by A. S. Oren
Paden runs a hand over his face.
Maverick groans into his trashcan. “What?”
I narrow my eyes as my gaze falls on Edgar. My hands curl into fists. "What did you do? How did you fuck up my bond with him? He would be here. He wouldn't have fucking walked away that night. What the fuck did you do, Edgar?" My head spins. I can't focus my stare on him as the urge to throw up comes back. I suppress it. Lighting sparks from my fingertips. "Tell me now!"
Amr steps over to me. "Calm down. There's no reason to use angel lightening here." He places his hand on my forearm, stopping the sparks.
Edgar clears his throat. "I wasn't the one that ruined your bond with Jericho. He was cursed, just like I was, on the day he came to live with us. That goo you remember was an anti-love potion. It was supposed to make it so that he would never love anyone, but his mother messed up on a single ingredient. Instead of makin' it so he couldn't love anyone, it made it so that his true love couldn't find him. So once it took effect, it must have reversed you bein' able to sense the Fold bond. He felt it instead. That's all I can figure."
All the rage drains away, leaving a tingling numbness in its place. I fall back onto the couch. Maverick reaches for my hand, and Paden comes to sit on my other side. Sandwiched between their warm bodies, I struggle to regain my bearings. "Everything could've been fine. Why would a mother curse her own child?" Then his words hit me in the chest. I stare at Edgar. "Why would she curse you?"
Amr moves a chair toward Edgar so he can sit. He sighs and rubs at his face. "Jericho's mother was once a powerful witch, given immortality by one of her many lovers, Lucifer. She had a Fold of sorts, of angels. Except they chose her. Lucifer, his brother, and another fallen angel—one that chose to come to this plane on his own."
Maverick grips my hand tighter. "Wait, does that mean Jericho is a hybrid, too, a half angel?"
Edgar shakes his head. "No, I know for a fact he isn't an angel."
Bullock steps forward; I had forgotten they, the tutors, are here. "How do you know for certain? If Angels were her lovers, then it's entirely possible."
He shakes his head. "No. It's not possible. I know because Jericho is my son."
I frown. His words not making sense to my ears. "What?" Paden, Maverick, and I say in unison.
He tugs on his ponytail. "It's a very long story. But in the end, bad things happened. She blamed Lucifer for it all, and to get revenge, she used me. I thought she actually loved me, but she was narcissistic and couldn't love anyone but herself. We lost touch. Years later, she came back, we conceived Jericho, and she disappeared again. Until your seventh birthday, when Jericho showed up. I went to her, she was gone, but she left a trap for me. One that cursed me so that I would only be allowed to love her for all eternity. If I ever fell in love with someone else, my life span would be cut in half. That's why I've been aging so fast for the last year."
Jakki wipes a stray tear away from his cheek and holds onto Amr. "You fell in love with Zaria." Amr reaches out a hand to Horace and pulls him close as well.
Only one thought can come to mind. "Does Jericho know you're his dad? Why have you never said anything?"
Edgar stares at his hands. "The day he came here, I saw his memories. She was horrible to him. Told him lies about me. It's no wonder the boy had such a bad stutter when he arrived. I took the memories away, but the scars still remained in his mind. Remember the nightmares he used to have? He would keep the boys up most of the night unless he got to sleep next to you in your dragon form. I think you soothed him somehow. To tell him I was his father would open up the wounds and brin' forth questions I couldn't answer without riskin' the warp I placed in his consciousness reversing itself."
I stare at the dark aura that surrounds his heart. "Isn't there anything I can do to cure you? Maybe the sea witch can help, or Lucifer?"
He shakes his head. "Agnita can't help me, or she won't. As for Lucifer, he only deals in souls. I'd be here again in five, ten, twenty years, but in a lot more pain. Nothing will stop this from happening eventually."
The urge to run rolls in my chest. "There has to be a way to cancel out both curses. Blood magic or something?"
He shrugs. "That may be true, but do you know where Jericho is? Because I don't."
I lean forward. "I could find out. I'm still connected to Minos. I can see through his eyes and find out where they are. It's been a while since either of us have entered each other’s minds, but I could do it. I think we've almost figured out a way to communicate in our dreams."
Paden clears his throat. "You haven't mentioned any of this to us."
I look to him. "You've known the link I have with him hasn't ever gone away, just like my dragon form still has angel wings instead of dragon. Don't act surprised."
He shakes his head. "I'm not talking about not knowing you two were connected. You've never said anything about being able to communicate with him before. Why?"
I shrug. "I never felt it was important before now. It's not like we can have conversations. I’ve never been able to get any clues from Minos about where they might be, so finding them would be near impossible without communication.”
Maverick sets his trashcan down on the floor. "You never talk about any of that, unless he shows up while we're having sex. That was becoming an issue."
Mirren snickers off to the side. I glare at him. "Grow up." I sigh. "That was only an issue because of the emotions. We've learned how to handle it. Trust me. I saw him at awkward times, and he had to stop. We're even. We're getting off track. I'll find a way to fix this through blood magic. He's her son, that has to help it somehow."
Edgar rubs at his face even more. "I just want to live out the rest of my life with Zaria, stress free and happy. I didn't want to have this conversation like this, but I plan on this bein' my last year running the camp. I was hoping you and the others could take it over after this. Carry the tradition on. This camp has been here for nearly thirty-seven years. I don't want it to die, but I understand if you don't want to continue it. It was my dream to have a camp of my own to train students."
I look to Paden and Maverick. "I can't speak for them, but I can't imagine my life without this place, this land and the camp. I'll stay to run it every summer." They both nod.
"Count us in," the guys say in unison.
Edgar smiles. “Good, that makes me happy. I’m glad you want it to continue.”
I'll find a way to cure him. He has to have decades left with Zaria; they deserve that after all the flirting and dancing they did to get to where they are now. At least she was persistent. But now, this curse wants to get in the way of their happiness. What kind of woman punishes a man this way, especially when she was just using him to get back at one of her other lovers?
Edgar sits forward and stands with a grunt. "I suppose I should show you the house I had built for you and where your training will be happening for the rest of the season."
I frown. "What about my classes with the young ones or the others. Jakki teaches the sophomores."
Maverick nods. "Paden and I have classes, too."
Edgar nods. "I'm well aware. Maverick, you aren't needed for their tutoring, so you are free to still teach your class. It won't take long for you to get from the new house to the camp if you take a Void. As for Jakki, I'm sure some kind of schedule can be made, or I can find a replacement for you?"
Jakki shakes his head. "That won't be necessary, sir. I can handle both. The classes and teaching Avvi and Amr earth magic." He winks at me. I know that's a sign he's going to want to girl chat about all of this.
Edgar looks to Horace. "Were you able to code the house for me?"
Horace nods. "Yes, sir. The house is up to date with all my security programs and will respond to command like any common P.A. today."
I cock my head to the side. "Did you have Horace make us a smart house, Ed?"
He shrugs. "You kids do love your technology, and I thought it would be a nice switch from my archaic house, as yo
u called it when you were younger. Plus, I'll feel more secure knowing the house is well protected from the eyes of Spearwood and the Governors."
I roll my eyes. "Ed, Spearwood hasn't been a threat since Rosemen ran off, and his family's reign of terror ended. It's nothing like it used to be."
He tugs at his ponytail. "You bunch could tell me it's changed until you're blue in the face. I'll never trust that place. C'mon, I want to show you your house before it gets too late. It's a bit of a ways to walk, so we'll take the bus."
I follow him. Numbness enters my mind at all that has transpired in the last hour. Jericho's part of my Fold; he's Edgar's son. Both have love curses on them, and Edgar is dying. I need to find a way to stop that. Trusting Jericho again would be a stretch for Paden, Maverick, and Dante. It would be a small stretch for me, too. A part of me has never stopped loving him. Some part of me had to have known he was one of mine. Otherwise, why did I feel so strongly about him and beg the Fates to make him a part of my Fold? Would I have had that feeling for just anyone?
We climb onto the bus. It may have been yellow at one point, but now only a silver metal frame makes up the outer appearance, along with small patches of rust.
Amr takes a seat next to me. "I'm proud of you for controlling your temper back there. I always knew Jericho was cursed. I could feel it in his touch. I just wish we could've figured out all of this sooner, for your sake."
His words don't bring as much comfort as I think he hopes they will. They only make me regret the past. Why didn't I try harder to connect with him, force him to hear? Why couldn't my love for him take the curse away and prove to him that we belong together, me with all of them? It's how it should be, or I wouldn't have had a Fold bigger than one person.
I pat his hand. "Thanks, bro. I appreciate the thought."
Forty minutes into the drive, the sun brushes the top of the treeline. In another hour, it will drop below the horizon. I hope we get there soon. I tune out the chatter from the guys, focus on the trail outside my window. I’ve never been down this one before; I’ll have to remember the path if I want to find my way back to the camp.
Amr nudges me. I look to him, and he points ahead of us out the windshield. The woods give way to a large piece of flat land covered in tall grass. At least five miles off in the distance stands a massive white house.
My eyes widen. Holy shit. He just bought the expansion of land two years ago. "You've got to be kidding me, Ed. When did you have the time to do that?"
He glances at me through the long rear-view mirror. "I hired a contractor to do it. The best of the best. I want to make sure it lasts you a long time."
I nod. "But why is it the size of a mansion?"
Maverick laughs. "Yeah, Ed."
Ed grins. “I wanted to make sure there was enough room for everyone. Including any future children you may have.
I lift an eyebrow. “Expecting me to have a lot of kids, Ed?” I glance back at Paden and Maverick. The bus rocks my body from side to side. “He’s deciding how many children we should have.”
Paden grins. “And yet he hates knowing we have sex. Ain’t that a bit hypocritical of you, Ed?”
Ed grumbles under his breath. "Damn kids, always bein' pains in my ass."
The bus pulls to a stop in front of the massive house. I gulp; my mind can't wrap around the fact he built this for us: my Fold, our future children, and me.
I've always known he loves us, but I never expected this. At least not on this grand of scale. I thought he might leave us his house one day but not build us a new one.
I glance at Maverick and Paden; the wide-eyed looks must mean they're thinking the same thing.
Sliding out of my seat, I exit the bus onto the grey cobblestone path that leads up to the house. Alternating pink and white roses line both sides of the walkway, filling the air with their sweet aroma. It reminds me of my second favourite place at Spearwood: the courtyard filled with giant roses of all kinds of colours.
Paden and Maverick each take one of my hands as we step up to the cotton-white house with dark green trim. Three levels show above the ground, and the left side of it hooks out to form an L shape.
I let out a breath; I don't know why I'm so nervous to enter a house that was built for me.
We ascend the steps together. Paden opens the door and allows me to enter first. Maverick and Paden come next with the others following behind. I guess they’ll be living here with us over the summer. A shiver runs down my spine at the thought of having to be in the same living space as Mirren. It'll be a miracle if we don't kill each other before returning to Spearwood for college.
A long, arched entryway greets us; a window sitting centre over the door illuminates the wooden floor. Their dark planks make a diamond within a diamond pattern every few inches.
Passing through the entryway reveals a grand staircase that begins on the left side of the room, then rises in a graceful curve to the right, over another arched doorway. A forest-green runner lines the steps in beautiful contrast to the dark wood.
I lead them through the doorway into a den. I want to see the first level of the house before exploring the other floors. Zaria must’ve had some input in decorating this place. There’s no way Edgar has this level of taste for woods and colour schemes.
"Wow, Ed, this is incredible. You and Zaria did an amazing job." I glance around at the den; a large flat screen hangs on the wall over a fireplace. A tan circular couch, much like the one back in the library of the Cabin, sits before it.
Edgar steps in front of us and grins. He tugs at his ponytail. "Thank you. You should've seen Zaria pickin' out all this stuff, she had a really great time. Watch this. TV On.”
The TV turns on. Oh, the boys are going to have fun with this place. They don't even have to turn the TV on themselves.
Maverick nods. "She should start a business decorating people's houses. She'd make a killing I bet." He flicks his chin at Paden. "Dude, video games are going to be awesome on this TV, look at the crystal clear picture!"
Paden grins. "I'm so going to kick your ass in Halo now."
Maverick shakes his head. "Sorry to break it to you, but only the picture quality is getting better. Not your gaming skills, Little Bro.”
Paden let's go of my hand to punch Maverick in the shoulder.
"You're going to invite me over to dinner sometimes, right? Because this kitchen is amazing!" Amr yells from the other room.
I let go of Maverick’s hand so he and Paden can rough house without dragging me into it. I would kick both their asses in a tickle fight, but I don't want to do that with the watchful eyes of the others.
Pushing open the dark brown swinging door to the kitchen, I grin and find Amr already taking inventory of all the pots and pans. I'm sure he'll want to cook something in this gigantic kitchen. Sun god knows I'll want to bake something. "You and your Fold will be living with us until I start having kids, right? I'm sure there's more than enough room for all of us here, and it gives us time to build you a house somewhere else on this land for your family."
He takes a small pan down from the silver rack hanging from the ceiling. "You really think I'll have a family one day, like with kids?"
I shrug. "It's not out of the realm of possibility. There's adoption, and they are working on that new potion for gay couples and Royals. You only have to be a girl for nine months then; once the baby comes out, you can have your balls back."
He laughs. "That's not even in the testing stages yet, and I don't know if I could give up my balls for nine months. I'm pretty attached to them."
Jakki strolls through the door with Horace behind him. He grins. "I'm pretty attached your balls too, Love. Never change them."
I shrug. "Maybe you'll have a girl in your Fold. There's no rule saying that we have to have Fold members of the same supernatural type."
Amr shrugs in return. "I don't know how I'd feel about a girl. I've never been with one."
Horace takes a seat in the kitchen nook deco
rated in light blues and yellow woods that match the rest of the kitchen. "There's a first time for everything, Meer."
Jakki bites his lip.
Amr doesn't know, at least I don't think he does, that Jakki wants to be a girl but hasn't been brave enough to take the potion. He's afraid of Amr rejecting him over it. I don't think he would. Amr doesn't seem like the type of person to do that to someone in his Fold, but I understand why Jakki's hesitant about coming out to him. The only reason I know is because Jakki talks even more when he's drunk and we’re painting each other’s nails. It's because of him I like to do more girly things than I ever have before.
The kitchen door swings open, again; Maverick holds it. "Lon, come see the upstairs!" He leaves before I can say anything. As I head for the door, I give Jakki's hand a light squeeze. He'll figure out what he needs to do one day.