Page 13 of The Immortal’s Curse (Bound to the Immortals #2)

DARCIE

“Mythical creatures with fangs strong enough to pierce flesh in a single bite appear across cultures, from Mesopotamia to the Romans to the Aztecs. These blood-sucking creatures often served as cautionary tales of what could happen to a person who succumbed to evil forces like greed, violence, or gluttony…”

My cell phone buzzes, yanking me out of the latest section I’m reading of Dad’s book. It’s unlike anything he’s ever written.

Dad studies ancient cultures, but his current work focuses heavily on supernatural lore. He usually writes about ancient cultures’ political conflicts and social dynamics, not the things that go bump in the night. This new work has thrown me for a loop, but it’s intriguing; I’ll give him that.

Speak of the devil, Dad’s name flashes across my cell phone’s screen.

I pick up the phone from the living room coffee table and press it to my ear. “Hi, Dad!”

“Hey, sweetheart. Are you free to talk?”

“Sure.” I look around and find a folded grocery receipt. I slide it into the book to mark my place before closing it. “What’s up? ”

“I just wanted to check in and see how everything is going. It’s been a couple of days since we talked. How are your classes?”

“Classes are good.”

“Is Professor Vance giving you any trouble?” he asks after one of his history colleagues. Some might say they are competitors. “I know she didn’t want the school to accept your Grecian history course as the prerequisite to enroll in her advanced class.”

“Professor Vance is fine,” I reassure him. “She’s been nothing but polite and professional.”

“I’m glad.” A siren blares through the phone, drowning out the chatter of what I assume are pedestrians walking around him. Dad arrived in New York yesterday to meet with his publisher.

“What about your other classes?” he continues. “Have any subjects caught your interest?”

I settle back against the couch cushion and give him a brief rundown of my last week, before finishing with, “I really enjoy the chemistry lab. I have an awesome lab partner.”

“Thinking about majoring in the sciences?”

I shrug even though he can’t see me. “I don’t know. Part of me always wanted to be a writer or professor like you. But now… I’m not sure academia’s for me.”

There’s a honk and a shout in the background. I press the phone closer to my ear to hear Dad’s reply. “There’s no rush, sweetheart. You’ve got plenty of time to decide. The world’s your oyster.”

I snicker. “Thanks for the cliché. What about you? Any news from your publishers on your next book?”

Not yet, but my agent says we’ll have an answer soon. He sounds secretive but excited. “If not, I’ll shop the book around when I return to the city after your birthday.”

“Speaking of which,” his voice softens with a smile I can almost hear, “my train gets in early Sunday. I’m planning a five-star breakfast to celebrate.”

“That sounds great, Dad.” I make a mental note to keep frozen waffles handy if his cooking doesn’t live up to the hype.

He chuckles. “Unless you’re too tired after your big night. Kayla’s probably got something wild planned.”

“I’m sure she does,” I force a laugh, thinking about Kayla’s fake ID and the crazy night in Portland she barely remembers. If she knew the truth of what happened that night, she’d probably never want to go out again.

“Remember to have a designated driver if you’re drinking,” Dad says. “Maybe Kevin could do it? If I recall, the last time I spoke with his dad, he said he doesn’t drink.”

“No.” I twist the frayed edge of my sweater around my finger. “Kevin doesn’t drink.”

“And he’s not back at school yet, right?”

I swallow. “Right.”

“Perfect,” Dad says. “Ask him to pick you up from whatever Kayla’s planned for your big day. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“I’m sure he won’t.” I pause, biting my lip before adding, “Actually, Kevin will probably be with us anyway.”

“Really?” His voice lifts. “Why would he do that?”

“Wow. Thanks, Dad.”

“No offense,” he says. “It’s just that you two haven’t been that close since he left for college.”

I rub a hand down my thigh and admit, “Kevin actually reached out when I got back.”

“Ah.” Suspicion creeps into Dad’s tone. “Well… It’s nice you’re reconnecting.”

“It is.”

Stop being a coward, Darcie. Just say it!

I swallow the lump in my throat. “We’re actually… um… dating.”

“Who?” A siren wails in the distance .

“Kevin and me.”

For a long moment, only background noise fills the line.

“Dad?” I tuck my legs closer to my body. “Are you still there?”

“You and Kevin are dating?” he finally asks.

I sigh. “Yes.”

“You’re a couple?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.” I imagine him removing his glasses and rubbing tired eyes. “That’s… not what I expected.”

I furrow my brow. “What do you mean?”

He exhales slowly. “I didn’t expect you’d have a boyfriend. Much less Kevin.”

“Who else would it be?” I ask.

“I don’t know,” he says. “I just thought you’d go for someone more… exciting.”

What?

I frown. “Kevin’s not boring.”

“I never said he was boring. I just meant you’ve always been so adventurous. I thought you’d go for someone like that.”

Since when am I adventurous?

I’m an introvert. I prefer a good book to conversation with a stranger any day of the week. That’s even more true after what happened the last time I struck up a conversation with a stranger. I.e. Thane.

But I guess I have traveled the world with Dad. I’ve soaked in different cultures, seen breathtaking sights, and tasted unique street food from carts around the globe.

Just last week, I tried to convince Kevin to check out a new sushi restaurant in town. For someone who grew up eating seafood, he was surprisingly hesitant. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t adventurous.

“Kevin is nice,” I say finally, defending my boyfriend. “And I like him. ”

“I’m sure.” Dad’s voice is casual, but I catch the hint of warmth beneath. “You could do worse for your first boyfriend, I guess.”

I roll my eyes. “Again, thanks, Dad.”

He chuckles. “Any time.”

My lips curl into a smile.

Dad clears his throat. “You should invite Kevin over for your birthday breakfast.”

My smile falls. “No, that’s okay. I want it just to be us.”

I’ve missed Dad. First, I was trapped in Greece, and now he’s been busy with work. I’m looking forward to spending time together. Besides, something tells me breakfast with him and Kevin would be awkward as hell.

“Sounds good to me,” he says. “Hold on one second. I’m getting a call.”

“Sure.” I wait as he answers the call.

He’s back within a minute. “Sorry, Darcie. It’s the publishing house. They have some questions about my latest manuscript.”

“Is it about how spooky it is?”

He huffs. “It’s not spooky.”

My lips twitch. “You talk about demons, vampires, and werewolves. And the lore you include would give anyone with a good imagination a nightmare.”

Good thing your imagination lets you think about… other things.

My stomach clenches, but I shove down the memories of last night’s heavenly dream. I can’t think of stuff like that when talking to my dad.

“Lore is part of every civilization’s culture,” Dad counters. The words sound rehearsed. I bet he used them when pitching the work to his publishing team. “It is important to study all aspects of history, not just the exciting stuff like battles.”

I press my lips together to stifle my chuckle. “You’re right, Dad. The book is good. I’m sure your team will support it. ”

“Thank you, sweetheart. Speaking of my team, I need to call the publisher back.”

“No problem. See you Sunday.”

“See you Sunday. I love you, Darcie.”

“I love you, too.”

I end the call, motivated to dive back into Dad’s work and read the other crazy stories he has to share.

Maybe there will be something about one of the Immortals.

It isn’t a crazy idea.

I’ve already connected several Greek and Roman myths to members of the Original Nine. The Mediterranean societies have the most popular myths in Western culture, but I’m sure there are plenty from other civilizations I don’t know about.

I reach for Dad’s book. Before I can flip it open, my phone buzzes with an incoming text.

Hey, you! Finished working out early today. Wanna hang? I’m at home with a large pepperoni pizza all to myself.

Kevin adds a pizza emoji to the end of the message.

I chew the inside of my cheek. I should say yes.

Why wouldn’t I say yes?

Des’s impressive abs and heart-melting smile flash in my head. The guilt I’ve been suppressing rears its ugly head.

But why am I guilty? I can’t control what happens in my dreams.

I’m crazy about Kevin. Just because I dream about an attractive immortal doesn’t change that.

Are you sure?

Shut up, I grumble at my inner voice.

My fingers fly across the screen as I type my response.

That sounds great. Come on over .

I hit send and release a pent-up sigh. I go to the bathroom to check my appearance. Just as I finish fixing my messy ponytail, there’s a knock at the door.

I paste on a smile and go to let Kevin in.

Hey,” I greet.

“Hi.” He smiles brightly, dark hair still damp from the snow, cheeks flushed from the cold. His brown eyes crinkle as he holds out his pizza box. “Hope you’re hungry.”

“Starving.” I take the pizza.

Kevin steps inside and closes the door, brushing melting flakes from his shoulders before tugging off his snowy boots and jacket. He hangs them on the coat rack, then follows me into the kitchen.

“How was your day?” He settles on the stool in front of the island, running a hand through his messy hair.

I place the pizza box on the counter before retrieving two plates from the kitchen cabinet. “Good. I just got off the phone with my dad before you texted.”

“Oh yeah? How is he?”

“Good.” I hand Kevin a plate and shift my weight from one foot to the other. “I, uh, actually told him about us.”

The pizza box lid halts halfway as Kevin’s eyes snap up to mine. “What? Really?”

I nod.

He straightens, lowering the lid. “What did he say?”

That you’re boring.

“Nothing much. He was surprised but said he could think of a worse boyfriend for his daughter,” I tease.

Kevin laughs. “Hey, I’ll take it.”

I smile. “How about you? How was your day?”

“Eh, same as usual.” He shrugs and opens the pizza box fully, taking out a slice of pizza and putting one on my plate before adding one to his. “I’m kind of ready to go back to school. I’m feeling a little stir-crazy. ”

I get that. Before the Immortals dragged me into their world, I spent every day trapped in the same monotonous routine, while worrying about Dad’s health.

When I returned to Maine, I promised myself I wouldn’t fall into the same rut. That’s why I got a job at the café and enrolled in school.

That’s not the real reason…

“Well, you’ll be back in a couple of weeks. And then you’ll have all sorts of senior activities to keep you busy,” I say encouragingly. “Then after you graduate, you can do whatever you want!”

“All I want to do is get a job at Dad’s company and cash in on the benefits. Put that degree to use, you know?” He laughs and takes a bite of pizza.

I blink and lower my slice. “You want to stay in Brunswick after you graduate?”

“Well, yeah.” He chews and swallows before adding, “Brunswick’s great. I grew up here. My family’s here. You’re here.”

My back stiffens. “Yeah, but I’m not going to live here forever.”

He shrugs. “You might go to school out of state, but come on. You have to admit, it’s a pretty great town. It’s safe, not too big, plenty to do, and great for families.”

I chew the inside of my cheek.

Everything Kevin says is true, but that doesn’t mean I want to live in Brunswick forever.

“Hey.” He frowns. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I take a bite of pizza, chewing slowly. I don’t want to argue with him. I wouldn’t even know how to start.

He taps his fingertips against the island as he watches me. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

I choke down the bite of flavorless pizza. “You didn’t.”

I get up and pour myself a glass of water, leaning against the counter as I take a sip .

Kevin stands and slowly walks towards me. Remorse floods his handsome features. “Darcie…”

I swallow my gulp of water and shake my head, “It’s fine. Really.”

“Hey.” He stands in front of me and gently rubs my arms up and down. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to shut you down. I know you want to travel after you graduate.”

I don’t just want to travel. I want to explore, see the world, and dive into life fully.

Damn…

Maybe Dad was right. Maybe I am adventurous.

It's hard for me to understand why Kevin is already so sure he wants to stay in Brunswick after graduation. We’ve talked about dating long distance when he goes back to school, but we haven’t discussed what happens afterward.

If he moves back to our hometown, where will that leave us? Could a relationship survive years of us living in different states? Do I want a long-distance relationship that lasts that long?

Question after question swirls in my head, making me dizzy.

These are things I need to figure out—that we need to figure out—but I’m scared.

What if I voice my questions and Kevin decides he doesn’t want to be with me?

What if you decide you don’t want to be with him?

“Darcie?” Kevin dips his head. His eyes search mine. “Are we okay?”

“Yeah.” I bob my head and force a shaky smile. “We’re okay.”

Thankfully, the weak effort is enough to reassure Kevin. He releases a deep sigh. “ Good , I’m glad.”

He cups the back of my head and slowly leans down for a kiss. I close my eyes and push my doubts about us aside, willing myself to get lost in the kiss.

Only… I can’t .

Emerald green eyes and a shining white smile flood my mind.

Knowing the man kissing me isn’t the same one who stoked a burning desire within me is messing with my head.

You and Des aren’t real.

Those dreams are figments of my imagination. They’re the culmination of all the tumultuous emotions that have overwhelmed me since my life collided with the Immortals.

They aren’t real. Kevin is real.

And I need to remember that.

Before I do something stupid and screw up my relationship with the guy I’ve wanted since I was a teenager.