luck."

"Speaking of luck, did your friend make a sale for me?"

For a moment, Julia couldn't figure out what he meant, but then she remembered that Fernando had promised to sell the curse tablet. She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Gio," she began, "the stone was, um, a fake."

Gio's face fell for a moment, but then he shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

The lie stung Julia's conscience, but she really didn't want to try to explain everything to the middle aged super, so she just shrugged and patted his arm. "Maybe you'll find a real artifact under the building one day."

Gio brightened. "Perhaps. After all, who can say, in Rome? They must call it the eternal city for a reason; surely everything lasts!"

Julia tipped her head back and stared up at the top of the building. Pink light tinged the sky, and fluffy clouds framed the roof, turning the scene of Julia's nightmare into something out of a fairy tale. "Not everything," she said too softly for Gio to hear. "But maybe the good things last."

###
Thank you for reading _Curse of Stone!_ This story is the first in the _Counting Curses_ series, and I can't wait to share more quirky love stories with you.

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If you want to read a sneak peek of _Curse of Gold_ , the next book in this series, keep reading!
CURSE OF GOLD

a Counting Curses novel

by Jen McConnel

When Riley moved to London to get her graduate degree, she never thought of herself as dangerous. But when a guy she loves drops dead, Riley starts to believe in the family curse. Her eccentric grandmother insists that it's up to Riley to break the centuries-old curse that has plagued the family, but all Riley has to go on are Gran's cryptic remarks and a little bit of mostly awful luck.

Her luck changes for the better when she meets Tom, a scholar with a treasure-hunting hobby who knows more about Riley's curse than either of them realize. Despite the risks, Riley is drawn to Tom, but her curse prevents her from acting on the growing attraction. Will their combined love of esoteric history be enough to break the curse, or will Riley remain deadly to anyone who falls for her?

### CHAPTER ONE

Riley held her breath and counted to three.

When she opened her eyes, the wood-paneled hallway had stopped spinning, but her stomach was still rioting. She took another deep breath and sank down onto the strategically placed bench outside her advisor's office. Dropping her head between her knees, Riley focused on remaining conscious. Bottle red hair brushed her face, but she didn't bother to push it away. Riley knew what it felt like to hyperventilate, and she was dangerously close to it. She wasn't sure any student had ever passed out while waiting to meet with her advisor, and Riley didn't plan on going down in King's College history as the flighty American who couldn't handle the pressure of defending her thesis. She smiled grimly at the thought. _I've already made enough college history._

Getting a grip on her rebellious stomach, Riley slowly stood up. She crossed the wide hallway and raised her hand to knock on Dr. Fullingham's door. _Get it together._ Gritting her teeth, she forced a smile and rapped lightly on the heavy oak door.

_Maybe she won't be here._ Riley crossed her fingers, but her heart sank when a rich voice called, "Enter!"

Stepping into Dr. Fullingham's office had always reminded Riley of wandering through the wardrobe into Narnia. It was worlds away from the austere halls of King's College, and as different as night and day from the other faculty offices. Dr. Fullingham collected oddities, and she proudly displayed her bizarre treasures on every free surface of the office. The African fertility sculpture beside the door had jabbed Riley the first time she set foot in the office, but after three years, she had learned to feint slightly to the left to avoid the ebony phallus. She kept her eyes up, but that didn't mean she was able to avoid all of the strange odds and ends in her advisor's office. _Where had she snagged the gold reliquary? And is that skull on the bookshelf real?_

Dr. Fullingham was standing on her desk chair, one foot perched precariously on the glass top of her desk. Riley had a sudden vision of the glass shattering and her instructor disappearing in a haze of crystal shards, but she shook her head. It wasn't a good idea for her to fantasize like that, even for a moment.

"This cursed Clematis just won't behave. Hand me that stake, will you?" She gestured with the tip of her brown suede boot, and Riley spotted a slender wooden garden stake buried under a stack of papers on the desk.

"Here," she offered, passing the wicked looking spike to her advisor.

"That'll do." Dr. Fullingham stabbed the stake not into the potting soil as Riley had expected, but into the flimsy ceiling tile. She looked like an errant vampire hunter, and Riley tried not to smile at the thought. White dust rained down on them as Dr. Fullingham wrapped the unwieldy vine around quivering wood.

Riley brushed her eyes and took a hesitant seat in front of the desk as Dr. Fullingham hopped down.

"All right, what did you need to see me about?"

Riley swallowed, pressing her sticky palms against her thighs. Her stomach turned once but then was still. "My dissertation date."

"That's all settled. You'll defend to the committee in a week."

"I was hoping we could postpone it."

Dr. Fullingham gave her a sharp look, and Riley leaned back in her chair. "You've already postponed it. Twice."

"I know, but I'd just like a little more time."

"Riley, most of our students finish in a year." She held up her hand to forestall any protests. "Even the part-timers like you manage to complete the program in two years. You've been here for three."

Riley's mouth went dry. "It's just that--" she trailed off, glancing around the room for some excuse. Her eyes landed on the reliquary that sat on the windowsill, and she shivered. Which piece of which unlucky martyr was hanging out inside?

"Stop making excuses. I know you've had a hard time of it, but it's time to buck up, girl. Life goes on."

_Not for me it doesn't._ Riley dropped her gaze to her ragged fingernails. "I'm sorry."

Dr. Fullingham sighed. "I'm sorry, too. You can't change your defense date again. Either you're prepared to show us what you've got on September 1st, or you need to think about pursuing another field."

Riley's eyes shot up and locked on her advisor's steady gray gaze. "I can't do that. I've put everything into this degree!"

"And you've got some good ideas. I'm looking forward to your defense next week." She shuffled some papers on her desk, skimming for something. "Did you ever confirm your translations with Doctor Malcom?"

Riley shook her head. "I've tried, but--"

Her advisor cut her off. "No buts about it, Ms. Belmont. He's the undisputed expert on the _Woman's Book of Hours_ , and I expect you to get in touch with him before your defense."

Riley wanted to tell Dr. Fullingham that she'd tried to reach the illusive Dr. Malcom for months. Instead, she forced a smile. "Yes, m'am."

"Good. If you don't have any other issues, I'll see you in a week."

The conversation was obviously closed. Unsteadily, Riley got to her feet. "Thank you, I guess."

Dr. Fullingham waved her hand. "Not at all. Just be prepared. I know you'll do fine." She turned her attention to the brass statue of an elephant on her desk, petting it and polishing it with her sleeve.

Back in the dark hallway once more, Riley fought back the urge to burst into tears. _It was worth a shot._ Dragging her feet, she began the walk down the long, marble-tiled corridor. Not for the first time, she wondered if the builders of King's College had been trying to construct a structure that would make the students feel completely inferior. If they were, it worked, at least on her. Every day that she'd been a student here she'd felt unworthy. Light spilled in the frosted windows as she turned down the stairs, and as she reached the ground floor, her hand flicked out unconsciously to brush the statue of Sappho as she passed. Riley didn't write poetry, but for some reason, the erotic writer's marble presence always comforted her. _If she could beat the odds, maybe I can, too._

As she headed out into the watery sunlight, Riley stopped to take in the view. Even after three years, the expanse of the Thames that stretched in front of the college always surprised her. She hated the river now, but when she'd first come to London, she'd adored it. Across the river, the gaudy London Eye winked at her, and Riley smiled unconsciously, remembering her tourist-driven glee when she'd seen the ugly Ferris wheel for the first time. If she looked to her right, the familiar sight of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament would greet her, but Riley didn't look in that direction today. Instead, she turned left, heading for the Temple tube stop. She supposed that she could have spent some time wandering through the streets to clear her head, but she didn't really see the point.

_I don't need a clear head. I need a miracle._ As she walked, she thought about her upcoming dissertation. She'd been ready to defend her thesis for months now; it wasn't laziness that prompted her to request an extension. She wasn't worried about her material. Her research was sound, and Dr. Fullingham had often told her that she had an interesting take on the intertwining of gender bias and religious tracts in the Middle Ages. It wasn't even the strange silence from Dr. Malcom that was slowing her down; Riley felt like her translation was good enough to stand, with or without his approval. No, it wasn't a lack of confidence in her research that had made Riley try to postpone her dissertation again.

It was him.

Everything she'd done since she came to King's College three years ago was overshadowed by what had happened to him. The faculty might be too polite to say anything to her face, but Riley knew they talked about it all the time. _A tragic accident. So bizarre. And did you know she was the last person to see him alive?_ Eyes followed her all the time on campus, and Riley couldn't bear the thought of being up on display while she defended her work. It would only be a small panel of faculty, but still, she knew that they mourned his death as much as she did, and she was sure that at least one of the members of her committee blamed her for what had happened.

It didn't help that she thought they were right.

###

**About the Author:**

Award-winning author Jen McConnel makes her home in North Carolina. She writes NA, YA, and various other works. When she isn't writing, she can be found on her yoga mat or wandering off on another adventure. Visit www.JenMcConnel.com to learn more!

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