Witches for Hire (Odd Jobs #1)(106)
Jeremy pulled his hand back. Zach would never forgive him for killing such a magnificent creature. Any other day, a leviathan’s beauty would have stunned Jeremy to silent admiration, but that day he didn’t care. It was a hunk of sea monster that was in his way. He shook himself to clear his cloudy head. “Yeah.” I’ll feel okay when I reach Desmond. “What’s next?” he asked out loud.
“Nothing. We bag it and then go home.” Clive turned to Edarra. “We’ll use our magic to help you bind this thing into a smaller containment unit.”
Edarra looked at the now unconscious leviathan with a wide smile on her face. “It’s nice to use my real strength without hearing kids screaming in terror.” She dragged the sea creature by its whiskers. It didn’t struggle and only made a low grumbling sound. “This would make an excellent pet, don’t you think, Jeremy?”
“Maybe.” Jeremy magically cinched its legs together while Simone and Clive prepped the Cthulhu toy. When the stuffed animal’s tentacled mouth was open and waiting for its new occupant, the three of them pushed the much larger creature inside with little effort. With a flash of bright light, the leviathan disappeared completely. The stuffed Cthulhu’s eyes glowed as the sealing took hold.
“I’m so happy Mia gave me this as a joke,” Clive said. “I never imagined it would come in handy.” He bounced it in his hand. “These creatures are rare in my old world, so even I’m tempted to keep it.”
“I don’t blame you,” Simone said.
Edarra looked at her slimy hands. “I’ll go rinse this off, so none of it stains my car.” She pointed at Jeremy’s face. “You have gunk on you too.”
Jeremy’s shrug was barely a lift of his right shoulder. “I’ll wait until I go home, so I can cork it in a bottle.”
Simone pulled a napkin out of her pocket. “Do you mind if I borrow some of that?” she asked Edarra.
“Waste not, want not,” Edarra said.
Jeremy thought about letting Simone wipe him off too because when he imagined getting home and cleaning, he lost all enthusiasm to expend the effort.
CLIVE WATCHED Jeremy climb up his home’s steps at a snail’s pace.
“I expected more fight out of him after the fiasco at the Great Mother’s,” Simone said, her arm dangling on Clive’s seat. “He seems more than just lazy lately and kind of burnt-out.”
“Do you think he’ll miss working with us?” Edarra asked.
Clive frowned. “I doubt it. I don’t have time to think about him when there are more pressing matters.” And it’s not my fault he’s this way. I gave him plenty of opportunities to be part of the team. “We need to figure out why Desmond has vanished.”
“Do you think he’s already under a curse?” Simone asked.
“That energy vamp wasn’t one to waste time.”
“I guess we’ll find out sooner or later.”
JEREMY FROWNED at the message light blinking on his phone. He pressed the button to play it and smiled for the first time that day when he heard Desmond’s voice.
“I want to see you, but I don’t know if you were telling the truth about having a solid go at it. Do you really love me? Am I just convenient to you because of my magic? I want to be more than a fix, and I don’t think that’s possible for you.”
Jeremy’s breath stopped. “What?”
“I want….” Desmond sighed deeply. “It doesn’t matter what I want because you’ll never love me as much as I love you.”
The line clicked off, and Jeremy stared down at the phone. He wanted to replay the message so he could pretend he heard it wrong, but he knew it was useless. “Why don’t you believe me!” Jeremy shouted. The phone flew off the kitchen counter. The counter’s edge cooled his anger as he clutched it tightly. “What’s the point of trying if it won’t work out? I told him exactly how I felt, and this is his answer?” He touched the handles of the cooking knives in their stand. There’s no reason why he’ll love me, and there’s no reason why I should live. Jeremy blinked. Wait, what? He dropped his hand from the knives and backed away. Fuck me. It’s not us acting weird; we’re fucking cursed. Jeremy rubbed his forehead. “Is it a self-harm hex?” If he assumed wrongly, an incorrect cure could worsen the effects.
Jeremy left the kitchen so he wouldn’t become distracted from his realization. Think, think. What do I have to combat this? Sage for a cleansing, maybe wine to represent truth, and hemlock. Jeremy smacked his head. Not hemlock! Maybe something not herbal because I might poison myself. As he walked, his hand brushed the curtain rope in his living room. It’s thick enough to do the job. Jeremy yanked his arms to his side and fell to his knees. He closed his eyes and focused. Desmond has to be in the same state I am. That’s why he left that message. I have to think straight, or we’re both going to kill ourselves. He clawed the carpet, leaving red stains where his nails ripped past the skin. Think, dammit!
But I’m a liar. Clive and the others don’t trust me, so why should Desmond? I should be honest for once. What I’m afraid of most is that these are Desmond’s true feelings. I won’t change into a better person. I know what to do. Jeremy rose to his feet and walked into the kitchen. He pulled out the longest knife and shuffled to his bathroom. Jeremy ran the taps and stood silently as it filled with warm water. “I know what has to be done,” he muttered. When the tub filled high enough, Jeremy cut off the water with his magic. Without removing his clothes, he sat in the tub. This should be easier than the first time I tried. Jeremy looked at his wrist and slashed the knife diagonally down his skin. Blood spurted into the water, and Jeremy smiled at how pretty it was. Once more, and I’ll have peace. Jeremy raised his second wrist before the other one lost too much sensitivity. Soon, Desmond and I can be together forever.