Read Online The Darkest Magic (A Book of Spirits and Thieves) by Morgan Rhodes - Free Book Online

telling him she hoped he was feeling better. He rolled his eyes and clicked his phone off again.
    “So it’s your birthday, huh?”
    Farrell snapped his gaze up to look at the speaker. It was Adam, his light brown hair neat and glowing like a halo, making him seem the angel to Farrell’s mussy, dark-haired devil. His little brotherhad come from out of nowhere and was now standing right in front of him. He swore that the kid had grown at least half a foot over the last year, making them both the same height, dead-on six feet. They also had the same taste for expensive clothes and custom-made leather shoes.
    “That rousing chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ would suggest as much,” Farrell replied drily.
    “Your birthday isn’t until November.”
    “Really? What’s today’s date?”
    “April eighth.”
    “Wow. I was way off, wasn’t I?”
    A guy in a too-shiny dress shirt passed by and raised his glass at him, giving a big grin that Farrell returned. Who said that you can’t buy friends?
    Farrell kept the smile on his face as he turned to regard his younger brother. “How’d you get in here, anyway? Did you finally get a fake ID?”
    Adam shook his head. “Hundred-dollar bill.”
    “Nice move.”
    “I learned from the best.”
    “Let’s try to think of something other than bribery as our go-to example of lessons I’ve taught you.”
    Adam crossed his arms. “What’s with the fake smile?”
    “Fake? What’s fake?” He pointed at his face. “This baby is the product of nothing but pure, unadulterated happiness. Life is good. There’s nothing to frown about. Maybe you should remember that from time to time.” He knew he was playing his part convincingly, but his cheeks were starting to cramp up from the effort. “Anyway, great to see you. I wish you could stay, but I’m sure you have to be going home by now. Bye-bye then.”
    “No. I’m going to stay here and keep an eye on you.”
    “Excuse me?” Farrell said, swapping out his smile for a raised eyebrow and a curled lip. “What makes you think I need an underage babysitter?”
    “How many marks do you have now?” Adam asked evenly, not skipping a beat. “Did Markus give you the third one yet?”
    “Does it matter?”
    “I don’t know. Does it matter that an immortal god of death put you under three increasingly intense obedience spells so that you’d be reborn as his mindless minion? Yeah, I’d say that matters.”
    Farrell drained his drink. He put the empty glass down roughly on the nearest tabletop, then grabbed his brother by the arm, tightly, and dragged him into the hallway leading to the restrooms.
    “You know the rule, Adam,” he growled.
    “What happens at the Hawkspear Society stays at the Hawkspear Society.” Adam said in a mocking, singsong voice. He had the audacity to look proud of himself for successfully wiping away Farrell’s faux-happy exterior.
    “Not exactly how the rule is phrased, but that’s the general meaning of it.”
    “Yeah, well, screw that.”
    Farrell all but scowled at his meddling little brother. Adam had quickly become the single thorn in the beautiful bed of roses that Farrell had recently fallen into.
    “If Markus ever finds out what you did—” Farrell hissed.
    “What?” Adam challenged. “He’ll kill me?”
    “Yes,” Farrell said without a moment’s hesitation. “And I’ll help him.”
    “No, you won’t.” Adam’s expression soured. “You think you’re sotough now. You think you’re untouchable like him, that the rules don’t apply to you. I don’t care how many times he carves into you, you’re my brother, and that’s never going to change.”
    They looked at each other for several long moments, Farrell staring his brother down with icy eyes and Adam responding with a stern but pleading gaze.
    “Go home, Adam,” Farrell said finally, unable to take another moment of his brother’s puppy-dog eyes. “I can handle myself just fine. I’m the same as I’ve ever been; the