Twisted Soul (Cursed Legacies #3)

3. Maven

3

MAVEN

My veins are abuzz from fresh kills. I doubt there’s anyone left alive in Everbound Castle. If I think about it long enough, I’ll start feeling bad about it.

Then again, those shadow fiends, monsters, and legacies would have killed me without hesitation had the roles been reversed.

So fuck feeling bad.

When we emerge in Everbound Forest near the old ruins, it’s disconcerting how quiet it is. The misty, dark forest typically conceals countless dangerous creatures and the occasional shadow fiend whose haunting cries can be heard in the distance. Maybe they got scared silent after First Placement.

For the hundredth time, I glance at Silas. He’s still motionless in Baelfire’s arms, but now his skin is a concerning sallow hue. His fingertips are blackened from using necromancy, but either Kenzie and her quintet haven’t noticed, or they’re opting not to say anything about it.

Silas, I try again. We left Everbound. Call it an early graduation.

There’s no reply.

Dirk glances around nervously, adjusting Vivienne so he can scratch the back of his neck furiously. “Uh. Not to pressure you, Maven, but…”

Right. Time to transport.

I brace myself and remove my stained gloves, reaching toward Kenzie. “This might take a second to set up. Once the spell is ready, everyone must be touching someone touching me.”

They position themselves as I take Kenzie’s bare hands in mine. Immediately, my nerves clench violently, and I try not to cringe as the typical repulsion sweeps through me at the feel of her bare skin dragging so horribly against mine. Nausea curdles in my gut, sending my pulse into a panic.

What the fuck? I thought I was getting over this.

Maybe I’m only better when it comes to my quintet.

Amidst trying to get a grip, my gaze collides with Everett’s light blue gaze, as gentle as feathers.

Are you okay? he mouths, brow furrowing deeply.

I nod and try to focus on anything but the physical contact. At least my voice sounds steady. “Kenzie, hold in your mind exactly where you want us to arrive in your hometown.”

“Got it.”

Shutting my eyes, I whisper the incantation I’ll need to start the common magic spell. I’m overflowing with power right now, so much so that I’m not concerned about accidentally dipping into Somnus’s life force with this. Soon, rune-like symbols surround us, humming with energy.

Howls split the forest air, and Kenzie’s hands tense. “Are those hellhounds? Oh, my gods. They’re so close. Shit, should we?—”

“Spell’s ready,” I announce. “Everyone, hold on.”

Five seconds later, the blindingly bright light fades, and Kenzie immediately yanks away from me to puke. Dirk looks green, Luka dry-retches, and Everett has to brace himself on his knees for a moment, but I’m relieved to see everyone made it with all body parts attached.

My relief stutters when someone shrieks a few feet away. Glancing over, I realize we’re standing under some kind of stacked metal seating structure and just interrupted two teenagers who were getting hot and heavy, judging by their toplessness despite the bite of winter cold. They look terrified of us—but mostly me since I’m covered head to toe in blood and gore.

“Use protection,” I advise helpfully, checking to make sure Pierce is still strapped to my thigh and I didn’t lose him in the transportation spell.

They grab their discarded shirts and coats and run away, screaming.

Everett rubs his neck. “I’m pretty sure they think you just threatened them with that.”

That explains the screaming.

I look at Silas for the hundred and first time. Any hope that the spell would shake him awake changes into alarm when I see that Baelfire has set the fae down and is checking his pulse.

“He’s fine, baby,” he says quickly, offering a warm smile. “Just wanted to double-check.”

Thank the fucking universe.

Kenzie finally straightens, groaning as she takes in our surroundings. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to send us under the high school bleachers. I just have a lot of fun memories under here when my parents didn’t know I snuck into town,” she tacks on with a wink.

That earns a teasing poke from Luka before he notices Silas. “Is he…sick or something?”

“Or something.”

Kenzie looks at me with an expression I’ve seen on Lillian’s face countless times. It’s a mix of concern and hope.

“Look, now that we’re out of the woods—literally—and you guys just need to lay low, do you want to come stay at my parents’ place? It’s pretty far out of town since you know all those pesky laws about legacies living outside official city limits, so they’ll mostly be away from humans or whatever. It’ll give you a place to rest.”

I consider it, observing my quintet. Baelfire grins like he thinks it’s a good idea. Everett shakes his head, and Crypt doesn’t seem to care as he lights another one of his cigarettes, rolling one of his shoulders as if it’s in pain. All of them are still in bad condition.

We need somewhere Silas can rest, where we won’t be found. But as much as I like Kenzie, I don’t know and therefore don’t trust her parents. All I know is that they may belong to one of the anti-legacy factions. I doubt they’d be pleased if the telum showed up at their door.

By now, I’m sure most legacies have heard I’m in the mortal realm.

Aside from all of that…there was howling when we transported. This “Douglas” guy must be one of the bounty hunters and apparently can sense magic somehow, so he may have been close enough to feel my magic when we left. If that’s the case and they’re hot on our tail, I don’t want to be too close to Kenzie or her quintet, or they might get dragged into the crossfire.

“Thanks, but no. We’ll stay in this area briefly and move on as soon as possible,” I decide. “Is there a hotel or something? And somewhere to get spell ingredients?”

“Spell ingredients?” Baelfire frowns. “What for?”

“You four are inconveniently high-profile and well-known.” Not to mention, Everett will be especially easily recognized by humans, given his supermodel career in their world. “We’ll need to change your appearances somehow.”

Kenzie grins. “I would totally offer to help give your guys makeovers, but I need to stay with Vivienne. Plus, my family will freak when we show up, so I doubt I’ll be going anywhere for a while. There aren’t any stores around here that cater to casters or legacies in general, so I’m not sure about the spell ingredients…but there are a couple of nice hotels you could try.”

Vivienne moans and grimaces, shifting in Dirk’s arms. Immediately, Kenzie zeroes in on her, worry eclipsing her face. The lioness shifter rattles off her parents’ address, makes me promise to at least let her know when we leave town, and we say our goodbyes.

As soon as she leaves with her quintet, I turn to mine.

“Thank gods,” Baelfire grumbles, wrapping me in a very warm hug. “They’re nice and all, but I’ve been fucking dying to hold you. I know how much you hate PDA, so I waited. You’re welcome. Feel free to praise me.”

I fight a smile and relax into his hug for a second. At least his touch doesn’t really seem to trigger my haphephobia now.

To my shock, Everett embraces me from behind and kisses me softly on the back of my neck. The sudden contrast of his cool touch gives me goosebumps, and my brain skips back to Kenzie’s suggestion to try temperature play with these two. I wasn’t entertaining that idea at the time, but now…

No. Nope. I can’t let myself even think about that right now when Baelfire is far too good at sniffing out the tiniest hint of my arousal. Besides, Silas is lying fevered on the ground nearby, and he’s my top priority. There will be no fucking around until I know he’s okay.

Crypt catches my eye over Baelfire’s shoulder and grins crookedly. “I’d happily join the huddle, but you look as if you’re plotting. Care to share?”

I extract myself from the tempting duo and clear my throat. “Yes. We’ll stay at a hotel tonight while Silas rests. I also need to buy a phone.”

Baelfire’s brows go up. “ You want to buy a phone? You hate phones. Why don’t you just use Crypt’s enchanted phone that Silas set up?”

“Lost that somewhere,” Crypt corrects.

Bael huffs. “You’re as bad as Maven. Just use mine, Boo. I brought it just in case.”

I shake my head. “It needs to be a burner phone. I don’t want the demon to have your number.”

Everett rears back. “ Demon? No. Absolutely not. You are not getting in touch with a godsdamned demon.”

I fix him with a look. “Let me refresh your memory. I grew up in the Nether. I’ve been surrounded by demons my entire life and know how they work. I’ve killed more than my fair share, paid the price each time, and find them to be useful. So don’t fucking question me.”

He opens his mouth and closes it twice in a row before sighing heavily. “Okay, Oakley. You’re right, and I’m sorry. But can we at least make sure you’re bathed, rested, and cared for before diving headfirst into more danger?”

I think about it. “Fine.”

Mostly because I want to see Silas open his ruby eyes before we get to deal with more enemies.

Nearly an hour later, we take a back entrance into a hotel where Baelfire made a reservation for their biggest suite using cash Everett provided. They usher me to a metal door that slides open and reveals…a tiny room.

I frown in confusion.

Baelfire bursts into laugher as he reaches up to cover something above the door inside the little room. “It’s an elevator. Never seen one, huh?”

I haven’t, but I vaguely recall Lillian telling me about them. She told me about many things I still haven’t been exposed to in the mortal world. Honestly, most of what I know about the human world comes from Lillian, watching movies with Kenzie, and random tidbits I picked up at Everbound. There are still cavernous gaps in my knowledge about this world, which I dislike.

Although, I guess I’ll be exposed to a lot more now that we aren’t on lockdown inside an isolated, gothic castle.

We all step inside, but I tip my head when Baelfire continues covering something up with his hand. “What are you doing?”

“It’s a camera,” he explains. “Humans have them everywhere. Don’t want them getting footage of you.”

Interesting. I’ll have to keep an eye out for those.

Once we reach the actual suite, I’m impressed. It has two rooms with king-sized beds connected to a shared space with a TV, couch, mini kitchen, and glass wall with a view of Hastings.

Even though I’m good with this setup, Everett makes a face at it.

“Don’t mind him. He’s used to being hand-fed caviar and pissing in golden toilets,” Bael rolls his eyes as he goes to deposit Silas on one of the king beds.

“It’s just kind of small,” the elemental argues, pushing open the bathroom door. It seems clean and spacious to me, but Everett frowns.

Baelfire laughs from the other room. “That’s what Maven’s gonna say when you finally whip out your?—”

“Shut the fuck up , dragon.”

I turn and lay several simple but effective protective wards on the front door. I do the same thing to the windows. Just as I feel myself lagging, Crypt wraps his arms around me from behind, murmuring gently in my ear.

“Time to rest, love.”

“I still need to bathe. Silas needs to be cleaned up, too. I need to track down clean clothes and food and get that phone and some means for disguising you four—” I begin listing everything on my to-do list in my head, fighting a yawn.

He hums. “Sounds like we have plenty to do while you rest.”

Before I can argue, Baelfire appears on my left side and scoops me out of Crypt’s arms.

“I call bathing her.”

Crypt smiles cruelly. “So long as you give a sponge bath to the fae, too. Fair’s fair. Don’t miss his tender bits because, against all reason, Maven likes those.”

Baelfire shudders and starts to protest, but Everett pipes up as he approaches. “I can get food and clothes for all of us.”

“You’ll get recognized,” I argue, trying to squirm out of Bael’s strong arms. Godsdamn it, I’m way more exhausted than I realized because my attempts are pathetically feeble. They all watch in amusement as I give up, sighing and letting my head hang back over his arm.

“Fine. But we’re rearranging things. Baelfire will go out to get food, clothes, and a basic burner phone because he’s the least likely to get recognized— or frighten the hell out of people and spread unnecessary rumors,” I add when Crypt opens his mouth.

The incubus laughs. Bael nods in complete agreement.

“Crypt can keep watch until we know whether the coast seems clear.”

“Happy to, darling.”

I pause, frowning. “You were in pain earlier. Do you have enough reverium to help with that?”

He blinks as if he didn’t realize I’d noticed. “I have enough for now.”

“ For now will be fleeting when we’re on the run, so gather more from Limbo while we’re here. Everett, you’ll stay here to wash up because all that dirt and blood has been driving your poor neat freak brain crazy for the last few hours,” I say knowingly.

His cheeks pinken slightly. “Come on, Oakley. That’s not a priority. Let me help somehow.”

“Fine. You’ll help wash me.”

Now, his blush is flaming red. “I—uh, okay. If…if you want.”

I don’t understand why Baelfire tries to smother a laugh. Crypt mouths something at the elemental I don’t catch, and Everett flips him off.

Whatever. I move on. “Good. Then we’ll eat, rest, and look for a way to disguise you four later since I doubt we’ll be here long. Hopefully, we bought Silas some time coming here, but they’ll be after us, so I need all of you to be well rested.”

I realize Baelfire is smirking down at me in his arms. “What?”

“It’s just hot as fuck when you take charge. You’re a damn good keeper, Maven.”

Crypt grins. “That she is, dragon.”

“Perfect,” Everett agrees quietly, still blushing and adjusting his sleeves repeatedly.

Great, now I feel like blushing. Not to mention, how does my quintet still look so fucking gorgeous after the shit day we’ve had? It’s not fair when I know I look like a walking smudge of dried innards. Still, I glance between the three of them and clear my throat.

I seldom do this, but…

“Sorry.”

“Whatever for?” Crypt asks.

“You’ll be in deep shit from now on. The Immortal Quintet and Legacy Council will try to kill you four for going on the run with me. I wanted to prevent you guys from getting mixed up with everything my being the telum entails, but…I could only be tempted so far,” I finish lamely.

Baelfire snorts as he takes me to the bathroom, setting me on the counter and tipping my head up so I’m forced to look into his amber-gold gaze.

“Okay, first of all? Fuck anyone who has a problem with you. Sure, you’re the scourge, but it’s not like that was your choice—and second of all, we know what you’re really trying to do. You’re a good person. In fact, you’re the most aggravatingly selfless, self-sacrificing person in the world, so you’re not allowed to apologize for anything. Ever.”

He kisses my forehead. “You’ve been through hell, and maybe you did some shit you didn’t like just to survive it, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re a fucking hero to all those humans in the Nether. If you ask me, I’m lucky to breathe the same air as you. Got it, Mayflower?”