by Chelsea Fine
“No.” Scarlet’s face broke into a smile. “But I have a great idea.”
12
Tristan could tell Scarlet was frustrated.
“Last time you came, you promised not to return with food. But here you are again. With food.” Scarlet moved aside as Tristan entered her hut. “You have to stop this.”
Tristan placed the sack of goods he’d brought on their small table and started unpacking them. “Why?” He smiled. “I like bringing you food.”
Scarlet sighed. “Because I feel indebted to you and I hate that.”
“Too bad.”
“I’m serious.” Scarlet put a hand on his wrist, halting his movement. “You have to stop bringing us food.”
Tristan shook his head and pointed to the sack. “This keeps you out of the woods. It keeps you alive.”
“It keeps me in your debt.”
“You owe me nothing.”
“But I do. And it’s a heavy burden to carry.” Scarlet bit her lip. “Please stop.”
Tristan looked at her for a moment. “My generosity is a burden?”
Scarlet nodded. “I can provide for myself and my mother without you. And I need to.”
Tristan shook his head. “I don’t want you to.”
Scarlet’s eyes hardened. “If you bring another sack of food, I swear I will let it rot in the sun.”
Looking at her carefully, Tristan realized she was telling the truth. “Fine.” He squared his jaw and stopped unpacking the sack. “Come with me, then.” He headed out the open front door.
“Come with you where?” Scarlet stayed inside the hut.
She was so stubborn.
Tristan turned around. “Without my gift of food, do you intend to hunt in the forest?”
“Of course.” Scarlet looked unmoved.
“Then you will hunt with me.”
“Ha!” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll do nothing of the sort. You want to teach me to hunt? You are a fool. I need no teacher.”
Tristan raised a brow as he walked back inside. “I don’t want to teach you. I want to accompany you.”
“I don’t need protection.”
“From other thieves, maybe not. But from the earl?”
Scarlet shook her head. “The earl’s men do not bother the eastern woods.”
“But they will.” Tristan looked at her intently. “Because forest game is scarce, the earl is sending men out day after day to arrest thieves in his forest. His men will be in these woods within the month and you will be a moving target.”
“I am not afraid.”
“But I am.” Tristan glared at her. “Hunt with me. You will be safe that way.”
“Why?” Scarlet asked with hardness in her voice. “Because you are the earl’s son?”
Tristan froze.
Scarlet lifted her chin. “You are the son of an earl in the hut of a thief? Are you mad?” She stepped forward. “Why do you come to my door? Out of pity?”
Tristan was silent. He hadn’t deliberately kept his identity from her, but he hadn’t offered the information either. Primarily because he didn’t want his nobility to become an issue.
Which it now was.
“Of course not,” he said.
“Out of valiance? Because I can provide on my own.”
“I know you can,” Tristan said.
“They why do you come?” Scarlet curled her lip. “Why do you grace my humble home with your noble presence?”
“I come to keep you out of the woods. To keep you safe.”
“And what is it to you if I live or die? What is it to you the fate of a thief?”
Tristan rubbed the back of his neck trying to figure out how to calm down this fiery girl.
Scarlet waited. “You have no words, hunter?” She waved him away. “Go then.”
Tristan gave up and answered honestly. “I care if you live.” He paused. “And I fear the thought of you dying.”
He did not know the words were true until they left his mouth.
For a long moment, Scarlet stared at him without speaking. She walked up to him and tilted her chin toward his face.
Even with dirt on her cheek she was truly beautiful. Or maybe the smudge of dirt is what made her beautiful. Either way, his eyes were lost in hers and his stomach tightened at the sight of her young face lifted to his.
“Your concern is wasted on me. I am nothing.” Scarlet pointed to the door. “Do not return.”
13
After making his way downstairs, Gabriel walked past the living room and shivered as frigid morning air blew in from the giant hole in the wall where the windowpane used to be.
Cold December wind swirled around the cabin and followed Gabriel into the kitchen, where he pretended not to notice Tristan making coffee.
Opening the fridge, Gabriel stared inside. He wasn’t proud of their fight the night before, but he wasn’t going to apologize for it either.
Tristan said nothing.
Gabriel wasn’t going to saying anything either. He wasn’t.
A few moments of tension passed before Gabriel slammed the fridge closed and looked at his brother. “What the hell, man?”
Okay. Maybe he was going to say something.
Tristan turned around to face him.
Gabriel shrugged angrily. “Trying to kill yourself? What’s the matter with you?”
Tristan held a blue coffee mug in his hands and narrowed his eyes. “I was trying to save Scarlet.”
“Right. That’s noble or whatever, but couldn’t you have had a conversation with me first?”
Tristan put his mug down and crossed his arms. “Would you have helped me?”
“Would I have helped you kill yourself?” Gabriel made a face. “Hell, no.”
Tristan shrugged. “That’s why I didn’t tell you.”
Gabriel opened the fridge again and eyed the shelves of food mindlessly. “You’re an asshole.”
Tristan scoffed. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same thing.” He leaned against the counter. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t die if you knew it would save Scarlet.”
Gabriel slammed the fridge again and looked at his brother. “Would I die to save Scarlet? Sure. Would I do it without telling you? Never.”
“Bullshit.”
“I would tell you.” Gabriel was adamant.
Tristan shook his head with a tense jaw. “No, you wouldn’t.”
“Why wouldn’t I—”
“Because I would never let you die.” Tristan uncrossed his arms and pointed at Gabriel with intense eyes. “I would tie your ass up and lock you in a cage before I’d let you leave this world without me.” He dropped his hand and lowered his voice. “And you would do the same for me. So don’t act like me telling you was even an option.”
They stared at each other in silence.
It didn’t matter how right Tristan was. Gabriel still felt betrayed by his brother’s attempted suicide. “You’re still an asshole.”
Tristan shrugged again.
“And what about Scarlet?” Gabriel turned his palms up.
“What about her?”
“She can feel you now?” Gabriel crossed his arms.
Tristan didn’t respond.
Narrowing his eyes, Gabriel said, “And she’s been able to feel you for the past few months. Which means something changed in her last life in the 80s.” His jaw tightened, as did his stomach. He didn’t want to ask. But he did. “What changed?”
Tristan didn’t answer.
“What happened, Tristan?” Gabriel felt his pulse rise. “Did you touch her? Did you get too close to her?”
Tristan kept his face expressionless, but his eyes flickered briefly.
Gabriel cursed. “You’re unbelievable.”
Tristan inhaled like he was bored. “It’s not what you think.”
“Really?” Gabriel snarled as the tension mounted again. “Because it sounds like my brother messed around with my girlfriend—”
“You guys w
eren’t even together—”
“It doesn’t matter!” Gabriel snapped. “You can’t touch her, Tristan! Your touch hurts her—”
“I know!” Tristan yelled. “I hurt her. I kill her. I’m the reason her life is miserable. I know.” A muscle flexed in his jaw. “You don’t need to remind me.”
Gabriel’s chest was burning with fury and fear. What had happened between Scarlet and Tristan? Did he even want to know?
Tristan’s eyes stayed steady on Gabriel.
No, Gabriel decided. He didn’t want to know.
But his gut churned with ideas.
Gabriel lowered his voice. “Stay away from her.”
Tristan’s eyes hardened.
“I’m serious,” Gabriel said. “I don’t want you near her.”
Tristan lifted his chin and quietly warned, “Careful, Gabe. You’re starting to sound a little possessive.”
Gabriel met Tristan’s hard stare unapologetically. “I hope so.” He lowered his voice. “A long time ago, you asked me to take care of Scarlet. You asked me to protect her. Remember that?”
Tristan blinked.
Stepping forward, Gabriel said, “How am I supposed to protect her when you keep putting her in danger? You touched her in her last life, you got her shot last night….” He shook his head, dumbfounded. “It’s like you want her to die.”
Gabriel knew Tristan would never wish any harm on Scarlet, but he needed Tristan to know how serious he was about keeping her safe. “You’re not her boyfriend, Tristan. You’re not even her friend.” He took a step back. “So just stay away from her.” He added, “And for God’s sake, keep your hands off her.”
A heavy moment saturated the space between them, filled only by the tick of the clock in the living room.
“Good morning.” Nate’s cheery voice rang into the kitchen and the brothers shifted away from one another. Because their bedrooms were next door to one another, Gabriel had heard Nate up all night playing video games—which was typical Nate behavior—yet he barely looked tired. He did, however, look ridiculous.
Wearing two sweatshirts, a scarf, and mittens, Nate looked like he was ready to go sledding.
He clasped his hands together. “Okay, new rule. No more fighting in the living room amidst the expensive furniture and breakable windows. I’d rather not let in any additional cold drafts, on the slight chance our immortality doesn’t extend to hypothermia.”
Gabriel rolled his eyes.
“Dude,” Nate said, tightening his scarf. “It’s freezing in here. We’re immortals, not snowmen. Oh, and also?” He looked at Tristan and shrugged. “No more sneaking away with deadly, immortal-killing weapons with the intention of, I dunno, dying.” Nate held up his mitten-clad hands. “Nobody approves.”
Tristan crossed his arms again.
“Okay.” Nate took a deep breath. “Now that we’re all caught up on the new no-no’s of the house, what do you say we find a tarp and some duct tape and MacGyver ourselves a new window in the living room? Just, you know, to keep out the wind…and the leaves…and any sharp-toothed woodland creatures prone to attacking people in their sleep.”
Tristan raised a brow.
“What?” Nate shrugged. “Death by dragon? Awesome. Death by rabid forest squirrel? Not cool, man. Not cool.”
“You’re immortal, Nate,” Gabriel said.
“So? That doesn’t mean I want rabies.” Nate shook his head. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have medieval aliens to defeat.” He turned and left the kitchen, heading back to his video games upstairs.
Gabriel stared after Nate and muttered, “He’s so weird.”
Tristan replied, “Tell me about it.”
For a split second, there was no curse. There was no Scarlet, no broken window in the living room, no tension.
There were just two brothers, staring after their odd friend.
Simple.
But another gust of wind swept through the kitchen, bringing cold reality with it.
And reality was never simple.
14
Gabriel waited in the alleyway as he fiddled with a twig. It was mid-afternoon, but the tall village shops on both his left and his right shadowed the alley, making the narrow corridor dark and cool.
From around a corner came a dark figure with gray eyes.
Gabriel smiled and tossed the twig aside. “I feared you would not make it.”
Raven Fletcher’s face slowly came into view as she walked through the shadows. Her long, black hair slid around her shoulders and her hips swayed with every step.
“And miss seeing you?” She walked up to his body and lifted her chin so her lips were just beneath his jaw. “Never,” she whispered, her hot breath tickling his skin.
Gabriel gave her a crooked smile. “How many lies did you tell to get here today?”
“Enough to send me to Hell. You?” She smiled.
“Oh, I don’t lie. I simply don’t obey.”
Raven ran a finger down his chest, stopping at his waist. “And that’s why we are perfect together. I lie…and you defy.” She kissed him quickly before pulling away with a smile. “I have something to show you. Come.”
Raven took his hand and led him down the dark alley, across an abandoned village street, and into the tall trees beyond until they were very, very alone.
“What it is you wish to show me?” Gabriel watched her hair shine in the patches of light that fell through the trees.
She stopped walking and turned around, her eyes bright. “Magic.”
Gabriel tried not to roll his eyes. “You mean your tricks?”
“No.” Raven picked a handful of leaves up off the ground and piled them on a nearby rock. “I mean magic. Watch.”
Stepping away from the rock, she took Gabriel’s hand in hers. Chanting something indiscernible, she closed her eyes and held out her free hand to the leaves.
A spark, a flame, and the leaves caught fire. Burning in a controlled and unnatural way, they withered and curled under orange licks of heat.
Raven laughed. “See?” She looked at Gabriel with big eyes. “I can do it!” She squeezed his hand.
“How did you do that?” He took a step back.
Raven smiled at him. “I’ve been practicing spells.”
Gabriel frowned. “Spells are dark magic.”
“Yes. And I was born to a family of dark magic.” Raven’s gray eyes narrowed at him. “What is your point?”
Gabriel was concerned. “It is dangerous.”
Raven dropped his hand and scoffed. “Only if I do it wrong. Which I won’t.”
“People will say you are a witch.”
“But I’m not a witch.” She smiled and pouted her lower lip. “I am just a girl who likes to play with magic.” She put her hands on his chest and ran them down the length of his torso. “And I…want to share…my magic…with you….” She looked up at him with a smile and Gabriel forgot what he’d been worried about.
Raven continued. “They are harmless spells. Just for fun.”
“Harmless spells?” Gabriel asked.
She nodded, her hands skimming his waist.
Gabriel could live with that.
15
Gabriel met Scarlet in the driveway when he saw her car approach. She had called earlier to say she had an “idea” she wanted to talk to everyone about. Which made him nervous. Scarlet’s “idea’s” were usually dangerous.
Once Scarlet exited her car, Gabriel pulled her into a hug. She snuggled her face into his shirt and he welcomed the distraction from the emptiness inside him.
“These last few weeks have been pretty rough for you, huh?” He stroked her hair.
Scarlet breathed out a laugh against his chest. “These last few months have been rough.”
“I know.” Gabriel shook his head. “They no longer serve pizza in the school cafeteria and it’s really bringing me down.”
Scarlet laughed again. “Totally. And all this dying stuff is really interfering with my grades.
”
“Yeah,” Gabriel mocked. “Death is so inconvenient.” He squeezed her gently.
Scarlet pulled back and looked up at him with a weary frown. “I don’t want to die again.”
Gabriel’s heart clenched. “You won’t die. We’re going to figure this out and everything will be better.”
Scarlet nodded, but didn’t look encouraged.
Gabriel bent down and softly pressed his lips against hers. He slid his hands down to her hips and brought her against him as their mouths came together. He wanted to drink her in, draw her into his heart. He wanted to keep her safe forever and take away all the bad stuff. He wanted to—
Scarlet had stopped kissing him.
Gabriel pulled his head up. “What’s wrong?”
She blinked, then shook her head. “I don’t know. I just feel….” Confusion crossed her face.
Gabriel waited, his hands still on her hips.
Shifting her eyes from side to side, like she was concentrating on something. She muttered, “So weird…” and moved away from Gabriel.
“What?” Gabriel blinked at her. “What’s weird?”
Scarlet hesitated, then shook her head with a smile. “Never mind.”
He raised his brows. “Are you sure?”
Scarlet nodded and headed for the cabin’s front door.
Gabriel waited a beat, lost in thought.
Why had Scarlet stopped kissing him? Had he done something wrong?
The hole in his chest inched outward. Growing larger. Making him less whole.
He took a deep breath, grasping at the sliver of quiet hope that still remained in his heart.
And a sliver it was.
***************
As soon as she and Gabriel entered the cabin, Scarlet was greeted by Nate. Who was wearing several sweaters and a pair of mittens.
Scarlet didn’t entirely understand Nate’s dedication to their quest or why he was so willing to drop everything in his life to help them break the curse, but she was grateful.
“Good morning, Scarlet.” Nate raised a mitten. “High-five!”
Scarlet high-fived him with smirk. “Morning, Nate. What’s with the arctic getup?” She stepped inside the cabin.
