Page 14 of A Soul's Curse
I laughed at his assumption. “Not even close. I deliver pizzas. But my sister went to nursing school. She's Deaf, actually, so I was her interpreter during classes. I don’t have a fancy degree or license like she does, but I was there for the entire two years of the program. Everything she learned, I did too. We even learned sign language magic together. This might feel weird …”
My hands gently caressed Ren’s wound and I reached out with my magic, letting it penetrate his skin. His skin was unnaturally warm, mine unnaturally cold as my magic bled out of me to do its work. To avoid the awkward silence, I continued talking, and I said something I never imagined I’d say to someone I had just met. “My magic is … well, it’s technically death magic.”
I immediately wished I could take back the words, but they had already tumbled out of my mouth.
“Oh.” I expected Ren to pull away, but he didn’t appear even the least bit frightened, or even surprised.
“‘Oh?’” I questioned. “That’s not the usual reaction I get when I’m treating someone who suddenly learns that my magic was actually designed to kill them.”
“Any magic could kill if used in the right way.” Ren shrugged, his voice turning hard and unyielding. “Besides, I’m not worried. I could end your life before you even blink.”
“Good point,” I chuckled, because, despite not knowing what kind of magic he had, I believed that. My magic might have been dangerous, but that didn’t mean I knew how to, or actually wanted to, use it that way.
“The truth is,” he continued. “I’ve learned that what people call your magic means nothing; it’s about what you choose to do with it that matters.”
“That’s a nice way of thinking about it. I wish more people shared that sentiment.” Butterflies fluttered around in my stomach as a feeling of overwhelming respect washed over me. “Right now, my magic is actually feeding off all your dead skin cells and eradicating any infection. What kind of magic do you have?”
His muscles stiffened.
“I mean, I’m sure it’s really awesome if you fought off Leon. Actually, you never told me how you ended up at the museum. Were you tracking the Syndicate? Did you also come across a pompous blond man with a naked dude?”
Ren bent his arm a few times, grunting his approval. Every time he flexed, I couldn’t help but worry that the wound might tear open again from the shear strain of his muscles.
“Ren,” my voice turned gentle, hopefully with understanding. “I remember hearing James calling that other demon his ‘brother.’ Do you know anything about what actually happened last night?”
Ren didn’t get a chance to answer before another man burst through the bedroom door carrying a small first aid kit. Although he had clearly just woken up, he had way too much energy. He was wearing nothing but a fluffy white robe, with black hair perfectly styled, the short sides blending seamlessly into the longer length on top. His tawny skin was impeccable, his horns shiny and pointy, and although he didn’t appear as muscular as Ren, definitely wasn’t lacking in that department.
“Baby brother!” he sang out in a high pitched, melodic voice. “You crazy bastard, I’m going to tell you one last time … oh, Theo! You’re up.” He stared at me, his red eyes, deeper and darker than the fiery glow of the sun setting over the horizon,fixed intently on my bewildered expression. “Andyou’re tending to my brother’s wounds. How sweet.” He nudged his brother in the shoulder. “He’s cuteandhelpful. This one’s a keeper, isn’t he?” I blushed at the compliment. He then turned his attention to me. “So … tell me everything! I’ve been trying all night to properly bandage that wound. How did you get him to let you do it? I even tried tickling him to the point of surrender.” He jumped at Ren, attacking his neck with wiggling fingers.
“Thomas, knock it off!” Ren shot up from his chair and stepped away from his brother. “I’m busy here. Go away.”
“Oh, you’re busy. Doing what, might I ask, with this delicious morsel?” I internally laughed at their playful banter even as my face burned even hotter with embarrassment. For all Ren’s effort at remaining the grumpy badass, his brother’s childish antics completely thwarted it. They were both tall individuals, a good six foot and a couple inches. But where Ren had perfected the gloomy “I’m rebelling against society” look, his brother was giving off the “I’m a very important person who went to an Ivy League school and belongs to a prestigious yacht club” vibe.
A sudden grin stretched across my face as an idea came to mind. “Your baby brother here was being a grumpy-pants and refused to tell me anything about what happened last night. I don’t suppose you might be so kind as to tell me something?”
“Well, let’s start with introductions. I’m Thomas Thorncrest. Nice to meet you.” There was a bold confidence in the way he said his name. Then, with an air of practiced elegance, he extended his hand and I gave it an awkward shake. “You were probably too distracted by my glorious naked body last night. Let me refresh your memory—”
“Thomas!” Ren snapped. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Maybe I should have let you rot in that urn.”
“Wait, woah, hold on! Urn?” I tried to make sense of the situation, my gaze ping-ponging between them before it landedon Thomas and panic vibrated through me. “Youwere the person who was trapped inside that urn? But you were so … so …”
“Menacing? Pissed off? Stunningly attractive? I apologize for the discomfort my magic caused you. I didn’t know what was going on, only that I saw the face of my former lover who trapped me inside that urn a hundred years ago. But it wasn’t really him, so it’s all good.”
“Lover?” I stared at Thomas, not following a thing but remembering there was a contract that went along with that urn. “So, wait … James was your lover? And you two are brothers?” I spoke out loud more to myself than anyone else. “I’m so confused …”
“It’s simple, really,” Thomas offered an easy smile. “My baby brother here actually killed my lover, the real James Whitfield, and assumed his identity by glamouring himself in order to infiltrate the Syndicate and free me. I must thank you for releasing me from that urn, Theo. I literally owe you my life. After a century of being trapped inside that fancy flowerpot, my skin was becoming dry and wrinkly.”
Ren averted his gaze toward the door, probably weighing his odds of escaping this awkward conversion.
“So a fucking demon was pretending to be James Whitfield?” I glowered at Ren. I clenched a fist and stepped toward him, but Thomas quickly moved to block my path and stop my swing.
“Ooookay! I always prefer to have a full stomach before diving into a full-on bloodbath. How about we continue catching up over breakfast?” Thomas flashed a grin that seemed more like he was planning something than offering a friendly gesture. “It’s been a hundred years since I ate anything. I saw a box of something in the kitchen cabinet with a silly looking cartoon vampire on it. I’m dying to try whatever it is. Let’s go.”
7
Thomaslefttogetchanged while Ren started digging through the drawers, aggressively tossing me an old t-shirt that was two sizes too big for me, along with a black hoodie that looked exactly like the one he was currently wearing. He then left the room so I could clean up and get changed. When I was done, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, smiling at the fact Ren had been thoughtful enough to plug it in and charge it last night.
When I entered the hallway, the first thing I thought was that Ren’s home had history and character. The house was narrow, not uncommon for a lot of older homes in Massachusetts since space was limited in most parts of the city, and there were three floors from what I could tell. As I walked down the creaking staircase, gleaming oak floors reflected the natural light that poured in through the arched windows. I glanced outside, glimpsing a red brick driveway and a black sedan parked in it. A row of stately-lined trees served as a fence to give some privacy.It even looked like there might have been a small backyard with a patio and some grass.
