Page 5 of The Cursed Sebastian Storm

CHAPTER TWO

Despite the rocky start, dinner wasn’t a total disaster. The tension eased, and Sebastian was able to enjoy the undivided attention of a man he’d never expected to think twice about him.

Of course, Sebastian had schemed to get James’s attention. He hadn’t hired James as an electrician because his business was in Moonlight Falls. It wasn’t on a whim that he’d written to Gray Electrical, mysteriously asking for assistance from a childhood acquaintance. Sebastian’s actions during James’s first visits to the house had been calculated, tailored to intrigue James as much as possible. He’d needed James hooked so that when things got complicated, he wouldn’t abandon Sebastian to rot in the godforsaken manor like some helpless victim in a gothic novel.

Still, Sebastian had never imagined his seduction would go this well.

It was fully dark by the time he got up to throw away their compostable takeout containers. Luckily, James had helped him eat the jalapeño poppers and tots. Otherwise, he’d have made himself sick trying to finish everything. Though, he supposed he could have put any leftovers in the refrigerator at James’s house. He was too used to being unable to save certain foods, always cooking and eating precise servings to reduce waste.

Sebastian walked back to the picnic table where James was waiting. “You know what, a movie sounds good.”

He was about to step into the light when something flashed in front of him. He turned as a shade swooped down. “Go away.” He shooed it with an outstretched arm, the gesture less than effective without the billowing sleeves of his purple robe.

The shade hissed and lunged at him. It latched onto the exposed skin on his wrist with its sharp teeth, clamping down hard. Sebastian gave a shout of pain and surprise as he tried to shake the beast off.

James jumped up from the table. “Get into the light.”

Sebastian staggered to the side. Blood ran down his wrist onto his hand. The shade seemed larger than usual, it’s body more solid and imposing. It emanated shadow, tendrils rolling off it and darkening the night around them. Sebastian stumbled into the light, but the shade was unaffected by the brightness.

More shades appeared in the sky. James swore as he tried to help Sebastian free his wrist. The beast had a vicelike grip that they couldn’t pry open without risking more damage to Sebastian’s arm.

The shades above them swooped around the light fixture. It looked like they were trying to attack it but couldn’t get close enough, like it had been warded. Apparently deciding destruction wouldn’t work, they arranged themselves in front of the light, blocking it out as more shades joined them.

“Why isn’t the light affecting them?” Panic took hold of Sebastian as more of his blood spilled from the shade’s jaws.

“I don’t know.” James stepped back and summoned sunlight, sending a flaring orb right into the face of the shade attacking Sebastian.

It had no effect. Sebastian had never seen a shade so immune to light.

“I need to go brighter.” James grimaced, already straining with the effort.

“No!” Sebastian shouted. “You drained yourself less than twenty-four hours ago. Don’t you dare.”

Sebastian hadn’t done any magic since freeing himself from the curse. Now seemed as good a time as any to test if his strength had returned. He said the words to summon fire. Sparks flared and flames erupted in the shade’s face. It hissed, releasing Sebastian as the fire took hold.

The beast exploded into tendrils of black smoke. With nothing left to feed it, Sebastian’s fire went out. The shades overhead paused, staring down.

“Come on.” James put an arm around Sebastian and guided him around the back of the diner to his truck. Once they were in the cab, James inspected Sebastian’s wrist. “I don’t think you’ll need stitches, but I’m no doctor. Let’s go home and bandage you up. Then we can head to the hospital in Apple Valley.”

Sebastian held his sleeve back, trying not to get blood all over James’s leather jacket. “I don’t think I need the hospital.” He winced in pain. He was pretty cut up, but he refused to see the injury as anything dire.

James was already backing up. “We’ll be home in two minutes.”

The drive was as quick as promised. James turned into the driveway of a tidy two-story home on the south side of town. It was the perfect picture of domestic life, a simple garden of dormant rose bushes, a clipped lawn, and a small picket fence. James clicked open the garage door with a remote and pulled in. He was out of his seat and opening the passenger door before Sebastian could collect himself.

Sebastian didn’t pay much attention to the home’s interior as he was led upstairs. James pulled him into a bathroom attached to what was presumably his bedroom, directing Sebastian to the sink to wash himself off. The water stung like hell.

James helped him dry and wrap his wrist, putting pressure on it. Sebastian took off the leather jacket as carefully as he could.

“Some of these are still bleeding,” James said, strain visible as his mouth formed a tight line.

“It’s okay.” Sebastian didn’t want to cause undue stress. He knew James was afraid of anything bad happening to him. The bite wasn’t serious, but that didn’t mean James’s reaction wouldn’t spiral. “Why don’t you try the spell you used in all our blood-magic rituals to stop the bleeding?”

“That’s a good idea.” James’s face relaxed a fraction. He uncovered Sebastian’s wrist and performed the spell, which clotted the wounds and prompted Sebastian’s natural healing to start.

The cuts weren’t going to close and disappear before their eyes. That kind of magical healing wasn’t possible, but something was much better than nothing, and after a moment, the bleeding seemed to stop.

The spell working confirmed that the bite wasn’t that bad. Simple magic like that wouldn’t help a more severe injury.

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