Page 24 of The Immortal’s Curse (Bound to the Immortals #2)

DARCIE

Thirty-seven anxiety-ridden minutes after leaving the house, the sleek black limo glides to a stop in front of the iconic Portland Stage, its historic brick facade glowing under the amber light of vintage street lamps.

Nestled in the heart of downtown Portland, the theater buzzes with early arrivals. Well-dressed patrons cluster near the entrance, their breath visible in the cool evening air. Laughter and conversation spill into the streets.

“Thank you,” Bella calls out to the handsome young driver as she slips from the limo, her heels clicking on the pavement. “We’ll see you in about three hours.”

With a polite nod and a tip of his cap, the driver eases the limo back into traffic, heading toward the nearby parking garage. I imagine him trying to maneuver that massive vehicle through the structure’s tight corners when Kayla grabs my wrist.

“Come on,” she says, eyes sparkling. “Let’s go inside.”

Kayla leads me through the ornate, velvet-covered doors of the theatre. Once inside, Bella vanishes to retrieve our tickets from the box office. Kayla, Eshe, and I find purple suede couches to the right of the entrance and wait there .

“This is going to be so fun.” Kayla stares up at the beautiful painting covering the theatre’s ceiling. She drops her chin and looks at Eshe. “Have you seen a live play before?”

Eshe’s lips twist. “Yes.”

“Awesome! Which one?”

I lower my head to hide my smirk when Eshe frowns.

Kayla had noted the dark-eyed Immortal’s silence in the limo and has been pulling her into conversation every chance she gets. If she notices how Eshe’s jaw tightens every time she asks a question, she doesn’t let it deter her.

“It was a long time ago,” the Immortal replies coolly. “You haven’t heard of it.”

“Look!” I jump in before Kayla can continue to press Eshe. “There’s Bella. Let’s go that way.”

I point toward the door where the petite Immortal stands on her tiptoes, waving her ticket-filled hand in the air.

Eshe is the first to move.

“Sheesh,” Kayla mutters. “She’s an ice queen, isn’t she?”

I stare at Eshe’s back. “Not really.”

Eshe may be distant and reserved, but there’s so much going on under the surface, things that I suspect would destroy a weaker person.

I continue, “She’s just an introvert.”

“ You’re an introvert,” Kayla counters. “She’s cold.”

I don’t try to convince her otherwise. There’s only so much I can say without revealing the fantastical reasons Eshe is the way she is, the most obvious one being the cold marriage she shares with Lome, forged by a mysterious past I have yet to uncover.

We join the crowd and enter the theatre, following Bella as she leads us to our table.

We sit on the second level, positioned closest to the railing, slightly raised above the ground floor in front of the stage. The red velvet curtains remain closed while numerous servers dance around the tables, taking drink and food orders .

The couple at the next table interacts with their waiter. I listen as the young man dons varying accents while conversing with the guests. I vaguely remember reading about the Portland Stage in the Brunswick Library newsletter.

“Are the servers the actors and actresses?” I ask.

“Yes!” Bella’s eyes twinkle.

“No way?” Kayla picks up the program from the table and scans the list of actors’ headshots. She focuses on the server closest to us and quickly finds his picture in the booklet. “That is so cool.”

“Good evening, ladies.” Our waiter arrives. “My name is Eduardo. How are we doing tonight?”

Muscular biceps fill his black, short-sleeve shirt. His dark hair is gelled in perfect waves, one falling over a strong brow. This guy belongs on a magazine cover.

Kayla must think so, too.

She dons a bright smile and leans an elbow on the table, resting her chin in her hands. “We’re great. How are you , Eduardo?”

The waiter’s generic smile grows more personal. “I’m great. Thank you for asking.”

After a lingering stare at my best friend, he turns his attention to the rest of us. “Is this your first time visiting The Portland Stage?”

“It is,” Bella answers, bouncing in her seat. She’s freaking adorable.

“Fantastic. Welcome.” A hint of a Latin accent breaks through his words. From the corner of my eye, Kayla practically swoons. “You’re in for quite a treat. Both the food and show are phenomenal. Can I get any of you something to start with? A drink, perhaps?”

“A glass of chardonnay, please.” Kayla dives into her purse and comes out with a laminated card.

I bite my tongue as she hands over the fake ID. Eduardo accepts the card and, with barely a glance, promptly hands it back to her, letting his fingers linger a second longer than necessary.

“Excellent,” he says before turning to Eshe. “And for you?”

“A glass of your house Cabernet Sauvignon. Thank you.”

“For me, as well,” Bella orders the same dark, red wine. Neither of them is fazed that their underage companion ordered an alcoholic beverage.

Eduardo writes down their orders before finally turning to me.

I flounder.

Should I order water? Or would it be weird to be the only one not drinking? It is my birthday, after all…But I don’t drink. I have no idea what I’d like.

“She’ll have a Moscato,” Kayla tells Eduardo, then turns to me and says, “It’s sweet. You’ll like it.”

I nod. “Okay.”

“Good choice.” Eduardo grins at Kayla before turning to the rest of us. “May I please see your IDs?”

Eshe and Bella reach into their purses and hand Eduardo their IDs. I suppress my snort. I wonder what age their licenses say they are.

I open my clutch and slide out my license. I hand it to Eduardo, oddly nervous, even though I know my ID is legit.

He takes the card and, unlike with Kayla, gives it a good once-over. Probably because I didn’t know what I wanted to order.

His subtle suspicion morphs into a wide smile. “Well, look at that. It’s someone’s birthday!”

His voice carries, and the people at the table closest to us look our way.

I tuck my chin a little but smile. “Um, yeah. It is.”

“Happy birthday… Darcie.” He reads my name and hands it ba ck to me. “Thank you for choosing to spend your big day at The Portland Stage.”

“Thank you,” I reply quietly, not knowing what else to say.

“I’ll make sure to bring dessert for the table after your meal.” He winks. “On the house.”

“That’s not?—”

“That is so nice of you,” Kayla interrupts, batting her lashes at our handsome waiter.

“Anything for the birthday girl.” Eduardo chuckles.

Bella and Kayla join in. Eshe keeps a stoic expression.

Then, Eduardo slips away to place our drink orders, leaving us to peruse the dinner menu.

“Well, that was easy.” Kayla waggles her eyebrows, waving her fake ID before tucking it back in her wallet.

I shake my head. “We could’ve gotten kicked out.”

“ Please . No, we wouldn’t. It looks real.”

“What looks real?” Eshe asks.

In a low voice, I explain that Kayla handed the waiter a fake ID.

When Eshe continues to look confused, I clarify, “The drinking age in Maine is twenty-one. Kayla is still twenty.”

“Not for long,” Kayla pipes up.

“Oh.” Bella hums. “I forgot about drinking laws. We didn’t have that back in my day.”

“What do you mean?” Kayla frowns. “You’re our age.”

Bella and I freeze, but Eshe is quick on her feet. “Bella is from France. The drinking laws are not as strict there.”

“Oh, right.” Kayla nods, then brightens. “How dreamy is Eduardo? That accent ? Be still, my heart.”

I roll my eyes.

I love my best friend. Kayla is intelligent and kind, and we always have a great time together. The one thing I wish I could change is her insistence on stringing Josh along when she isn’t serious about him .

“He is very cute,” Bella allows.

My jaw drops.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that.” She laughs. “I’m just looking. You know I’m devoted to Thane.”

“Who’s Thane?” Kayla asks.

For the second time in one minute, I freeze.

This is why I was wary of Kayla spending time with Eshe and Bella. A secret is bound to slip, especially when alcohol begins to flow.

Bella purses her lips together. After a second, she says, “Thane is my husband.”

“Oh, right.” Kayla shakes her head. “I didn’t believe Darcie when she said she was hanging out with married people in Greece, but you two are so young and cool.”

Bella and, surprisingly, Eshe laugh.

“Thank you,” Bella chuckles, nudging Eshe with her elbow. “We like to think so.”

Eshe cracks a genuine smile.

Eduardo returns and delivers our drinks.

I hold the stem of my wine glass and spin it between my fingers while the others order their meals. When it’s my turn, I settle on the blackened salmon with steamed vegetables.

“Great choice.” Eduardo nods, but his charming smile rests on Kayla. He lingers for a moment, more than happy to answer Kayla’s flirtatious questions about his role as the town bad boy in the play before he’s compelled to leave to help another table.

Kayla’s eyes drop as he walks away. I unravel the cloth napkin around my silverware and swat it against her shoulder.

“Ow.” Kayla’s gaze snaps to mine. “What was that for?”

I give her a pointed look. “You’re drooling.”

Bella and Eshe laugh.

Kayla’s cheeks redden, but she waves a dismissive hand. “Whatever. ”

She sips her wine and looks between Bella and Eshe. “So, tell me about your husbands.”

Eshe’s light-hearted expression fades. “Lome is a kind and respectable husband. We’ve been together a long time.” The words sound rote, memorized.

She obviously doesn’t want to talk about her marriage, but Kayla is too embarrassed by my earlier joke to pick up on the social cue.

“When did you meet?” she asks.

Eshe swallows a mouthful of wine, her tone sharp as the glass hits the table. “I was sixteen.”

Bella clears her throat. “I met Thane when I was sixteen, too.”

“Whoa.” Kayla sits back in her seat. “That’s… young.”

Bella shrugs. “When you know, you know.”

Eshe nods, though the motion rings hollow.

Kayla tilts her head to the side and looks between the Immortals. “Do either of you want kids?”