Curse Of The Aswangs (The Vasquez Brothers #1)[COMPLETED]

38: ASH

The office was quiet, save for the soft clatter of keyboards and the occasional ringing phone. I sat at my desk, scanning through yet another article about some self-help guru who claimed to have unlocked the secrets of inner peace. "Unlocking something, that's for sure," I muttered under my breath, rolling my eyes.

Being an editor had its perks—mainly that I got to rewrite people's poorly worded thoughts and make them sound halfway intelligent—but it also had its moments of dullness. Today was one of those days. My mind wasn't exactly on the article in front of me; it was still reeling from the chaos with Jose and the blasted scroll.

I stretched back in my chair, letting out a small groan. My muscles were still tense from all the dodging, fighting, and well... a certain level of betrayal that had thrown everything off balance. Jose had slipped away with the scroll, and the more I thought about it, the more it nagged at me. And now, here I was, proofing an article on "finding your true purpose."

"Great," I sighed, rubbing my temples. "What's my true purpose? Kicking demon butt or catching typos?"

By lunch, I'd had enough of articles and peace-finding nonsense. I grabbed my jacket, headed down to the local deli, and picked up a sandwich. Turkey, cheese, and a lot of mustard—simple but effective. The cool air outside was a relief, something to clear my head.

Back at the office, I stepped into the elevator, balancing my lunch and a cup of coffee, and mentally prepared for another round of editing. I wasn't expecting much more than a few more hours of tedium.

But when I walked into my office and set down my coffee, my blood ran cold.

Sitting casually on the edge of my desk, like he owned the place, was Enrique, the aswang lord himself. He looked at me with that smug, too-perfect grin, like a predator who knew his prey couldn't escape. His sharp features were unsettlingly handsome, his eyes gleaming with something both sinister and teasing.

"Long day, sweetie?" he purred, his voice dripping with mockery.

I froze, trying to process his sudden appearance. This was bad. Really bad. "Well, if it wasn't before," I said, recovering enough to sound halfway casual, "it certainly is now." My hand instinctively hovered near the hidden pocket where I kept a protection charm that Jasper gave before I went to work this morning, but I knew it wouldn't do much against someone like Enrique.

Enrique laughed softly, a sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "Relax, darling. I didn't come to kill you. If I wanted you dead, you'd already be on the floor by now." His tone was almost playful, but the threat lingered just beneath the surface.

I raised an eyebrow, trying not to let him see me sweat. "Well, that's comforting. So what do I owe the pleasure of this lovely visit? Shouldn't you be busy plotting world domination or, I don't know, finding a nice dark cave to skulk in?"

Enrique's smile widened. "Oh, Ash, you're so fun when you're snarky. That's what your traitor friend told me. But let's skip the pleasantries, shall we?" He stood up, straightening his immaculate coat. "I came to you first because, well, you're the oldest. It only seemed appropriate."

"Appropriate," I repeated, eyeing him warily. "You're talking like we're about to have a family reunion."

"In a way, we are," he said, his voice low. "The end is coming, and I thought it only fair to give you a heads-up. You see, Jose cast the last spell, he killed one human with a sight. Emily and Jose was just a pawn in my plans. If you and your brothers try to stop me from opening the portals and bringing the apocalypse tonight, well—" He looked at his nails, examining them as if he was bored. "Let's just say, I'll break you three as easily as I'd break one of these."