Double shield.
I tug on the blanket until it slides out of his fingers. “Nuh uh, I don’t think so, buddy. What’s this non-option?”
No longer hidden, Max groans. “I thought you promised no head shrinking.”
“No poking around in your brain,” I say. “But you can’t bring up a horrible non-option and expect me not to ask.”
“Don’t you have a shift coming up soon?”
To humor him, I glance at my phone. “I got time for this. So, come on. Tell me so I can talk you out of it and head to work with some peace of mind. After all, I did save your ass.”
Jeremy snorts behind his hand. “She’s right, man. Case punched a bounty hunter for you. Look at her knuckles. They’re a wreck.”
Max rolls his eyes as Kia chuckles.
“It’s only fair to tell her,” the mermaid says, starting to hum. “She’s part of our paranormal family now. No secrets.”
I wriggle, still not comfortable with talking about my own magic so freely. But I take a page from Max’s book and go with confidence I don’t feel. “That’s right. I’ve got weirdo, unexplained powers too. So I’m part of the club now. You owe me whatever secrets everybody else gets.”
Max puts on an exaggerated shocked face, brows lifted, eyes wide and all. “No way! You finally admitted it?” He pokes Kia’s shoulder. “You owe me $20 bucks.”
“If I pay you right now, will you stop changing the subject?” Kia asks.
Max attempts to turn a glare on her, grumbling about cheating, then lets out a sigh. “Add five bucks to it and you’ve got a deal.”
Kia fishes a neatly folded wad of cash out of her pocket and slips two bills into Max’s hand. “Now spill.”
“Pleasure doing business with you.” Stuffing the money into his own pocket, Max lets out an exaggerated sigh. “The non-option is me giving myself up. If she’s got me...” His voice fades and his eyes drop. He clears his throat and tries again. “If she’s gets me, everybody else’ll be safe.”
A funny noise comes from Jeremy, a sound like choking, and Max flinches. Another layer of color ebbs out of his skin when he tries to prop himself up on an elbow. He sinks back onto the couch. More sweat crops up along his forehead and he reaches out to nudge the other boy’s arm.
“It’s not the same thing, man.”
“Sure it is.” Jeremy twists that thread again. “I’m putting everybody in danger here too.”
“Nah, man, if your dad gets you he gets more power. Somehow. Clearly bad for everybody, but if I die...” Max lifts his shoulders, then lets them drop. “Doesn’t matter much.”
Reaching out, I gently untangle Jeremy’s now bloody finger. “Ash and Kia are right. It’s a non-option for both of you. Your lives are worth protecting, and I think I speak for everybody when I say we’ll do everything in our power to keep you safe.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kia nod, and I smile. “So please, put any idea of running out of your minds. If either of you try to disappear, I’ll lock you both up. Iron locks will keep Max and Jeremy sealed, right?”
A grin breaks out across Kia’s face. “Max wouldn’t even be able to get into the pipes.”
“Okay then.” I point from Max to Jeremy. “Y’all hear that? I’ll put you under house arrest if I have to. Got it?”
AS ASH AND I GET READY to start our respective shifts, Elaxi pulls me aside just outside the kitchen. “I’d like to talk about delving more deeply into your magic, love. As I said, I need to do a little more research. Perhaps on your next day off we could meet?”
I’d try to work up a smile, but after my morning, I don’t have the capacity. If I want to have any positivity for customers, I’m going to have to leave some in reserve. “Ash and I are doing a little research tomorrow, but we have the whole day off. So, as long as nothing insane happens, maybe the evening could work?”
“Excellent.” Elaxi grins. “In the meantime, I could start some pre-research. If you wouldn’t mind allowing me a hair sample?”
I lift my brows. “Sounds very scientific.”
“Science and magic are more closely related than you might imagine,” Elaxi says as I tangle my fingers into my ponytail and pull out a few strands. “They’re inextricably intertwined.”
“Welp, here you go.” I press the fine curls into her palm. “Knock yourself out.”
Elaxi presses her hand gently into the top of mine. “Thank you, Case. And trust me, I will do whatever I can to find you answers.”
11.
THE NEXT DAY, BEFORE Ash and I use our day off to hunt for answers about Jeremy, I run back to my apartment. My jog slows to a walk and then to a trudge the closer I get to the fence. I don’t feel much like adulting right now, but I’ve got to talk to the front office about the tiny issue of a massive hole in my ceiling.
Rays of heat brutalize my shoulders, intensifying the stress growing steadily in my chest as I near the building where, two days ago, a trio of mutant vampire-chupa-whatever-whatevers tried to turn me into their midnight snack.
My cell vibrates in my pocket.
I pause and slide it out, but shove it right back where it came from when my mom’s name pops up. You’d think she’d get the hint that I’m ignoring her. It’s childish, but I’m still not ready to communicate with her, much less meet.
Gritting my teeth, I stomp the rest of the way to the front office, driving my frustration into the concrete with each step. What on earth could she possibly want from me? Especially after our last “meeting” went so badly. Ms. Jan used the word “brawl” to describe that interaction, and I couldn’t disagree.
My conversation with the front office and insurance people distracts me fairly well from this drama. On top of that, it doesn’t leave me entirely defeated. Explaining exactly how the hole got there takes some pretty smooth maneuvering. However, they accept the freak accident story about a rogue tree branch which they miraculously discovered in my living room the day before.
Ash and Kia probably have something to do with that, and maybe Detective Ito.
Finished with the office, I go by my apartment to snag some food before it develops an intelligence, and becomes the new tenant of number 908. Sweat breaks out across my palms when I put the key in the lock and fear amps my pulse. I stare at the doorknob, fingers shaking, those tremors threatening to run down my legs and along the concrete.
Come on, Ryan. There are no mutant chupires in there. Ash turned them to hamburger meat.
Grinding my back teeth together, I shove the door open. As my manager said, a large branch lies across the rubble in the center of the room. I call it a branch. Really it must’ve had another life as a General Sherman tree. Bark and pine needles gather in the corners and a bird takes flight off of my couch into the deep blue sky above.
Forcing myself to breathe slowly, I fill a cooler with soon-to-go-bad chicken, cheese, and cans of sparkling water, then tie off my trash bag to dispose of at the restaurant. Every creak of wood, every sigh of the building’s structure sparks cold fear in my muscles. Images of fanged creatures leaping in through that hole crowd my brain and by the time I leave, my vision swims, my bones shake.
Under an orange-red sunrise, I power-walk to The Mercury Room, teeth clenched together. I drag my trash to the dumpster in the back. Chucking it toward the opening, I initially miss and curse my bad aim. Two more throws go as wide as the first. By the time I actually hit my target, sweat soaks my tank top and mats my hair to my face.
Swearing, I kick the dumpster like a child mid-temper tantrum. On the roof, a bird tweets all happy and twittery and stupid. Choking on thick humidity, I kick the blue metal again. Then again. Then again. It echoes in the quiet morning, hollow and empty and shuddering. Pain shatters up from the ball of my foot and through my calf. I hop, cursing.
“Case?”
Fear crashes into my chest. I jump and turn on Ash, so jarred I lose the battle to keep my voice down and calm and the earth rumbles under me. “What the actual hell, man? I thought
you said you were going to stop lurking in the shadows. Or is that impossible for a vampire?”
Terror chatters inside me so hard I can’t get control back. I hear myself shout at Ash, know that I’m glaring at him, but I don’t feel it, not really. None of it feels like me. None of it sounds like me. It can’t be me. I’d never lose it like that. Not in public. Not at a guy I like.
Ash’s brow buckles, but he doesn’t say anything, not even as the ground quakes faintly under our feet again.
Fury quaking through me, I throw my hands into the air. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not crazy and I’m not losing it and I don’t need help. Just because I might be cursed with destructive magic and went back to my wreck of an apartment where I almost died doesn’t mean I’m going to snap. I’m not. I’m not. I’m fine...I’m...”
Nausea runs up my throat. I drop back into my body, doubled over, hands on my knees, retching, gasping, heaving. As gentle as before, Ash takes my shoulders, careful not to bump the claw marks on my skin. He holds me until it ends, then pulls me into his arms. I sob into his chest. My entire body shakes and I grip his t-shirt.
Still silent, Ash rubs the space between my shoulder blades. So strong and yet so soft. The repetition calms, focuses me. Nothing can break through here. Not those stupid mutant chupas, not my maybe curse.
It sounds straight up stupid, but mid-hysterics you cling to any buoy in order to float back to sanity.
When the sobs peter out and turn into hiccups, I sniff and let a long breath through pursed lips. “Sorry I yelled. Guess going back to my apartment bothered me more than I thought it would.”
“Sorry for sneaking up on you again.” He kisses my forehead.
I sigh at the sweet gesture. “Ninja-cabra.”
Ash huffs a laugh through his nose. “Max is starting to rub off on you.”
“Not sure how I feel about that.”
“I think you’re rubbing off on him too. Just left him and Jeremy talking about some band I’m apparently not cool enough to have heard of.”
Relieved, I run a forearm under my nose. “Thank goodness. It’s a start. Glad he’s feeling better.” A coolish breeze swirls across our bare skin and I slide my arms around Ash’s waist. His back muscles tighten and the spikes along his spine stand up slightly, poking my clasped hands. “Sorry. Gotta hang on to something and you’re pretty darn steady, buddy.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Ash’s voice comes out somewhat thin, leaving all the typical rumble behind in his chest. “Hang on as long as you need. We all gotta break down sometimes. I’m around if you ever need to curse anybody out. Though next time you should go after the punching bag, might not hurt your foot as much.”
I snort. “Wise man.”
We stand there a few minutes longer before Ash tilts back a little. “Still feeling up to our little road trip?”
“Please.” I wipe my cheeks. “Let’s go talk to that contact of yours.”
THE BUILDINGS IN THE Montrose area defy the “respectability” of the surrounding neighborhoods. Murals climb wildly colored brick walls, bright rainbows liven up pedestrian crossings, and a massive multicolored funnel tunnel draws both residents and tourists to Hyde Park. Home to artists, some young professionals, and a heck of a lot of hipsters, it’s one of the most diverse neighborhoods in an already very diverse city.
Ash pulls into a parking space next to a local pizza joint and spins his keys around a finger with a mischievous grin. “Fair warning, Finn’s a little...quirky. Like, even more so than Elaxi.”
“Your friends come with a lot of warnings.” I giggle, climbing out of the car to the smell of melted cheese and steaming pepperoni. My stomach growls as my mouth waters. We may have to stop here before driving back to The Mercury Room. “Define quirky.”
Ash leads the way toward a yellow painted house. “You’ll see.”
“Dude, if it’s enough that you have to give me a disclaimer, I’m going to need some details.” I give him a shove with an elbow.
Chuckling, Ash climbs the cement porch steps, and knocks on the door. “He’s...twitchy.”
“Twitchy?”
“Fae who don’t grow up in this realm sometimes are.”
My eyes nearly pop out of my head. “Fae? Realm? What—”
The door swings open and I jump back a step as a shaggy-haired twenty-something leans out into the open, dark eyes flicking back and forth down the sidewalk. If not for this jittering energy, I probably would’ve mistaken him for your typical Montrose stoner.
After a few darting glances, he eases sideways, waving for us to come inside. Though he never fully focuses on us, I feel like he’s constantly aware of our every move, every micro-expression.
“What can I do for you, Ash?” he asks, his words coming out at a rapid pace. “In need of another history lesson? Hmm? Or some not so mythical mythology? Tricky spells to open doors?”
“Rumors and whispers, Finn,” Ash says.
Finn flutters his fingers around his head. “Whispers, whispers. I have those. Always have those.”
We follow him down a narrow hallway and into a small, dimly lit living room. Blackout curtains cover the windows so the only light comes from bare bulbs hanging in the four corners. Finn gestures for us to sit on a bulky green couch at the center of the room, while he perches atop a wicker stool on the other side of the trunk acting as a coffee table.
Again, he flutters his fingers, this time in my direction. “But before the secrets and rumors, who’s our new friend?”
A smile stretches across Ash’s face, this one less mischievous, warmer. “Finn, this the newest member of The Mercury Room misfits.”
“Case Ryan,” I say, extending a hand.
Finn laughs, high pitched and tittering, then pinches my palm between a thumb and pointer finger and shakes it. “New misfit. Always good to have a new misfit. And what flavor are you?” His eyes meet mine for the barest sliver of a moment through wavy blond strands.
“We don’t know,” I say, voice staying way more steady than I feel. “Some kind of...non-native magic user.”
“Oooo, a mysterious mystery.” Finn rubs his hands together, then hops off the stool and paces the massive bookcase spanning one of his walls, trailing a pointer finger along their spines. Shifting light catches the delicate tips of his pointed ears. “Interesting, interesting. Not many cases like this. Not many humans can survive a spell strong enough to live in them. Some though. Yes, yes, some can. Vibrations. It’s all about vibrations. You’ll want more information...”
Ash glances at me, then looks back at Finn. “If you have any, though Case isn’t the only reason we’re here.”
Finn does a little half-spin, filling his arms with books as he goes. “More and more. So many mysteries. Tell me this second.”
Blowing air out through his nose, Ash runs a hand over his jaw. “I have a brother apparently, a pureblood, and my dad wants to get a hold of him. We’re just not sure why.”
“Pure. Blood that’s pure. Two vampires producing a male. Very rare.” Finn’s words peter out into a mumble and he pulls more books. “Powerful. Rare. Almost as rare as non-native magic. Easier. Much easier.”
I tug on an earlobe. “Easier how?”
Finn sets his stacks of books on the coffee table and flips open the one on top. “More information. Always easier with more information. Your magic...” He traces a circle around me in the air with his finger as he thumbs through the pages. “It’s not allowed.”
A glacier sized rock of dread kerplunks on my gut. “Not allowed?”
“Forbidden. Taboo. More than frowned upon.” Finn tsks. “You, my new misfit, are technically against the law.”
12.
HUNCHED FORWARD, I clench my fists on my knees, fighting the vibrations now shaking my entire body. “I’m against the law? Not this crazy magic inside me? What kind of garbage is that?”
Finn flutters his fingers again and flips another page. “It’s not nuanced. Needs to be. Strong
vibes. Too strong. Can befuddle the brain. Ah. Here.”
He thrusts the book into my trembling hands, hardly waiting for me to take it before he lets go and grabs the one underneath it. I glance at Ash. As if thinking I’m cursed isn’t enough, now I’m somehow ‘forbidden?’ Isn’t that just swell?
Scrunching my nose, I look down at the book Finn gave me and read a few lines that simply confirm what he’d said. “When magic is transferred into a typical human, unique vibrations are formed, creating a near uncontrollable power most consider incredibly dangerous. Such an act is, therefore, explicitly forbidden.”
Ash scoots a little closer to me. “You’ve got pretty good control, so that’s a good sign, right? Does it say anything about consequences? It might just be directed at the one who did the cursing or charming and not the victim at all.”
Normally, that type of optimism might annoy me, but at the moment, I’ll accept any positivity I can get. “Let’s see...” I run my gaze down the page a little, skipping over possible world-ending scenarios these charms or curses can cause, until I find a heading with potential. “Next Steps. As of yet, there is no cure for this type of curse or charm. Because of this, and because of the danger the charmed or cursed human poses to our secret way of life, the recommended course of action is...”
My voice dies out as I read it in my head before I do so out loud. It isn’t nearly as horrific a scenario as my imagination offered up, but it’s not good either, and it’s enough to make all of the muscles in my shoulders tighten. The room shakes a little. Shoving the book into Ash’s hands, I lean forward and drop my head between my knees.
“The Tribunal would lock me up. To protect everyone involved,” I say, muffled.
Ash swears and Finn hums an affirmative. “No nuance. None at all. They debated the same for purebloods, but they’re not nearly as dangerous. As long as no one eats their organs of course.”
Cursed: The Girl Who Shook the Earth Page 9