Page 28 of Potions and Proposals
“Watch it! You’re not too dead to have your mouth washed out with soap,” Benedict warned, suspecting that Peter was only trying to get a rise out of him.
“Why did you decide to name her after something she hates?”
Peter didn’t need to know the reason he called Lucinda pumpkin, his favourite type of pie. Her hatred of the fruit only played in his favour. He loved how her irritation caused her to blush, highlighting the cluster of freckles across her nose.
“I take back what I said,” Benedict said, fixing his silver M cufflinks to his wrists. “Please feel free to take as many souls as you like from the manor.”
Peter raised his hands, decorated with an assortment of rings, in defence. “Trying to get rid of me? I understand it must be hard to admit your feelings for the one person who despises you almost as much as you pretend to despise her.” He sighed, getting up from the couch. “Love is wasted on the living. Tell Mum I’ll stop by soon.”
“Still avoiding her?” Benedict slipped on a new pair of socks, avoiding Peter’s opinion on his non-existent relationship with Lucinda.
“Only for this month. When she sees me around the anniversary, she won’t stop crying about my wasted potential. At least I got to come back; collecting souls isn’t a bad gig. You could say I get the best of both worlds.” Peter winked. Even in death he looked on the bright side. Benedict wondered if he wastruly happy, never finding peace, always stuck in the in-between. They’d never discussed it, and he doubted if they ever would.
“Have you seen Dad?” he couldn’t help asking, even if he already knew the answer.
His brother shook his head. “I think he’s at peace. Otherwise, our paths would’ve crossed in the past few years.” Peter rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder, putting an end to the sore subject. It was Peter’s desire to see their father which had cost him his life, so Benedict could only imagine how hard it was to accept this.
One of the candles on the wall went out. He used the opposing candle to reignite it, then caught himself as he realised what he had done. Hopefully Peter had missed the small detail, but—
“Why didn’t you use your fire?” Peter tilted his head in concern.
“I’m tired.” Benedict shrugged his jacket over his broad shoulders, not wanting to reveal his and Lucinda’s elemental switch. The less his brother knew about the spell, the better.
“You’ve always been a terrible liar.” Peter blew out the candles on the candelabra closest to him. “Light it.”
Gritting his teeth, Benedict focused on the candelabra, but nothing happened. He was afraid that if he forced it, Lucinda’s element would flood the place.
“I don’t have to prove anything to you.” He turned his back on Peter and the extinguished candles.
“Holy shit, youcan’tlight it.”
Benedict glared at him. “You want all the damn guests to hear you?”
“Sorry.” Peter covered his mouth. “What’s up with your element? Don’t tell me you were messing with the dark side. I’m meant to be the black sheep of the family, and Mum needs one of us to live to a ripe old age or she’ll start resurrecting us!”
Benedict ran his hands through his damp hair.There was no way he was getting to work without explaining. “Lucinda’s family cast a spell in an attempt to stop the binding ritual. It backfired,” he admitted.
Peter drew back as though struck by some invisible force.“They stripped you of your magic? That’s a punishable crime.”
“No, nothing so extreme. I still have my magic,” Benedict said hastily, afraid Peter would disappear to confront them.
Peter frowned, glancing at the damp clothes dripping over the chair in the corner. Benedict watched him put two and two together.
“Youhave the Hawthorne element?” Peter laughed, placing a hand over his grin. “Wow! My big bro crossed over to the Good side.”
“If only you had done the same.”
Peter faked a wince.“That cut deep.”
“What doesn’t kill you…” Benedict muttered. “And there is no Good or Bad side anymore. That’s all in the past. We’re one community now.”
“Yeah, yeah, peace and unity. It’s easy for those who’ve always been on the Good side to believe. They haven’t had to suffer with the prejudice ofourlegacy – same with dozens of other families.”
“It doesn’t help when we break the rules and use dark magic,” Benedict pointed out.
Peter ignored the reference to his own mistakes; he’d already paid for them with his life. “It’s easy to break the rules when people expect little of you. Anyway, it doesn’t matter now. Lucy must be losing her mind without her water. It must feel like losing a limb!”
Of course he laughs at me and pities her. He’s only my flesh and blood.Benedict remained silent.
