Dark Curse

by Kim Richardson

  After what felt like a good twenty minutes, we came to a cleft in one of the mountains. Orange light from a fire within spilled through the opening and reflected off what I thought was another pond, right at the entrance of the cave. Smart.

  And as soon as we hit the water, the demons retreated. I stood there, my feet in water again and stared into the darkness until I couldn’t see a single white bastard. They were gone.

  I’m not sure why, but I looked around the trees for a red flashing light and found none.

  Then I turned to the stranger.

  “Who the hell are you?” I demanded, searching his face for a sign of recognition but still getting nothing. “And how the hell do you know my name?” He was tall and pale with dirt smeared on his face and around his light brown eyes. He looked around thirty with about a months’ worth of beard. I shifted my feet and saw the other one move towards the opening in the mountain, clearly leaving us alone.

  The stranger gave me a worried look. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but you have to promise not to freak out.”

  I put my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes. “And why should I do that? Who the hell are you?” He didn’t look like my type—not enough of a bad boy and more of a banker. But on closer inspection, the light of the torch fire illuminated his wrist and I saw the sigil on it—house Uriel. The bookkeepers, ministers, and the governing bodies in the angel-born community. He was angel-born. Now I was really confused.

  He moved a hand over his jaw. “Okay, I’m just going to say it.” He took a breath. “It’s me. It’s Jeeves.”

  A half-hysterical chuckle slipped out of my mouth. “Jeeves? The jinni? Impossible. Jeeves is in the Netherworld.”

  “I got out.” The angel-born shrugged. “It’s me, love. In the flesh, so to speak.” His voice was deep but different, and yet it still held that slight accent I couldn’t place.

  I took a step closer. He looked nothing like the Jeeves I remembered, but then again, he had stolen Jax’s body. I’d never really seen the jinni’s true self. I could sense the demonic energies shifting from him, cold and undulating, definitely not angel-born.

  Then he gave me that smug, self-righteous smile that I’d recognize anywhere.

  “Jeeves,” I snarled.

  And then I punched him in the face.

  9

  I sat on the cold cave floor trying to get warm by the fire after my slimy dunk in the pond water. My bare feet were spread before the fire, cold but leech-less. I’d placed my socks on the floor next to me to dry, but my boots, though overturned, would take days to really dry out. However, I wasn’t planning on staying here much longer.

  The cave walls were rough, and the floor was a mix of dirt and hard stone. Lit from the fire and a few torches hanging on the walls, the room was about the size of my kitchen and living room combined. The ceiling was low and I had to crouch if I didn’t want to hit my head on the hard rock ceiling. It was nippy and damp inside the cave, and the air was thick with musty, earthy smells of wet soil and decomposing leaves. Roots burrowed into the cave through its ceiling, and trickles of water dripped slowly down the walls.

  Jeeves had offered me strips of dried meat, which looked questionably like rat or squirrel, so I opted for some mix of wild berries and nuts he offered from a little pouch instead. It wasn’t much, but the nuts gave me some much-needed energy.

  I was still pissed that Lucian hadn’t showed up. I knew he had heard. The last time, I’d spoken his name in my head and he’d showed up in my kitchen. This time I had shouted his name, but he hadn’t come. He’d basically abandoned me. Left me to my fate. The archdemon would have let me die? It didn’t make sense.

  I took a sip of my tea, which was more hot water with some herbs, and tried to sort out my thoughts. As I glanced around, I noticed the other stranger, a female werewolf by the smell of wet dog she gave off. Her skin was covered in tattoos and she looked like she hadn’t eaten in a year. She’d moved towards the back of the cave to a hollowed-out section of soft earth where I could see some cots on the floor, makeshift weapons like spears, a couple of bows and arrows, some knifes, and various other supplies.

  So far, she was leaving me alone, and that was just fine by me. I wasn’t here to make friends. The less she knew about me, the better. But knowing Jeeves, the jinni had a big mouth, and he’d probably told her all about me by now.

  I lifted my eyes to Jeeves who sat crossed legged across from me. “Explain yourself. The last time I saw you, Gareth sent your ass back to the Netherworld. How the hell did you get out?”

  Jeeves tossed a piece of kindling on the fire. “Same as always. I made a deal.”

  “You mean you stole another body?” I scowled at him, remembering how he’d tricked me and tried to get me to sleep with him using Jax’s body. “Why am I not surprised.” Bastard.

  I looked at the body he stole, which was a far cry from Jax’s scrumptious, athletic physique and handsome model features. The shirt on his back hung loosely about his shoulders without any substantial muscles holding it in place, probably due to the fact that he was starving on the island.

  His mousy brown hair was past his ears and in need of decent haircut, and the beard made him look like a dirty werewolf. The eyes were nice enough, with decent eyebrows, but his nose was just a little too big and his jaw a little too narrow. The dude was plain. It was that simple, which was completely normal and fine given we were in another situation. But it wasn’t Jeeves’s style. So why this body?

  “Who’s this poor bastard now? Did you steal his body like you did Jax’s? How many more mortals are you going to use up like this until they shrivel up and die?”

  Jeeves blinked. His mouth worked for a second, and then he answered, “This is different.”

  “Like hell it is,” I said, my voice tight and angry that he was doing this all over again. “Aren’t you possessing this body?”

  “Yes. No. I mean—it’s not the same.” He rubbed his mouth and chin with his fingers. “I’ll admit. This is not the ideal mortal wear I’d prefer. It lacks a little refinement and quality... but it was the only one available,” he said. “I had to make do with what was in front of me.”

  “What the hell are you saying?” My voice was rising, not appreciating how he referred to a mortal life as a nice-looking meat suit. “You killed him. Didn’t you? You sick little trickster. An angel-born? How the hell did you manage that?” Part of me wanted to reach out and kick his lame ass right here in this cave, but the other part kept reminding me that he had saved my ass. It was the only reason I hadn’t punched him harder. The slight redness on his left cheek was the only indication of where I’d hit him.

  The jinni winced a little and shook his head. “You’re never going to believe anything I say. Ever.”

  “Nope,” I growled. “You’re a liar. You’re a jinni demon. It’s in your blood.”

  Jeeves looked at me, eyes calculating behind the smile. “Is this how it’s going to be between us now?”

  My lips parted. “There is no us, jinni. There never was.”

  Jeeves’s smile grew sharper. “I remember a time when there could have been an us. It would have been a night you’d never forget.”

  I flushed and a low growl escaped me. “You better start talking before I change my mind and kick your sorry ass back to the Netherworld. Gareth taught me a few tricks,” I lied. “I’m dying to test them on you.”

  The jinni sighed to hide the fear that tightened his posture. “I didn’t kill him, okay. He was dying. I swear it. I simply made an offer he couldn’t refuse and he accepted. The deal was sealed. Completely legit.” He smiled easily as he spoke, but I sensed a trace of deception in it. He wasn’t telling me the whole truth.

  I frowned at the memory of how gaunt and sick Jax had been after Gareth had removed the jinni demon from his body. Jeeves was like a parasite, and he’d made Jax sick. And now he was doing the exact thing again to someone else.

  “How is possessing another perso
n’s body completely legit?” I accused. “It’s stealing. It’s immoral.” Not to mention creepy and disturbing and gross. “What’s wrong with your own body? Couldn’t you bring it across or something?”

  Jeeves looked at me like I was mad. “It doesn’t work that way, love. My real body couldn’t endure this side of the plane. The effects of the elements of this world would tear it apart. I would die.”

  I shook my head. “Doesn’t that tell you something? Like maybe you should stay in the Netherworld where you belong?”

  “I don’t belong there,” said the jinni, clearly affronted. “I belong where I want to belong. Where I choose to belong. Where I want to live and be free to make my own choices.”

  “Here?” I laughed, rocking back a little. I wiggled my toes and thought of Danto, of what it must be like to walk around without shoes. “You can’t be serious. You can’t live here. This world is for mortals, jinni. You need to stop smoking what’s in your bottle.”

  “I am serious,” said Jeeves glowering, and I felt the attention of the female werewolf snap to us.

  The jinni was smoking crack. “I beg to differ, demon. You said it yourself. You’re not made to exist on this side of the plane. Your body can’t withstand it. Just like I can’t live in the Netherworld. You will always belong to the Netherworld, just like the humans and mortals will always belong to this world. Get it through your head.”

  The jinni shot me glare. “Who are you to decide who lives on this side of the world and who doesn’t? You? You’re not a god. You’re just a mortal. I decide where I want to live. Me. Not you. Not anyone.”

  “You’re a demon, Jeeves,” I drawled, trying not to laugh at his little tantrum. “A demon who feeds on the souls of humans. Demons belong in the Netherworld.” I liked seeing him so distraught. It was ammunition for me later. Who knew the jinni was so sensitive?

  The jinni clenched his jaw. “Not all of them.” He sat without saying another word, the fire reflecting in his eyes. Okay, I had to agree with him on that. Tyrius and Kora didn’t belong in the Netherworld. They belonged with me.

  I could see that this conversation was going nowhere fast. “Why him?” I exhaled. “Why did you steal this angel-born’s body when you had your pick of billions of humans? Why not go for an easier pick? Like some rich athlete or some male model?”

  “Because,” he laughed, low and lazy and confident as he poked the fire with a stick. “And I didn’t steal it. We made a fair exchange. He had only a few days left to live. His own doctors couldn’t save him. He got desperate and summoned a demon for help. His soul in exchange for more time with his family.”

  I stilled, forgetting to breathe. “And you gave him that? I didn’t know jinn were capable of changing the expiry dates of mortals. I thought you only sucked out their lifeforce. You know, like the parasites that you are.”

  “Jinn cannot extend the life of mortals,” said the jinni. He gave me a quick fierce smile. “But I knew a demon who could. So I made the deal. The mortal’s soul in exchange for a little more time on Earth with his loved ones. He agreed. A win-win for everyone, if you don’t mind me saying.”

  I leaned forward, not liking the smirk on the jinni’s face. “Let me guess. You tricked him. You made the deal but without explaining all the fine print. Didn’t you? The demon’s in the details, am I right?” I knew I was right by the twisted smile on the jinni’s face. “How long did you really give him?” I demanded as I leaned back before I changed my mind and kicked him in the face with my foot.

  The jinni met my eyes and said, “A week.”

  I scowled. “You sick little creature.” Though, I don’t know why I should be surprised. He was a demon after all. A jinni. Being con artists was in their DNA.

  “What?” Jeeves threw his hands in the air dramatically. “It was a fair exchange. He read and signed the contract. With witnesses. It was all legal. Nothing untoward. He got to spend a week longer with his family, which he wouldn’t have had otherwise, and I got his body.”

  I closed my eyes for a moment and took a steadying breath. I opened my eyes and stared at the fire, the flames dancing and bowing. I was tired and still terribly hungry. “Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that you’re telling the truth—”

  “I am.”

  “That you got this body in this sham of a deal,” I said. “How the hell did you end up here?”

  It was the first time I saw anger flash in the jinni’s face since I first met up with him tonight. “I trusted the wrong people.”

  “You don’t trust anyone,” I snorted a laugh that wasn’t pretty. “You only trust yourself.”

  “I made a mistake,” said Jeeves. “I made an arrangement with someone and it fell through. Not the first time I’d been wrong. There I admitted it.”

  I brought my knees up, starting to enjoy myself. “Explain.”

  Jeeves rolled his eyes. “Well, after having acquired this body legally—which is a six, but with a motorcycle it’s a strong nine—I pretended to be this angel-born, Roger.” His voice took on the edge of a sneer. “Roger, can you believe a mundane name like that? How many lays can this guy get with a ludicrous name like Roger?” mocked the jinni. “He must have paid for sex.”

  “Roger’s a good name, you douche,” I snapped. And then I added with a smile, “Jeeves is the one that sounds stupid. Kinda like the name of a sidekick or a circus freak.”

  The jinni frowned, and for a moment I thought he wouldn’t tell me but then he opened his mouth. “Turns out Roger was treasurer at Hallow Hall, the angel-born safehouse in Westchester County. He took care of the money. And when I say money—I mean lots of money. Millions.” His eyes widened and I could swear I saw some drool form in the corners of his lips.

  I sat straighter. “Oh. No. You. Didn’t.” I stared at the jinni, aghast and slightly impressed. “You stole their money? Are you crazy?” And when he just sat there looking smug I added, “You idiot. How could you think you could steal from the angel-born and get away with it?” I knew Tyrius could probably hack in there and move some money around, small amounts in different accounts, and not to get caught. But Jeeves? He was a greedy jinni.

  My brows eased slightly. “You took all of it. Didn’t you? You stupid jinni.”

  “What?” Jeeves shrugged, his eyes wide, glittering with fevered intensity. “I couldn’t help myself. It was a couple million dollars just a few clicks away from depositing into my offshore accounts. I was going to be rich and set for life. Even with this body, this mediocre meat suit, with that kind of money, I could have any female I wanted. I could have gotten laid every day with a different woman until this body expired.”

  “But you went and got yourself caught.” I laughed, hard and long. God that felt good. And then I laughed harder at the vicious look the jinni gave me. “Sorry, Jeeves. When are you ever going to learn? You can’t take things that don’t belong to you.”

  “Well,” huffed the jinni. “I would have gotten away with it if that dumb kid had kept his mouth shut.”

  “Dumb kid?”

  Jeeves set his jaw in a hard line. “Roger’s assistant.”

  A smile curved over me. “Boo-hoo. So you got caught. How long have you been here on the island?”

  “Too long.” Jeeves’s face was tight, and I could see emotions and thoughts flashing behind his eyes. His clothes were also torn and I could see a few bruises on his face along with freshly healed scars over his arms. His fingernails were dirty and pack with earth, like he’d been gardening. “A month,” said the jinni after a moment. “Maybe a little longer.”

  “A month?” Damn. I didn’t have a month. I didn’t want to think of the havoc Lisbeth would create in a month. “Who found the cave?”

  “I did,” answered Jeeves.

  “I’m impressed by your wilderness survival skills. Maybe you can live here after all,” I mocked, though the jinni didn’t share my enthusiasm. I looked over to the half-breed and lowered my voice. “And your friend? When did she get he
re?”

  “On the same day.” His jaw tightened. “We were ten, in the beginning. Three helicopters dropped us off. The stupid ones died first. When I saw what we were up against, I knew what the silent gallows feared, so I looked for water and that’s when I found the cave.” He looked past me to the werewolf. “She followed me.”

  I could tell by his expression that he wasn’t exactly thrilled to have her as company. But he wasn’t stupid. There was strength in numbers. Still, knowing Jeeves, I was willing to bet it was more like he would sacrifice her life to save his own ass. Good old Jeeves. He never disappointed.

  And yet, I was impressed. If anyone could survive a place like this, that would be Jeeves, the trickster jinni. I realized then that the GHOSTS had no idea Jeeves and the werewolf were still alive.

  “Where are all the rest of the prisoners?” I pulled my eyes away from the half-breed. “This can’t be everyone? The Gray Council’s been sending prisoners for years to this place. There’s got to be a prison or something, right? I mean, there are cameras everywhere. The sickos are watching us. There’s got to be a source of power somewhere. Maybe even a phone. If there’s a phone, we can call for help.” The thought of hearing Gareth’s voice had my stomach in knots. God, I missed that elf. I missed me with him, the idea of a real, stable relationship with a glorious elf. My heart pounded just at the thought of his lips on mine...

  “Solar.” Jeeves tossed another log on the fire, pulling my attention back on him and out of my thoughts. “The cameras are operated by solar power. I took down the ones near the cave. There’s no phone. I’ve been around this bloody island twice and I can tell you that there’s no prison or any other building. Nothing. The island is the prison.”