Page 18 of A Thousand Cuts

“Nuisance curses usually aren’t that big. But once I had to break a curse on some opera curtains that closed every time someone tried to sing.”

A bunch of giggles burst out across the room.

“Are nuisance curses scary?” a girl in blue asked, brown eyes wider than dinner plates.

He gave her a reassuring smile. “Sometimes they can be. No curse is easy and nuisance curses, unlike other curses, can pile up on someone, so that can be tricky. But you’ll all be brilliant little cursebreakers by then, won’t you? Ready to handle anything?”

They nodded, little heads bobbing around.

“How many curses can one person have on them? Can they have a billion?”

Fix laughed. “A billion is… a lot. But there is a myth that if someone gets a thousand curses put on them, they die!”

He wiggled his fingers for dramatic effect, like he was telling a ghost story around a campfire.

A few of the kids gasped and a few laughed.

“That’s a myth though! Those aren’t true!” someone shouted back in the determined way only kids could.

Fix dipped his head with a chuckle. “There’s never been a recorded case as far as I know.”

“See!”

Chattering broke out and Fix was glad to see the ice had fully been broken between them. “Okay, okay. Now that we’ve all gotten to know each other, let’s get into our lesson, little cursebreakers.”

He had an incredible time with them, happy to note all of them seemed to be well adjusted and seemingly accepting of their role in the world. None of them had the haunted look Wren used to wear. None of them looked like they were moments from bolting like young Midas had.

They seemed like picture-perfect Nexus trainees, and while maybe not ideal, it was the best possible outcome. He finished his lesson without issue and helped the kids put the classroom back the way it had been before their caretaker came to get them.

And then…there was nothing to stop him from thinking about Liam anymore. The moment the kids’ chatter stopped echoing down the hallway, the floodgates opened and Liam was front and center again.

Was he okay?

Was he scared and alone?

Cursed again?

He met Gwen in her office for lunch after his lecture like usual and tried to enjoy her company like he always did, but his head and his heart weren’t in it. His mind raced and his body longed to be somewhere else. He felt like he’d combust if he stayed away for one more moment. Burst at the seams if he didn’t see for himself Liam was okay.

He tried hard, but Gwen could tell there was something off. She knew him too well.

“You have that look on your face,” she said, even though her eyes weren’t on him at all.

He put his fork down, sighing and running a hand over his face. “Yeah.”

“Someone important?”

“Maybe. I think I want them to be, but it’s complicated.”

“Isn’t it always?” she said sagely. “Nothing worth having was ever won easily.”

She took another bite of her salad before shooing him away with her free hand. “Go. You’re all jittery and it’s messing with my vibe.”

It was a free pass to excuse himself, and he jumped out of his seat, kissed her cheek, and ran out like his life depended on it.

He hopped into his car and rushed away, the anxiety in him settling the closer he got to where he felt like he needed to be.

Close to Liam.