✔Kin of the Curse (Book 1: Bloodbound Chronicles)

24. Binding the Fates (Part 1)

Warmth filled Lucien like the sunshine breaking through the dark clouds on a dreary day.  Castor had pulled out of him, his pleasure dripping out behind him as he sunk down on the bed beside Lucien and pulled him close to his chest.  There was no longer an unearthly chill nestled deep within Lucien, only the warm remnants from their love making.

Lucien sought comfort in listening to Castor's heartbeat, how it echoed in his ears like the rhythmic pounding of rain against the rooftop during a thunderstorm.  Castor's fingers tangled in his hair, massaging his scalp as slithers of morning sun crept inside through the closed curtains.  He wasn't sure how long they laid tangled together or when Lucien had finally fallen asleep, but it was the most well rested he'd been in a long time.

By the time Lucien crawled out of bed, it was well into the afternoon hours, but he couldn't bring himself to wake Castor as he slept soundly.  Instead, he slipped out of the covers, cautious to tie-toe around the bed, and snatched his glasses off the nightstand. Before heading out to shower with a bundle of fresh clothes tucked beneath his arm, he leaned down to kiss Castor's forehead. 

Lucien was still floating on clouds of passion and warmth when he stepped out of the shower.  He traced his fingers along the side of his neck where Castor had left his little love bites, and it brought a tinge of warmth to his face to remember last night.  Even as he made his way downstairs, his mind fluttered with the giddiness of a schoolboy who'd kissed his crush on the playground when he halted just outside the Vales' kitchen.

"We had a deal, Austa.  Don't forget that."

Before anyone noticed him, Lucien pressed his back tightly against the wall in hopes neither heard him.  His mother's voice echoed in his ears, followed by that sharp rap of her nails tapping against the table, something she always did when her patience was running thin.

"That was years ago, and the boys aren't children anymore.  Things are different now." The confidence in Mrs. Vale's voice wavered, and that had Lucien clenching his hands in tight fists at his sides because he'd been at that end of the table far too many times.  As much as he wanted to intervene, he was too curious to know what they were talking about and had a feeling they'd drop the conversation if he dared to enter the room.

"Does it scare you to sleep under the same roof as him?" his mother asked. 

"Of course not.  I'm not playing any of your twisted little games either, so get to the point or get out of my house."

"Don't forget who you're dealing with Austa, dear." Picture frames rattled the walls around Lucien and the house shook as if an earthquake had struck.  He grabbed the end table of a lamp table thing for support until the rumbles subsided. 

"Can you not?" Austa hissed.  "You'll wake the boys."

"It's well past noon and they're grown adults.  They should already be awake unless your summoning kept them up too late last night."

Lucien's chest tightened, and he gripped the end table until his knuckles whitened.  There was no way someone could sense when a spirit was summoned unless they were in the same room and could detect traces of magical embers left behind.   How could she have known?

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Lucien admired Mrs. Vale's courage to lie straight to his mother's face because he would've cracked under her stern scrutiny, but he was no closer to understanding what they meant than he was when he first came down the stairs.  He kept himself close to the wall in hopes they'd spill more without being so vague.

"It does you no good to lie.  Might I remind you what happens to liars?" Lucien grimaced as a wave of potent energy vibrated through his very core as he heard Mrs. Vale's muffled whimpers. He didn't even need to see them to know the spell she'd cast.  Sylento. It sealed one's lips with silver thread, and if left for so long, it left permanent damage.  She'd used it against him and Charlotte many times during their childhood when they misbehaved.