pretty derriere over the edge of Gideon’s desk.
“What brings you here, Cole?” The guy’s nostrils flare as though he’d like to break my face. I imagine he would, too, if not for Raven’s influence.
I retake my seat, rubbing my hands down the legs of my jeans. I assume it’s okay to talk in front of the others. If he’s got no objection to his friends hearing about our collective oddities, I shouldn’t either. Maybe they can help. “I’ve got a problem.” My gaze darts around the room. “Actually, I wonder if we don’t have a problem. And I need your help.”
“Something that couldn’t be handled with a phone call, I’m guessing?” Gideon takes a large, gold coin from his pocket and rolls the piece through his fingers. A habit I’ve seen him perform many times.
For the sake of the lost girl haunting me, I hold my ground. “Not a chance, mate.”
Raven leans forward, interrupting our stare-down. “What’s going on?”
The words “you won’t believe me” die in my mouth. If anyone will understand, it’s this crew. “First, I’ve been experiencing … it’s hard to explain. There’s new energy, a strange force that’s been building inside me for weeks until I feel ready to explode.”
Dane’s head angles with his snort. “You need a girl, dude.”
Maggie punches his arm.
Neck stiffening, I refrain from glancing at Raven. “That’s not what I need.” A deep breath steadies me. “My hearing is unnaturally enhanced. I feel everything more distinctly. On the way here … ” I fall mute, afraid to voice my worst fears—that the magic of this house followed me home.
“Maybe its stress,” Maggie offers. “Adrenaline overload. That’s a thing, right?”
Dane rubs her arm. “Definitely a thing, baby.” He plants a soft kiss on her mouth.
Really?
Gideon ignores them, and for once, I’m in complete agreement. “And second?”
“Second, there is someone else in The Void … Rosamond Bryer. She’s been visiting me in visions.”
Dane straightens. “Say what?”
At the same time, Raven leans forward. “What’s a void?”
I’m not sure who to address. “The Void is what I call the in-between place where I was banished. The place inside the camera, behind the photos, hell I don’t know where it is.” I swipe a hand through my fringe, pushing it from my eyes. “I can’t remember if I made it up or if that’s the real name. After a while, we all called it that.”
“Who are we all ?” Dane asks.
“The others. The people the Artisans imprisoned. Until they were released and went up in smoke, that is.”
Gideon’s gaze drops, and he repositions in his chair. A few months ago, he discovered the magic salts used for developing the film in the ancient camera were also the key to breaking the curse. At Raven’s urging, he sprinkled the bodies stored in the cellar with the substance, but the years lost in The Void were cumulative upon their release. People were swallowed in hot blue fire as the missing decades came rushing back to consume them.
“Everyone died but me,” I continue.
Raven’s shudder is visible. I want to hold her, but it’s Gideon who captures her hand. His gaze lifts. “Who’s left in The Void, Cole? We released everyone with a coffin.”
I’m still watching their fingers thread together—it’s impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins, and I force my gaze away. “That’s just it. She wasn’t with us. I’ve never seen her before, and the curse bound us all to either The Void’s labyrinth or the Maddox property as far as I knew.” That’s not entirely true. Only Desiree, Gideon’s deranged stepmother, dared to cross the boundary into the human world. Though she’s dead now, too.
“Let me get this straight.” Maggie’s bob swings across her cheek, more tassel than hair. “A girl shows up in your dreams and you want us to … what exactly?”
Isn’t it obvious? “Get her out. Help her the way you helped
“What brings you here, Cole?” The guy’s nostrils flare as though he’d like to break my face. I imagine he would, too, if not for Raven’s influence.
I retake my seat, rubbing my hands down the legs of my jeans. I assume it’s okay to talk in front of the others. If he’s got no objection to his friends hearing about our collective oddities, I shouldn’t either. Maybe they can help. “I’ve got a problem.” My gaze darts around the room. “Actually, I wonder if we don’t have a problem. And I need your help.”
“Something that couldn’t be handled with a phone call, I’m guessing?” Gideon takes a large, gold coin from his pocket and rolls the piece through his fingers. A habit I’ve seen him perform many times.
For the sake of the lost girl haunting me, I hold my ground. “Not a chance, mate.”
Raven leans forward, interrupting our stare-down. “What’s going on?”
The words “you won’t believe me” die in my mouth. If anyone will understand, it’s this crew. “First, I’ve been experiencing … it’s hard to explain. There’s new energy, a strange force that’s been building inside me for weeks until I feel ready to explode.”
Dane’s head angles with his snort. “You need a girl, dude.”
Maggie punches his arm.
Neck stiffening, I refrain from glancing at Raven. “That’s not what I need.” A deep breath steadies me. “My hearing is unnaturally enhanced. I feel everything more distinctly. On the way here … ” I fall mute, afraid to voice my worst fears—that the magic of this house followed me home.
“Maybe its stress,” Maggie offers. “Adrenaline overload. That’s a thing, right?”
Dane rubs her arm. “Definitely a thing, baby.” He plants a soft kiss on her mouth.
Really?
Gideon ignores them, and for once, I’m in complete agreement. “And second?”
“Second, there is someone else in The Void … Rosamond Bryer. She’s been visiting me in visions.”
Dane straightens. “Say what?”
At the same time, Raven leans forward. “What’s a void?”
I’m not sure who to address. “The Void is what I call the in-between place where I was banished. The place inside the camera, behind the photos, hell I don’t know where it is.” I swipe a hand through my fringe, pushing it from my eyes. “I can’t remember if I made it up or if that’s the real name. After a while, we all called it that.”
“Who are we all ?” Dane asks.
“The others. The people the Artisans imprisoned. Until they were released and went up in smoke, that is.”
Gideon’s gaze drops, and he repositions in his chair. A few months ago, he discovered the magic salts used for developing the film in the ancient camera were also the key to breaking the curse. At Raven’s urging, he sprinkled the bodies stored in the cellar with the substance, but the years lost in The Void were cumulative upon their release. People were swallowed in hot blue fire as the missing decades came rushing back to consume them.
“Everyone died but me,” I continue.
Raven’s shudder is visible. I want to hold her, but it’s Gideon who captures her hand. His gaze lifts. “Who’s left in The Void, Cole? We released everyone with a coffin.”
I’m still watching their fingers thread together—it’s impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins, and I force my gaze away. “That’s just it. She wasn’t with us. I’ve never seen her before, and the curse bound us all to either The Void’s labyrinth or the Maddox property as far as I knew.” That’s not entirely true. Only Desiree, Gideon’s deranged stepmother, dared to cross the boundary into the human world. Though she’s dead now, too.
“Let me get this straight.” Maggie’s bob swings across her cheek, more tassel than hair. “A girl shows up in your dreams and you want us to … what exactly?”
Isn’t it obvious? “Get her out. Help her the way you helped
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