Grave Sight | A Reverse Harem Romance

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔼𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕪 𝔼𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥

Merlin slid a piece of paper to me, smiling slightly. It took all of two seconds for me to realize that it was a contract. I glanced down at it, and it took all I had not to say no. He was at my house, and he'd already done everything that was needed to find my heart. He had its location, and all he wanted...

"When you do find your heart, and your mother," he tapped the contract with a black gel pen, "I want your heart."

Kieran, Lucian, and Kyler's heads whipped in his direction.

"I'll keep it beating, as long as you don't get it crushed in the process of rescuing your mom." He laid the pen down.

I stared at the paper. It was so insignificant without my signature, but after I signed it, I would never have my heart back in my body again. It made sense then, why he brought someone else with him. There'd be a witness who wouldn't lie for me.

The woman pulled out a stamp, and I realized not only was she a witness, she was also a notary. My signature alone would make the contract more than just a mere piece of paper. But that stamp would make it like I wrote my signature in stone.

I finally looked at him. "And if it's crushed?"

He smiled wider. "I'd still like it."

"Why?" I shook my head. I couldn't understand. Out of everything that I could think of, this was not something I expected.

"Because," he shrugged one shoulder, "as you said...I'm a fanboy."

He wanted my heart to be kept as a trophy. He helped the most powerful - in his words - necromancer, and got her heart as a prize. I imagined he'd place it on a mantle somewhere, showing it off to his friends like it wasn't something that was supposed to be inside of my chest.

Kieran, Lucian, and Kyler all remained silent, though I could tell they wanted to argue. They were leaving it all up to me - what I wanted to give to find my mom, my plan, everything. They didn't like the idea that a man I barely knew, who seemed to know a lot about me, wanted my heart. And to be honest, I didn't like the idea any more than they seemed to.

"What's wrong?" Merlin tilted his head.

I thought eventually I could have my heart back. That was what was wrong.

"What if Alaric is killed?" I put my hand on my chest, where I used to be able to feel my heart beating. "The one who took my heart. Isn't he making it so that it keeps beating?"

"You're planning on killing him?" He raised his eyebrows. "I mean, it could stop beating, or it could continue. I can't give you that answer. It really all depends on the magic he holds, as well as you."

"Will it hurt if they destroy it?" I balled my hands into fists.

"Probably," he said. "It's still a part of you, even if it isn't inside of you. But like I said, you'd still continue living."

How did he know that? If he wasn't sure if it would continue beating when Alaric died, how was he so sure that I'd continue living if it was destroyed? All powers had their setbacks.

I looked down at the paper again, reading through every word. He left nothing out. No loopholes to get around. No matter the outcome, if I got my heart in any capacity, it was his. He would keep it beating for the remainder of his life, and give it back to me before his life was forfeit, if I was still alive. If I wasn't still alive, he'd go get it himself.

He really wanted my heart.

I took the pen and signed on the line above my printed name. The moment the pen lifted from the paper, Merlin grabbed it, signed his own name, and slid it to the notary. She stamped it, signed her name, and placed it into a folder. Then she pulled out another paper and handed it to Merlin, who handed it to me.

I looked down at it.

It had coordinates, and under it, a picture of a mass of trees with an arrow pointing to a small opening where a house sat.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Nova." Merlin and the notary stood. "Call me when you get home. My number is on the back of that paper."

I didn't say anything as they turned and left. I didn't walk him to the door like I did last time. What was he going to do? He was already getting my heart out of this. To be honest, I hoped he'd hear or see something that would scar him for life if he decided to leave something behind.

When the front door shut, Kieran stepped up beside me.

"You gave away your heart." It wasn't a question. It was more like he was trying to get me to understand exactly what I'd just done.

I nodded. "I did."

"You don't know what he can do with that," he said cautiously.

"He could fuck it for all I care." I looked him in the eye. "I got the location."

"I don't think you're thinking rationally," Kyler admitted.

"Probably not." I stood once there was a knock at my front door. "But like I said...I'd give anything to find her. Apparently that means my heart."

I went to my front door and opened it, and the moment I did, my breath caught in my throat.

Adler stood in the front of a group of at least twenty other people. He had his arms crossed and a smug smirk on his face.

"Apparently some necromancers from other countries wanted to meet you." He shrugged like he didn't understand either. "Didn't matter how much I told them you were a freak, they still insisted. So you have all of the necromancers in the United States, three from the United Kingdom, one from Kenya, and two from Japan."

I stared up at him, astonished.

"So," a blonde guy grinned at me from beside Adler, a British lilt to his voice, "what's the plan, beautiful?"

It took me a minute to collect myself, and realize that Adler not only came through with the necromancers of the United States, but also brought some from other countries. So instead of bringing fourteen more, including himself, he went above and beyond that and brought twenty more.

I stepped to the side and motioned them inside of my house, wondering idly if I should have made snacks.