Page 2 of Infernal Hearts

“It’s completely fair!” My face tightens and my pulse quickens. I wish he would stop trying to rationalize things all the time. “I don’t want any of this! I want a normal life! Is that too much to ask?”

He tucks his chin, and his eyes adopt a flinty glare. “I won’t let you waste your gift on common house pets. It’s beneath you.”

“It’s too late. I’ve made up my mind.”

“What do you mean it’s too late?”

My eyes tear away from him toward the window into the dark forest. My stomach drops and my eyes blur with tears. “I took my savings, got some loans, and rented a place in town. I already filed with the state and ordered equipment. It should be here next week. I’m starting my own practice.”

He scoffs. “That’s financial suicide. Why would you do something so reckless?”

“I’m doing what I need to do for myself. I hope you can understand that.”

My dad’s voice grows cold, almost morphing into a growl. “I didn’t put you through school just so you could throw your life away. What we do matters. Being a vet is just a cover for the bigger picture. Magic is the only thing that has any meaning.”

“Magic has meaning to you, Dad, not me.” An indignant lump forms in my throat, a palpable tightness that wasn’t there before. “It’s just painful for me now. And if you loved me, you would understand that I can’t do this anymore.”

He pauses, gritting his teeth. “Fine. Leave. You’ll be crawling back next month.”

I go completely still, my mouth dropping open. “Excuse me?”

His words grow in volume, filling the room. “I don’t know how I raised such an ungrateful son. Spitting in the face of everything that makes him special? If you’re dead set on ruining your life, go ahead. Waste your money and your potential. You’ll just have to learn the hard way.”

My arms shake and tunnel vision sets in. If he’s looking for a fight, I’ll give him one. “You know what? Fuck you, Dad. If you want to spend your life here with your powders and potions and creatures that would snap you in half because they feel like it, be my guest. But I’m done letting you drag me down with you.”

“Drag you down? Is that what you think I’ve done? Put a roof over your head, food in your belly, and taught you things normal people only dream of.”

“You’ve kept me trapped! I don’t have a mind of my own, and it’s all your fault! I won’t let you run my life anymore!”

His hackles go up as he snarls at me. “Get out. Now. Before I throw you out.”

“With pleasure.” I storm past him and slam the door on the way out of the lab.

The ground crunches beneath my shoes as I open my truck door and climb inside. Damn it. That probably couldn’t have gone any worse. I could go back in and try to smooth things over, but if my dad really thinks those things? He can fuck right off. I’ll show him.

My engine roars to life as I turn the wheel and make it down the dark road on the side of the mountain. The gargantuan trees block my vision around the corners, so I do my best to focus on the road and nothing else. I just need to make it to the main road. Then I can breathe.

I take my last turn out of the woods and let my brain go back into overdrive. I’ve never seen my dad that pissed. I knew he’d be angry, but not enough that he’d cut me off. It would have been nice to keep my only familial connection intact.

Of course, my phone has to ring at the exact wrong moment. My dad must be calling to tear me apart some more. Then I spot Michael’s name flashing across the screen.

His timing is perfect. The tension in my body releases, and all I want is for him to hold me right now. “Hey.”

“I told you this was a bad idea!” His words come out at top volume, literally making the speaker on my phone buzz against my ear.

The breath in my lungs gets sucked out of me, stunning me still. I can’t believe I’m hearing this. He’s my damn boyfriend, and he should be on my side, but he always thinks he’s right. I absolutely hate it when he gets holier-than-thou.

I scrub my free hand over my face as a knot forms in my stomach. “He called you already?”

“Of course he did, and you really put me in a shitty position. I’ve been working in his office for over a decade. He asked if I knew about this all along.”

My chest suddenly feels heavy. Goddamn it. I really did put him in that position, didn’t I? “What did you say?”

“That we’ve been arguing about it this entire time! That I thought I could get through to you!”

Maybe I deserve every bit of his judgment right now. We just had an argument about this before I left for work, and Michael pleaded one last time for me not to do this as soon as I told him my plan. “Michael, I’m sorry. Let’s talk about this when I get home.” All he does is scoff and hang up on me. Fuck.

I toss my phone onto the seat next to me and pull over, laying my head on the steering wheel. I really fucked it up this time. I just dropped the family business—cutting off years of training and education. Cut off the people closest to me—my only family.

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