by Jasmine Walt
“I can’t wave a magic wand around and see sparks or anything like that so I know it’s working, right?”
“That would be too easy.” He takes the grimoire from me and flips through it, stopping on a page with smeared ink and some sort of yellow stain over the words.
“A glamour spell.” He runs his finger along the messy ink, reading whatever is written in Latin. “This is considered basic magic.”
“Sounds like a good starting point. What do I need?”
He gets up and goes outside, returning in a few minutes with a handful of light gray stones from the yard. He sets them on the coffee table and then goes into the kitchen, rummaging around in the cabinets until he finds what we need.
“What am I doing?”
“You’re going to cast a glamour and make the rocks appear a different color.”
“I can do that?”
He smiles. “You can.”
“How does magic work?” I ask, watching him pour herbs into a bowl.
“Do you want the long answer, or the one that’s easy to understand?” He looks up, eyes meeting mine. A smile plays on his lips.
“Easy answer, please.”
“Magic is manipulating energy to do your will. Some people, like you, are born with the ability to work spells in your favor.”
“And spells…it’s more than rhyming words strung together, right?”
“Right. It’s much more.” He taps the grimoire. “Everything here has been carefully crafted. The right words paired with the right herbs, tested over and over to make sure it gets the same results.”
“So in theory, I could create my own spell.”
“Yes.” He looks back to the bowl and pushes it over to me. “You need to invoke the powers of the herbs.”
“How the fuck do I do that?”
Jacques laughs. “That’s one thing I can’t explain since I’ve never done it. Try to feel for it.” He takes my hands, sliding his fingers over my own. His touch is warm, welcome, and I don’t want him to let go. “When you feel it, imagine the rocks in whatever color you want. You’re not actually changing their color, just the way we see them.”
“And this is a basic spell? It’s complicated.”
Jacques circles his thumb over my pulse point. “You’ll get it, Ace. You’re smart.”
I nod and inch forward, looking at the bowl of herbs beneath my hands. “Okay. I’ll try.”
I hold my hands out over the bowl for so long my arms start to get tired. Nothing happens. Come on. I imagine the herbs glowing like they would in a movie. I inhale, and feel something tingling under my hands, similar to the feeling of static electricity.
I open my eyes and see little flecks of light shining from within the bowl of herbs.
“Can you see that?” I ask, not blinking.
“See what?”
“The lights.”
“No.” Jacques slides a stone in front of me. “Don’t tell me the color. Imagine and change it.”
Red. Turn red. I move my hands from the herbs to the stone, and feel the energy transfer.
“It’s pink,” Jacques says, turning his head. “Is that what you intended?”
“I was going for red.” My eyes widen and I poke at the stone in disbelief. Pink is basically watered-down red. The spell worked. Holy. Shit. “How long does it last?”
“On something like this, probably a day. On yourself, hours at best.”
“I can glamour myself?”
“You can. And others.”
I blink, trying to take it all in. “Can I try again?”
“Of course.”
I hold my hands over the herbs and repeat the process. The second stone is a deeper shade of pink.
“Thank you,” I say, tearing my eyes away from the stone.
“For what?”
“For helping me with magic and translating the book. You’re a good teacher.”
“I’ve always enjoyed teaching,” he says, picking up the book again, seeming almost flustered by the compliment.
“How do you know so many languages?” I ask.
“I was taught at a young age.”
“Who taught you?”
“My father. And then I was taught more at a monastery.”
“I took Japanese in high school and don’t remember any of it.”
Jacques looks at me. “That’s one I don’t know.”
“Is there anything in here about curses? Specifically how to break one?”
“Yes, but it’s vague.” He flips through the book, landing on a page that’s written in Latin. “This one is what I’d consider a generic spell. It rids negative energy attached to a person or object.”
“Would it work?”
“It’s not powerful enough to break this curse.”
“I still don’t really understand the curse,” I start, closing the grimoire. “You were all cursed together…but only you were involved with Braeya, right?”
He stiffens. “Right.”
“How were the others involved? Were you friends before?”
“No.”
“But you knew each other?”
“Yes.”
His one-word answers are already annoying me. I feel like I’m interviewing a difficult suspect. “So you were working together?”
“In a way, yes. Thomas and Gilbert were new to the Templar at that time. They were sent my way for disciplinary reasons.”
I laugh. “I’m not surprised.” I bring my legs up underneath me. “So…Braeya.” I have so many questions about her. She’s a stranger yet I feel like I know her, and I hate her as much as I feel bonded to her.
“What’s done is done.” Jacques stands and strides to the large floor-to-ceiling windows.
“I am so sick of this shit!” I stand up, grimoire falling from my lap. “I get it—talking about the past sucks. It hurts and brings up memories of things we’d like to forget. But not telling me about her isn’t doing you any favors. It’s not doing Thomas, or Gilbert, or Hasan any either. So go be a baby and pout like you usually do and leave it to me to figure this shit out on my own.” I pick up the grimoire. “I’m going to bed.”
Without giving him a chance to say anything else, I turn on my heel and stomp up the stairs, fully aware of how childish I’m acting when I’m accusing Jac of acting like one. But I’m so damn frustrated with him.
I go into my bedroom, setting the book down on the dresser with more force than necessary. Deep down, I know where my frustration is coming from. I opened up to Jacques, showed him a side of me I never let anyone see. Brought up things I haven’t spoken about in years.
I let him in. I trust him. I’m falling for him.
And he keeps the walls up so high around himself I can’t even see over them to get a glimpse of what’s on the other side.
“Goddammit,” I curse, and sink down onto my bed. Pushing people away before they have a chance to hurt me is a defense mechanism I’ve used before. Is Jacques feeling the same way? Maybe I can subtly leave a psych 101 documentary on during the day tomorrow. The guys are able to remember things they’ve heard when they’re in stone.
Feeling bad for yelling at Jacques, I get out of bed and strip out of my clothes with the intention of taking a shower and then going to find Jac. I pull my shirt over my head, and someone opens the door.
I whirl around. Looks like Jacques had the same idea.
“I’m sorry,” he says right away, and the blunt apology takes me aback.
“Me too.”
He’s staring right into my eyes, and just now notices that I don’t have a shirt on. “Do you want me to come back?”
“No,” I say, and pick up my bathrobe. Slipping it on, I sit on the bed and motion for Jacques to join me. “I’m sorry I called you a baby. You’re not. Obviously, since you’re like a thousand years old.”
He sits next to me. “Maybe I’m an old baby, then.”
I smile and lean back against the pillows. “You said it, not me.”
&
nbsp; Resituating his wings behind him, he looks out the window. “I did meet her before,” he starts. “We were sent to her village to educate the people on the word of God.”
“Let me guess, they weren’t happy about it?”
“No. It was the first of many problems, and at the time, I believed in the mission of the church and wanted to stop evil from spreading.” He brushes my hair back, tipping his head closer to mine. “Then, I believed anyone with magic was working with the devil.”
“Would you have sentenced me to death?”
“Yes.”
A chill runs through me, and Jacques slides his hand along my arm. “There was much I didn’t know, and it took being cursed to see it all.”
“That’s some silver lining, huh?”
“What’s a silver lining?”
“It means you find something good in something bad. I really don’t know why it’s called a silver lining, though.”
He nods. “I like that phrase. My silver lining was gaining the sight I never had. I went into the Templars with blind faith. I did things I’m not proud of in the name of God. I thought I was doing the right thing.” He looks away, and I wonder if this is hard for him to admit.
“If it makes you feel any better, most of what you all believed back then is bullshit anyway. The earth isn’t flat. The sun is a star in the center of our solar system, and mental illness is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain and not demons. And dumping your shit into the street—definitely not a good idea unless you’re trying to start a plague.”
I get a small smile out of him. The air conditioner kicks on, rattling throughout the large house and pumping out cold air. I shiver, and Jacques’s first reaction is to comfort me. His arm slips around my waist, and he pulls me in against his wings. They’re large, patterned with swirls and loops, velvety soft and warm.
“Is it annoying having wings?”
“Sometimes. Though I do enjoy being able to fly.”
“I think I would too. Though I’m scared of heights.”
He smiles again. “The fear lessens when you’re in control.”
Gently, I run my fingers along the inside of his wing. “I won’t be able to break the curse anytime soon, but maybe I can lessen it. Make it so you can stay inside or something. I wish I could keep you with me during the day, even if you’re in stone. I…I miss you guys,” I admit, and as soon as the words leave my mouth, they tug on my heart.
“I miss you too, Ace. We all do.” He pulls me closer and my heart lurches. Is he finally going to kiss me? “And I hate leaving you during the day. I want to be here with you all the time.”
My heart swells and I want so badly to break this curse. My life has been completely turned upside down, and the only thing keeping me grounded is having the guys with me. Knowing they’re here for me no matter what. I’ve never had anyone I could rely on like this before, and my feelings grow deeper for them every day.
If they could be with me during the day…if we could go out together…share more than just the night…
“I wish I could help you with everything else,” he says softly. “Not just with magic.” He runs his hand down my back, and the feeling of butterflies flutters in my stomach. “I’d like to make you dinner more often and take you on…on…I think it’s called a date.”
Smiling, I look up. “Yeah, that’s what it’s called. And a date would be nice. Really nice.” My eyes fall shut and I think of Jac looking human again, in dark jeans and a button-up shirt. We’re at a swanky restaurant—hell, I’m even wearing a low-cut, form-fitting dress—and we’re talking and laughing, sharing a bottle of wine, and getting excited over how delicious the food is.
We’re having fun. Not worrying about demons or magic or breaking a curse. We’re just enjoying each other’s company, carefree and fun. Together. Fuck, I want that so bad.
“What if I combined the glamour spell with a concealment charm?” I ask, finding the thin line of scar tissue on his side. “Maybe I could hide your wings. You could go out with me then.”
He considers it for a moment. “It’s worth a try.”
“I’ll start on it tomorrow.”
“I’m eager to be human again, but do not spread yourself too thin. It won’t be long before something senses the magic inside you and tries to take it for their own. You need to prepare. Focus on honing your powers for protection.”
“Right,” I say, thinking back to the warnings about the Dark Ones. “It won’t be long.”
8
“Ace.”
My eyes flutter open and I roll over. I’m snuggled up in Jacques’s embrace. I fell asleep in his arms last night, and I can tell by the soft light filtering in through the windows that dawn is fast approaching. My heart drops. I don’t want him to go.
“It’s almost sunrise.”
I sit up, seeing that Jac had covered us both up with the light blue comforter, and turn to look at him.
“You stayed with me all night?”
“I did.”
I’m smiling again, even though I’m trying not to. He’s been through so much yet is still so caring. “Thank you, Jac. That means a lot to me.”
“I didn’t want you to wake up alone in case you had a nightmare about your parents’ death.” His arm slips around me and he pulls me close. “You seemed peaceful.”
“I don’t remember my dream, so I’m going to go with yes.” I rest my head on his chest. “Having you here with me all night was nice.” I curl my leg up, hooking it over his. “It’s comforting.”
“It is,” he agrees, bending his neck down. His lips brush against my skin as he talks, and every nerve in my body awakens.
“I do feel a little bad you were stuck up here with me all night.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
I turn my head up, heart in my throat. “I want you to stay.”
“I wish I could.” He holds me tighter against him. “You’ll break the curse, Ace,” he adds softly, knowing what I’m thinking. He gently combs my hair back out of my face, looking into my eyes. It’s such a simple gesture, but the moment is intimate between us.
My heart is beating right along with his, and I want him to give in. To kiss me. To tell me he loves me.
“I was thinking about what you told me…about your parents,” he starts.
I swallow hard, reaching over Jac for the bottle of water I have on my nightstand and taking a drink. “And?”
“You said you didn’t hear anything at their time of death.”
“Right. I was asleep, so it makes sense. But you’d think I would have heard something. I’ve always been a light sleeper.” I recap the water bottle and stretch out my neck. “They were brutally attacked. That’s not…that’s not a quiet event.”
“No, it’s not.” I shiver, and if it wasn’t for Jacques holding me, I’d come undone. The memories are still vivid and the pain is still fresh.
“Your great aunt who left you this house…how was she related to your parents?”
“She was my mom’s aunt. My grandpa was her brother.”
“And you never saw anything that would make you think your mom had powers?”
I let my mind go back to my mother, to her beautiful green eyes, her soft hair that always fell in perfect curls around her shoulders.
“Nothing concrete. I mean, I thought she was magical just because she was my mom,” I admit with a smile. “I still miss her.”
“I’m sorry, Ace,” Jacques says softly. He brushes my hair back and rests his forehead against mine. Lips parting, I tip my head to his. My heart thumps, and I want so badly to kiss him. To lose myself to him and finally give in to the feelings we’ve both been denying.
“Your mother must have had powers. That alone is a reason demons attack. If she cast a protection spell the moment the demons entered the house, you wouldn’t hear anything.”
My eyes fall shut. “They attacked her because of the magic?”
“They could have, and i
t makes sense to me to be the reason. For centuries, demons have preyed on others with powers. Some are able to harvest the magic from within, and others simply don’t like anything else out there being as strong as they are.” Jacques cups my chin and turns my head up. “That’s enough for now. We’ll talk about it more tonight. And Ace?”
“Yeah?”
“We will find the demon who killed your parents. I will scour the earth and we will get your vengeance, ripping them limb from limb and making them die a slow, painful death.”
My eyes fill with tears. “That’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.”
Jacques’s lips curve into a smile. I shift my weight, turning my body in toward his. He leans close, and I can feel the heat radiating off of him. Fuck, I want him. All of him.
The front door opens and closes, echoing up the stairs and into my room. The others have gone outside. Jacques needs to as well. I have no idea what would happen if he didn’t return to his spot on the roof. He said it was part of the curse, and it’s a part I have to change.
I won’t let anything happen to the guys.
“I have to go,” he whispers, but doesn’t make a move to get up.
“I know.” I push up onto my knees, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He pulls me in close, crushing my breasts against his chest. I sweep one hand down over his torso, fingers hovering at the waistband of his pants.
This time, he doesn’t tense or move away. This time, he tips his head down, and kisses me.
His lips, soft and warm, mesh against mine. My heart leaps out of my chest and every nerve in my body comes alive. The world stops around us, and time freezes. It doesn’t matter that the sun is rising on the horizon.
All that matters is his lips on mine, and how kissing him is as natural as breathing. He further parts his lips, and his tongue pushes into my mouth. He slides his hand along my cheek, gently caressing my ear with his thumb.
I bring my hands up, fastening them around his neck, gripping his shoulders and bringing him closer to me until there is no space left in between. My heart beats along with his, and I know without a doubt I never want a day to go by without him kissing me.
“Ace,” he groans, and brings his hands down to my ass. Squeezing it, he moves me onto him so I’m straddling his lap. He brings his hands up my back, fingers pressing into my flesh. He kisses me again, hard and demanding.