Borrowed Souls (Soul Charmer #1)(91)

Josh’s face scrunched like a lemon had been shoved in his mouth. All he said was, “Oh.”

Callie scrubbed her hand on the nape of her neck. The skin had cooled from her earlier sickness, but she was still off. “We’re going to take care of some business. Couch is yours.”

“Cool.” He wasn’t arguing and that was good enough for today.

His eyes stayed on them until Callie closed the front door behind her. He might not trust Derek, but then again, her brother’s taste in people was questionable.

She trusted Derek. Officially. And that was fucking scary.





—— CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR ——

The day before, Callie had become a criminal. A real one. Not just ganking makeup at a drugstore. You could fit an entire ocean between that and appropriating confidential police research. She couldn’t even call herself simply a thief anymore. That title was lost when she’d burned a man’s chest. Thinking about it, semantics suggested she could say it wasn’t assault with a deadly weapon, since it was her hand that burned him. Though that argument would not likely hold up in court.

Her reunion with Josh hadn’t gone quite to plan. She couldn’t hug him, which she wanted to do badly enough it hurt. She also couldn’t shake the feeling he didn’t understand how dangerous saving him had been. Resenting him wasn’t something she wanted, but her mind kept flashing back to the conversation she’d overheard earlier that morning. Like Josh’s attempts to defend her while simultaneously demanding she give even more. She mentally booted herself for the thought. He deserved her help not because he had kept her secret all these years, or because he covered for her with Zara. He was her brother. Taking care of him was what she did.

But Callie was still struggling to accept that Derek wasn’t sticking around just to screw her over. Although, even with a bonus soul inside her, he was a better person than she was.

Derek parked his bike near the Charmer’s rear door as usual. “You ready for this?”

She wasn’t. Inside that door the Charmer would take back the soul. She wanted that, but her muscles turned to bow strings with each step toward the entrance. “Today has to be better than yesterday, right?”

He grinned at her. “Don’t tempt fate, doll.”

She nodded, but rapped her knuckles against the wooden doorframe they passed through. Just in case.

“How did it feel?” the Charmer crooned as soon as they were inside. His delight churned her stomach.

She wasn’t prepared for up-chuck round two, though. “No big deal.”

“Did you wish to keep it then?” The words were playful, but the menace behind his eyes was anything but.

“No,” she said too quickly.

He beamed. “In that case, sit.” He pointed to a stool next to his bench.

“Why could I still use magic when the soul was in me?” She wiggled her fingers.

“My magic isn’t negated by a single soul. If it were, this business would not be nearly as successful. It all worked as planned.” He was half ignoring her while digging through drawers like some aged apothecary ready to cure her ails.

She mouthed “as planned” at Derek, but all he offered was a shrug. It was time to be done with the Soul Charmer. If she never returned to this overtly sterile and creepy room again, it would be too soon.

“Ah!” The Charmer held up a flask, but it wasn’t the same as the one Callie had used. While inlaid with dark stone, there was no mistaking the green hue.

“Why are you using a different flask?” she asked before her brain could quell her stupidity.

“It’s gentler.” He put zero effort into concealing the lie.

“Let’s get it over with then.” She gritted her teeth and wondered what kind of pain she’d inflicted on others when her position had been reversed.

The flask’s opening pressed up against her sternum, her breastplate vibrating from the impact. She jerked forward, tits first, as the container created an industrial-grade vacuum. Her head swam, but nothing hurt. Or it didn’t until she blinked and found herself sprawled on the floor. Derek’s rough hands were under her arms, lifting her. Random black spots obscured her vision of him.

“Apologies, Calliope.” The Charmer’s patronizing fake grandpa voice grated against her already throbbing skull. “It seems the rented soul rather liked you.”

“Liked me?” she groaned.

“It’s rare, but then again, you’re a special one.”

“You got it, though?” Derek’s husky voice was the balm she needed.

“Yes, of course.”

Once she was sitting on the stool again, her faculties returned. If that was finished, then there was only one more bit of business. “Let’s go ahead and get the magic removed now, too. I’m up for it.”

“I’m not.” No shame with this one.

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t very well take the magic out of you now.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Watch your tone.” His obsidian eyes flashed. Powerful lightning cutting through a cloudless night.

She closed her eyes, but it didn’t improve anything. “Our deal is complete. I don’t work for you anymore. So, please, take back your magic.”