Page 50 of A Soul’s Curse (Fallen Souls #1)

“Great. Fantastic.” He grumbled something I missed.

“There’s a club in downtown Salem called The Deep End.

We will meet there at 8PM. Don’t make me wait.

I hate waiting—and you’ve made me wait long enough.

Try anything and I’ll peel off the fingernails from your demon friend.

I never said I had to return her to you in one piece.

” His snarl was an ominous darkness that made it difficult for me to breathe.

“This ends tonight, Leon,” I said, and it definitely didn’t come out as threatening as I had hoped.

“Yes. It sure will.”

And then he hung up.

I went for a run. I took a shower. I got dressed. I cleaned up the kitchen. I went into the basement and just worked, worked, worked. For hours.

“It’s almost time.” Ivy looked up at the cheap wall clock hanging above the wooden workbench.

Ren still hadn’t returned.

“He’ll come back. Maybe. Does he even know what time we’re supposed to meet Leon?

Or where?” Stella was completely unbothered.

She was doing some kind of magical zen exercise with her magic, white petals swirling around her and following her movements like liquid as she gracefully swept her arms across her.

My heart ached, a dull throb in my chest. “No. He left before I called Leon and I still don’t have the bastard’s phone number to reach him.

” I thought about the closet door, but Ren had told me only those he allowed to could pass through it.

Was I one of those people? I had no idea, but I didn’t want to find out the hard way.

Lyric, who somehow felt my sadness, suddenly appeared and demanded to be a part of this mission in Ren’s place. She was enjoying herself as she dug around in my hair to make a nest. I kept resisting the urge to scratch my head every time she shifted or tugged on a strand with her tiny fists.

I took a piece of paper, scribbling a note to Ren and leaving it on the work table. If he did come back, the basement would be the first place he’d look.

Stella peeked over my shoulder, before slapping me upside the back of my head. “Ow! What the fuck was that for?”

She picked up the pen and wrote an address on the other side. “I get that you don’t think he wants anything to do with this, but if he’s going to make a heroic entrance to save us just when we’re all about to die, he at least needs to know where we are.”

I rubbed my neck. She rolled her eyes and muttered, “Men. Overly dramatic idiots.”

The doorbell rang, and the three of us raced up the stairs to answer it.

Caspian was waiting on the steps. He had his long, dark hair tied back in a low bun, a black canvas jacket over a dark gray henley.

There was an easy confidence about the way he carried himself, a quiet presence that made him hard to ignore despite his best attempts to blend in with society over the past decade.

“Caspian,” I said as he invited himself inside.

“Are we ready?” he asked, his curious gaze darting around searching for the missing member of our group.

“He’s … not here. It’s fine. We don’t need him.

” The lie shouldn’t have stung as much as it did.

I had said I didn’t want a knight in shining armor, and I didn’t, but that was because I didn’t see him as my savior.

He wasn’t even a shield. He had become my anchor, keeping me grounded during this whole mess.

Caspian’s hand settled on my shoulder. “I’m sure he has his reasons. If he didn’t think you could do this, I have no doubt he’d have found Sam Bellamy and given him permission to possess your body so you wouldn’t leave his house.”

I snorted. It actually seemed like something Ren would try to do.

“So here’s the plan. Ladies …” Caspian dug his hands into his hips and skimmed Stella and Ivy up and down.

Stella was wearing a pair of ripped skinny jeans with an oversized pink shirt that hung off one shoulder.

Ivy was wearing leggings with a bright red tunic top that hit her thighs.

“We’re going to a club. Why are you both dressed like you’re heading to a PTA meeting? ”

Stella let out a soft sigh, and with a graceful flick of her wrist, red flower petals danced around her, transforming her outfit into a pair of form-fitting black leather pants and a silky, high collared tank top.

Beside her, Ivy yelped as she magically transformed alongside her.

She clasped a hand to her chest, trying to hide her cleavage on display from the sleek, satin camisole.

“I’m not wearing heels,” Stella scoffed as she examined her freshly painted purple nails. “Or a dress. If I’m expected to fight, I am not giving them a view while I do it.”

“W-what about me?” Ivy asked, her arms crossed over her chest. “Could you please give me something a little less … revealing? Or at least a jacket?”

A disappointed expression flickered across Stella’s face. With another snap of her fingers, black petals circled around Ivy’s arms, the magic knitting itself together to give her a leather jacket.

“Much better.” Caspian gave them a greedy smile.

Stella responded with a warning growl. “You two will keep watch. Leon isn’t going to conduct a deal in front of a crowd of people.

He’ll likely take us to a private room. You will keep an eye out for anything suspicious and alert us if you see anything. ”

Stella and Ivy both nodded.

“Theo and I will wait for Leon. Remember,” he turned to me, “you need to convince him you truly want to become a part of the Syndicate. Are you sure you can do that?”

“Yes.” Although I really wasn’t. I needed to channel my anger, act like Ren had done me wrong and I had seen the error of my ways, but I was utterly depressed, scared shitless, and I wanted nothing more than to run to Ren, not push him away.

“Good.” Caspian shifted, digging his hands into the pockets of his jacket to pull out a set of keys.

“Once Leon agrees to Theo’s terms, Markus will likely place some kind of binding rune on you.

When it’s official, we spring into action.

You have to give me the command before you dissolve that rune, or the oath isn’t satisfied. ”

“Got it.”

“What do I do?” The pixie shot out of my hair, zipping around Caspian. Her glittery magic trailed behind her.

“You can be our communication,” I suggested. “If you feel anything off with either me or Ivy, warn the other person.”

“Rodger that!” She saluted me. “I won’t let anything happen to my two favorite people!”

I breathed in, slowly letting it out. I could do this.

Caspian was adamant about killing Leon. It was the only way to ensure he’d never come after us again.

However, I argued the Syndicate was a large organization.

It wouldn’t stop with Leon, and others would certainly follow in his wake even if we did end his life.

The phantom reluctantly agreed, suggesting that he could instead speak to Leon’s magic, manipulating it to turn against him for all the abuse he’s put it through.

Sure, Leon’s magic might refuse, and even if it agreed, Leon might die anyway, but at least it would have resulted from his own actions and not because we plunged the knife ourselves.

Caspian and I left the house, slipping into his car to drive off to the club. To avoid tipping off anyone who might be watching, Ivy and Stella would head over separately with the help of Jacob.

Night had fallen upon Salem, and there was a tinge of crispness in the cool air—the kind that hinted at the coming winter but hadn’t quite let go of autumn’s breath.

“Is this really going to work?” I asked Caspian. Although we had been silent most of the drive, the quiet felt deafening.

“Do you believe it will?” Caspian answered.

“Do you believe in yourself to save your friends? Leon is just one person, one member of the Syndicate. You said yourself that more will come, and not just after you. Do you think a ragtag team of mediocre magic users can actually stop an entire evil organization that has been around for centuries?”

“Wow. You’re such a dick,” I grumbled as I sunk into the seat. “You’re supposed to give me one of those morale-boosting pep talks about how awesome I am, how this whole thing will end in our victory, and how we’ll go on with our merry lives living all happy and peaceful.”

“Is that what you believe will happen?” he asked again.

I sighed. “No. Not even close. The fact is, the damage has already been done. People at the shelter are losing trust in me thanks to Leon’s dirty tricks.

It’s only a matter of time before my sad little side business fails, too.

And I have no idea what to do next. I don’t want to spend my life hiding in the shadows, constantly looking over my shoulder in case that’s the moment the Syndicate strikes.

And I don’t want my friends and family to constantly be in danger.

But …” I swallowed a dry lump in my throat.

“I can’t just walk away from this either, even if there’s only a slim chance of putting an end to the Syndicate for good.

Ren may have started this mission to save his brother, but I feel like I need to end it by saving the world. ”

“I didn’t think you’d walk away so easily.

” Caspian smiled, pulling the car into an empty parking spot on a side street near the club.

He turned off the engine and stared at me.

“You are one of a kind, Theo. You might not think it now, but you’re strong.

People look up to you. People like Ren, Ivy, and Stella.

Even Nick, the New Jersey Devil himself.

You can’t do this alone, but you won’t have to.

Be their beacon of hope. Be the leader to those who don’t have one to follow.

It won’t be easy, but trust me, it’ll be worth it. ”

A smile twitched at my lips. It was almost ironic that Leon had made a similar speech when he tried to convince me to join the Syndicate, but the way Caspian said it had a whole new meaning.

I wasn’t following someone else’s plan; I was leading my own.

“There’s the inspirational pep talk I was waiting for.

Okay. Let’s do this. I’m officially feeling emotionally stable enough to become the Syndicate’s worst nightmare. ”