Page 59 of Cursed Lifeline

“Might ruin your ability to stay on the watcher’s council.”

“Over time, I’ll make sure they’re head of the watcher’s council,” Felix promises as the realization of the offer we all accepted weighs down on us.

“If you’re sure?” the fae asks with trepidation, studying me and my brothers sternly. “You’ll never be considered pure fae. You’ll be putting your life in jeopardy. There are many of my kind, especially the high fae, who hunt and kill half-breeds for sport. All I can offer you is the chance to be immortal. To stay the same age for eternity. But I warn you, even immortals can be killed if other deities discover your weakness.”

“And what is that?” Caelum is quick to ask.

The charming fae shrugs. “I don’t know,” she answers with a sad smile. “It is different for all of us.”

“Doesn’t matter,” I offer without reservation. “We’ve agreed. Now, Princess, tell us, what do you need from us to seal this deal?”

“A deal with the devil,” Silas growls beside me. My eyes lift and find Felix’s. He grins in a mischievous, wicked way as Silas adds, “This shall be interesting.”

The fae takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and slowly breathes out. Across the room, the large French doors leading outside bang against the walls as they magically open. A gust of crisp, ice-cold wind blasts into the room. Snow flurries hurry towards us as the princess opens her eyes then turns with purpose and starts to make her way towards the doors.

Despite the freezing cold, we follow her out into the blizzard until she comes to a stop in the middle of the grass just beyond the courtyard. She begins to hum. As the beautiful melody falls from her lips, a thrill passes through me as we gather with her in the midst of the storm.

Snowflakes swirl in a circle around us. Lifting off the white-covered earth, they pick up speed and twirl in an alluring trance, creating a thick wall that rapidly starts to close in on all sides. Caelum and Silas stare at me with worried expressions while the Prince of the Damned looks on smug, poised, more sure of himself than I have ever seen him before.

The wall of snow sparkles to life. Bright light explodes around us, and I cover my eyes. The world grows quiet. Still. Serene. When I uncover my face, I find we’re standing in the middle of a fairy ring. My brother’s on the council look at me with wide eyes. I study them closely, searching their stares, wanting to know if there is any hesitance or any change of heart before we go through with this.

When I see none, I look back Evangeline’s way just as she starts to say, “Now, repeat after me...”

Twenty

Felix

song: defying gravity | Todrick Hall

My footsteps crunchagainst freshly fallen snow as I make my way by moonlight to the crypt. The icy air threatens to steal my breath, but it’s not quick enough as my eyes lift and catch sight of where Esme has been laid to rest - a sob lodges in my throat. Coming to a stop in front of the concrete shelter, I stare up at the angels guarding the door to her lifeless chamber and force back tears.

The kraa of a raven sounds behind me as my heart aches, breaks, and bleeds for the woman I lost. Before I lose the courage that drew me here, I close my eyes and teleport myself inside the crypt.

When the ghostly stillness of the chamber creeps across my skin, I choke back a laugh because, even with my eyes closed, even knowing the fate that stole Esme from me, somehow, I can still sense her presence. What’s more, I can still smell the fragrance of her warm blood as it surged through her veins every time I held her close. On a haunted draft, seeping into the crypt from beyond the grave, some of the last words she said to me drift to mind.

There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember...

“Oh, Esme,” I cry as my eyes open, and I take in the sight of her laid to rest, and a lonely tear falls down my cheek. “Infinite lifetimes could never make me forget.”

Desperate to be near her, I stalk closer and fall to the ground at the base of her open casket.

Soon, the unfortunate decaying of time will erase her beauty from this world until she is blessed to be born again. Until then, her alluring elegance is unmistakable. Even in death.

Her golden hair shines in the darkness like a halo. Her cheeks are flushed, rosy, and pink, as if life still courses through her cursed veins. As if the events of the last few days are nothing but a sick, twisted game. As if she’s bluffing, and she’ll soon wake up declaring victory over all of us. As she rightfully should.

“The fairEsmerelda!Nymph, in thy orisons, be all my sins remember’d,”I softly cry. As I kneel, emotion overtakes me, and I lose myself to the despair that’s been building since she passed. Tears stain my cheeks and I tenderly run my hand across her brow, down her cheek, then brush my fingertips across her tempting mouth.

Studying her in the dim light of the crypt, I talk to her as if she’s here and ask, “Remember the first night we met, and I asked if you enjoyed watching or playing the game? Little did I know the challenge set before us. What was at stake. What I stood to lose, and what I also stood to gain.”

Before I can stop myself, I join her where she’s been laid to rest and gather her in my arms. She smells of rosemary, and I suck in a shaky breath.

“How do you do it?” I whisper, pulling her closer and breathing in her promising scent. “Make me crave you, even in death.”

Mournfully, I rise on my right side and smile down at her peaceful face. My eyes drift to the ring on her left hand. Chest shaking with emotion, fingers trembling, I raise her hand to my lips, kiss the ring, and gently pull it off her finger.

“First look,” I whisper as I kiss her eyelids. “First touch.” My fingertips rise and gently trace her bottom lip. “First smell of your skin. First sound of your alluring voice, and I was forever hooked on a future only you could give me.”

Desperate to feel her kiss again, I gently touch my lips to hers and become overwhelmed with a desperate longing to breathe life back into her lungs. Though I try to fight them, in this private moment, my mother’s words come back to haunt me.

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