by Penn Cassidy
“Or maybe not fast enough,” Theo grumbled, finishing off his drink. The glass clinked hard on the table beside him. “She, more than anyone, should understand the complexities of the crossroads. If we treat her any differently, we’ll only make the transition harder on her.”
“Transition?” I asked, raising a brow. “You think she’ll choose to stay? That’s a bold assumption, even for you.”
We’d known exactly why Moria was at the crossroads from the moment she wandered in, covered in blood and as confused as a baby deer lost in the woods. It was Theodore who’d called her here the moment her soul began to detach from her mortal body…only, we hadn’t expected her to cling to life so tightly.
Every so often, we came across a soul that chose to fight. They existed in a small space in time between life and death and were forced to make a choice. For some, the choice was simple—they wanted to live. For others, like many of the denizens of the carnival, the choice was a way out.
I myself had taken the road less traveled and still hadn’t decided if I regretted it or not. Being a practitioner of the occult before my death, I was exceptionally attuned to the world of spirits and darkness. It was part of the reason I ranked so highly at the crossing and the reason Theodore trusted me the way he did. Our friendship had always been tentative, and I’d felt the strain of it tighten the moment Moria Laveau stood between us.
“She will,” Theo said with confidence I didn’t feel. I met his eyes from behind a wisp of cigar smoke. They were still black, rather than his usual glowing silver, telling me he was agitated. “There’s nothing for her back there.”
Back there…
Back in that hellhole she called a life. Back with that man, that cretin, who put his hands on her time and time again. He’d run her through with a kitchen knife of all things, the fucking coward. My hand curled into a fist, crumbling the cigar, ashes and all, into nothing.
“You want her to stay here,” I said. It wasn’t a question.
Theodore blinked at me, his face the portrait of stone—emotionless and unsettling. He couldn’t lie to me, though, and he knew it. I was perhaps the only one here who’d ever dared call him out. A part of me thought he enjoyed the pushback.
Running a palm over his chin, he said, “It doesn’t matter what I want. The choice is hers and hers alone.”
I snorted. “Bullshit. You want her to stay just as badly as I do, and you know you have the power to make it happen.”
A muscle in his jaw ticked. “Perhaps not quite as much as you do…”
My blood warmed at the insinuation. I’d known he was there that night, watching me fuck Moria. I’d felt him the moment he appeared in the wagon we’d given her. I’d kept fucking her regardless, feeling the envy rolling off of him. Yet he’d stayed, his eyes boring into her naked flesh as he imagined the ways he’d take her himself, if he only let it happen.
I laughed, wiping ash off my chest before sitting up, casting Theo a dry look. “You can lie to yourself all you want, but you cannot lie to me. I see the way you look at her. You want her.”
The room seemed to grow colder, and chills raced over my bare chest. It happened sometimes when Theo was feeling particularly emotional, but he didn’t scare me. Everyone else at the Carnival of Bones might cower at the sight of the dreaded Met Kalfou, but I refused.
When he didn’t speak, I said, “No matter. Any man would be a fool not to want her—”
“I am not a man,” he snapped, cutting me off. His low voice was like a rumble of thunder, nothing human in it at all. “Do not push me on this, Bael.”
It was a warning. A weak one at best, but I recognized it for what it was.
“Then tell me, Kalfou,” I said with annoying emphasis, “are you ever planning on telling Moria about her grandmother? Or do you honestly enjoy watching her suffer?”
Theo glared. “I don't owe her anything, least of all an explanation for why I do what I do. Annette came to me, not the other way around.”
With a snort, I simply shook my head. “She’ll never forgive you when she finds out. And I won’t blame her.”
“Since when do you care so damn much?” Theo snapped, losing a small tether to his temper. “Don’t tell me one night between her thighs has suddenly made you a changed man.”
Though he tried to disguise it as indifference, I knew he was envious. In all my years at the crossroads, I’d never once seen him indulge in physical pleasure. There were plenty of prospects here to choose from. And I myself had given in one or two times, but Theodore appeared to be above it all.
With Moria, something was different. He was fixated on her in a way I didn’t know was possible for such an ancient spirit. The deal he’d made with Annette Laveau would come back to haunt him though, and he knew it.
“That’s what I thought,” he muttered, as if he’d won some kind of standoff between us. “Keep your mouth shut, Bael. I have this under control.”
“Right,” I said dryly. Then I grinned and stood. “Well then, what do you say we pay a visit to our blue girl and see if we can’t convince her to leave that room. You’re right—the grey faces are growing restless.”
I could almost feel his eyes roll, but they were dark like marbles, so I couldn’t tell. He stood with me and nodded once before disappearing in a blink.
I cast Lafayette a bemused look, to which he only stretched out his long limbs and went back to sleep, ignoring us entirely. Then, feeling anticipation at seeing her again, I followed.
STAY TUNED FOR BOOK TWO
‘Carousel of Souls’
About the Author
Penn lives in California as a full time self published author. She's a fan of horror movies, myths and legends, Halloween, cats and romance that pushes the limits. She writes primarily New Adult Fiction, Reverse Harem and Dark Romance Fiction with a sprinkle of taboo. You can find Penn on Facebook for updates and information on new releases, pre orders and events.
Okay, so enough talking about myself in the 3rd person like a weirdo... A little about me... I write PNR, dark, taboo, sometimes triggering Reverse Harem and Menage romance. I have an unhealthy addiction to Tiktok. I enjoy short walks to the fridge, staying indoors and having conversations with my cats, but you can also find me in the Taco Bell drive-thru or taking a nap on my couch. Feel free to stalk me on social media, links below!
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Other books by Penn Cassidy
Diabolic: https://books2read.com/u/mgELrx
Noc City: https://books2read.com/u/mZrPPe
Blood Moon: https://books2read.com/u/bWGzzG
Hybrid Theory: https://books2read.com/u/mq1ZZe
Complete Trilogy: https://books2read.com/u/bOJAAE
Hardback: My Book
Dead End: https://books2read.com/u/47OZZq
Throne of Crimson: https://books2read.com/u/4A5YYe