Page 34 of Infernal Hearts

We get back in the truck, and Jason clasps the wheel while audibly breathing from his nose. “I’m glad you got something out of her, but what the hell was that with her telling me I wasn’t human?”

I nod slowly, wondering why he’s so upset. “Well, are you?”

“Of course I am!” He huffs his breath and stares out the window of the truck. “It must be all the magic I grew up around. Or it’s the agreement we signed. Are you sure you didn’t put too much magic into it?”

He could be making this all up. “Clean contract, I promise. But I will take that hundred bucks.”

“You wish.” He starts driving back to the clinic.

We sit in an uncomfortable silence, but of all the things I know I shouldn’t say, mentioning that he might be a little magic is at the top of the list.

I finally decide to change the subject. Talking in general might set him off, but it’s better than stewing in all this tension. “I have another question. What do you have against psychics?” Not my most eloquent way of asking, but at least it got the point across.

He lets out a deep breath and sinks deeper into his seat, his free hand propping up his head. “They’re con artists, except for this one apparently. They just read your body language and tell you what you want to hear. You say otherwise, but I think finding a real psychic is probably just as hard as finding a needle in the Mariana Trench.”

“Have some faith. But no, you’re right, she wasn’t particularly helpful. I just wish she could have told me where the necklace is.”

His eyebrows twist as he grips the wheel. “What’s so special about it?”

“It amplifies my powers. I used it to find Windy Peak all the way from L.A.”

His voice goes up hopefully. “Could you use it to sense other creatures?”

Interesting thought. I hadn’t considered it. “Probably. I can already see auras if they’re close by. It should expand my sight.”

“That’s something. Could be worth looking for.”

“Hardly. That thing got ripped off in the middle of the night, on the run, bleeding out in unmarked woods. We have a better chance of me becoming a nun.” At last, he lets out the tiniest smile. I finally relax now that things feel like normal again.

Theresa’s reading left more questions than answers. How am I supposed to find my brother when Dane doesn’t even look like himself? I’m going to need to completely rely on the sensation of his heart, but it’s not strong enough to pinpoint. Not to mention there’s no way of knowing if he hasn’t changed more than just his face.

I don’t know who this person is I’m supposed to help, much less how they’ll undo me. The person who tried to kill me once might just be waiting to finish the job.

What if it was Dane who tried to off me? He could be just that desperate to not be found. I just wish there was something I could do to clear things up. This seems impossible.

But what I’m really curious about is Jason. It’s like he’s completely blocked from any of my abilities, and I’m certain that it has something to do with what Theresa saw in him.

“Want to come over to my place?” I ask as we pull into the driveway. My heart flutters at the thought of actually spending time with him without blood or books or clues.

“And do what?” He puts his hands in his pockets. “Gonna try to sleep with me again?”

The accusation hits me like a slap in the face, but I guess I deserved that. “No. Just thought we could hang out.”

“Oh.” He mulls it over for longer than I’d like. “Sure.”

We go inside the guest house, colder than how I left it. I sit on the couch, and he softly closes the door behind him.

I clear my throat. “Can I ask you a deep question without you getting mad?”

He sits next to me, thinking for a moment, but he finally nods. “Go for it.”

“Why do you dislike magic so much?” I try to be as earnest as possible without sounding accusatory.

His blinking increases, and the heaviness appearing in his body is palpable in the air. “I really don’t think you’d understand.”

I put my hand on his shoulder. “Try me.”

He rubs his palms together. “My mom was killed by a magical creature last year.”

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