the stream. “Self-absorbed jerk.”
James walked over, but didn’t sit beside me. Instead, he sat on the ground at my feet. “You really don’t like the guy.” He braced an elbow on the log and looked up at me.
“I really don’t like the guy,” I agreed.
James frowned.
“But that doesn’t mean you have to dislike him.” It wouldn’t please me, but it wasn’t my place to pick his friends. “After all, you’re magical, and he leads the magical community.”
His brow wrinkled, but not in anger. He pulled his elbow from the log and leaned back beside my knees. “He doesn’t know what I am, just that I can…take life if I choose.”
I could tell his thoughts had returned to the alley behind the shop. “They were shooting at us. You acted in self-defense.”
“Very little can harm me, and Rowan had you. I knew that and still…”
I leaned forward and gripped his shoulder. “It’s okay.” I gave him a squeeze.
“No, it’s not. I ripped their souls from their bodies.”
“What?” Did he mean that literally? I remembered the bodies. No blood. No obvious injury.
“I tore out their souls and took them to hell,” he whispered.
A chill slid up my spine, but I forced myself to keep my hand on his shoulder. “Actual hell? Fire, brimstone, and all that?”
He pulled away from my hand and spun to face me, his movement so fast that my hand hung in space before I could pull it back. “I’m a hellhound, remember?” A faint glow backlit his green eyes.
I gripped my hands, but held his gaze. If he was testing me, I wasn’t going to fail. His revelation might be terrifying, but he would never be. Not to me.
“You’re also my friend,” I said. “My best friend.”
He dropped his eyes, and I could see how much it cost him to confess this. Time to swallow my shock and roll with another of his revelations. Though, maybe I should have seen this one coming. I leaned forward to grip his shoulder once more. “You probably saved my life—again. How many times does that make?”
“Rowan saved you this time.”
I blew a raspberry. “No way in hell will I ever concede that.”
He’d bowed his head, but I still caught a glimpse of a smile. Good.
“Who’s to say you didn’t save me and Rowan? What if you hadn’t drawn off their fire and scared them away? Rowan couldn’t catch every bullet.”
He didn’t respond.
“James?”
“It was so easy,” he whispered. “And it…”
“Don’t do this to yourself. Please? You’re a good person. If you weren’t, this wouldn’t bother you.”
He didn’t say anything.
“I’m right, you know. I’m always right.”
He snorted. “Except when you’re wrong.”
I mussed his hair. “Watch it, Fido.” He didn’t deserve this. “Why couldn’t one of your worthless brothers end up with this curse?”
He looked up. “Maybe because they wouldn’t view it as a curse.”
“Yeah, punish you for being the conscientious one.”
“Nice guys finish last.”
“You could apprentice yourself to Rowan. He does jerk with such class.”
James smiled and without warning, rose up on his knees and wrapped me in a hug. “Thanks,” he whispered close to my ear. “You ground me.”
Before I could return the hug, he released me and got to his feet. “I’ll go help Rowan with the tire.” He started to turn away, then stopped. “It’d be best if we don’t tell him what I am.”
“Why?”
“I’m Old Magic.”
“So?”
James glanced toward the road before looking back at me. “Nineteen years ago, a grim killed the European Elements.”
I rose to my feet. “Seriously?” The Elements were the top of the magical food chain and nineteen years ago magic had just returned. “I didn’t realize that any of the Elemental families had organized then.”
“They organized, but remained hidden until the…problem was destroyed.”
“The grim.” I studied him. “But how do you know all this?”
“Family history.”
“Okay.” I could
James walked over, but didn’t sit beside me. Instead, he sat on the ground at my feet. “You really don’t like the guy.” He braced an elbow on the log and looked up at me.
“I really don’t like the guy,” I agreed.
James frowned.
“But that doesn’t mean you have to dislike him.” It wouldn’t please me, but it wasn’t my place to pick his friends. “After all, you’re magical, and he leads the magical community.”
His brow wrinkled, but not in anger. He pulled his elbow from the log and leaned back beside my knees. “He doesn’t know what I am, just that I can…take life if I choose.”
I could tell his thoughts had returned to the alley behind the shop. “They were shooting at us. You acted in self-defense.”
“Very little can harm me, and Rowan had you. I knew that and still…”
I leaned forward and gripped his shoulder. “It’s okay.” I gave him a squeeze.
“No, it’s not. I ripped their souls from their bodies.”
“What?” Did he mean that literally? I remembered the bodies. No blood. No obvious injury.
“I tore out their souls and took them to hell,” he whispered.
A chill slid up my spine, but I forced myself to keep my hand on his shoulder. “Actual hell? Fire, brimstone, and all that?”
He pulled away from my hand and spun to face me, his movement so fast that my hand hung in space before I could pull it back. “I’m a hellhound, remember?” A faint glow backlit his green eyes.
I gripped my hands, but held his gaze. If he was testing me, I wasn’t going to fail. His revelation might be terrifying, but he would never be. Not to me.
“You’re also my friend,” I said. “My best friend.”
He dropped his eyes, and I could see how much it cost him to confess this. Time to swallow my shock and roll with another of his revelations. Though, maybe I should have seen this one coming. I leaned forward to grip his shoulder once more. “You probably saved my life—again. How many times does that make?”
“Rowan saved you this time.”
I blew a raspberry. “No way in hell will I ever concede that.”
He’d bowed his head, but I still caught a glimpse of a smile. Good.
“Who’s to say you didn’t save me and Rowan? What if you hadn’t drawn off their fire and scared them away? Rowan couldn’t catch every bullet.”
He didn’t respond.
“James?”
“It was so easy,” he whispered. “And it…”
“Don’t do this to yourself. Please? You’re a good person. If you weren’t, this wouldn’t bother you.”
He didn’t say anything.
“I’m right, you know. I’m always right.”
He snorted. “Except when you’re wrong.”
I mussed his hair. “Watch it, Fido.” He didn’t deserve this. “Why couldn’t one of your worthless brothers end up with this curse?”
He looked up. “Maybe because they wouldn’t view it as a curse.”
“Yeah, punish you for being the conscientious one.”
“Nice guys finish last.”
“You could apprentice yourself to Rowan. He does jerk with such class.”
James smiled and without warning, rose up on his knees and wrapped me in a hug. “Thanks,” he whispered close to my ear. “You ground me.”
Before I could return the hug, he released me and got to his feet. “I’ll go help Rowan with the tire.” He started to turn away, then stopped. “It’d be best if we don’t tell him what I am.”
“Why?”
“I’m Old Magic.”
“So?”
James glanced toward the road before looking back at me. “Nineteen years ago, a grim killed the European Elements.”
I rose to my feet. “Seriously?” The Elements were the top of the magical food chain and nineteen years ago magic had just returned. “I didn’t realize that any of the Elemental families had organized then.”
“They organized, but remained hidden until the…problem was destroyed.”
“The grim.” I studied him. “But how do you know all this?”
“Family history.”
“Okay.” I could
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