Page 13 of Broken Shadows (Corrupt Shadows Duet #2)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Lorcan

“Fuck, no.” My skin screams to be itched under the thick layer of concealer Evie slathered over my true name. According to her, a mask would be too out of place in the Human Realm this time of year. I bring my lit cigarette up to my mouth and stare at the mom-and-pop store with disdain. Although I donned one of Ezra’s plain black hoodies, the hood large enough to hide most of my face, uncomfortable doesn’t begin to cover it—I feel utterly naked without my mask. “Martha Doyle’s Doilies and Gifts,” I read aloud, then cross my arms over my chest.

“C’mon, Lorcan. It's not so bad. I bet there're loads of awesome stuff in there,” Aiden encourages as he leans against the front window and peeks inside, his breath fogging the glass.

“Yeah, demon the fuck up,” Ezra agrees.

“Oh look, they have embroidery!” Aiden crows.

“And?” I drawl.

“And my mom owned a sewing store when I was a kid. She taught me some cool things, like how to use her embroidery machine,” Aiden explains with a shrug.

I gape at him. “I think that’s the most coherent sentence I’ve ever heard you speak, Aiden,” I admit.

Aiden grins at me, “Evie was right, we’re totally bonding and shit.”

Ezra snorts, then marches over to the entrance and shoves the door open, the welcome bell clanging so hard the bronze brackets holding it in place loosen from the wall. Aiden and I stare as it dangles by a lone screw. I smirk and watch from the shadows beneath my hood as Aiden cringes and lays a hand on Ezra’s thick shoulder. “Dude, you gotta be careful with human stuff. It’s not made for big demon bros like you,” Aiden whispers poorly, then turns a toothy grin on the elderly woman behind the store counter as I cross over the threshold.

“Beg your pardon? You’ll have to speak up, I’m afraid my hearing is not what it used to be.”

“Sorry, Ma’am. We’re just so excited to look around your store!” Aiden shouts. I reach my fingers to my left ear, then pull them away and inspect them. Huh, no blood. I’m positive he ruptured my ear drum.

She laughs quietly and lowers her hand from over her heart. “That’s quite okay, dear. I remember how it was to be young and full of energy.”

“Oh, you do?” Ezra asks as he leans his hip against the worn but serviceable stained pinewood counter, the top polished to a shine despite the many scratches from customers.

The elderly woman turns to Ezra. “Aren’t you a handsome one.”

I roll my eyes. Sure, he’s attractive, but my incisors are sharper than his. My eyes squeeze shut as I struggle to acclimate to my nauseatingly bright surroundings. Dammit, these fucking florescent lights are scouring my retinas. I don’t recall the Human Realm being this full of color, especially compared to the Shadow Realm; I feel like I’m viewing everything in godsdamn technicolor. I tug my hood farther forward and use Ezra's bulk to edge farther into the store. Aiden meanders down an isle packed with a combination of creepy-as-fuck porcelain dolls and… monogrammed toilet paper? I blink a few times, the perplexing isle options remain unchanged.

Something tugs on the lower half of my pant leg and my muscles lock up. What the fuck was that? I whirl around, then my eyes drop to a tiny, blonde human girl. She teeters on her chubby little legs, then presses a spittle covered face to my calf and babbles nonsense into the fabric. Shit. I’m so fucking distracted I didn’t think to count the heartbeats in the store.

“Angelia? Angelia!” A woman with the same color hair as the toddler crashes into my chest. “Oh!”

I glare down at her from beneath my hood, gesture to the child, then speak, a growl vibrating my words. “Is this yours ?”

“Oh. Um. Y-yes, that’s my d-daughter,” she stutters and lifts the drooling, shit scented monstrosity from the ground, but grubby little hands clench my pants in a death grip.

“No! No, no, no!” the girl wails.

I recoil and swallow a hiss, wrenching my leg away. The toe of my boot clips a fold out display of glittery cherry red and lime green cards, then stumble away down another isle. Godsdammit. My molars grind as I retreat as far as I can from the humans. What the fuck was I thinking. I’ll never forgive Evie for this. Samuel should be informed, all it takes is a sticky human child to thoroughly discombobulate me. Fuck. Me. I inhale sharply, then force my pulse to slow as I exhale through my lips at a molasses pace.

My eyes blink several times, then my vision finally clears as I take in the newest isle of terror I’ve found myself in. It’s been quite some time since I have explored the Human Realm, but we're doilies ever a thing? Well, enough of a statement piece that they require an entire fucking store dedicated to them? I scoff and shake my aching head.

I will never understand humans.

My boots scuffle along the thin, speckled brown carpet as I near a shelf packed with little figurines of deceptively innocent looking angels. “That’s not even fucking close to what they look like,” I say under my breath, then reach out and pinch one between my fingers. A fine fissure streaks across its previously smooth, unblemished face, and one of the wings crumbles to dust. Shit, too much pressure. “Oh well, it looks better now anyway.” I place the now beautifully disfigured angel back on the shelf with distaste. If humans only knew what those dickbags are really like. Pretentious assholes.

The deep drone of Ezra smooth talking the store owner floats by as I turn down yet another isle at an awkward angle and proceed to crab walk to the other end. Frustration and anxiety stir into a clumpy cocktail within my stomach, like a protein shake left in the sun. There is so much shit packed into this fucking building that moving through it is near impossible. My shoulder knocks into a stack of doilies placed near some display of delicate looking glassware. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I utter, then send multiple shadows to catch the falling items and discreetly put them back in place. I straighten my spine and glance around. Shit, I forgot I’m in the Human Realm. Shadow magic would definitely draw unwanted attention. I grip the edges of the hood and bend at the waist, my blood rushing too fast through my veins.

Where’s Aiden? I’m over this bullshit. I’ll have him pick a random object and call it a gift. Gomez is a godsdamn bat, it’s not like he can hate it. Although perhaps I should have just gotten him some damn trail mix at that shitty gas station down the road. The hoodie pulls tight against my skull as I grip the nape of my neck. I’m overthinking this. I know I am. But even though I’m aware of that fact, there’s no helping it. I can’t stop a loud growl from tearing free.

The things I do for my witch. This is fucking torture.

A gasp sounds from the checkout counter. “Oh my, what was that?”

“Hm? Oh, that rumbling sound? I think it was just some hooligan teenager speeding by,” Ezra replies smoothly.

You’re welcome , Ezra pushes down our bond.

I’m not going to thank you.

You should. The next thing we know there will be a witch hunt or some shit on our hands. Oh! Maybe they’ll think you’re a werewolf and pelt you with wolfsbane.

I blow out a breath and clench my eyes shut.

A bit overwhelmed, are we? Ezra prods with smothered laughter in his voice, but I don’t miss the genuine concern underlining his question.

Do you blame me? I’ve been in the Human Realm for less than a handful of days. It’s not like I’ve had the time to fucking adjust, I shove the thought at him , then close my end of the bond. I move to the front and spy Aiden dithering away by a glass display counter, his baseball hat curiously absent. My head tilts to the side as he places his palms on his knees and crouches low. He’s so absorbed with admiring the many embroidered bags, hats, and bath towels, I decide to make the best of it. I can’t have him becoming complacent just because I’m no longer trapped behind mirrors. A sadistic smile unfurls across the lower half of my face, perhaps Evie will think better of forcing me to socialize.

I sneak up close to Aiden, then casually reach behind my back and snatch a small plushie from the overflowing basket, toying with it absently between my fingers. What are you doing? I growl into his mind.

“Shit,” Aiden yelps and jumps to his feet, cracking his head on a dangling metal basket full of painted rocks of all things. “Fuck. Ow.” He faces me and glowers while rubbing the top of his head, the circle depressed into his dirty-blonde hair from the band of his hat shifting slightly with the movement. “Why do you always have to do that!? It’s like you enjoy startling me or some shit.”

I laugh darkly and lift a shoulder. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

“Plus, you’ve got your hood up, raising the creep factor to the max because I can barely see your damn face.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” I remind him.

Aiden stills, then his eyes glaze as if he’s searching his mind for the answer to said question, then they refocus on me. My gaze flicks to the pulse hammering away in his neck. “Oh, right,” he says, the corners of his lips curling into a small smile. “I’m waiting for my hat. It’s getting embroidered. I’m so stoked bro.”

Ezra’s eyes bounce from me to Aiden, following our conversation with one ear while listening to the old woman with the other. My brother’s eyes dart to my hands, and my attention returns to the soft plushie in my fist. I hold the thing a loft and a crooked eyed chicken stares back at me from a fuzzy feathered face. Ezra mumbles to the woman, then pats the counter once and walks a few steps to Aiden and me.

“That’s what you’ve come up with, Brother? A fucking chicken?”

“Have you got any better ideas?”

“Naturally,” he scoffs and his familiar pale green eyes glitter. Ezra laughs, crowding me into an end cap of overly floral candles to my right. He winces as my fist makes contact with his shoulder but continues interloping on my personal space and reaches around me, shoving a dark purple plushie into my chest with a shadow. “You want this one instead.”

Aiden’s eyes ping pong between us like he’s watching a high stakes tennis match.

“Guys,” Aiden whispers loudly. “Put the shadows away. Humans, remember.” Ezra and I glance at him, then separate. Shit. I inhale deeply and tame the growl building behind my ribs.

“For once, Aiden is right,” I acknowledge.

Aiden’s jaw drops open comically and his eyes bulge. “I…I…wha?” he stammers.

Ezra twists toward me, then raises his tattooed hand in front of his mouth and speaks at regular volume. “Utoh, I think you broke him.”

My eyes narrow on Aiden, then every single muscle in my body tightens rapidly as he tips forward and traps me in a bear hug. “I knew you liked me,” he cries in my ear.

I release a dark growl. “Aiden. Get. Off. Me.”

“Oh, shit. Sorry. Like, for real dude,” he blurts while aggressively smoothing his hand down my hoodie like he intends to rid it of wrinkles.

I reanimate as an elderly male struggles to get Aiden’s attention. “Sir? Your hat is done.”

My legs twitch to life as I spin on my heel, then chuck the fucking bat shaped plushie at Ezra over my shoulder. “Pay for that. I’ll be outside.” The dilapidated bell tinkles weakly as I stalk out the door and seek some place to wait.

I sprawl onto a red bench across the street, the paint peeling in large chunks, then reach into my pocket and draw out a lighter and pack of cigarettes. Fire winks to life within my cupped palms, a rich orange glow highlighting my fingers. I take a long drag, spread my legs, and lean my elbows on my thighs. Exhaled smoke rises from my lips as wind curls into my hood and threatens to uncover my head. “Fuck,” I curse and tug it as far forward as far as it will go, my claws extending slightly and puncturing the fabric. They better hurry the fuck up.

As if the thought summoned them, Aiden and Ezra leisurely cross the street and stop in front of me. I glare at them beneath my hood. “Let’s go.” I stand, leading them down an ally and into a shadow formed by the clumped dumpsters and into the In-Between.

The scent of roses curls into my lungs as I depart a long shadow juxtaposed to a framed painting of the manor’s graveyard. “Evie,” I call.

“Any luck?” She leans against the back of the couch.

“Perhaps,” I reply, then hold a brown paper bag out to her.

Evie laughs and folds her arms over her chest. “Oh no, you’re going to give it to him.”

“No,” I growl.

“Yes,” she growls back mockingly.

“Frustrating fucking woman,” I retort. “I don’t want to bicker with you right now, just give the damn thing to your familiar.”

“Nope,” Evie says, then backs away with her hands raised, palms out.

“Godsdammit,” I curse. “You deserve a punishment for your earlier meddling. You don’t want to make it worse, do you?”

Someone clears their throat, and my eyes slowly slide to the group before the fireplace. Rosa, Gomez, Aiden, and Ezra now lounging in the seated area. Rosa lifts her brows and speaks authoritatively. “Well, what are you waiting for? Give our sweet little night puppy his gift.”

I bite my tongue and swallow my creative vitriolic response before I lash out at Evie’s best friend. Dropping my shoulders, I force my fingers to uncurl. My shadow dives into the wrinkled bag midair, absconds with the plushie, and drops it onto Rosa’s lap next to Gomez.

“Satisfied?” I stab my hands into my pockets, so I don’t murder the lot of them. Fabric rustles as my legs walk toward Evie before I make the conscious decision to do so. I loop my arms around her waist from behind and rest my chin on the top of her head, her soft brow hair tickling my stubble.

“Good boy,” Evie praises.

An unexpected bolt of lust heats my skin.

I force any arousal producing thoughts away and glare at my witch. “I’m so fucking furious with you,” I rumble, then shackle her wrist with my thumb and forefinger, intent on dragging her from the room. My breathing halts as something twinges the demonic senses in the back of my mind like an early alarm system. Out of the corner of my eye, through the wisps of my witch’s hair, I glimpse a pair of pastel green eyes frames by black lashes peeking through the window.