Page 26 of The Immortal’s Curse (Bound to the Immortals #2)

DARCIE

Laughter is such a weird kind of medicine.

One moment, Eshe’s words burrow in my head like a splinter I can’t dig out, haunting me, making me sick on Des’s behalf. And the next, I’m laughing at a cheesy punchline about mistaken identities and poorly timed kisses from the actors and actresses on stage.

Dinner was fine, but it’s the play that saves the night. Light, ridiculous, and full of charm.

Of course, Eduardo steals every scene he’s in. He plays the smooth-talking villain way too well, all smirks and swagger, trying to charm the heroine out of her happy ending. The crowd loves it. He’s clearly a talented actor.

By the time we hit the second act, I’m fully engaged. Giggling. Sighing. Letting myself fall for the sweet, over-the-top love story that only works onstage. And honestly? It feels good.

The show is the perfect solution to the tumultuous thoughts that followed Eshe’s foreboding words. I’m not sure what she meant when she said Des’s days will only get worse. Maybe I was wrong, maybe she does know about the curse .

But why wouldn’t she just say something? Even with Kayla here, there has to be some way she could drop a bigger hint.

Unless... Bella doesn’t know?

I glance at the Immortal. She’s absorbed in the play, grinning like a kid on Christmas. She looks so normal. So light. Whatever darkness follows her family like an unwanted shadow hasn’t touched her.

I decide to try to let my questions go.

It’s my birthday. I’m here, surrounded by people who care about me. Even Eshe, with her brusque personality, has shown she cares. I can deal with my problems later. Right now? I choose to have fun.

Not long after I make my decision, the final number echoes through the dinner theatre, the lights on the stage dim, and the curtain falls.

The crowd breaks into applause.

The curtain lifts, revealing the actors and actresses lining up for their final bow on the stage. The four of us rise and join the rest of the audience in a standing ovation.

“That was incredible!” Bella’s glittering eyes slide over to me. “Did you enjoy the play, Darcie?”

“I did.” I smile at her enthusiasm. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Of course!”

Seconds later, the curtain falls once more. We retake our seats. I drain the last sip of my second glass of sweet wine just as Eduardo reappears, still dressed in his elaborate costume from the previous act.

“Bravo!” Bella claps. Eshe, Kayla, and I join her.

Eduardo chuckles, stopping at the edge of our table and giving us a theatrical bow. “Thank you, ladies.”

“You are so talented,” Bella offers.

“Absolutely amazing,” Kayla adds.

I smile and nod in agreement .

Eduardo beams, his eyes lingering on Kayla longer than the rest of us. “You are too kind.”

He reaches into his waist apron and withdraws a black, leather check holder. Bella holds out her hand and takes the bill.

“Merci.” She inserts a credit card and gives the check back.

“Of course.” Eduardo tucks the holder under his arm and clears his throat. “If you ladies don’t have any plans tonight, a bunch of the cast is going to The Old Port for drinks and dancing. You should come.”

“That sounds fun!” Kayla glances at me with hopeful eyes. “What do you think, Darcie?”

Inside, I cringe. I hate being put on the spot. “Maybe…”

“We’ll think about it,” Bella grins at Eduardo. “We’ll let you know before we leave.”

“Sounds good. I’ll be right back with your check.” He dips his chin and glances at Kayla one more time before walking away.

I wait until he’s out of earshot before I turn to my best friend. “I don’t know if we should go out. We don’t know Eduardo. Not to mention, you’re not twenty-one.”

“My ID will pass, it always does,” she counters. “And it’s not like Eduardo invited us to his house or anything. The Old Port is a really cool part of town, and we were going to go out dancing anyway.”

“We were thinking about it,” I correct her. “I made no promises.”

“Darcie,” she whines. “It’s your birthday. You’re twenty-first birthday. No way am I letting you go home this early.”

I look to Eshe and Bella. Surely, they don’t want to follow the play's cast to an unknown bar.

Eshe shrugs. “Kayla is right. It’s your birthday, and The Old Port sounds fun.”

My jaw drops. Fun? Since when does Eshe care about having fun ?

“I don’t mind going,” Bella chimes in.

Kayla grins in triumph.

I groan. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“Live a little,” my best friend tells me just as Eduardo reappears with the bill.

Bella signs the receipt and tells him, “We’d love to join you at The Old Port.”

A boyish grin flashes across his face, brimming with energy. “I’m glad to hear it! I have to close things here, but we’ll be meeting at The Jackalope if you girls want to head there now.”

“Can’t wait.” Kayla bats her lashes.

Eduardo takes the customer’s copy of our dinner receipt, flips it over, and writes a series of numbers on the back before handing it to Kayla. “That’s my number. Text me yours, and I’ll let you know when I leave.”

She agrees and then watches him go, her eyes lingering on his retreating back until she catches me staring.

She twists toward me, brows lifting. “What?”

What about Josh?

The question burns at the back of my throat, but I swallow it and shake my head slightly. “Nothing.”

I don’t want to argue.

After pulling up the map on her GPS, Kayla tells us that the Old Port is only a ten-minute walk.

When we leave the theatre, Bella approaches the limo waiting by the curb to tell the driver we’ll walk rather than take the limousine through the tight streets around the port.

With a nod, he starts the engine and drives away.

Bella’s hair billows in the breeze as she walks back over. “He said he’ll pick us up at the port around one.”

I glance at my cell phone. That’s four hours away. A weary breath slips out as I steel myself for a long night ahead.

Following the directions on her phone, Kayla takes charge and leads us toward The Old Port. Bella picks up her pace until she walks beside her, leaving Eshe and me trailing behind.

Lights line the streets, but most buildings around us show no signs of life. I guess insurance brokers and pet supply stores have no reason to stay open on a Saturday night.

It takes two blocks before I finally seize the opportunity right next to me.

“So…” I begin.

Almond-shaped eyes slide over to me. “Yes?”

“What do you know about me and Des?”

She lifts a dark brow. “Is there something to know?”

Plenty.

I frown and stop walking. “I thought you valued honesty.”

Eshe slows to a stop and faces me. “I do.”

Bella and Kayla continue on, unaware we’ve stopped. I suspect that won’t last. I can’t waste any more time.

“Then I’m asking you to be honest with me,” I say, holding her gaze, willing her to understand. “The same way you wish Lome had been honest with you when you first met.”

It’s a risk to mention Lome, to bring up their past when I don’t know the full details of what’s led the Immortal couple to be the way they are. Eshe could shut down. Or she could open up. I press my lips together, bracing myself to find out which one it will be.

Dark eyes dart between mine. Then, slowly, she dips her chin. “Very well. I know about the curse.”

I exhale. I knew it.

“How?” I ask.

“Des told me.”

“Really?” My forehead furrows.

“Yes.”

I blink once. “I… I had no idea you and Des were that close. ”

But when I think about it, I can see it. Both of the Immortals are distant. Neither one is overly talkative or social.

When I arrived in Greece, Bella immediately sought me out, but it took days to meet Eshe. While Lome and Thane often attempted to visit and speak with me, Des hadn't bothered.

“That’s understandable.” Eshe looks off to the side, caught in the snares of a memory. “I’m uncertain when our friendship blossomed, but we’ve been each other's confidants for centuries.”

A thought I’ve been struggling to ignore burrows its roots into my chest, trying to creep up my throat.

If Eshe is Des’s confidant, would he tell her I’m his One? If he did, would she tell me?

Even if she won’t, I’ve got to ask.

The words hover on my tongue, but they are inhaled in a shocked gasp when Eshe releases a low, menacing hiss and whirls away from me.

I follow the Immortal’s rigid glare and recoil. A line of men blocks the sidewalk, boots planted wide, black jackets zipped to their throats, their fierce eyes fixed on us.

“Eshe!” Bella’s cry echoes down the street.

My eyes fly over the men’s heads, and my throat tightens.

More men creep out from the spaces between the dark buildings on either side of the street, closing in on Kayla and Bella, who are half a block ahead.

“Go!” Eshe shouts, green power flickering over her hands. “ Now !”

Bella snatches Kayla’s arm. My best friend shrieks as blue light surrounds them, then Bella yanks her through a rip.

The tension in my chest loosens for a heartbeat, then seizes again as the tallest of them rounds on the man at his left, spitting, “You idiot. You were supposed to suppress the rips.”

“I thought I did,” the shorter man grumbles back.

Shit .

My heart races .

Rebels… these are rebels .

“It’s fine.” The tall man’s glare lands on me. His hands begin to glow. “At least we have the girl.”

I stumble back.

He’s an Immortal. His near-perfect features and colorful power flowing from his fingertips give him away.

A glance at his companions confirms they’re the same.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Tendrils of magic flow down their bodies, creeping along the sidewalk, drawing closer with each breath I take.

Eshe steps in front of me. Green power rises into the air, a translucent, shimmering wall in front of us. “Stay behind me.”

My entire body shakes. “W-what do we do?”

She doesn’t have time to answer.

A loud BOOM echoes through the eerily quiet and empty street. I slam my hands over my ears and wince, but my eyes are drawn to the blue light flaring on the other side of the street.