Page 23 of A Soul's Curse
“I’m not doing it for you. I just want this shit to end.” The desperation in his voice cut through the air like a blade, leaving behind an ache in my chest that was impossible to ignore.
“So, the Syndicate,” I said, getting right down to business. “You know more about them than I do. I admit I’m … kinda lost here. I have friends asking around for information, but there’s gotta be something I can do to help Ellie. Sadly, crime fighting vigilante isn’t exactly a skill I’ve honed over the years.”
“You really want to know what I think?” He turned off the radio, the only sound that remained was now the heat blowing out of the vents.
“I guess I do.”
“I hid within the Syndicate for over a year. They’re methodical, organized, and if I’ve learned one thing being among them, it’s that if you aren’t one step ahead, they’ll eventually be dragging you in chains behind them. Like I said earlier, they will destroy your life until you have no option but to crawl back to them and become their slave.”
“So you’re suggesting … what, exactly? Find their secret hideout and check out their community bulletin board for a seminar on ‘How to manipulate Theo Kingston’?”
“I’m saying,Theo, you need to act now before it’s too late. I think you should consider Leon’s offer. Join me as a member of the Syndicate—”
“Woah, wait a minute!” I dramatically threw my hands up in the air. If he wasn’t driving, I would have punched him. “You want me to join the Syndicate? Are youinsane? How could you even think about asking me to do something like that? What if they ask me to do something I don’t feel comfortable doing? What if … what if your plan backfires and I’m stuck serving the organization forever?”
“Oh, they will definitely ask you to do something you’re uncomfortable with.” Ren rolled his eyes. “Just … stop complaining for a second and listen. Do you trust me?”
“I’m trying to.” I mumbled, smacking my head against the backrest of the seat. “But when you say shit like that, it makes it very hard to believe in you.”
Ren grunted. “Look, James Whitfield is on thin ice right now. He let both you and Thomas escape last night, and now they’re questioning his loyalty. I’m not bringing my brother back to them, but Icouldbring you in.”
“Ah.” I let out a bitter laugh. “So I’m just a pawn, then? Do you even really want to help me? Because I’m pretty fucking sure handing me over to the enemy is essentially sentencing me to death.”
“No, Theo. I mean … yes.” He smacked his hands against the steering wheel and exhaled a deep breath. “No, you are not my pawn and yes, I meant it when I said that I want to help you. But this is how you stay one step ahead of the Syndicate. Theywantyou, Theo. And make no mistake, they will do everything in their power to make you theirs. If you come in with me now, I’ll still have my cover intact and I’ll be able to watch you—maybe even figure out what they’re planning so we can come up with a plan of our own. You're not deep enough in shit yet that you’redesperate, and Ellie still has time, but not a lot. If you willingly go to them now, it’ll save us the hassle of waiting until it’s too late.Wecontrol the situation.”
“That …” I paused to process the idea. “Okay, that actually makes a lot of sense, but it’s still a ridiculous idea. Even if we made it look like you were forcing me to be there, there’s no way I could pull that off. I’m a terrible liar and it’d be obvious we were up to something. All of a sudden I see the error of my ways and decide to join the Syndicate on their escapade for world domination? How do you know they won’t ask me to go after your brother myself? Or to, I don’t know, kill someone with my magic?”
Ren scoffed. “Thomas was a pawn, not a threat. He was captured as a bargaining chip, and since they got nowhere with using him in the past hundred years, there’s no need to bother trying to retrieve him. Also, they have enough professionally trained killers on their payroll that they don’t need a weakling like you to do their dirty work, even if your magic was built for it.”
“I take offense to that,” I pouted.
Ren glanced over at me with a mischievous smirk. “I know you do, but it’s true. Take it as a compliment. You’re not a killer, but they will most definitely use your magic and connections to their advantage. They’ll make you do something that only you can do with your ability. I’m begging you to think about this, Theo. You don’t know them like I do. Come with me right now, and at least they’ll stop targeting you or anyone you care about.”
I couldn’t give Ren an answer. In theory, I understood exactly where he was coming from. But in reality … it went against everything I believed in. I thought about all the things he had to do as James Whitfield. I couldn’t willingly do anything like that.
Ren was silent for the rest of the ride to Carson’s Pizza. Although I was focusing on the pros and cons of joining myenemy, he seemed focused on something himself, like he was having an intense conversation in his mind and didn’t want to invite me into it. The uncomfortable feeling gnawed at my stomach, twisting into tight, uneasy knots. I distracted myself by fidgeting with the key to Scootie Pie that I had in my pocket. Ren was smart enough to use my phone to text Mr. Carson the other night, saying that I was sick and was planning to go home early. At some point, although I wasn’t sure exactly how, he also returned the scooter to avoid anyone finding it at either the museum or his place.
Ren pulled into the parking lot and parked the car, but didn’t shut it off. Ellie’s ghost was outside waiting for me, peering into the establishment and practically salivating over the food she couldn’t eat. Though no actual drool fell, an eerie shimmer traced the edges of her mouth, as if her very essence was leaking with hunger.
“Um, do you want to come inside?” I asked Ren. The question rattled my nerves. I tried to kick him out of the shop when he was James Whitfield, yet now that I knew who he really was, I thought Vic would appreciate having a guest. Not to mention I actually wanted Ren around. He intrigued me just enough to make me curious, reckless even, but not enough to ignore the warning bells ringing in my head. The Syndicate was dangerous, and I had a feeling Ren could be too if he wanted to be.
Ren quirked a brow at me. “Do you actually do any work? Or are you one of those people who invites your friends over and pretends to work but goofs off all night?”
I couldn’t help the snort that escaped me. As if I had any friends who would want to hang out with me at a demon-owned establishment all evening. “Of course I work! But it’s usually pretty slow. Mr. Carson lets me tinker with some of my spell mixing until a delivery needs to go out. He’d probably welcome the company of another demon.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I have things to do.” He avoided looking at me, staring straight ahead out the windshield.
“It’ll give us some more time to talk?” I pleaded. “I’m sure there’s a lot more I need to know.”
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel for a good agonizing minute before he conceded. “Fine. But only for a few minutes.”
As we got out of the car, the sound of a drill from the auto shop across the street echoed sharply in the cool breeze. A group of college kids was hanging out in the park across the street. The warm scent of garlic was beckoning me inside and making my stomach growl. Ellie looked over at me, but said nothing.
“You hungry, Ren? I could eat—”
Just as I was reaching for the front door, a man in a green hoodie shoved me aside. My breath hitched in my throat as my eyes locked onto the figure before me—an athletic-looking man with slightly curled blond hair and radiant bright blue eyes. The world tilted on its axis as a jolt of shock coursed through me … I was staring at an exact mirror image of myself, clothes and all.
“Ren?” I squeaked, panic stealing my voice. My feet were frozen in place, refusing to move as my mind scrambled for answers.
