Page 38 of A Soul’s Curse (Fallen Souls #1)

Paige was gone by the time I woke up the next morning.

She was always working extra shifts, given the assisted living facility was short-staffed and she always needed the extra money.

She left me a note on the kitchen table, telling me to help myself to whatever I needed and that she’d be back late afternoon.

It was late morning by the time I could muster up enough energy to get my ass off the couch and do something. I tossed my clothes into the wash while I showered, resigning myself to using Ren’s hoodie in the meantime. His spicy, peppery scent made my heart ache.

I changed into my clean clothes once they were done drying, and found myself back in the kitchen looking for something to eat.

My sister’s apartment was a cozy yet stylish space nestled in an old brick building close to the assisted living facility our mom was at.

It had the bones of a well-kept space, but the signs of her busy life were everywhere.

An abandoned coffee cup sat on the counter and a stack of unsorted mail was piled up on the dining room table.

I watered the withering plant I had given her for her birthday.

Evidence of Paige’s long-gone roommate remained, like the extra key she left me in case I wanted to head out.

There was a picture of both her and Taylor pinned to the fridge, and I was pretty sure the blanket and pillow I was given last night had once belonged to her ex-roommate before she moved out.

I poured a bowl of cereal, pushing aside the memory of the morning I woke from the museum fiasco in Ren’s home and he offered me breakfast.

Desperately hungry, but not really in the mood to eat, I forced the cereal down my throat and tried to swallow the past along with it. I thought perhaps I’d go visit my mom and sister later. Who knew? If the Syndicate ended up owning me, I might never be able to visit them again.

I ate in silence, hating the loneliness and the bitter aftertaste of isolation.

I was finishing up my cereal when the veins in my arm started glowing a bright golden hue.

Panic struck me as I shoved the bowl away from me and jumped from my seat.

A few seconds later, I was assaulted by two tiny hands that pressed against my chin.

“I’ve had enough of this, Theo.” Lyric’s voice was a melodic blend of frustration and resolve. “We’re connected, you know. I could sense you needed something, and I decided that something was me! Here I am. You can stop pouting now.”

The little pixie’s completely ridiculous assumption brought a smile to my face and a laugh to my lips. She fluttered around me, iridescent wings catching in the afternoon sun spilling through the kitchen window.

“Thanks, Lyric.” She sat down on the edge of the cereal bowl and flipped her lilac hair off her shoulder. “I could really use a friend right now.”

“He’s fine, if that’s what you’re wondering.” My heart skipped a beat at her words. “The one you’re worried about? That foul-smelling demon named Ren?”

“You can sense him?” I asked, not sure if I wanted to know where I was going with that statement.

Lyric’s eyes narrowed with an odd mix of amusement and curiosity. “His scent lingers near the front of the apartment, but it’s not a scent of danger.” She tilted her head, inhaling deeply, as if testing the air.

“Wait, you’re saying Ren was here?” I asked, disbelief shaking my voice.

Was he following me again? I hadn’t sensed his uneasy magic, but he would have never visited my sister before, nor would he have even known where she was living.

Maybe he did follow me home last night. My heart struggled to decide on whether to be relieved or repulsed by that.

“It’s not a very strong scent,” Lyric added. “It’s like he was here and gone, but he was definitely here.”

The doorbell rang, and at the same moment, a flashing blue light on the wall lit up—a device placed there specifically for my sister who wouldn’t have been able to hear the chime.

I dashed from the kitchen, racing toward the front door with a nervous excitement. Ren. It had to be Ren. Who else could it have been?

Lyric zipped beside me, nestling herself in my still slightly damp hair as I swung open the door.

The smile on my face dropped into a frown. “What are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to stop by to see how you were doing after … last night.” Leon stood before me, the scar on his lip pulling tight as he smirked.

I had every reason to believe the Syndicate was keeping tabs on me, but how much did he really know about my meeting with Caspian last night?

About what I learned about Ren? Or my attempt to swap bodies with Ellie in hopes I could find her?

“I’m fine. You can fuck off now and go away.” I went to slam the door in his face when a black leather boot slipped through the opening to stop me.

“I have a proposal for you. Don’t you want to hear what I have to say?

” The tall, wiry man wore a dark jacket that made him stand out in the bright, afternoon sun, his eyes sharp and calculating as they met mine.

There was a quiet intensity about him, like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike. I had no doubt I was his prey.

“Not really.” I could feel Lyric’s wings gently flapping against my hair. Leon noticed her presence, but said nothing about it. “I have a feeling you’re going to tell me anyway.”

“Come with me. You have questions. I have answers for you,” he stated, his voice low and commanding. I wanted to defy him, but a curiosity stirred within me, pulling me forward despite myself. This was definitely a bad idea, but I was going to do it, anyway.

I grabbed my coat and phone, locking the door behind me with the spare key Paige had left. “Answers to what, exactly?”

“Your friends,” he answered simply, rounding the front of a blue SUV parked on the street and opening the driver’s side door. I hesitated, knowing nothing positive could come from getting into a car with this guy.

“Look, I feel just as betrayed by Ren as you do.” If Leon was trying to get a rise out of me by mentioning the half-demon, he might just succeed.

“I’m extending an olive branch. The police have already been called off.

You have been cleared of anything that happened at Mr. Carson’s restaurant, and you’ll be delighted to know I’ve made sure his business insurance will be compensating him for the damage.

I’m also going to show you where we’re keeping Ellie’s body.

My guess is her ghost isn’t doing well, is she?

And you want to know she’s safe, right?”

The air fled from my lungs. Leon had me trapped. He knew there was no way I’d pass up an opportunity like this, but I was also wary of the fact no one knew where I was going or who I would be with. If Leon wanted to try something, now would be the perfect opportunity.

I felt a tug on the ends of my hair. No, I wasn’t alone. Lyric was with me, and with her expertise in tracking, she could go back to Ivy and let her know I was in trouble. We could even go back to the exact location where they were keeping Ellie.

Leaving my concerns behind, I hopped into the car and Leon drove off.

For the first ten minutes, Leon tried to make small talk, mentioning the weather, last night’s baseball game, and asking what kind of music I liked to listen to.

When I refused to respond, the atmosphere grew heavy as the awkward silence stretched between us.

By the time we pulled into a parking lot, I realized the half hour drive took us to an office park in the neighboring town of Peabody.

Having been a work day during business hours, there were actually quite a few cars in the lot and even a few people coming in and out of the building—although whether or not they were Syndicate members I couldn’t tell.

Following Leon toward the entrance, I discreetly searched around me, looking for the name of the office park, the building number, or anything that might give away its location. Why wouldn’t Leon have just opened up one of his tears in the Nether to get here? Did he want me to know where I was?

The office park was a stark, uninspiring place.

Rows of identical gray buildings seemed to stretch on endlessly, each one cold and impersonal.

The architecture was utilitarian, designed to be functional rather than inviting, with sharp lines and reflective glass windows that caught the light of the bright sun.

As we approached one of the buildings, its exterior gave off a sterile, almost clinical vibe, with pale concrete walls and a metal door that looked too solid, too secure.

The hum of fluorescent lights from inside leaked through the edges of the door as it opened, offering a glimpse of a hallway lined with bland, beige walls and the faint scent of antiseptic in the air.

Despite the activity outside, the inside was the kind of place that felt devoid of life, a place where things were stored, rather than lived in … a perfect place to keep a body.

Only a few people milled about the hallways. I followed Leon to a set of stairs as he led me not up, but down into the basement.

I nearly fainted at the sight that presented itself.

Just like the memory I pulled from Ellie’s rune, the space was vast but poorly maintained, filled with rows of industrial shelving and equipment that looked out of place.

I recognized the metal table that Ellie’s unconscious body had once laid on, where Markus placed that destructive rune on her wrist. The air was thick with the musty scent of age and dampness, as if the place hadn’t been properly ventilated in years.

The clattering of metal startled me, making my heart jump.