Curse and Whisper

by A J Gala

  To fit in with the performers, she wore a bright red cloak with purple leaf prints edged in silver along the bottom. Underneath was her secret weapon that would pry every last scrap of knowledge from Rhett’s lips—a silky shoulder-bearing violet dress. She checked herself for cleavage. Ample.

  People brushed past her, performers and likely other Hunters that were not part of Rhett’s new posse. The inn’s common room was full with celebration. A woman swaying her hips bumped into her, then softly grabbed her hand.

  “Pardon me, I’m so sorry!” Her pretty face was flush with too much alcohol. “Ooh, look at you! Where are you headed? Are you from a troupe?”

  Sinisia smiled in a way that forced a touch of pink to her cheeks, but it was more from shame than from the coyness she was hoping to fake.

  “I’m actually here to meet up with someone.” She hated being bashful. “He sent for me,” she giggled.

  “Must be important!” The woman’s laughter was crude and fun. “You seeing that fancy lord who’s holed up here? I can’t tell if he’s trying to keep it a secret or tell the whole world.”

  Jackpot.

  “Yes! How did you know?” Sinisia inspected her own black boots with the tall, thick heels. “Oh gods, I’m overdressed, aren’t I?”

  “I think you fit in rather well,” the woman said, gazing back at the others that were singing and dancing. She flipped her thick hair over her shoulder and down her back, hunkering in for something more serious. “But if you were sent for, to this place, it means you’re a whore. Yet you don’t look like a whore. So you and whoever sent you must be important.” She shrugged. “Just don’t make a mess of this place.”

  Somehow, Sinisia had run into the most perceptive person in the world. She fanned herself.

  “Just a whore,” she assured. “Do you know where he’s at? I had the room number written down, but I couldn’t read the handwriting—”

  “The Lion Suite. Third floor. You’ll know it when you see it.” The woman gestured up the staircase with her head, then squeezed Sinisia’s shoulder. “Try not to kill anybody, whoever you are.”

  Sinisia was ice cold as she watched the woman return to the festivities. She knew she should have turned back, but she had come this far already. It was time to follow through.

  The trek upstairs took an eternity. When she reached the second floor, the air was thick. She felt like she was in a whole different world. Something felt wrong.

  “Follow through.” She clenched her jaw.

  She followed the awful feeling in the air—it was the only way. It would take her exactly where she wanted to go. Where she needed to go, she corrected herself. She didn’t under any circumstances want to be there.

  Finally, on the third floor, the door at the end of the hall had no number on the outside, and it radiated with an aura she knew was daemonic. Holding in a breath, she rapped her knuckles on the door.

  Six times, two sets of three.

  When Rhett Hallenar opened it, she wanted to run, but she was frozen in his shadow. She had never known fear so often in her life, yet she wilted in his presence.

  His brow furrowed. “What the fuck?” It took only a second to recognize her, and then the memory of her coldly turning down his half-hearted peddling of information for the low price of a good time was fresh on his mind. He laughed. “Change your mind?”

  “Shut up and let me in.”

  The way he smirked as he ushered her in made her stomach turn. He shut the door behind them, then locked it. Immediately, she stared at the circle and nine-pointed star burnt into the floor.

  “What the hell is that?”

  “Nothing. I was cleaning up when you knocked. Don’t worry about it.”

  He stood tall with folded arms, waiting for her. She forced herself to look up at him, into his steel-blue eyes, but didn’t speak. She would make him initiate, or she would stay there waiting till she rotted away.

  He paid into the silence for a bit, then chewed his lip.

  “Why are you here?”

  “I want the information.”

  He sized her up, noticing her dress. “I take it you know what it’ll cost you.”

  “Yes, you fucking asshole, I know what it’s going to cost me. Just get it over with before I change my mind.”

  His laugh was loud, and he shook. “Before you change your mind? Let me ask you, Sinisia, what happens if I change my mind?”

  The truth was that he wasn’t so sure he wanted anyone to know anymore. People were unpredictable. He didn’t like the many ulterior motives on the table.

  “You change your mind, and I gut you like a fish.”

  “Well, then I guess I’d better not change my mind.” But there was amusement in his voice in place of fear.

  She grunted, unfastened her cloak, and threw it on the desk in the corner. “Alright. Now that we’re clear, let’s do this. Undo your belt.”

  “No.”

  The look of malice was in his eyes again.

  “No? Then how the fuck do you—”

  He glowered at her. “Strip, Sinisia. All of it.”

  “Absolutely not!” she spat. “There’s no need for it. Let’s keep this professional.”

  “Professional? How do I know you’re not here to gut me like a fish anyway? I don’t need you slipping a knife from your boot, or your dress, or wherever, and sticking it in my back. No clothes, nowhere to hide anything. So fucking strip.”

  Her face was hot with rage and shame, but she obliged, kicking off her boots first.

  Rhett turned away from her and stared down at his hands. He ran his thumbs along the hem of his tunic. His mind raced, trying to weigh the aftermath of what he was getting himself into. As long as the information stayed in his hands, it felt like House Hallenar’s fate was in his hands. It was up to him what happened. But once he turned it over…

  “You’re not even going to watch?” Sinisia sneered. “What a waste.”

  Finally, he slipped the garment off over his head and threw it to the floor. She stared up at him, clutching her wadded up violet dress, her eyes wide.

  “What?” The corner of his mouth twisted up, showing off one little dimple.

  “Gods fuck! I didn’t think you’d be—” she was breathless, “—you’d be cut like a diamond.”

  He looked away. “Working with Forbidden Magic is far more strenuous than people realize.” He still grinned, but it held no good intentions.

  Sinisia let out a breath. “Guess that makes this a little easier.”

  “I told you you’d enjoy yourself.”

  She threw the dress to the ground. “I said it’d be easier. Not enjoyable. What’s next?”

  “You’re determined to make this as awkward as possible, aren’t you?” Rhett sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, taking the sight of her in. She was so pale and small, with a couple scars on her belly and arms. Hard, toned muscle beneath her skin was the warning that she was not to be trifled with.

  “It’s business,” she said. “I’m not a whore. I’m not being paid to feed your ego while I spread my legs. I’m a Master of Dusk. I retrieve secrets. This is a different exchange.”

  “It’s not that different.” He picked up a half-full glass of wine on the nightstand and handed it to her. “Here. Loosen up.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You drink first.”

  “Gods, fine.” He took a sip. It had been out since the night before, but it was still rich and flavorful—he would buy nothing less. “A little stale but good. Not poison.”

  She came a little closer and took the glass, admiring him as she drank. His eyes were the coldest color of blue she’d ever seen. His hands were on her waist once she was within reach, and he drew her in close. His deliberate kisses on her stomach made her shiver.

  “You know,” she spoke into the glass, “something about this is off. It doesn’t make sense for you.” She glanced down at him, and there he was, looking up, penetrating her soul with his devilish eyes.

&n
bsp; “How so?” He breathed her in and kissed down her sides, biting down softly.

  “Motivated by sex? In my experience, only fucking halfwits would do something just to get laid. You’re too smart for this. Something is going on.”

  “Oh, come on.” His kisses trailed a little lower. He looked up at her again, and she cursed that Hallenar jawline. “Try to see the big picture, Sinisia.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Forget it.” He took the glass from her, took a gulp from it himself, and set it back down on the nightstand before tossing her on the bed. “It’s time for that business you keep talking about.”

  “You’d better be careful with me, you asshole.”

  “Yes, of course. I’ll be careful not to hurt the delicate little High Elf.”

  She raised her arm to slap him, but he caught it and pinned it down above her head. He leaned in and breathed into her ear.

  “That’s right. Put up a fight for me.”

  She could get out from under him in a second. She knew she could. She could’ve snapped his neck with her legs even, but she had to remember the goal. Get the information. It made her sick to fake the struggle, to feel him up against her, growing thick between her legs.

  But that face. And the glorious body attached to it.

  “The delicate little High Elf isn’t putting up much of a fight.”

  His smirk made her hot with anger. His grip on her arm was loose—he was giving her the opportunity to break free. She hadn’t.

  “Neither are you,” she growled.

  His hand ran the length of her thigh. His other hand drifted down from her arm and to her chest.

  “I’m not looking for a fight.” His grip was gentle.

  “All you do is take what you want. I know your kind.”

  “Try to see the big picture, Sinisia.”

  His kiss was so sudden and hungry, she would’ve gasped if she could have. The wine was still on his tongue, bitter and strong but sweet. He touched her everywhere, like he’d never touch anyone ever again after she left. He moved so fast, crushed her with his lips with every desperate kiss, she felt like she was being devoured.

  He slid himself inside of her, and she didn’t realize just how ready she’d been. She didn’t realize she’d been holding on, been returning his kisses, been making little noises of pleasure.

  It wasn’t supposed to be this intimate. It was supposed to be business. A quick fuck with her ass bent over the desk. Not something where his hands were tangled in her hair and her legs were wrapped around his waist.

  He grunted, desperate to reach a place he couldn’t get to. Faster, harder, he held onto her and dug his nails into her.

  “Slow down,” she breathed. “Fuck, it’s okay. Slow down.” She wiped the sweat from his brow.

  “Don’t—”

  “Let me.”

  In a second, she had used his weight to maneuver him onto his back, and his cold blue eyes were looking up at her as she caught her breath.

  “What is this?” she asked, shaking her head. “I don’t get it. What was this supposed to be for you?”

  “Stop asking!” It wasn’t sarcastic or biting like it had been earlier. He was angry. Maybe he was hurt. She didn’t know.

  But she didn’t stop. She was on top, gently rocking on him, working dutifully on an ending of her own. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. The way he gripped the sheets told her he wanted her to go faster, but he said nothing.

  “I’m right here, and you won’t even look at me.” She leaned down and whispered into his ear. “Are you going to keep telling me to see the big picture, Rhett?”

  “I think you get it now.”

  She kissed him and guided his hands to her waist, letting him hold on while she increased her pace. Soon, she was grabbing onto his shoulders, digging her nails in, hurrying to reach her euphoria. Her whole body quivered when it crashed into her, and he could take no more, gasping and moaning with his own climax.

  For one stupid minute, she was proud. She let him catch his breath before rolling off his body and back onto the bed.

  “The big picture is that you’re lonely as shit.”

  “I’m not lonely.”

  She felt dirty and couldn’t wait to get to the bathhouse down the street. And she vehemently ignored the part of her mind that told her the dirtier it was, the better.

  “No? Then what was that? That wasn’t business. That was personal.”

  He pushed himself upright and sat on the edge of the bed. He felt dirty too. “You’re a High Elf—you could sense what I do from a mile away if you wanted to. It took every shred of courage to simply walk into this room.”

  “Because I’m a High Elf. It’s in our blood. But you humans don’t have the innate senses of a damn carrot—”

  “Sure we do.” He rose. “People don’t always know it’s daemonic, but that never matters.” He stared into the vanity mirror. Through it. “But that’s what I pay for the power I have. And it’s a lot of fucking power.” He reached for the wine glass.

  Sinisia sat up. “Sometimes power isn’t everything.”

  He stared into the burgundy in his glass. “Sometimes.”

  “That means you’re lonely.”

  “It doesn’t. It’s a choice. Lonely isn’t something you choose.”

  “Fine. Let’s say you’re right.” She stood up with him and plucked the glass from his hand. “You wouldn’t be lonely if you could ever show a shred of decency to the people around you. But you choose to be an insufferable asshole.” After a long drink, she handed it back to him, quickly cleaned up with a rag, and started getting dressed.

  “You want me to just be nice to everyone?” He set the glass down. “To just give a piece of myself away to everyone? We all know what happens to people like that. They give until there’s nothing left.”

  “Niceness isn’t some kind of finite resource, Rhett!”

  “You say that, but kind people still wither up and die.”

  “Just the same as cruel people do!”

  “No.” It was on the tip of his tongue, something about his mother and how her love was what killed her in the end, but he bit down on it and swallowed the words.

  But the topic was doomed to come up anyway.

  “Surely your own fucking family deserved better,” Sinisia hissed, pulling the dress on over her head. “Are you going to tell me about that now, hm? That’s what I came for.”

  “You think Tizzy and—” he hated saying the other name, “—and my brother deserve my kindness?”

  “Yes. Get dressed and tell me why they don’t. Or stay naked. It’s all the same to me.”

  He dressed.

  “I shouldn’t tell you.” He picked up the glass again. “I shouldn’t have offered in the first place.”

  “Oh, pray to the gods, Rhett Hallenar, if you back out on me—”

  “I’m going to tell you! But I shouldn’t. And you shouldn’t tell your queen. The only allegiance you should have from this point on is to yourself. If this gets out, everything changes.”

  “Changes how?”

  He drank. “At first, I thought I didn’t give half-a-shit about how things would change. It wasn’t going to come back to me. I can leave Suradia and this whole life behind whenever I want.” He finally found the courage to look at himself in the mirror. At his father’s eyes. “But I don’t hate all of them. My mother would be ashamed of me if I caused the downfall of House Hallenar.”

  Sinisia almost laughed. “Your mother? That’s what you’re so worried about?”

  He downed the last of the wine. “Tizzy and Aleth are nightwalkers.”

  His words hit her in the chest. She didn’t know what to say. Anything she came up with was just a noise in her throat. The only thing running through her mind in that moment was being in the woods, in the hovel with Peyrs and the Hunters and Tizzy and Aleth… and then walking out. Walking right out without a second thought as to what she was missing. Walking right o
ut, so she didn’t have to watch Peyrs beat the kidnapped siblings.

  “Y-you’re lying.”

  “I know better than to lie to a Whisper Mage. You’ve probably got a spell ready in case I did lie. Think about how many people know my siblings’ faces. Then think about how many people don’t know who they are but know they’re nightwalkers.” He swallowed hard. “Two pieces of a puzzle. Lots of people have one or the other. But no one has both except you and me.”

  Sinisia couldn’t stop her hands from shaking. “What do you care if they’re nightwalkers?” The information scared her. “Why? Why do you care when what you do is—”

  “What I do is a choice!” he yelled. “I am in control of it! I do not use daemonic magic unless I decide to. But bloodkin are at the whims of their own hunger. My baby sister steps out of her room wearing a dress just the right shade of red, and Tizzy’s bloodlust could trigger, and the queen would be dead. They’re dangerous.”

  Sinisia shook her head. “No, that isn’t all of it. That can’t be. Why do you care? Why did you try to kill them?”

  “It’s what my mother would have wanted.”

  Sinisia’s laugh finally came out, and it was shrewd. “I don’t believe that for a second. A loving woman with eight children—”

  “And anyone who threatened them was mercilessly torn apart.”

  She wanted to laugh again, but he was serious. Her humor was quickly replaced with anxiety.

  “Where do you think I get my obsessions from? She consorted with daemons too.”

  “Oh my gods.”

  “I don’t know why the Hunters care so much about them, but now you know why I do. That’s all the information I’m giving you. I shouldn’t have given you that much.” He sat back down on the edge of the bed. “Are you going to tell Anavelia?”

  The queen of Saunterton was unpredictable, but Orin wasn’t. And that was what worried her. “I don’t know yet. I’d have to come up with a lie.”

  “Tell them I lured you in so I could plant a Malauris on you. Just say I lied when I had the information.”