Page 20 of Heart Shaped Wreckage
“That’s not how I would put it, but yeah. Water dilutes most magic and washes it away. Why?”
“The shower didn’t change anything.”
He looked at me with such care that I had to glance away. “No, it wouldn’t unless it was a spell to change your appearance. Even then, there are limits and rules, and it depends on… Hey, you must know something about magic if you knew that.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Maybe the magic you smelled on me was my own?” I smiled excitedly.
“Maybe? It was intermingled with something that I’m sure was not you. It was much older and… Maybe.” I noticed how he changed the subject.
“Intermingled with what? I think I should know, don’t you?” I pleaded.
“There are things in the universe that most people don’t really comprehend. They rarely show themselves to humans. But there are beings that have been alive before creation.”
“Are we getting religious. I do remember religion. God and the angels existed before anything.”
“God is one, and the angels are another. The devil and the demons, too. But there are others. Some say that there are a few older than even God. Beings that existed before the reality we know.”
“How can you smell magic?”
“You’re asking all the questions today.” He laughed. “I’m a shifter.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
“It does?”
“Yeah. As soon as I heard you say it, I knew it was true. I know about shifters. Your body is… It makes sense… your muscles… and things.” I could feel my face redden. All I could think about was the size of his everything. That cock was something special, and I might not know who I am, but I am definitely gay. “What kind of shifter are you?”
“Wolf,” he replied. “Come on.”
We started to walk over the bridge, and I stopped. “How can something be older than God?”
“If you are indeed magical, you might have once known. Not everything is understood by humans or even most of the magical kind. But some of us are… We know.” He said it with such finality that it brought up way too many more questions. But he pushed on my back and we made our way over the bridge. You could hear the trickling of the stream underneath as it made its way slowly down the small ravine.
“I feel like you’re not telling me everything.”
“I’m not.” He chuckled, and it made me feel annoyed.
“Oh… ok.” I stiffened.
“I just met you, Kevin. If you could remember who you are and everything about yourself, you would keep some things about yourself secret, too. Everyone does.”
“Are you annoyed at me? I’m sorry that I’m… me.”
“No. I’m not annoyed at you.” He chuckled. “Stop worrying. I’m helping you and we’ll keep trying, ok?”
I took a breath and looked at him. God, his eyes were so deep. “I think fate had me knock on your door, Heath. You’ve been so good to me. Thank you.”
“It’s… You’re welcome, Kevin.” His smile was electrifying. “Let’s see if Judy will see us.”
“She might not be home?” She was my last hope here in the village. I was tired of people saying they had never seen me before or looking at me with such pity. At least, Heath hadn’tdone that. He had treated me like someone he knew, even if he didn’t.
“No, she’s home. But she doesn’t like to answer her door. She hates visitors and rarely leaves her house. She’s… Well, I hope you’ll see.”
Heath raised his hand to knock on the door, and it slowly opened before his hand could make contact.
“Old one… You finally came to visit me.” The voice croaked from within the darkness. “Come in, and I think it's best to bring him with you.”
“You’ve known?” Heath muttered so quietly I could barely hear him.
