Cursed Hearts (A Crossroads Novel)

by Light

  “…Hello?” he breathed.

  His eyes flared gold, peering into the darkness. There was nothing. He was staring at nothing, and yet it felt like something was staring back.

  If this was magic, he wasn’t sure he wanted any part of it.

  The sound of shattering glass cut through the air. There was no denying that it had come from Kaleb’s room. Rome threw back the sheets, trying not to run as he bolted for the door. His hands were shaking so badly he could barely turn the knob, and he fumbled with it for a moment before stumbling hurriedly into the hall. The way he was knocking gently on Kaleb’s door suggested that he was almost afraid to be heard.

  “Kaleb?” he called, his voice just an octave too high. “What the hell is going on…?” A light flickered down the corridor, and his breath caught in his lungs. Kaleb still hadn’t responded, and a horrible fear that something was wrong overtook him. He busted the lock, swinging the door wide.

  What he was seeing was beyond belief.

  Objects hovered around the room, some shooting about hazardously. Icicles clung to the edges of the furniture and the windowsill. And at the end of his bed, the most startling thing of all – the figure of a man, looming over him in his sleep. It was nothing more than an outline, a shadow darker than the darkness itself. And in the time it took Rome to blink, it was gone.

  Kaleb was thrashing around frantically in his sleep, whimpering and covered in a cold layer of sweat. Rome could hear the pleading sounds turning into sobs, and as the sobs grew louder, he knew they were going to transform into terrified, unrestrained screams. He took a timid step into the room, dodging a textbook as it soared at his face.

  “Wake up,” he said, taking another step towards him. The door slammed closed at his back and he jumped, scrambling onto Kaleb’s mattress as though it promised safety. Kaleb kicked him and he grabbed his wrists, holding him down and trying to prevent him from hurting himself. All he got for the trouble was three stinging scratches across his cheek. The harder he held him down, the harder Kaleb tried to fight. And just as he’d predicted, he was wailing now in his sleep—blood-curdling, unintelligible screams.

  “God damn it,” he said, fighting with his flailing limbs. “Wake up!”

  Kaleb’s eyes shot open and the contents of his room went crashing to the ground. The lamp from his other nightstand smashed against the edge of the bed, shattering on impact and leaving sharp shards of glass and ceramic all over the comforter and floor. He was gasping for breath, staring unblinkingly at the ceiling. Rome had practically climbed on top of him, and Kaleb was barely registering that he was even there. He was still in that place, with that man, running through the woods as the darkness tried to swallow him whole. It was half nightmare, half memory, and it felt entirely real.

  “How did I fall asleep?” he murmured, sweeping trembling fingers up into his hairline. He hadn’t had a night terror in years, mostly due to the fact that he rarely slept – a habit inspired by something else that was part terror, part true. He cleared his throat stiffly, blinking back tears.

  Rome exhaled, collapsing on his back beside him. “Are you alright?” he asked, rolling his head to the side. Frightened blue eyes greeted him, gazing back just inches from his own. He could feel Kaleb’s breath moving across his skin, but he couldn’t move.

  He was too scared to look anywhere else.

  Kaleb closed his eyes, turning away from Rome. The skin on his face was tight from crying, and he couldn’t quell the shaking in his limbs. He slammed a fist against the mattress in a futile attempt to make himself feel better. It didn’t help. It couldn’t stop the tears, or take back the fact that Rome had just seen him as frightened and helpless as a child. Nothing would. In Kaleb’s mind, from this moment on, their relationship had changed. Rome wasn’t looking at him anymore. He wasn’t seeing the person he pretended to be. He was looking beneath that, to the weak, pathetic waif he really was.

  “…Leave,” he rasped.

  Rome rolled onto his side, staring at him in concern.

  “Are you okay?” he repeated.

  “I’ll be fine, once you get-out-of-my-room!”

  Rome made a frightened little sound. He didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want to go anywhere alone. The sensation that he was being watched had faded, but that hadn’t eased his fear or paranoia any. Who knew what he’d find if he went back to his dorm? His mind was weaving twisted images.

  “No,” he whispered. “There was something—someone—looming over your bed. And do you see your room? It looks like a cyclone hit it. That was messed up, and I just think we should stick together.”

  A low creak sounded from out in the hall.

  Kaleb sat up, frowning at the door and watching the gentle motion of a shadow underneath its lip. He moved to get out of bed and Rome grabbed his arm, hauling him back.

  “Don’t,” he said fearfully.

  Kaleb rolled his eyes at him.

  “There’s nothing to be afraid of.” He wished he sounded surer of himself. He wrenched his arm out of Rome’s grasp and strode over to the door, standing in front of it patiently and scowling as another slow creak drifted under the crack. Kaleb reached for the handle, curling his fingers around it just as three, booming knocks rang out. They were so loud and so sudden, he jerked away. He ripped the door open a moment later, but there was nothing on the other side. Kaleb blinked into the darkness, turning a confused look to Rome.

  “There’s no one here…” he said.

  “Are you alone?” a harsh voice whispered.

  Kaleb turned slowly back to the doorway, leaning out and searching for the source of the voice. It was coming from every distant corner, echoing throughout the hall; far away and yet so close it felt like velvet against his skin. It was touchable, tastable, heavy – heavy like the beat of his heart.

  “Come out,” he demanded. A shadow raced at him from across the hall, and Kaleb went flying onto his back as an invisible force collided with him. The door slammed shut, rattling wildly on its hinges as though someone were pounding on the other side. Whispering and quick bursts of movement circled him, and suddenly he felt like he was right back in that nightmare, running from some nameless, faceless evil.

  “Rome,” he pleaded, eyes darting around. He was looking for something to fight—something to claw into and hit and bite—something he could make bleed. “Rome!” he whispered more insistently.

  Rome grabbed him by the collar, pulling him up from the floor and scurrying back onto the bed. They stood in the center of the mattress, staring around the room as a complete absence of sound overtook them. The door had stopped rattling, and the quick shifting of air had ceased.

  Everything was unnaturally still.

  The temperature in the room suddenly went through the floor. It was so cold that Rome’s lungs were burning, and a visible vapor from his breath was filling the air. Neither of them spoke. Neither of them moved a muscle.

  “Okay,” Rome whispered, shifting on the springy mattress. “On the count of three, we make for the door.” He took a breath, ignoring the look on Kaleb’s face. It clearly said he disliked this plan. “One… two…”

  A shrill scratching noise erupted from underneath the bed, and Kaleb practically leapt into Rome’s arms. They clung to each other, hearts beating out of their chests as it grew louder.

  “Run for the door,” Rome breathed.

  Kaleb shook his head fervently no.

  Rome ripped him towards the door anyways, even as he fought against him. But when they reached it, the door wouldn’t budge. Hadn’t he broken the lock already? “What the fuck!” he howled. He gave it one last harsh tug, and the handle broke off in his fingers. Rome went stumbling back onto his ass, staring at the knob as Kaleb proceeded to freak out.

  Kaleb slapped his hands against the solid wood repeatedly. He was almost ready to start screaming for help. A low growling made him spin on his heels. Rome was gone, and in his place stood a pitch black beast. The fur along its spine was spike
d out, standing on end. Its ears were pressed flat to its skull, deadly teeth bared and spittle flying off its gums and dripping thickly onto the floor. He was crouched low to the ground, snarling at the empty corner across the room. Something had thrown him into an agitated state, and whatever it was, Kaleb was happy he didn’t know.

  A deep sound resonated from his throat, and Rome hedged towards the corner menacingly. His mother’s voice played at the back his mind, a blanket of safety in this moment of fear. He could remember her telling him that animals had heightened senses—that they could see things, things beyond what most would think was empty air. He’d never really thought about what that meant. He wasn’t sure he’d ever really believed her, if he was being honest. It wasn’t until now that the words seemed undeniable. It wasn’t until now that he wondered what she must have seen to know something like that.

  The spectral figure of an old man stood in the far corner of Kaleb’s room. His attire was worn and aged, and his face—Rome recognized him. He remembered those sunken eyes, that fine, silvery hair. He growled savagely, snapping his teeth at what he knew he couldn’t harm. The man tipped his head in reply, keeping his eyes locked in Rome’s wild gaze. A smirk crept over his features, and he turned to point out the window with one long, bony finger.

  “Everything,” he rasped, “comes at a price.”

  His voice was thin, yet it pierced Rome’s ears like jagged metal.

  Kaleb watched Rome whimper, staggering backwards and slipping against the smooth floor. He started clawing at the bottom of the door like he was digging for a bone, scratching frantically at the wood with sharp claws. They were never going to get out that way. Kaleb whipped back towards the door and rammed his shoulder into it, sending himself and the large hunk of wood crashing to the ground. Rome leapt over him, and for a moment, he thought he was going to leave him there alone. In his mind, nothing could have been worse. That was until Rome’s mouth snapped down towards the flesh of his shoulder. He was going to eat him. He was going to be ripped to shreds. To his surprise, Rome latched onto the fabric of his jacket instead, desperately trying to tug him along. Kaleb clambered to his feet, shaking him off, and they went flying down the hall together. Rome was slipping around and jumping down flights of stairs at a time, crashing into walls as he went. Kaleb was practically doing the same, forcing his legs to keep up.

  Rome led them through a dark corridor on the ground floor, running towards the exit on the east side of the building. He was heading for the parking lot, and more importantly, his car. It hadn’t registered to him yet that his keys were still three floors up, in his room, resting on his nightstand. It didn’t matter. He wasn’t going back. He bolted through the parking lot in a mass of black fur, jumping over the large bush in front of his car. He shifted back in mid-air, rolling as he hit the grass. This was the first time that he’d ever changed out of fear. Anger was usually the emotion he had to keep in check.

  “Oh my fucking god!” Rome yelled.

  That hadn’t just happened. It hadn’t. It didn’t matter what he tried to tell himself though, he knew what he’d seen. There was no way to rationalize it or sweep it under the rug. That had really happened, and now he was standing in the cold night air, alive, but completely naked.

  “There are some clothes in my trunk,” he whispered, clutching both hands over himself and looking away. There was nothing more than a plant between him and Kaleb now, and that instilled a fear all its own. It was followed by the paranoid worry that someone could have seen him, or that they still might. Kaleb was suddenly tossing him a pair of sweat pants, and Rome frowned down at the thin grey fabric.

  “Wait… how did you get into my car?”

  He stumbled into his pants and walked over to find his passenger door ripped open, lock broken and metal dented. He’d been so far in his own mind he hadn’t even heard him do that.

  “What the hell?”

  “Did you want me to break the window instead?” Kaleb said brusquely. “Can we just hurry up and get in?”

  Rome nodded.

  “Shit, your back,” he said. “It’s covered in glass.” He could smell that Kaleb was bleeding. The sharp pieces had penetrated through his clothing. “How hard did you hit the floor? Never mind that, take your jacket off. We have to get the glass out of your skin.” Kaleb tipped his chin up at him in a singular nod and Rome realized he wasn’t the only one bleeding and covered in glass. “Fuck. There’s a first aid kit in the back. Grab it, and get me a shirt.”

  The sprinklers sputtered to life and the two of them nearly jumped out of their skin. They spared each other a look, and then Kaleb was wiggling out of his jacket and shaking it out in the grass.

  “Stop,” Rome demanded. “It’s going to be hard enough trying to get the glass out, I don’t need you digging it in deeper.”

  “Whatever, it doesn’t even hurt.” Rome gave him a stern look and then told him to take his shirt off, carefully. Kaleb smirked. “You didn’t have to go to all this trouble just to get me shirtless,” he quipped.

  His voice lacked its usual luster.

  “Just sit,” Rome said, crouching down between the cars. He swallowed harshly around the enticing smell of Kaleb’s blood. It was running down his back, making Rome’s muscles twitch and his mouth salivate. He only managed to pull out a few pieces before his stomach growled. He had to fight the urge to lick over Kaleb’s wounds. He just wasn’t sure if it was to help heal him, or to quell his own hunger. Probably both, he thought. But either way, it was a bad idea. He needed a distraction. Rome didn’t know it, but the hot touch of his fingers on Kaleb’s back was Kaleb’s distraction. It was the only thing keeping him from feeling like he was completely losing it.

  “I fucking hate this place,” Kaleb breathed.

  “You and me both. I draw the line at murderous ghosts.”

  “I hope you realize this is your fault,” Kaleb accused.

  “My fault? How is any of this my fault?”

  “Something followed us from that cemetery.”

  “Nothing followed us. I’ve been going to that place for years. Plus,” Rome said, holding his breath. “Okay, maybe it’s possible that it’s a little bit my fault, but it didn’t follow me from the graveyard. It was him. It was that guy from the museum.”

  Kaleb looked at him over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes.

  “The one who told you about the curse?”

  “Yeah,” he nodded. “He said everything comes at a price.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Kaleb said, wincing as Rome removed another piece of glass. He wasn’t sure why he was letting him do this. All he needed to do was feed and the glass would push itself out. He could always heal on his own, too.

  “That’s not all he said,” Rome whispered. “He was angry, I could feel it. He told me you were supposed to be alone. He specifically used the words, cursed to be left in the cold.” He shivered just thinking about it.

  “If I’m cursed because of you,” Kaleb said, turning to meet his eyes, “I’m going to kill you.”

  “If you are cursed, it’s not because of me. I just don’t get it. Back in the museum, that guy… he was solid, real. But tonight it seemed like he was struggling to muster enough energy just to do what he did. And why would he be standing over your bed? Why was he haunting you, if he followed me?” Concentrating on this was helping distract Rome from the need to clamp his jaw over Kaleb’s skin, but only barely. “He said all the wands were cursed, all six families. But that would mean Dallas was cursed, and if you ask me, that guy does not look cursed. I’m just sayin’.” Rome wiped up the blood staining Kaleb’s back with the shirt he’d given him and started working at the glass in his own skin. It left a sickening feeling in his stomach. He hadn’t done something like this in nearly a year. “You’re eerily quiet,” he said. “You got anything to add to this conversation, or am I just talking to myself?”

  “I’m tired,” Kaleb remarked. “I hate feeling tired.” He brushed a
hand over his forehead. “It must be him. I’ve been feeling him, before tonight. Like there was someone following me around – an unsettling presence, always watching or whispering just outside of my perception. It’s exhausting me. I haven’t felt this tired since—” He exhaled forcefully.

  “Go lay down in the car,” he said. “And try not to get any blood on the upholstery, alright?” It was really just a joke. His car was already a wreck. What harm would a little vampire blood do? Not much. Not anything noticeable, at least. Other than he might start drooling whenever he got behind the wheel.

  “No,” Kaleb said.

  His voice was so soft Rome had to strain to hear him.

  “I don’t want to lie down. I don’t want to close my eyes, and I don’t want to go to fucking sleep. I just want to run, or drive. I want to put as much distance between me and here as possible, and I don’t want to look back.” He was barely breathing as he spoke. It fit with how he felt – barely alive. “I’m never closing my eyes again,” he whispered.

  Rome clenched his jaw, starting to feel that familiar dull, aching sensation in his bones. “You can’t not sleep,” he said, straining to get the words out. He cried out in pain a second later, curling over on his hands and knees as the pavement bit into his skin.

  Kaleb touched Rome gently on the shoulder.

  “What’s going on?” he asked. “What’s happening?”

  “It’s normal. I just need to—I might…”

  Kaleb fumbled to catch Rome as his body went limp. He was alive, but he was out cold. “…Nothing about any of this is normal,” he sighed.