Page 24

Aaron rolled his shirt sleeves up, his voice not as enthusiastic as usual but still chirpy enough that he successfully drew everyone’s attention. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I still have room for dessert, and I’m gonna make some. Kids, follow me. I could use a couple of hands.”

Surprisingly, they did. Even Wren and Rumi followed Aaron to the kitchen. Celie threw a lingering glance in Evan’s direction, then joined the group.

As soon as she was gone, Tiago’s mask of gentleness slipped, and there it was, the predatory glint in his eyes as he turned to Evan, strolling closer.

“You look well, Evan,” he drawled as he stopped before him, standing close enough that the slightest whispers could fall on his ears. “What have you been up to lately?”

Evan looked up at him with a bored look. “You know, the same old shaman business.”

His voice dripped with contempt as he spat the words Tiago used—shaman business—back at him.

Tiago loomed over him like a bad omen, smirking. “Then you wouldn’t happen to know where my men disappeared to, would you?”

Evan didn’t react.

Bruce and his minions were killed by Xen when he broke out of the mirror at Greene Mansion, then burnt to a crisp when the mansion was engulfed in fire. That was the last place they’d been to and surely sent by Tiago, so he knew exactly whom to ask when they went missing.

However, it had been weeks since that incident, so why was he only enquiring now?

When Evan’s lips remained firmly shut, neither admitting nor denying his backhanded accusation. Tiago regarded him, then nodded like something had just occurred to him. “Well, Bruce was too reckless for his own good. I was thinking of getting rid of him anyway, so I shouldn’t be too curious about who did my work for me.

Crude bastard.

Evan smirked, and Tiago liked that very much.

There it was. The reason he couldn’t let go of Evan even after so many years of tormenting him was that fire in the boy’s eyes.

Evan was cunning, enticing. Sharp like ice and twice as cold. Although the perfect curves of his round ass had influenced some of his desire, Tiago was more fixated on breaking Evan. His unbending resolve. See him writhing on his knees and finally shatter. But Evan wasn’t an easy target, and that made him all the more tempting.

With a low chuckle, Tiago invaded Evan’s personal space, reaching up to pat his head like he’d done to Celie. Although the hand was the same, the glint in his eyes was completely different. The playfulness was gone, replaced by a deep-seated hunger to possess Evan entirely.

Too bad, Evan was already bonded to someone else.

The room temperature dropped like a pin, an inaudible hum vibrating through the floor. Before Tiago’s fingers could land on Evan’s head, a hand flashed out from behind Evan, wrapping around Tiago’s wrist like a vise.

A low growl rose over the surge of energy in the room. “Hands off.”

Tiago stilled, eyes trailing to with a red-suited figure behind Evan. Where had this person come from? It seemed as though he’d appeared out of thin air, although he’d been there all along and only made his presence known now.

Invisible to Tiago's eyes, the Shadow materialized, wrapping around Evan protectively, a low warning rumbling in its throat.

When a faint crack sounded from Tiago’s wrist in Xen’s grip, Evan tried to intervene. But Xen’s free hand clasped his wrist, pinning it down to his side.

An unusual look of surprise flitted past Tiago’s face before his eyes narrowed, a smile tugging up the corners of his lips. “I see you’ve got yourself a new boy toy, Evan.”

Evan’s heart lurched, eyes darting towards the kitchen. “Can you not ? Celie is here,” he gritted out.

After a moment, Tiago lowered his hand, a flash of red rising on his wrist before the cuffs covered the skin. Tiago studied Xen over Evan’s head, and Xen’s stoic eyes stared back. The two men like a pair of mountains crushing a little hill—Evan— between them.

“Might I ask your name, young man?” Tiago finally asked.

Evan almost barked out a laugh.

Young man? This young man was probably more ancient than Tiago’s great-god-knew-how-many-grandfathers.

Xen’s eyes flicked downward, sweeping over Tiago’s attire. Whatever he saw made his lips curl faintly in disdain.

Tiago quirked a smile. “It’s a small town, but I don’t recall seeing you before.”

“Let’s keep it that way,” Xen’s voice was a warning rumble.

An unamused chuckle left Tiago. “What interesting friends you make, Evan. None of them seem to like me.”

He was talking about Aaron, who was also hostile towards him like Xen, just not as fiercely.

“Let’s stop beating around the bush, shall we?” Evan crossed his arms, discreetly reaching back to pat the Shadow, who was growling again. “Why are you really here?”

Tiago pocketed his hands, glancing between Evan and Xen before resting his eyes on the former. There was a pause before he cleared his throat. “I asked around a little and found out you were investigating the missing people’s case.”

Evan was slightly taken aback. Of all the nonsense he’d assumed he’d spit, that wasn’t one of them. Cautiously, he said, “Not investigating exactly, but…yeah. Why?”

For a moment, Tiago looked conflicted, like he wanted to say something but it was costing him all his might to let out the words. With a clenched jaw, he muttered, “Robbie…”

He didn’t have to elaborate. Evan understood.

Tiago’s little brother, Robbie, who was younger than Evan by two years and a contrastingly bubbly human compared to his brooding older brother, had also gone missing.

After Aaron came back, the number of people missing had lowered to fourteen, but now it was back to the initial figure of fifteen. It seemed the Nightshade freaks hadn’t let Aaron go simply because he was an extra neck to chop. They were maintaining the numbers while sending Aaron back to…to do what? Cook snacks for Evan?

Evan rubbed his forehead. “When did this happen?”

“Last night,” Tiago’s face darkened, and for a moment, a pure murderous aura flashed across his features. “When I returned, he was in his room. I heard a loud crash. Went to check, he was gone.”

Someone had kidnapped Robbie from his own room in his own house? Tiago’s house, which had tight security twenty-four seven?

But something didn’t sound right.

“What was the loud crash?” Evan asked.

“I don’t know. There was nothing amiss in his room, and all the windows were locked from the inside.”

Evan’s brows furrowed. If all windows were shut from the inside, then there was no way someone could have knocked Robbie out and dragged him away. And assuming there was only one door leading to the room, Tiago must have been standing there, so that’s out of the question. How did they kidnap Robbie?

After a moment, a thought occurred to Evan.

“Are you sure Robbie was inside his room?”

Tiago frowned. “That’s where he always is. He barely ever gets out.”

“But you didn’t see him inside his room before this incident, did you? Did anyone see him? How do you know he was there?”

Tiago fell silent.

The wheels started spinning in Evan’s head.

Maybe Robbie wasn’t inside his room. Maybe he’d already been taken before Tiago came home. And because he was always cramped inside, no one bothered to look for him. Only when the crash alerted Tiago did he think of going to Robbie’s room, and according to him, there was nothing in his room that could have produced that noise.

Considering that, there was one simple conclusion: someone had caused that crashing noise to alert the household of the missing Robbie. Someone…invisible.

Since it seemed to be a paranormal situation, naturally, the first person Tiago would seek help from would be Evan, and the incident of another missing person would find its way to Evan’s ears. Someone was diligently trying to keep Evan’s attention locked on the case, as if urging him to take some action.

But who? Why was Evan being dragged into this mess? In all honesty, he truly only wanted to save Aaron, and now that Aaron was back—somewhat—Evan was beginning to make excuses why he must not indulge himself in the matter anymore. He was an exorcist, not an investigator.

But…it was a matter of many lives. Even if the people of Emberlyn were mostly wary of Evan and considered him an omen of bad luck, he couldn’t turn his heart to stone and let those fifteen people die. He wanted to help, even though he lacked a solid reason why.

Tiago watched the conflicted look on Evan’s face, and misunderstood it as Evan recalling the things Tiago had put him through all these years. More than enough reasons to not help Tiago. His shoulders tensed, quite convinced that Evan was going to turn him down.

Then with a deep sigh, he held up his white flag. “Find Robbie, and I’ll waive off the rest of your debt.”

Evan’s head snapped up, confusion warring with shock for a moment. “What?”

“All of it.”

That’s when Evan found it. The “solid reason” why he should find the missing people. To finally get this leech off his neck and forever out of his and his sister’s life.

Could it be that luck was on his side today? Evan hadn’t even thought about asking for something in return, but sigh, there was nothing quite as motivating as monetary benefits.

Or, in his case, cutting monetary losses.

“Done,” Evan turned his head, glancing at Xen over his shoulder. “What day is it today?”

“Tuesday.”

The Bloodbath would happen on the Reaping Moon, which was on Friday. They had a couple of days to plan how to stop the ritual and bring back the people. There was no guarantee the captives were in the Enclave Passage where Evan had seen those cult members. After all, it would be risky to keep all the captives in the same place lest they fought back together and escaped.

And after Xen’s fury shook up the Enclave Passage while Evan was trapped there, they surely would have heightened their security.

The only day they’d possibly bring everyone together would be on the day of the Bloodbath, to sacrifice them at the foot of the Dark Spirit they worshipped. And that would be the most advantageous moment to ambush them.

But still, they were greater in number if just one Enclave Passage hosted over a hundred disciples. And Evan was…

He glanced at Xen, and those two light-consuming eyes drew to him like magnets. “What do you need?”

He was doing it again. Offering his aid with a tone that suggested he would do whatever Evan needed, and eyes that guaranteed it would be a piece of cake.

Of course it would be.

For a few minutes, Evan had forgotten what Xen was. But now, seeing himself reflected in the dark void of those eyes, he remembered.

Forget a hundred, even if there were thousands standing against Evan, all he needed was one person on his side. Preferably someone tall and strong with red eyes. A demon royalty.

An Eternal.

Xen was born of Hellfire. He possessed the demonic energy of tens of thousands of demons who sacrificed themselves for his birth. Handling a few pesky humans would be nothing to him.

Evan quirked a smirk. “I hope Zeev wasn’t overestimating you.”

The Hellguard had surely introduced Xen like he was a god rather than a demon. Evan had forgotten half of what he’d said due to the shock of the revelation and the rest of it while fleeing for his life from the two demons. But the words “unparalleled powers” and “commands fear” still lingered somewhere in his broken memories.

For now, that was more than enough.

Xen’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, a competitive glint flashing across his eyes as he grinned. “You’ll have to see that for yourself.”

Tiago, whose presence was forgotten—or perhaps intentionally ignored—cleared his throat, and Evan’s smirk faded as he turned back.

“Robbie…”

“I can’t guarantee anything,” Evan said. “But I will do my best.”

That reassured Tiago greatly. Anyone who knew Evan knew the depth of those words, I will do my best . Those were words he had always lived up to.

When the crowd exited the kitchen with Aaron in tow, the sweet aroma of fresh cookies and hot choco flooded the living room. Celie’s face dimmed when she noticed Tiago’s absence. But she didn’t probe why he’d left so suddenly without saying bye.

Everyone gathered around the small coffee table, filling the once empty room with smiling faces and merry laughter. Evan sat leaning against the couch, Elysia rubbing his shoulders even after he’d continuously assured her that he wasn’t tired.

“Big Bro, tell us some interesting stories from your decade-long experience as an exorcist,” she said, rubbing his shoulders with incredible strength for a petite, pink-haired teenager.

“Stories?”

Nick nodded excitedly, glasses jiggling. Wren and Rumi looked mildly intrigued. Celie sipped on her hot chocolate, unconsciously leaning closer to listen. Aaron sat beside Evan and turned to face him with a small smile.

Evan’s stomach churned under so many expectant stares. He opened and closed his mouth several times. Then cleared his throat. “Well…I, uh—they’re not really stories . And definitely nothing pleasant to hear—”

Elysia squeezed his shoulder. “Is everyone in the Blackwood family gifted?”

“Uh…not exactly.”

“So only a few chosen people get the powers?” Nick pushed his glasses up his nose. “Is it random? Or do the elders get premonitions in their dreams?”

Evan’s head spun. “No. That’s a little…” He cleared his throat again. “There are no chosen ones . Every firstborn of a new generation inherits the…gifts.”

A wave of oh s and wow s filled the room, followed by a flurry of questions about Evan’s life as an exorcist, about the “gift” of the Blackwoods… and his near-death experiences.

Unwittingly, Evan’s gaze drifted to the red-clad figure leaning against the living room doorway. When Xen caught his eyes, he flashed a smirk.

Internally scowling at his smug face, Evan turned back to the lot around him. He was thinking about how to respond when Aaron prompted, “Why don’t you tell them about Greene Mansion?”

Evan’s eyes snapped to him.

If he had any lingering doubts about Aaron’s mind being influenced or not, it was confirmed now.

Because that was something the real Aaron would’ve never said in front of so many people. If it was the real Aaron—or at least the uninfluenced one—he would’ve diverted the attention of the crowd towards something else to save Evan. Rather than bringing up the most dangerous case Evan had ever undertaken.

After a brief pause, Evan found his equilibrium. “That’s nothing interesting.”

“What happened in the Greene Mansion?” Nick probed curiously. Everyone leaned closer over the coffee table, staring at Evan.

Unease gripped Evan’s voice box before he reluctantly poked the red-suited giant through their telepathic connection.

Can I tell them? I won’t mention you explicitly or reveal too much information, so…

Xen had once threatened Evan that if he ever talked about him to anyone, he’d end that person’s life. Those words were engraved so deep that he still feared he might act on them.

With a lingering glance at Evan, Xen turned and walked out of the front door, his voice ringing softly in Evan’s head.

Go on.

Evan’s shoulders sagged in relief as the front door closed. He would’ve been embarrassed to talk about it in front of Xen anyway.

“Well?” Wren exhausted his one-word limit just to snap Evan back to the present.

With a deep inhale, Evan started reciting the most horrifying incident of his life like a bedtime horror story. “A few weeks ago, I was asked to investigate Greene Mansion, which was supposedly cursed,” he said, and the group leaned even closer. “The mansion wasn’t, in fact, cursed. But there was…there was something inside that was.”

“What was it?” Elysia asked.

Evan paused. “A mirror.”

“Why was it cursed? Was it dangerous?”

“It wasn’t dangerous,” Evan replied almost reflexively, then blinked at his own words. Was he talking about the mirror? “There was a…soul inside the mirror that was cursed.”

“Was it a ghost? A demon?” Nick asked.

Cold sweat trickled down Evan’s nape, fingers twitching for a cigarette. “Just an ordinary soul.”

“If it was ordinary, then why was it cursed?”

That stumped Evan.

Why was Xen inside that containment mirror? What kind of crime had he committed to get locked away inside the mirror realm? Mirror realms were dark and lonely.

Out of nowhere, a thought flashed across Evan’s mind.

The talking tree in the Enclave Passage had said that Xen had vanished three centuries ago. Had he been cursed then? Had Xen really spent three hundred years trapped inside the mirror realm?

“I…don’t know why…” An ache stirred under Evan’s clavicle, and his eyelids fluttered. There was an inexplicable emotion stirring in his stomach, sitting uncomfortably heavy inside him.

Reaching up, he aimlessly rubbed his chest, breathing a little unsteadily. But the feeling seemed to tighten inside him, locking his muscles in place.

Something was wrong.

“Evan?” That was Celie’s voice.

Evan looked up, but all he saw were blurred faces and dancing lights fluttering past his vision. He shook his head and swayed.

“Big Bro!”

“What is happening?”

“Go get him some water.”

Aaron grabbed Evan’s arm to steady him, and Evan’s heavy head dropped onto his shoulder. There was a twitch in his joints, like the engine of an old machine shutting down, rendering him rigid and unable to move.

“He is just tired,” Aaron said, without blinking. “Two days of continuous wandering with no rest will do that to anyone.”

No, that’s not it .

Evan wanted to speak, but his face was frozen like the rest of him.

Aaron stood up, pulling Evan up to his feet. Wrapping one arm around his shoulder, Aaron addressed the anxious group. “He gets like this after every new case. Please don’t worry. I’ll take him to his room.”

With that, he turned. Evan swayed, eyes fluttering shut. Aaron’s steps didn’t falter as he led Evan to his room, his feet sliding limply across the floor. Once inside, the door soundlessly shut behind them.

The group watched, concern etched on every face as they stared at the two retreating figures. What had just happened?

“Will he really be…okay?” Elysia turned to Celie. “Does this happen often?”

Celie was still staring at the door, brows knit together. “I’d heard that after every case, he slept off the exhaustion to gain back the lost strength. Sometimes he slept for a couple of days straight.”

Just then, a soft voice unsteadily spoke up. “Didn’t you think he was acting a little strange?”

Everyone turned to the owner of the voice, surprised.

It was Rumi.

Celie quirked a brow. “My brother is inherently strange.”

“Not him,” Rumi swallowed. “His friend, Aaron.”

Everyone went silent. All eyes drew to Evan’s bedroom door, an uncomfortable tension stirring the air.

Suddenly, the front doors burst open, and everyone jumped.

A red-clad figure stormed inside along with a gust of strong wind that seemed to cling to his enormous body, making everyone shiver involuntarily. “Where is he?”

The group, dumbfounded, looked at each other, then at him. “Who…?”

“Evan,” Xen growled, staring only at Celie. “Where is he?”

Celie blinked, then frowned at his tone. “He was feeling a little unwell. Aaron took him to his room—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Xen turned and stormed back out of the front door. Even though he’d not touched the door, it automatically slammed shut after him, making the group jump again.

They sat dazed in shock for a moment, wondering what had happened yet again. Everyone seemed to be acting strange around them.

It was Rumi who unfroze first. She meekly stood up, walking past the front door, which was still vibrating from the impact of that slam, towards the door at the end of the hallway: Evan’s bedroom.

The rest watched her, confused and slightly alarmed by the look of dread forming in Rumi’s dark eyes. She’d always been a bit gloomy, but that face… She looked like she was approaching a portal to hell.

Rumi stopped in front of Evan’s bedroom door, staring at the handle like it would turn into a snake and leap at her at any moment. With a heavy swallow, she shakily reached for the handle and turned it.

An eerie creak echoed in the house as the door opened, followed by Rumi’s inaudible gasp.

For some reason, everyone’s tongue was frozen. No one dared ask her what she saw. Instead, they jumped up from their places, trepidation stirring inside them as they approached. When they peeked inside the room, color drained from all their faces.

No wonder Xen hadn’t even bothered to check.

The room was empty.

Windows locked from the inside. Not a thing was misplaced. No sign of the two men who'd walked in.

Only the body of a black cat lay in a small puddle of blood at the edge of the bed, neck twisted in a strange angle, golden eyes drained of life.