Page 39 of A Soul's Curse
Ren looked up from the book, annoyance written across the crinkle of his brow. The question came out a little more heated than I had wanted, but it was better than screaming obscenities at him. “Theo, think this through for a minute. First, the Syndicate is going toexpectyou to search for her. Even if we found her, my identity is now compromised. We have no way in through their defenses. And, if by some miracle we did make it past them, putting Ellie’s magic back into her body isn’t as simple as snapping your fingers to reestablish the connection. It’s a delicate process I’m not even sure either of us can do.”
I grumbled my thoughts on that. Ren had been involved in challenges like this far longer than I had, but it didn’t mean I agreed with him.
“I know you’re disappointed, Theo—I’m not giving up on your friend. But we need to outsmart the Syndicate without playing into what they’re expecting us to do. That’s where this grimoire comes in handy.” He flipped the book around so I could see a handwritten script with a faded ink drawing of a human body. “This is a book of highly dangerous, illegal spells. The Syndicate was willing to pay a lot of money for this book. I figured there was a reason why, so I had to make sure they didn’t get it.” He tapped the open page. “You know, they could use this spell to draw out Caspian’s magic and give it to a member of the Syndicate. Could you imagine what they would do if someone had Caspian’s ability to cleanse magic?”
“And why would Caspian want the grimoire?”
He flipped through a few more pages. “Who knows. My guess is this spell, though. Soul transference. Phantoms are a rare occurrence created under very unique magical conditions. They’re not quite dead, not quite alive. With this spell, he could anchor a living soul to his body. That soul will grow inside him like a seed until it blooms and he becomes an immortal human. It doesn’t stop there, though. The transference spell doesn’t just transfer life, it transfers knowledge too. And with every soul he anchors to himself, the more powerful he’ll get.”
I gulped, my mouth going dry. “And what about you? What were you expecting to find in the book?”
“Me?” He ran his top lip over the metal piercing on his bottom. “I initially wanted it because I thought it might have a way to break my brother’s seal, but there are a hundred spells in this book, and literally any one of them can bring down the Syndicate. Unfortunately, I’m finding the cost of using them is too high and not worth the risk. Right now I’m just planning to keep it out of their hands.”
“But giving Caspian the grimoire is our only chance to get him to speak to us. He’s not going to agree on any other terms.” Myhopes of getting out of this mess were shrinking by the second, my trust in Ren dwindling.
“I know.” Worry crinkled Ren’s brow as he looked back down at the book of spells. “When he calls, agree to meet with him, but we hold the leverage here. If he really wants this book, he’ll have no choice but to negotiate with us.”
A million thoughts started running through my head. How could I outsmart the Syndicate without breaking the terms of my oath? What other spells were in that book? If Caspian was up to no good, could we somehow trap him like the Syndicate did to Thomas? Then the they couldn’t get their hands on his magic, and Caspian would lose his chance to become a god.
Ren made a sour face and rubbed his stomach.
“You okay?” I started to get up from my seat before he shook his head.
“I’m fine. I think I’m gonna go back to my home in Boston and lay down.” He shut the grimoire and tucked it under his arm. I followed Ren, who instead of heading toward the front door slowly dragged his feet up three flights of stairs.
“Um, Ren?”
“What?” He had his hand on the doorknob to his bedroom, but didn’t twist it.
“I thought you said you were leaving to go back to Boston.” I then pointed my thumb down the hallway. “The front door is in the opposite direction.”
“Well, one of them is.” Ren opened the door and I stepped into his bedroom for the first time. While he told me that if I was planning to stay here that I should take it, giving the two smaller rooms to Stella and Ivy, I had been hesitant about encroaching on his space. Like the other bedroom, Ren must have kept the original furnishings, but the room was still claimed by Ren … a small desk scattered with papers and a family photo, personal items like deodorant and a book cluttered his nightstand, andan acoustic guitar rested on a stand next to a cozy reading chair draped in old clothes.
I stepped around a pair of sneakers tossed onto the floor, watching as Ren opened up the door to his closet … or at least what I had thought was his closet.
There was nothing there but a black void, but the magic that poured out of it slapped me in the face like a wet dish towel.
“What the hell isthat?” I asked, shielding my face with my arm even though it had no effect on stopping the magic.
“Did you really think Idroveback and forth between Salem and Boston? Too much traffic. This is a pathway connecting my two homes by magic.”
“Oh.” I awkwardly scratched my head. “Isn’t that kinda, I don’t know, dangerous? What if someone breaks in and enters your bedroom in the middle of the night?”
Ren sniffed. “It’s designed to recognize my magic, and only the people I allow to pass through it. It’s actually safer than a front door, which could easily be broken down or the lock picked. Even a window could be smashed.”
“Okay, well now I’m paranoid about someone kicking down the door while I’m sleeping.” I scratched my neck nervously.
“Don’t worry about it. I don’t take security lightly. There are wards and traps everywhere in this house to prevent intruders, along with good old-fashioned cameras. You’ll be fine. I promise. Go back to bed, Theo. You look like shit.”
And with that, his body was swallowed up by the mysterious magic emanating from the closet door as he disappeared into darkness.
16
Ithadbeenfourwhole days, and I was worried that Caspian may have reconsidered his deal. I had yet to hear from Gray, or the Syndicate, and it left my insides feeling like a shaken soda can, fizzing with nerves. I didn’t have a backup plan if Caspian’s meeting fell through.
I instead spent the time distracting myself by unpacking my things and getting my workspace in the basement set up. The original owner was a craftsman, and the finished shop in the basement had been originally used for woodworking. It had ventilation and everything, and thankfully didn’t need many changes. There was a deep sink already installed that provided running water, the electrical had been upgraded to handle the heavy-duty machinery, and there was ample counter space for working and shelving for storage. Little natural light shone in through the small basement windows, so most of my plants were scattered around the house upstairs, but the more stubborn oneswere kept under grow lights so they could be thoughtfully cared for.
I adjusted the protective eyewear on my nose and sat on a rolling stool, hunched over a wooden bench. To my left, a few old pots and pans were stacked next to a container of spoons and other mixing equipment. To my right was my recipe spell book and a few glass vials with the ingredients I was currently using—fairy nectar, lemon balm, and two bottles of my own collected magic. One was imbued into a batch of purified water, the other into refined sugar. Ren wasn’t expecting me to make much money from my spell business, but I was determined to prove him wrong. Now that I had no other job to occupy my time, I could dedicate my full attention to making new spells and perfecting the ones I already had. I even had the scooter so I could make home deliveries.
