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desperation, that whoever it was had promised me to it long ago. And it said& tonight& "
She suddenly felt dizzy with the memory of it, of the creature's sordid laughter, of the way its hot tongues
had slithered across her. To her relief, Tomas stepped forward and took her arm, the promise in his
burning gaze sending a completely different kind of dizziness through her.
"We will figure this out," he said.
"It's not like there's a help line," she said.
"We know a lot more now," he insisted, and kissed her on top of the head. Marcy went very, very still.
Was that a big-brotherly kind of kiss on the head? Or could it possibly have meant more?
Surely not. She had no personal power&
"If this really is a curse," said Tomas, "then whoever cursed you should be able to uncurse you. Right?"
"I have no idea." And why was it he did?
"It makes sense," he insisted. "As much as any of this does. So now you just have to think of who you
know that might have wanted to make a deal with the devil. Someone you knew long ago. Someone who
wouldn't mind sacrificing you for his own gain."
"I don't like thinking any such person even exists!"
"Me," said Tomas, "I don't like thinking that our demon friend there exists. But it has my priest, so
maybe it's time to join the program."
He sounded vaguely annoyed, and he hadn't kissed her again. On the other hand, he was still holding her
arm. She would take that. "I honestly can't remember knowing a single person who could have been
involved in& in the dark arts. When I first started reading about Wicca last summer, the idea ofany
magic was completely new to me."
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"Some people hide their involvement," Tomas said again knowing more than seemed usual. How did
he know this much?
Marcy felt a chill when she realized that, of all the people she knew,he was the only one who'd shown
any knowledge of the dark side of magic. Wouldhe mind sacrificing her?
She'd been living in this building, the one Tomas worked at, for three years now.
How long ago had the demon meant by long ago?
"I really don't know anyone who matches that description," she lied very carefully, feeling far less safer in
Tomas Martinez's company. To her relief and maybe a flush of foolish disappointment when she
shrugged her shoulders with discomfort, Tomas stepped easily back from her. No meant no. He smiled a
half smile, as if in silent apology for being so forward.
Damn it, she'd liked the forward part. It was the familiarity-with-the-dark-arts part that worried her.
"What I still don't understand," he said, as if her ego weren't bruised enough, "is why you? Not that you
aren't attractive."
Attractive enough for a demon, anyway? But that was something. "Maybe whoever cursed me just
thought I was& convenient."
"No, that doesn't make sense." And yet Tomas seemed almost fluent with the idea. "If you're trying to
land a big business deal, you don't take your client to a fast-food joint. Marcy, something about you
makes you prime rib to a demon looking for sacrifices. But what& "
Then he froze, eyes widening. "No!"
She felt increasingly wary. "No what?"
"You're not!"
"Not& ?" But she couldn't pretend not to know what he meant. So much for keeping her own secrets.
"Okay, fine. So I'm a virgin."
That was the part of the curse she'd read about that she hadn't wanted to divulge.
"Wouldn't Mr. Gilbert and Mrs. Roberts be surprised! They swore that your politeness and quiet ways
meant you were hiding a wild side may be even a killer!"
"It's not that big a deal," insisted Marcy, uncomfortable. "More women abstain from sex than movies and
TV would have you believe."
"Well, sure," he agreed, though his gleaming eyes still indicated that it was a big deal. "I was raised
Catholic, remember? My unmarried sisters are virgins."
She widened her eyes, questioning that.
He narrowed his. "They'd better be. But of course, not all Catholics aregood Catholics. Depending "
he grinned " on how you define good."
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"My choices had nothing to do with religion," Marcy insisted. "I just felt like waiting until I was ready. I
didn't want to sleep around."
"Around?" His grin widened.
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