The Curse

by Ts McKinney

  Alastair was going to kill me when he found out what I’d done. I thought about what he’d told me about the people who’d tried to enter the house. I’m pretty sure he’d used the word incinerated. Yeah, that wasn’t my thing. Of course, neither was getting blown through the air and over the side of the cliff. Been there. Done that. Not much fun.

  Finally, I reached the clearing and pulled the bike right up next to the porch. After cutting the engine, I got off and studied the house. Strange, it looked different than I remembered, not as neglected. Sure, one could still see that no one had lived there and made any home improvements in years, but it seemed…different. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but knew there were changes. The paint appeared brighter, and the windows were no longer covered with cobwebs. The steep gables were more erect and proud. The eyes of the gargoyles glittered dangerously.

  It would be nice to say I wasn’t afraid, but that would be a big fat lie of epic proportions. If I allowed it, my teeth would be chattering from fear. It was that word, “incinerated”. Boom. Head over ass if the spell blew me over the side of the cliff. I turned and looked in the direction of the cliff and chills raced down my spine. No, I wasn’t interested in doing that again.

  My fear was strong, but my pull to the house was even stronger. A voice whispered in the back of mind, pleading for me to come home. The sexy huskiness of that voice was my driving factor as I slowly raised my foot and gently placed it on the first step. I was holding my breath and waiting for the smell of burnt flesh. My eyes were closed.

  When nothing happened, I peeked one eye open. Nothing had changed. No spell had blown me to bits. Birds were still chirping in the background, and I could still hear the waves crashing against the rocks at the bottom of the cliff.

  This was my home, where I belonged. I bounded up the remaining steps and walked straight up to the door. Morgan’s fucking spell wasn’t going to keep me from what was mine. Mine. Corbin was mine. This house was mine. This life was mine.

  Anyway, I felt confident that Corbin was inside that house somewhere and he would protect me from any of Morgan’s bullshit. He had cast a spell to bring me home…and here I was. Morgan could go fuck herself.

  That was my last thought as I felt myself flying through the air as soon as my hand had wrapped around the ancient doorknob. I didn’t have time to scream or even curse the bitch. I didn’t have time to plead with Corbin to help. No, I flew through the air, slammed into a tree, and hit the ground with a thud.

  Then my entire world went black.

  His eyes, a beautiful combination of violet, amethyst, and bright blue, sparkled with anger as he gazed down at me. Oh, it was more than anger, anger I could deal with. It was the pain and betrayal that was making it impossible for me to draw in my next breath of air. Ever since I’d first met Corbin eight months ago, he’d looked at me with nothing but love and lust. He was always happy, always making me laugh. For the first time in my life, I’d felt special. For a boy who’d lived most of his life feeling inadequate, being special to someone was an aphrodisiac. I was addicted to Corbin Hargreaves, body, soul, and heart.

  “Please don’t be mad at me, Corbin. I…I don’t even know how it happened. Please forgive me,” I pleaded. Tears were already streaking my face. I’d known admitting my infidelity to Corbin would be difficult, but I’d always thought he would forgive me. I’d thought our love was strong enough to conquer everything.

  He’d told me so.

  “Don’t be mad at you?” He growled as he paced back and forth in front of me. “You don’t know how it happened? Give me a break, Nico! It happened when you took her to your bed! When…when you gave her a part of you that belonged to me. Only to me!” He yelled.

  We were in his front yard, but there wasn’t anyone around that might be able to hear us. Corbin relished his privacy. From the looks of things surrounding me, he’d planned a romantic evening to celebrate my twenty-fifth birthday. A dark canopy, the color of the sky at night, was nestled in our favorite spot next to the edge of the cliff. Inside that canopy sat a mattress and more pillows than a man should be interested in owning. Jar candles floated all around, casting a romantic glow on the seduction scene he’d set.

  The same seduction scene I’d ruined when I’d told him about the pregnancy. I couldn’t do it, though. I couldn’t allow him into my body for the first time without revealing the truth to him. I hated lies and secrets, even if secrets shrouded Corbin’s life due to his witchcraft. I would have felt like the biggest of liars if I hadn’t admitted the truth to him.

  “Please, Corbin,” I tried again. “You know how much I love you. You have to know this was a mistake!” It had been a terrible mistake. I didn’t even fucking remember most of the details of what happened between myself and the girl I called my intended as a way to thwart my father’s questions.

  His eyes narrowed in disgust. “Yes, I’m beginning to think this was a mistake. This!” he said as he motioned between the two of us. “Were you so fucking ashamed of your feelings for me, a man, that you had to sleep with a woman to prove to everyone that you aren’t homosexual?”

  That wasn’t fair. Corbin knew how I struggled with my feelings for him. He knew the things my father preached about, the things he said about people who had feelings like Corbin and I did. When a person heard that their entire lives, it was hard to just cast it aside without feelings of fear and misgivings.

  “That isn’t fair, Corbin,” I said softly. “You know I struggle with what I’ve been taught, but you also know how much I love you. I told you I needed time to come to terms with my desire for you.”

  I hated myself. I hated how weak I sounded. I hated that I allowed my father’s hate to damage my love for Corbin. Most of all, I hated the look on Corbin’s face. More than anger was dwelling there. He was finished with me. Contrary to what he’d promised, there was something I could do that would make him stop loving me. And I’d done it.

  Corbin snorted in disgust. “Yes, Nico, I know you needed time. You told me you needed time. I accepted that you needed time. I, unfortunately, thought time meant a few months, even a year, maybe. I had no idea it meant that you intended to start a life with another person. You’ll have to marry her, Nico. You can’t allow a child into this world without a father!”

  “I…I know, Corbin,” I whispered. “I guess I thought…I hoped that we could still be together. I, uh, hoped we could keep what we have now.” That wasn’t fair, and I knew it. I also knew I was desperate. I couldn’t live in this world without Corbin.

  He laughed. “What, Nico? You want me to be your dirty secret? You’ll sneak away from your wife and child when you can and meet me?” He stepped closer, putting us only inches apart. “What? You think you can run to me when you need a dick in your ass?” He laughed. “Oh, wait. You don’t let me put my dick in your ass, do you? Think that will make you too gay? Think again, Nico. It doesn’t work that way.”

  His words were angry. His eyes told a different story. His heart was breaking. I’d done this to him. I’d destroyed the love we’d shared.

  “Be gone when I return, Nico,” he said quietly. “Be gone and don’t come back. Not ever.”

  I watched, through tears, as he caused a large tree branch to break off and tumble toward the ground. He caught it before it hit and, within a blink of an eye, he was on the branch and flying through the air away from me.

  He took my heart with him.

  How could I have done this? How could I have betrayed him in such a way? Why? Had I gotten drunk? It was hard for me to even imagine that I’d been capable of performing with a woman, but I remembered that part of the encounter. There were flashes of images of us having sex, but, thankfully, most of the details eluded me.

  I stared at the spot in the sky where I’d last seen Corbin. He’d already disappeared. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I refused to accept that it was over between us. I’d find a way to win him back. My love for him was too grea
t…too powerful to walk away from. I’d give him some time, but I would be back. I had to come back. I would die without him.

  “Well. Well. Well.” A voice purred from behind me. “Someone has a fiery temper, don’t they?”

  I whirled around to find Morgan Goodheart standing there, a look of wicked delight masking her features. I didn’t know the woman, other than the fact that she was the high witch of the Salem coven and Corbin’s enemy. She shouldn’t be in Corbin’s territory, much less on his personal property. “You aren’t welcome here, witch. You should go before Corbin returns and finds you here. He’ll make you pay for entering his territory.”

  “My, my, it seems that Corbin has shared all sorts of information with his little whore, hasn’t it?” she said.

  She didn’t seem at all intimidated by my threat that Corbin would be angry for her trespassing in his coven’s territory. Actually, she looked quite pleased with herself. Unease tickled my senses, and I glanced around at the empty sky, wishing Corbin hadn’t left me.

  “Don’t bother looking around for your lover, Nico. I’ll know of his return long before you. I assure you that I’ve planned his destruction down to the very last detail. No room for mistakes when Corbin’s involved,” she said in a sing-song voice. “Did you know, Nico, that being with you has made him stronger? His powers have grown over the past months. Isn’t true love just beautiful?”

  Corbin’s destruction? Morgan wasn’t strong enough to destroy Corbin. No one was. Were they? My eyes searched the sky again, this time hoping he wouldn’t return. Whatever Morgan had planned for him, I didn’t want her to have the opportunity to pit her powers against his.

  “Why are you here, Morgan? You’re violating coven rules. You need to leave.” I didn’t know much about witchcraft, but I knew she didn’t belong here. I also knew that she should be powerless while in Corbin’s territory. Frowning, I realized she didn’t look powerless.

  I tried to sound brave but knew my voice sounded weak…like the pathetic human I was. For the hundredth time since meeting Corbin, I wished for some of his magical powers.

  “I’m here to take care of a problem.” She made a tsking sound and smiled at me. “Take a step toward me, Nico,” she purred.

  In my mind, I was telling her to fuck off. In reality, I obeyed and took the step she’d requested. I frowned, wondering why I could no longer control my own body.

  “Very good,” she complimented. “Yes, you’ve made our Corbin much stronger with your love, albeit your love has come with secrecy stipulations, hasn’t it? Did you know that you made him weaker with your betrayal? It’s that very weakness that opened the portal and allowed me to step inside.” She took a step backward and said, “Another step toward me, please.”

  I obeyed.

  “As his heart is breaking, he gets weaker and weaker. I suspected it would happen and, with a little nudge of magic, it looks like I’ve confirmed my suspicions. Another step, please.”

  “I had one of my witches cast a spell on you to make you have sex with her and to impregnate her with your child.” She laughed. “Oh, you didn’t know Abigail Hawthorne was a witch? She hides her true nature well, and so does her family. They’re all a part of our coven. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of the child—no need for you to worry about leaving a child behind with no father to protect it. I’ve decided to send Abigail and her family north to Easthampton to join a coven there, so a part of you will still exist. All the more to torment Corbin with.”

  She forced me to take another step and then another, putting me closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. I wasn’t sure when I realized what her plans were, but I suddenly knew she planned to make me kill myself. She was going to make me walk off the fucking cliff, and she was doing it so Corbin’s powers would be weakened in grief.

  “Two more steps, love. Come along. I don’t have all night,” she cooed and then laughed maliciously.

  “Don’t do this,” I pleaded softly. I wasn’t going to lie to myself, I didn’t want to die. My biggest pain, though, came from thinking that Morgan might actually succeed in her quest to destroy Corbin. I doubted that losing me would weaken his magical powers, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t worried.

  “Tsk. Tsk. Don’t be such a whiny little human. You made a high witch fall in love with you, so surely you have some strength inside of you somewhere. It’s time to pull on that strength now, poppet.” Her eyes drifted toward the sky and then back to me, her smile growing even wider. “Take that last step, Sweets. Corbin is coming. I want him to almost get to you…but not quite make it.” She giggled like a child. “I think it’ll hurt more that way, don’t you? I need it to really hurt him.”

  “He’ll see you. He’ll know you made me do this,” I hissed as I raised my foot into the air. I tried. I fucking tried so hard not to take that last step. I was scared. It would hurt. I didn’t want to leave Corbin. I needed to tell him again how much I loved him.

  I needed to hear him tell me that he loved me. I didn’t want to die with our last words having been so angry and bitter. He’d torture himself with telling me to never come back.

  “I’m invisible. He’ll only see his beloved walking over the cliff. Aww, here he comes. Last step, Nico. Goodbye.”

  I took the last step and plunged over the edge of the cliff. I screamed in shock as I tumbled through the air. I could see the water below, then the sky above. The rocks were coming toward me fast.

  I heard it, then. I heard Corbin’s scream of horror. He called my name, despair making him sound different. I’d never heard him sound anyway except confident, in love, and, a few moments before, angry. The fear and horror in his voice now made my heart explode in pain.

  With my twisting and turning, it wasn’t until the very last second that my eyes finally locked with Corbin’s. It was as if time froze for a split second. His face was streaked with tears. His hands reached for me, but I knew he wouldn’t…couldn’t…get to me in time. Seconds before I crashed into the rocks, fire flashed from his fingertips, exploding in heartbreak and fury.

  Then…nothing.

  It was pitch black when I opened my eyes. Twinkling stars hung in the sky, laughing at me in a mischievous way. I looked around and took stock of my injuries. None. Okay, maybe a mild headache. I was lucky. I’d flown probably fifty yards and slammed into a tree. Several branches were broken where I’d hit the thousand-year-old oak tree. I should be dead.

  But I wasn’t. What I was, was fucking pissed.

  Morgan was behind it all. It had been Morgan who had caused Nico to betray Corbin. And Corbin, wherever he was and whatever physical state he was in, had thought Nico killed himself following their argument. Morgan had been correct—Corbin had been weakened by his grief from losing Nico. On top of all that shit, those fucking rocks had hurt like a motherfucker.

  That bitch was so fucking dead.

  Angrily, I stood up and stomped my way back toward the house. Energy, stronger than I’d ever felt before, flowed through me. I could see a glow radiating from my body and my fingers sparked with power. Alastair was correct. I had no idea how to control my powers. I didn’t know how to call upon my inner witch, or cast spells, or protect myself. The only thing I knew was that I was fucking pissed and she wasn’t going to win.

  I stomped up the stairs and paused in front of the door that had zapped me into Never-Never land a while ago. Unskilled, however, didn’t mean I was completely without weapons.

  I pushed my hands in front of me and cast the only “spell” I knew.

  “You mother fucking bitch! It’s time to pay for your sins.”

  Fire flew from my fingertips, and the biggest part of the front wall exploded. Like an idiot, I closed my eyes and blocked my face with my hands. When the dust settled, the front doors were still standing tall and strong. The windows that had lined the front entrance stood firm. The walls surrounding the doors and windows, however, were blown to smithereens.

  “Take th
at, bitch,” I muttered as I walked through a portion where the wall used to be. Nothing happened, not even a twinge of pain.

  As I stepped into what used to be Corbin’s living room, I felt invincible.

  Three hours later, I was so frustrated that I wasn’t sure if I should cry, cuss, or build a blanket fort. I’d combed every inch of the magnificent fortress. I’d sensed Corbin in every room, every corner and crevice. I could fucking smell him, and I wasn’t even sure how I would know what his scent was. I even felt Nico’s presence, stronger than ever and residing deep inside of me.

  He was there…but he wasn’t. He was with me. But not entirely.

  See me. Corbin’s voice called inside my head. See me, Nico.

  “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” My head swiveled around the study. Everything was just as Corbin had left it that day. I walked over to his oversized desk and looked at the aged papers. There were handwritten spells that he’d been working on. There were notes from the last meeting the coven had held. I smiled. There were notes of Alastair’s training progress that his mother had given during the meeting. Next to the update, Corbin had written: “This one will be important.” Alastair would bask in that tidbit of info…if I could ever share it with him.

  “Where are you?” I whispered to the empty house.

  My favorite place. The voice answered plain as day in my head, nearly causing a yelp of surprise to tumble out of my mouth. My eyes darted around the room, certain he was there somewhere if I could just open my fucking eyes and see him. His favorite place. His favorite place. The problem was, I wasn’t Nico—not really. I didn’t know where his favorite place was.

  I paused. What would any man’s favorite place be? Well, any man before man-caves had been invented. The bedroom…where he fucked. I was probably way off base, but since my options were limited to, well, absolutely none, I decided to give it a try. I left the study and raced up the curved staircase, stumbling a couple of times in my haste.