Page 36 of Ghostly Touches

“Why is Jonah tied up?” I scowl at him. “If you’re not here to harm us, then there’s no reason we’d harm you. He’s not a monster. He’s a man.”

Theo’s face remains impassive as he regards me. “Because he was trying to bite us.”

Oh. I look at Jonah who shrugs. Okay, well, that makes a bit more sense. Still…

“Well, maybe if you treat him like a human being rather than a monster, he won’t do that. Did you think of that?” I stomp over to Jonah to ungag him, but Theo moves so swiftly that I hardly see him before he’s standing between me and the cursed man.

“Sit down, Willow. Maybe by the end of this, we can let you and Mr. Jonah here go.”

I don’t miss the ‘maybe’ or the hard press of his handsome mouth. The air of authority ringing around him sends a wave of apprehension down my spine. There’s something about Theodon that sends my instincts on a roller coaster of emotions. He’s dangerous. His poise and calm demeanor are just a guise. The way his unusual, fuchsia-colored eyes are fastened to my face, demanding my compliance and leaving no room for argument, is terrifying and so fiercely arousing that, for a moment, I just stand there trying to fight down the urge to close the distance and kiss him. Fighting back the stupid response, I take a seat on the couch as requested.

“First, I want to apologize. In our hasty departure from your house, we left you in danger. We should have stayed behind to explain to the Elders that you were helping our mission. Being Ghosts, it was a knee jerk reaction for us to leave the premises before being seen, and I went with it. I’m sorry we put you in harm’s way.”

Theo tilts his head forward in a regal nod. His right hand comes up and touches the place right above his heart.

I didn’t expect an apology. I’m not sure how genuine it is, but it’s appreciated. Giving him a tight smile seems to appease him.

“Next, I wish to discuss an issue.” He lets his hand fall to his side. “I believe you’re cursed, Willow. And that curse may involve creatures from the Third Realm actively seeking you out.”

“The third what?” Frowning, I look from Theo to Viktor, who has moved over to the window to brood.

“The Third Realm is a place that hovers just outside the realm in which our world exists,” Theo explains, drawing my attention back to him. “It is a world we were never supposed to know about, but one day, long ago, it collided into ours. The subsequent effects of this collision were ripples, or tears, that lead to what we Fae have deemed the ‘Third Realm.’ It is a realm full of Tanglelings, Shadebroode, and Mornstrikes, or what you would call monsters. These monsters once came over frequently and fed on the fear and flesh of those that reside in this realm. Our Brotherhood was created shortly afterwards to quietly remove the threat and keep them in their realm.”

Ah, this is what Theodon was talking about in my kitchen.

“Okay, well, if you guys keep them in the other world, the curse is moot since there are none over here,” I point out.

“Yet, somehow they are making their way over and finding you,” Viktor counters as he looks over at me. “You’re a beacon for these things. It’s not natural for them to search an individual out or to migrate together as they have been. That should be obvious, but I suppose that may be too difficult for someone as simpleminded as you.”

Heat flares in my cheeks.

“Well, you’re not over there doing your job.” I counter. “Kill them in their realm and leave me and Jonah alone.”

We glare at one another. I’m really starting to wish I hadn’t saved this guy.

Kwil re-enters the room with a plate in his hand. He brings it over to me. I stare at the eggs and the two pieces of toasted bread with jelly smeared across them. A fork and napkin have been placed on the plate as well. I look up at the hooded man.

“I’m not sure the last time you ate, but it’s probably been a while,” he tells me gently.

Oh. Well, now that he mentions it, Iampretty hungry. I eye the food for anything off about any of it.

“Did you poison this?” I ask suspiciously.

If they wanted to kill me, they probably could have done it while I was asleep. Or left me with the Elders. Still, this whole situation feels off. I can’t read Theo, Viktor is an asshole, and with Kwil’s face covered, I have no one to read in the room. Kwil pulls the plate closer to him, picks up a piece of egg, and shoves it into the shadow of his hood. A second later, I can hear him chewing.

“It’s not poisoned,” he assures me before handing me the plate again.

“We’re not going to kill you,” Theo tells me as I take the plate.

I don’t bother looking at him. Instead, I get up, walk around the leader of this little trio, and remove the gag around Jonah’s mouth. When I offer him a piece of toast, he opens his mouth, and I toss it in, careful to avoid the large teeth. I take the second slice and bite into it.

“Okay, well, I don’t think you kidnapped me for my pretty looks or my cooking skills,” I muse between bites of bread. “So, what? You’re going to help me lift this curse over me and Jonah? You need my help with something else…?”

“That brings me to our next point of issue,” Theo states. “Jonah here was locked in a cave hoarding a book that can curse people. Though the pages are blank, I have a feeling there’s more to this thing than meets the eye. Your concern for this…creatureis misplaced, Willow. Whatever Jonah was doing with this book, it’s not good. You can’t trust him.”

I sputter as Jonah shrieks in outrage before falling into some growly language.

“Jonah isn’t the bad guy here.” I jump to my feet. “I didn’t have time to explain to you guys before all that stuff went down at my house, but Jonah’s been keeping it hidden all these years toprotecteveryone.”

---