Cursed Hadley (Lengthened Version) (Cursed Hadley #1)

by Jessica Sorensen

  “What does pulcherrimum plane mean?” I ask, inching closer to Alex as another vine stretches toward me.

  Alex gives me a curious glance. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because Blaise just said it to me right before he stuck his thumb into my mouth,” I mutter, my shoulder bumping into his as I move out of the reach of yet another flower trying to get all up in my business.

  “Did he now,” Alex muses. “Well, that’s interesting.”

  “Why? What does it mean?”

  “I shouldn’t be the one to tell you. Plus, I don’t want you growling at Blaise and telling him to go fuck himself,” he teases, draping an arm around my shoulder. “Now quit stressing out and try to just enjoy being here. Trust me. You won’t regret it.”

  “Even if another flower spits in my face?” I ask, elevating my brow.

  His smile turns dark. “Baby, give it a bit. You’re going to love that it did. In fact, it’s kind of an honor.” He leans and whispers. “It means this land likes you a lot.”

  “And it’s a good thing the Town of the Undead likes me?” I ask with skepticism.

  “Yes. And it’s rare.” He draws me closer to him. “Now stop worrying. The fun’s about to start.”

  I’m about to tell him there’s no way I’m going to have fun when we reach the heart of the town that’s packed with creatures.

  Chapter 17

  The guys were right. Creatures I’ve only heard of in fables, and some I’d never even imagine could exist, cover the streets and sidewalks. Towering creatures with colorful, glittery skin. Wicked looking creatures with sharp fangs. Short creatures with stone-like wings. And many of them are wearing cloaks, so apparently, it’s not just a theme amongst grim reapers.

  “Why is everyone…” I look at Alex and discover he’s now sporting his cloak. So are the rest of the Portersons. “Great. That’s not fair,” I gripe, aware how many creatures have glanced in my direction. “Now, I stand out like a… Well, like a clueless girl wandering around in the middle of a clusterfuck of weird, cloaked creatures.” It feels like I should be frightened by that fact, but ease breezes through my veins, either from whatever Blaise and Alex did to me in the car or from the flower spitting in my face—maybe a bit of both?

  “Hmmm….” Alex considers something then his eyes light up. “I think I might be able to fix that. Well, a little bit anyway.” He lets out a sharp whistle. “Boys, we’re making a quick stop,” he shouts then grabs my hand and steers me toward the sidewalk.

  I stay close to him as he maneuvers us through the crowd and around the wall of viney flowers, striding toward a two-story building with grimy windows and a thick, iron door. The roof is also made of iron and stretches up to a point toward the sky.

  “What is this place?” I ask as we stop in front of the building.

  “If I told you, it’d ruin the surprise.” He winks at me and then knocks on the door.

  “Good idea,” Jaxon tells Alex as he steps up beside me. “She’ll look good in it, I think.”

  “You think? I’m sure that makes Hadley feel good about herself.” Rhyland teases as he moves up behind me and lines his palm against my lower back.

  Jaxon shoots him a dirty look, but his lips twitch. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “And Hadley feels good right now,” I chime in. “Really, really good.”

  Alex snickers. “I think that’s the kiss of ease talking.”

  “Or the breath of bleeding blossom,” Jaxon says, slipping his fingers through mine.

  Between that, Alex’s arm still around me, and Rhyland’s hand resting against the small of my back, I feel safe in a land filled with creatures which I’m pretty sure are only supposed to exist in nightmares.

  “What’s a kiss of ease and a breath of bleeding blossom?” I ask. “You guys keep talking about stuff I’ve never heard of.”

  Rhyland’s palm slides up my spine, around my shoulders, and then his fingers curl around my chin. He turns my head to the side as he leans over my shoulder and meets my gaze.

  “Breath of bleeding blossom is that glittery stuff that flower breathed on you back at the entrance. And the kiss of ease is what Blaise and Alex did to you in the car. I wish I could have been a part of that... Maybe next time.” He drags his thumb along my lip then turns me back around right as the door swings open.

  Standing in the doorway is a tall man, probably in his late twenties, with black hair and eyes that match. Upon first glance, he appears to be human, until a grin spreads across his face, revealing he has fangs.

  “You’re a vampire?” I state stupidly, then quickly bite down on my tongue. Awesome job, Hadley. Way to show that you don’t belong here.

  The vampire’s brow cocks up as he observes me with curiosity. “And who is this lovely creature?”

  Creature? He called me a creature? Should I be offended?

  Rhyland’s hand finds my lower back again. “This, Fredrick, is Hadley.”

  Fredrick glances a Rhyland. “Is she yours?”

  Oh hell no. Relaxed or not, I’m never going to be comfortable with anyone claiming me as theirs.

  My lips part to say just that, but Rhyland lightly pinches my side while Jaxon squeezes my hand and Alex tugs me closer to his side. Tension ripples through all of them.

  “She is,” Rhyland replies in an eerily low tone. “And make sure you tell that to anyone who asks.”

  Fredrick nods, glancing at me one last time. “Understood.” Then he plasters on a fake, fanged smile and steps back, signaling for us to follow him.

  Jaxon steps through first, pulling me with him, and Alex slips his hand from my shoulder but only to lace his fingers through mine. And Rhyland moves up beside me.

  “I don’t belong to anyone,” I hiss under my breath.

  “We understand that,” Rhyland whispers, his fingers folding around my upper arm. “But if anyone asks, we need to tell them you do.”

  “Because you want to? Or because it’s necessary?” I question as we enter the foyer of the building, an area covered with stacks of books, a spiral stairway, and a domed ceiling covered with… bats?

  Ew!

  “Because if creatures start figuring out what you are before we’ve sealed the bond with you, some creatures will try to claim you,” Rhyland mutters, hitching his fingers into the waistband of my shorts and tugging me closer to him.

  I wonder if it’d be worse or better if another creature claimed me. As Fredrick reaches up, grabs one of the bats, and sinks his fangs into it, I decide the Porterson brothers might not be so bad. At least when it comes to creatures that live in the Town of the Undead…

  Vomit burns in my throat as Fredrick devours the bat like a snack.

  Do not puke all over this vampire’s floor, Hadley. Don’t you dare!

  I wrestle back a gag. “Why is he doing that? I thought vampires like to drink human blood?”

  “That’s a myth,” Rhyland explains. “Bats are actually a delicacy amongst vampires.”

  “Awesome,” I mutter, swallowing back the urge to yack.

  We wait in silence as Fredrick finishes eating his bat. Then he drops the poor creature’s lifeless body to the floor. “Sorry about that,” he says, wiping the blood from his lips with the sleeve of his shirt. “A shipment came into day and I forgot to each lunch.”

  “No worries. It doesn’t bother us,” Jaxon tells him with a shrug.

  Yeah, I’m not going to agree with him on that, but decide to keep that to myself.

  Fredrick faces us, rubbing his hands together. “Now, I have to ask, how in the worlds you guys managed to break your banishment so quickly. Because from what I heard, it was supposed to last for a lot longer.”

  “We’re actually still technically banished.” Alex stuffs his free hand into his pocket. “We were just lucky and stumbled onto a power source that let us get through the barrier.”

  “Is that so?” He taps his fang against his bottom lip, his eyes straying to me. “Well, I’m glad you’re
back. We should have a drink to celebrate.” With a flick of his wrist, he spins toward an arched doorway.

  “Actually, while we have that drink, we need to get a cloak,” Alex tells Fredrick as he follows him, towing me along with him.

  I eyeball the guy’s cloaks, wondering why they need new ones when the ones they have on look brand new.

  As I glance around, something else dawns on me…

  “Where’s Blaise?” I ask, peering over my shoulder.

  “He had to run an errand. But don’t worry, he’ll be back soon.” Rhyland winks at me for reasons I don’t understand then walks ahead of me. Alex and Jaxon hold onto my hands, pulling me with them as they whisk through the arched doorway and into a room lined with racks and racks of cloaks in all different shapes, sizes, and fabrics.

  “There must be a high demand for these things around here,” I mutter as I peer around the store.

  “Yes, and my store is the best.” Fredrick zips up beside me and pries my hand away from Alex’s. “Now if you’ll excuse me gentlemen, please sit down and have a drink while I get this lovely creature fitted for a cloak.”

  My fingers slip from Jaxon’s as Fredrick hauls me toward a curtained door at the back of the room. I glance over my shoulder as worry chips through the calm inside me, debating whether to run. But Alex gives me an encouraging nod, so sighing, I follow Fredrick through the curtain.

  On the other side is a dressing room filled with velvet couches and mirrors. Sitting in the corner on a stool is a woman with silvery skin and iridescent wings. She’s wearing a dress made of tulle and is reading a newspaper, which seems oddly normal.

  Fredrick clears his throat. “Jewel, we have a customer.”

  Jewel glances up, her eyes sparkling in delight as her gaze lands on me. “Oh my goodness, she’s lovely.” She squeals, clapping her hands and hopping off the stool. “I was getting so sick and tired of dressing ogres.” She skips up to me. “This is going to be a delight.”

  “Um…” I look at Fredrick who offers me a toothy grin before ducking back underneath the curtain.

  Jewel snaps her fingers in front of my face, yanking my attention to her. “Let me see that pretty face of yours, honey.” She pinches my face between her hands and studies me with her head slanted to the side. “Yes, I see… No, I don’t think blue is the right color… maybe brown?”

  Brown? She sees me as a brown kind of girl?

  Wait, who in the heck is she even talking to?

  “No, brown won’t do. She needs to have something to match her. Something that’ll stand out.” She steps back and taps her finger against her shimmering lips. “Yep, I think that might work.” She snaps her fingers and the softest material I’ve ever felt whisks across my skin.

  “Yep, perfect, just like I thought.” She gives herself a pat on the back then nods at the mirror. “Go ahead and have a look, honey.”

  I turn to the side, glance in the mirror, and then step back in shock. Covering my body is a floor-length, red cloak made of velvet. My clothes are still on, thankfully, since the middle is opened up, and the hood is over my head, not all the way to the hairline so part of my hair is showing. A satin ribbon keeps the top section closed.

  “What do you think?” Jewel asks as she moves up behind me.

  “It kind of reminds me of those flowers outside,” I say, fiddling with the ribbon.

  “Red is a sacred color in our town,” she says. “Since it chose you, it means you’re sacred too.”

  I elevate my brows. “I really doubt that.”

  She places her hands on my shoulders. “Oh honey, all cursed fire reapers are.”

  My body chills as I recall how nervous Rhyland, Alex, and Jaxon were when Fredrick was asking questions about me. And how they said no one could find out what I am or else they might try to claim me.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.” She winks at me, then kisses my cheek and returns to the stool, going back to reading the newspaper.

  Unsure what I’m supposed to do next, I step through the curtain and back into the store, stumbling a bit over the tail of the cloak.

  “Well, apparently my klutziness still exists here too,” I grumble as I regain my footing.

  “Good Gods, that’s ridiculous,” someone murmurs.

  I glance up and find Alex staring at me from across the room. A glass is in his hand and his face is shadowed with darkness, yet his eyes are blazing with fire.

  “I know.” I sigh, collecting the end of the cloak to avoid tripping like a dumbass again. “I don’t know why you guys thought it’d be a good idea to give me a piece of clothing that runs past my feet.”

  Alex sets the glass down on a display case and slowly crosses the room with his hands stuffed in his pockets. “That’s not what I meant by ridiculous, baby.” He stops in front of me, his gaze deliberately drinking me in. “She chose red?”

  “She said something about it being a sacred color, which meant I was sacred.” I shrug but then tense. “She also knew what I am. Is that okay?”

  He nods. “Jewel’s trustworthy.” He reaches out and sketches his thumb along my jawline. “I’m not going to lie to you, though. There are some creatures here that can’t find out what you are.”

  “How do I keep it hidden, though?” I shiver from his touch, and he more than notices, grinning. But I try to breeze right on by it. “Because Jewel looked at me and seemed to just know.”

  “Just leave it to us.” His thumb travels down my neck. “We won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “But if it’s so dangerous for me to be here, then why didn’t you take me someplace else?” I can’t help but wonder. “I mean, I don’t know much about undead places, but there’s got to be more than one place, right?”

  “The only other place we could maybe go to right now is the Underworld. But trust me, you’d be in way more danger there while you’re unclaimed.” He sighs, lowering his hand from my jaw. “It’d be a lot easier if you just drank from us. Then no one could claim you,” he mumbles to himself but loud enough that I can hear.

  I make no effort to argue, since we’ve been down this road a ton of times and we both keep saying the same thing. Instead, I focus on my cloak. I have to admit, it’s kind of awesome how it fits me perfectly, and the material is so soft.

  “Am I supposed to wear this the entire time we’re here?” I ask, spinning around and making the tail of the cloak twirl.

  “Fucking curses, are you trying to torture me?” Rhyland’s voice floats across the room.

  “I didn’t do it.” Alex sounds in pain. “Jewel did.”

  “I think the damn faerie is trying to kill us,’ Rhyland mutters.

  I stop spinning to see what’s got their panties in a bunch.

  Rhyland is leaning against the wall with his gaze trained on me. He has the same look in his eyes as right before he kissed me in that dream. So does Alex.

  “Why are you guys looking me like that?” I gather the tail of the cloak and step back from them.

  Rhyland pushes away from the wall, takes a long drink from the glass he’s holding before setting it down on the display case. Then he silently approaches me, taking calculated steps, his gaze so intense I can practically feel it burning into me. “You know what I think we need to do?” He stops so close to me that the tips of our boots touch.

  Alex whisks up beside him, moving so quickly a breeze gusts through the room.

  “Please say something that involves her.” He sucks his lipring between his teeth, softly nibbling it as his gaze sears into me.

  “We should take her dancing.” Rhyland’s fingers circle my wrist. Then he tugs on my arm with enough force to cause me to stumble straight into his arms.

  I snort a laugh as I get my balance. “Dancing? Ha! You can’t take a person cursed with klutziness dancing.”

  Rhyland levels his gaze with mine. “First of all, you’re not a person. And second, yes you can as long as the creatures you’re with are capable of not falling o
n their asses. And I assure you, me and my brothers are.”

  “Now, see, I have a question about that,” I say, totally getting sidetracked, but questions are coming at me from every angle. “The pages that I read in that book never specified if groups of reapers were actually related, and while you guys vaguely look sort of similar, I can’t really tell if you’re related or not. And how old are you? Because from what I picked up… Well, I don’t think you’re all around eighteen or nineteen, even though you look like you are.”

  They trade amused grins.

  “What’s so funny?” I scoff, crossing my arms. “It’s just a couple of questions.”

  Rhyland skims his finger along the brim of my nose. “It’s just cute how interested you are in us.”

  “I’m interested in everything,” I stress. “I know nothing about this world, and honestly, I have no clue why I’m not freaking out more, other than maybe I’m a bit doped up on flower spit and your guys’ minty, effervescent darkness.”

  “Flower spit?” Rhyland chuckles at the same time Alex says, “ Minty and effervescent darkness?”

  “Yeah, you know, that stuff you and Blaise breathed into my mouth,” I remind him, feeling a little stupid he’s already forgotten something that I can only stop thinking about. And only when faeries and cloaks distract me. “You tasted minty and Blaise tasted all effervescenty.”

  “We taste different to you?” Alex asks, his voice sounding oddly husky.

  I nod perplexedly. “Yeah… Is that not normal?”

  Alex slowly shakes his head. Then his eyes blacken as if his pupils have expanded and taken over. “I want her,” he growls, reaching over Rhyland’s shoulder and grabbing at me. “Please, give her to me.”

  Rhyland slips an arm around my waist and steers me away from Alex. Then he lets me go, spins around, and presses a hand against Alex’s chest, holding him back as he leans in and whispers something in his ear. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but Alex stares at me the entire time, the blackness in his eyes gradually fading. Then he nods once and steps back, spinning around and storming out of the store.