Page 20 of House of Malice
Alecto could feel her tears threatening to escape at those words, at the way Blaze said them, as if he truly meant them, so she laughed. “You sure you didn’t mean to sayhalf-breed?”
Blaze smirked, but it was an expression full of pain and bitter regret. He didn’t let go of her face, looking right into her eyes, as if he were trying to look deep into her soul. “You are much more cunning, brave, and resilient than most of the full-blooded witches,” he said, his voice low. “You have faced every single threat thrown at you here at Venefica with such fierceness, none of it could break you. Sometimes, I can’t believe how strong you are, and anyone who can’t see it is a fool. So, just as you faced every other thing that scared you and dealt with it, you’ll face your mother’s past, and you’ll deal with it.”
Alecto’s chest filled with warmth, and she bit her lower lip to stop it from quivering. She couldn’t hold Blaze’s gaze, so she lowered her eyes.
Blaze’s thumb caressed her cheek. “And you have me by your side, alright? It’s me and you now, baby. You don’t have to face anything alone anymore. You got that?”
Alecto nodded.
Blaze tiled her chin and grazed his lips over hers ever so slightly. Then one corner of his mouth tipped up, and he said over her mouth, “And if you’d like to make it into a more enjoyable experience, I can eat you out while you read the journal. You know, to keep you distracted just enough to face your fears.”
Alecto’s core throbbed at such a naughty suggestion, but she pushed Blaze away and made a face. “We will absolutely do no such thing. It’s my mother’s journal! And Galliermo might be there… Absolutely not.” She shook her head and then shuddered, as if the thought of it made her sick to her stomach.
Blaze barked a laugh and pulled on a strand of her hair. “As you wish. If you change your mind, all you have to do is say the word.”
9
They spent the whole morning in Blaze’s room, reading the journal. Alecto lounged on his bed, reading the entries out loud, while Blaze sat either on the windowsill, smoking, or in the bed, with his back against the headboard, playing with loose strands of Alecto’s hair.
So far, they had only read about Alecto’s mother’s early days at Venefica and the House of Snakes.
“It’s hard to believe that the Galliermo your mother describes is the same man as my father,” Blaze said absently.
He was busy trying to make a little braid in Alecto’s hair.
“Thisisyour father,” Alecto said. “But it is truly like reading about someone else.”
It must have hurt like Hel getting his heart broken, Alecto thought but didn’t voice her opinion.
“He sold his soul,” Blaze said. Alecto glanced over her shoulder at him. Blaze glanced up from the braid for a brief moment. “Moren told me when I last spoke to her. She said that Galliermo came to her, begging to sell his soul in exchange for wealth.”
“Fucking Hel,” Alecto said. “That’s… He’s soulless?”
Blaze nodded.
“Well,” Alecto said, “at least that explains everything.”
“Does it?” Blaze’s voice was clipped. “That is not how selling your soul works, Black. You know that. He chooses to be this way.”
Alecto hated Galliermo for causing Blaze so much pain and distress. While he pretended that he didn’t care and that he didn’t expect any better from Galliermo, during very rare moments like now, the carefully crafted mask would slip, revealing the pain.
“I’m sorry about that, Blaze,” Alecto said.
Blaze playfully pulled on the braid, smirking. “It’s alright.”
He got up then and walked over to the window. Alecto flipped the page as he lit up a cigarette, and quickly scanned the entry. A name stood out, and she got on her knees, holding the journal.
“Finally,” she said, breathless with excitement. “The Dean is mentioned. Listen to this.”
Alecto read the entry out loud:
Dear Diary,
Today Galliermo took me to get ice cream after my lectures at this small little diner in Darly. Did I mention how cute this town is? They don’t know, because witches rarely venture to the mortal realm, but our towns are so dull and boring compared with Inathis.
They all say Darly is old and rusty, compared to Avalon Hills. Even Galliermo says that, despite not growing up in Avalon Hills like Alatar. But I don’t agree. Darly is so magical, even the smallest details.
Like, the elemental sprites that run the diner and other places around town. They waltz through the diner with their little magical wings, and some leave the scent of spring, while others smell like candy canes and freshly cut grass. It’s wild.
