Page 37 of Villainous Soul

“You’re the one in charge, aren’t you.” Spittle formed at the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were yellow and jaundiced. “The fucking Grand Master.”

“Fuck.” He was right. I was in charge. And he was just another problem on my bloody list. “I guess I am.”

“So, what the fuck did you do to me.”

“First off, I didn’t do anything. Whatever is inside you is there because you manifested it.” His feelings were justified. I remember what it felt like when I woke up with Dearil inside me, clamoring to get out. I thought I was going fucking insane.

“There is no way I manifested what is inside me. You gave me something. It was in that chalice you made me drink, and you said something in a language I couldn’t understand.”

“That was the crimson water from the Devil’s Pulpit at Craighat mixed with a few Chinese herbs. But what you brought out lies solely on you.”

“This makes no sense,” he cried. “What in the hell is happening to me.”

“The Circle of Kings has its roots in Celtic history. The druids. It’s old. Ancient. And its lineage is unbroken. To be a part of it, there must be a sacrifice. You sacrificed a piece of your soul for the gods, and in return, they left you with a King.”

“What do you mean to be a part of it. I didn’t want to be a part of it,” Aidan spat. “I didn’t ask for this.”

“No one asks for it. But you did choose it. You accepted the invitation.”

“You sent me the fucking invitation.”

“It was sent because of your wealth. Because you are considered a great man. Trust me, I didn’t fucking choose you. My advice for you is to find an isolated and private place and figure out what beast has taken up residence inside you.”

“And what’s living in you?” he asked.

I laughed. “We’re not friends. I’m not sitting around and sharing like it’s some therapy session.”

“But there is something in you. I saw you when that man had a knife to Evie’s neck. You just raised your hand, and some supernatural force knocked him back. What was that?”

“When you come to terms with what’s happening, You’ll figure it out. I can harness the power of water. It was foggy that night. I just manipulated the molecules in the air.”

“So that’s it. I just have to live with this thing?” he said.

“Unless you figure out a way to get rid of it. And if you do, let me know.”

“This is fucking bullshit,” Aidan said, leaving.

“One last thing. Whatever you do, don’t take the bloody amulet from around your neck. It’s the only thing keeping the monster from taking over entirely.”

I grimaced as Aidan slammed the door behind himself. I had finally gotten Dearil to go to sleep. That last thing I needed was to give him any energy in case he woke up. If I was lucky, he would enter into hibernation. I had gone months at a time without feeling him in the past.

I returned the certificate to the envelope and stood up, returning to my earlier problem. The sooner I let Evie know, the sooner we could move on.

* * *

The Irish Rover wasn’t much to look at on the outside, but it was in prime real estate located on Sunset Blvd. The rent alone must be astronomical. The pub wasn’t open when I arrived, but I could hear activity going on inside. I knocked on the door.

A young man opened it. “We’re closed,” he said. “Come back in an hour.”

“I’m not here to eat,” I said, stepping forward. “I’m looking for Patrick Young. I have something for him. My name is Keir Wilson.”

His eyes looked me up and down suspiciously. “Patty,” he yelled. “You have a visitor. Keir Wilson.”

“Mr. Wilson,” a gentleman said, approaching. “I’m Patrick Young. This is my brother Colin.” He pointed to the young man who answered the door. “And my brother Sean.”

I looked over at a booth where another young man sat. Someone had beat the shit out of him. And recently, looking at the bright purple and red of the bruising.

“Please call me Keir. I just wanted to drop off the VIP passes I promised you.” I handed him a manila envelope. “There are four of them.”

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