Damned and Cursed (Book 2): Witch's Kurse

by Bullion, Glenn

  A mere week ago Leese and he were walking through the streets of Athens. Neither one of them knew Greek, and they didn't stay long, but it was amazing. He created the portal in his bedroom, and they held hands as they stepped through to the other side of the world. If he could go anywhere in the world using a simple photograph, he'd gladly put up with not having a car.

  He stood and stretched his arms over his head. He was in a good mood. Not even a bratty nine-year-old with an unknown vendetta could bring him down. His coat was stretched across the breakfast bar. He emptied the pockets and checked the inventory. Many vials lined the inside, some old favorites as well as new ones. He carried a few loose items that weren't potions. A simple bottle of water, packets of sugar, a pair of reading glasses, a pocket light, a marker for standard portals. The potions he carried would hurt his brain if he thought about them too hard. Invisibility, memory loss, a potion that could create weather, his potion that made distance portals, a newly-created truth serum. He also carried a small stack of photographs with portals already drawn on them, a quick escape. He only needed a picture, the right potion, and a surface to draw a portal on.

  There were times magic was overwhelming. But it was never dull.

  He shifted some potions around in different pockets, for easier access. A witch always needed to be prepared.

  "Hey, sexy Kevin."

  The voice came out of nowhere, and he jumped in surprise. Kevin still wasn't used to where he now kept his magical rock, around his neck. In the past, he wore the stone as a ring. The logic behind the move was simple. Making it a necklace freed up his hands, and the fact that the stone still touched his skin protected him from projectiles. It also acted as a powerful cell phone, one that didn't need towers or batteries.

  Magic was nice.

  "Leese," he said. "Be careful calling me like this. You never know who's around."

  "Well, if you didn't get rid of your cell phone, I wouldn't have to call on your rock. And I'd be able to text you cool little pictures. Check your email."

  He walked to the couch and picked up Tiffany's tablet, where she'd carelessly tossed it the night before. One new email waited for him, from Leese. It was a self-portrait, taken in her bedroom dresser mirror. She wore only a white bra and turquoise panties. In her hand she held up a piece of paper with her delicate handwriting.

  Can I come over and play?

  Kevin had never printed an email faster in his life.

  He grabbed the picture from Jack's printer and pulled the appropriate potion from his coat. Moistening his finger with the potion, he drew a portal on the wall behind Leese in the picture. He drew one more portal on the wall in the kitchen.

  He didn't know how magic worked, and he'd stopped trying to figure it out. How did a picture along with some grocery store items create a tunnel in space? He didn't know, but looking at the picture Leese sent, he was just glad it worked.

  He completed the magic by placing the picture in the center of his hastily drawn circle. The portal came into being, taking the picture with it. He always kept a supply of important photos, especially his own bedroom and Leese's apartment.

  Leese sat on the edge of her bed with her legs crossed, waiting patiently. She wore blue jeans and a tee shirt, perhaps her best look. Leese didn't have to put much effort into looking her best.

  "Aww," Kevin said. "You're not wearing what you had on in the picture."

  "I might be underneath. You never know." She rose from the bed. "It made you draw that magic portal fast, didn't it?"

  "I think my hand broke from the speed," he said, smiling. He stepped aside. "Come on over."

  Leese crossed her bedroom and stepped through the portal. She tripped as her foot hit the bottom, and she fell into his arms. Kevin caught her and held her close. She'd obviously done it on purpose, but he wouldn't complain.

  "Oops. I slipped."

  "Good thing I was here to catch you."

  Still holding onto her, he closed the portal behind them. They shared a quick kiss. Kevin rubbed her lower back as she kept her arms around his neck.

  He was the luckiest witch alive.

  They hadn't talked in two days. Leese spent the previous day with Cindy, her sister-in-law. They went shopping for clothes, something Kevin was more than happy to pass on.

  "I missed you," Leese said. She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him close. "I keep thinking about the other night. That was fun."

  Kevin cheeks grew hot. "Yeah, it was."

  They kissed again, and nearly upgraded the kiss when Leese opened her eyes and looked around, frowning.

  "Uh, where the hell are we?"

  He laughed and pulled away, gesturing with his hand.

  "This is Jack's house. I'm house-sitting for him, and keeping an eye on Tiffany."

  "Jack? Psycho Jack? Seriously?"

  "Yeah."

  She noticed the TV, couch, breakfast bar, large kitchen.

  "Wow. This isn't what I would have thought. It's so…."

  "Normal, I know. Freaked me out, too. I thought there'd be chains and whips hanging everywhere."

  "Where's Tiffany?"

  "She went to a friend's house after school, and I get the feeling she'll go over as many friends' houses as she can."

  "What do you mean?"

  "She's a little brat. Seems to hate me."

  "Really? I didn't get that when I met her."

  "Well, it's definitely that way now."

  "That's a good thing. Less competition for me." Leese smiled. "How is Jack? He can sleep now. Is he still—?"

  "He's still Jack."

  Leese nodded in understanding. Oscar, Kevin's black cat, jumped on the breakfast bar. He walked over Kevin's coat and mewed to get Leese's attention. She scratched the back of his ears and examined the various vials and items.

  "I can take a wild guess as to what you've been doing."

  "You know me," he said. "Just shifting some things around." He held up a finger. "Oh, something new did come to me. Right after our little…thing."

  The smile stretched across her face. "I inspired magic?"

  "Check it out."

  Kevin led her to the stove. He stuck his finger in a mixture that was simmering over a burner. Leese winced, but Kevin didn't. The heat didn't affect him at all. The liquid turned from white to blue, then back to white. He poured a small amount in the palm of his hand and quickly went to the breakfast bar. He rubbed his hand on the coat.

  Nothing happened.

  "Wow. That's really something."

  "Hold on, now. We're not done yet."

  Grabbing a pair of scissors, he cut a straight line in his coat. Leese gasped and slapped her palms to her cheeks. Not stopping there, Kevin cut random gashes, ruining it.

  "Kevin…Victoria told me how expensive that coat was. It was custom-made, just for you."

  "Wait for it."

  Leese watched in amazement as the coat healed. The gashes and slices knitted together, leaving no trace that a blade even touched it.

  "Whoa. That's pretty cool."

  "Yeah. Just pour some on your clothes, and you don't have to worry about them getting torn anymore."

  Anger flashed through Leese's eyes. Kevin had seen that look before, and took a step back.

  "Wait a minute, you were actually upset that I ripped your shirt?"

  "What? No! No way."

  "Then why did you come up with a potion that fixes clothes?"

  "I didn't come up with it. It just popped in my head. This is for helping Victoria with a case, or whatever. If I'm out there saving the world, I don't have to worry about my clothes getting ruined."

  Leese put her hands on her hips. She wasn't convinced. Kevin tried not to smile. She was irritated, but just looked so hot. He called on all his witch strength to keep his eyes focused on hers. He wasn't sure how the evening would go if he let his gaze drop.

  "I swear, Leese. You can rip all the shirts off me you want."

  She sighed, and he could see her
relaxing.

  "It's not as fun if we get all hot and heavy, start tearing at clothes, and they start sewing themselves."

  "I won't put it on everything. I'll keep some real shirts aside, just for us."

  She finally laughed. "You're a goofball." She clapped her hands together and did a sexy little dance. "Okay, I work late tomorrow, but I've got all night tonight. What are we doing? Should we get a movie? Go for a walk? Order something to eat?" Her eyes lit up. "Hey, when is Tiffany coming back?"

  Kevin checked the time. "After dinner at her friend's house. So maybe another hour."

  "We can have sex on Jack's bed!"

  He laughed at the ridiculous thought. His amusement turned to apprehension when he saw the look in her eye.

  "You're serious—"

  "Do you know how many times we can do it in an hour?"

  "Uh, Leese, Jack said we can't have sex on his bed."

  She frowned in confusion. "Really? He actually said that?"

  "Yeah. He was real specific—"

  "Well, he isn't here, is he? And Tiffany's gone."

  Leese took a step toward him, the look on her face revealing her intention. Kevin wasn't sure what amazed him more, the fact that Leese wanted to have sex on Jack's bed, or that he was taking a step backward.

  The last case Kevin worked on involving Jack, he'd killed fifteen men in Victoria's mansion. He'd made a game out of it, trying to see if he could kill everyone without making a mess. That was the kind of man Jack was.

  The scary part was he actually succeeded.

  Leese wanted to have sex on his bed.

  She took another step forward. Kevin backed up, bumping into the kitchen counter behind him. She laughed and brushed hair from her eyes.

  "Ooh. You're so cute when you play hard to get."

  "This isn't playing, Leese. This is Jack we're talking about."

  "Don't worry, he likes you."

  "No, he doesn't."

  "Well, I won't tell him if you don't. We'll be real quiet. The neighbors won't even know. I'll just whisper and moan in your ear."

  Kevin glanced down and took a deep breath. Leese was making it very hard to say no. He needed to stall for time.

  "Let me put everything back in my coat."

  "Nope. Magic time's over. Forget your potions and play with me."

  Leese was upon him. She pinned him against the counter and pressed her hips against his. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed his hands and placed them on her breasts.

  "We should be past nervous by now, Kevin."

  She wiggled against him and forced his mouth open with her tongue. His hands moved on their own, and Leese moaned in his mouth. She grabbed at the bottom of his shirt. A sudden surge of bravery ran through him.

  What could Jack possibly do to him?

  The courage left as quickly as it came, and he caught both her hands in his.

  "Leese—"

  A noise rang out across the room. Kevin recognized it as an incoming Skype call. They crossed the living room and picked up the tablet from the couch.

  Jack's face glared back at the two of them.

  "Glinda. Blondie."

  "Hey, Jack."

  "Where's Tiffany? Put her on."

  Leese shook her head. "Nice to see you, too."

  Jack wasn't amused. "I'll say it a second time. Where's Tiffany?"

  Kevin blinked in surprise. Jack was obviously in a bad mood, more than usual.

  "She's not here. She's over her friend Melissa's house, eating dinner over there."

  He nearly snarled. "Alright. Tell her to call me before bed…wait a second." His stare traveled between both of them. "You two want to screw, don't you?"

  Kevin and Leese glanced at each other, their jaws dropping. They spoke over each other.

  "That's none of your damn business."

  "No! We aren't doing anything."

  Jack held up a hand. "Quiet. The top of the washing machine is probably cold. Just put a towel over it."

  He ended the call. Leese wrinkled her nose and looked at Kevin.

  "What the hell does that mean?"

  "He told me…never mind."

  "Okay, well, let's continue."

  She pulled his shirt off in one motion. He was so startled he didn't have the chance to stop her. She gave him a light push, sending him over the arm of the couch, landing on his back. She pulled her shirt over her head, exposing that white bra and gorgeous upper body. His mind drifted to the photograph, to the turquoise panties, and Jack was forgotten for a moment.

  Leese climbed on top of him. His mind was running away, but his body was staying exactly where it was. The skin to skin contact drove him crazy. She flipped her hair back and kissed him deeply. Kevin didn't resist, instead wrapping his arms around her. Leese, pleased with the direction the night was heading, reached for the snap on his jeans.

  Only then did sense return to Kevin.

  "Leese, hold on," he managed to say. "Jack specifically said not the couch."

  She unzipped his jeans.

  "Come on, Kevin," she said, impatience in her tone. "Let's live a little dangerously."

  Kevin frowned in amusement. He wasn't far removed from having a hand in saving the world, along with Alex, Victoria, and Jack. He thought he'd earned a break from dangerous living.

  Still, Leese made excellent points, especially when she left kisses across his chest and stomach.

  The front door opened.

  Kevin and Leese both shouted in surprise. She pressed herself to him and turned her back to the door. He held her close, trying to keep her breasts hidden. Any other time, the closeness and heat would have been thrilling.

  Tiffany scowled at both of them as she closed the door.

  "I remember you," she said. "You're…Alicia, right? You're Alex's sister."

  Leese spoke over her shoulder without turning around, her face turning red. She gave a polite backwards wave.

  "Uh, yup. That's me. But you can just call me Leese. That's what my friends call me."

  "Why are your shirts on the floor?"

  "They…were dirty."

  Despite the humiliating and potentially life-threatening situation, Kevin nearly laughed. He lowered his head to hide the smile.

  "The washing machine and dryer is downstairs," Tiffany said. She headed for the stairs.

  "I thought you were eating dinner over your friend's," Kevin said.

  "Melissa's mom has a date, so she didn't want me eating dinner over there."

  Kevin could hear the sadness in her voice, and actually felt bad for her.

  "I'll cook something. What do you want to eat?"

  "I'm not hungry."

  She stopped at the top of the stairs when she saw Oscar sitting on the breakfast bar. The cat stared at her with his green eyes, never blinking.

  "Awww!" Tiffany said. "Did Dad get me a cat?"

  "Nope. His name's Oscar, and he's actually my cat—"

  Kevin's sentence was interrupted by Oscar sprinting across the living room. He ran up the stairs and stopped at Tiffany's feet, rubbing against her leg. Tiffany gingerly petted him, and Kevin could hear his companion purring from the couch. Oscar vanished up the stairs, and Kevin knew he was turning into Tiffany's room.

  "Bye, Leese," Tiffany said. "It's nice to see you again."

  Five seconds later they heard Tiffany's bedroom door closing. Kevin and Leese were alone once again.

  "So much for witch's best friend," he muttered.

  Leese playfully slapped a hand on his shoulder.

  "So? Movie?"

  Kevin smiled and nodded. "Movie it is."

  CHAPTER 16

  Jack stood in the doorway to the bar, studying the environment. Ten mortals, six men and four women. Two of the mortal men tended the bar. A lone man bordering on alcoholism sat alone, watching the nightly news. A young couple, on date number three, played a game of pool. Judging by the longing looks, and the way she posed during a shot, Jack figured the man had a good chance at scorin
g some time in the bedroom.

  The bar itself was actually nice, much to his surprise. Whoever put it together had excellent taste. It reminded him of something out of the mid-twentieth century. Old, but with some modern touches, such as the televisions. There were only a few booths; it wasn't exactly a restaurant type setting. It was booze first, dining second, which was a shift away from how things worked in modern times. There seemed to be very few places a mortal could go with the simple goal of getting drunk.

  The love mortals had for alcohol and being inebriated was the main reason Jack avoided bars. Mortals were difficult to tolerate as it was. Adding alcohol to the mix only made matters worse. A drunk mortal once put his arm around Jack on New Year's Eve. That mortal rang in the new year in the hospital.

  Jack found himself nodding in approval as he stepped inside. He could imagine himself in the corner in the dark, far away from everyone, relaxing with a glass of water. If only the place had an actual jukebox, and not one of those insulting digital ones, the place would be perfect.

  The two men tending bar were young, mid-twenties. One of them was a new hire, not looking comfortable at all. The other had experience, and flirted with two women as he served drinks. Jack recognized the type immediately. Affable, charming, always trying to put a smile on someone's face. Always seeking to win the popularity contest.

  Jack sat at the bar, equidistant from mortals on both sides. The experienced bartender finished collecting a tip, along with a phone number, from the women and winked at Jack as he approached.

  "Evening, friend," he said. "Whatcha buying?"

  "Information. Did Erica Hernandez work here?"

  The young man's face fell. He looked to his partner, who inched a little closer while tending to the alcoholic.

  "Look, friend. We've already had the police here, and every reporter in town. Every time we think we're starting to put that whole mess behind us, another of you fuckers show up. Why don't you just move on along, find something else to do?"

  Jack looked down at the bar, trying to control himself. He was already in a bad mood. Tiffany wasn't available to talk to him, and he missed her. Instead he had to look at Glinda and his blond girlfriend's flush faces.