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

from his reeling mind. It was a girl on the other side of the smoking patio, berating the guy she was with. “Just don’t, okay?”
    Farrell narrowed his eyes to get a closer look at the girl with platinum blond hair and black-rimmed glasses that reminded him unsettlingly of Crys Hatcher.
    The girl’s muscle-head companion grabbed her arm and wrenched her back toward him. “You think you can just walk away from me?” he growled. “Behave yourself, you stupid little bitch.”
    “Let go of me,” she snarled.
    “Apologize, and maybe I’ll consider it.”
    “
Apologize?
For what? I hate you.
You’re
the one who should apologize!”
    He let go of her arm, only to smack her across the face, hard.
    Before he knew what he was doing or exactly why, Farrell was upon him. He grabbed hold of the guy and threw him against the wall. He put his right hand around his throat and squeezed, then with his left hand took a drag from his cigarette.
    “I agree with her. I think
you
need to apologize,” Farrell said.
    “Let . . . go . . . of . . . me,” the guy gasped, clawing at Farrell’s arm.
    “Not. Going. To. Happen. First, you’re going to apologize to the lady. After that, maybe I won’t choose to tear out your windpipe. Sound fair?”
    The girl stared at them, eyes wide. “What are you doing?” she said frantically.
    “Me?” Farrell glanced at her. “I’m being chivalrous, what does it look like?”
    “Let go of him!”
    “He hasn’t apologized yet. He knows the deal: He apologizes, and I don’t kill him. Simple as that.”
    Her worried gaze flicked between the two them. “Why are you doing this?”
    “Violence against women is one of my hot button issues.”
    “Fine,” she breathed out. “Apologize, Larry. Do it!”
    Larry’s face was bright red from Farrell’s hold on him, but his eyes were filled with fury as he spit with as much force as he could manage. It landed on Farrell’s cheek with a cold
splat
.
    “Now that was just rude and disgusting. Luckily, I’m immune to all germs.” Farrell raised his shoulder to wipe off the saliva, then tightened his grip on Larry’s neck. Effortlessly, he lifted him a couple of inches off the ground. “Shall we try again?”
    Now Larry was turning purple. “Fine . . . I . . . I’m . . . sorry.”
    “And it will never happen . . . ? Go on, finish the sentence for me.”
    “Never . . . happen . . . again.”
    “Good.” Farrell let him go, and he dropped down to the ground in a heaving heap. The girl quickly scrambled to help Larry to his feet, and Farrell watched as they both scurried away, beyond the patio and out into the Toronto streets. “Yeah, you’re welcome,” Farrell called after them. “Anytime, really.”
    Ignoring the small group of witnesses staring at him, he flicked his cigarette away and went back inside the club. He went to the restroom, stood in front of a mirror, and regarded his reflection. His heart pounded slowly, but so loudly he could hear it.
    “Ugly bastard,” he told himself.
    “
If you want to change something
,” Connor’s voice told him, “
do it. You are the master of your destiny. No one else.
”
    “You said it, brother.”
    Farrell drew a small folding knife out of his pocket and flipped it open. Leaning closer to the mirror, he pulled the skin beneath his right eye taut. Slowly and carefully, he sliced off his birthmark.
    He should have done this long ago.



Chapter 5
    MADDOX
    M addox had always had a knack for memorization, but for whatever reason, he could never remember the names of trees. He could recite stories from his favorite books nearly word for word, but when it came to remembering specifics within larger categories—such as trees, rivers, or villages—he’d always struggled. His mother used to tell him it was because he didn’t care deeply enough about those things to take the time to learn.
    But now he wanted to know.
    A
willowbark
tree. Yes, that was it. He was