Chapter 6 Present
SIX
PRESENT
ARNICK
"I don't need more chocolate, Arnick," Theo insisted, and I sighed as I put the packet back.
"Okay, okay. What about the white one?" I asked, picking up a large bar of white chocolate.
"Nope. Have that too," he assured me, and I nodded, putting it back.
We were on our weekly shopping trip. Mostly, it was Theo buying stuff for the coffee shop while I peppered him with questions about what he needed.
He'd baked a bunch of tiny cakes last night, and he wanted to do more today so he could give them to Jade to share with the coffee shop patrons tomorrow for his birthday.
I didn't understand why he was giving people treats on his birthday, but it seemed to make him happy.
My plans for tomorrow were all set. I was going to tell him, and all of this secrecy would be over once and for all.
I realized I'd fallen behind, and hurried to catch up with Theo as he ducked into the next aisle.
Just as I reached him, something brushed against my awareness, pulling me to a stop. I reached for it with my mind, sucking in a breath as I realized I could sense darkness nearby. I couldn't tell if it was a dark soul or Mammon, but either of them were bad news.
I pushed my awareness further, trying to pinpoint where they were, but I couldn't sense anything. Whoever it'd been was long gone, but not for long. They were headed toward Pythor, and if he got there in time, he might be able to find them.
Blinking, I pulled my awareness back, finding Theo staring at me with a freaked-out look on his face.
"A-Arnick?" he asked, a catch in his voice. Fuck. Had I done something demonly without realizing? Had he seen something?
Damn, I needed to warn Pythor.
"I'll be back," I said as I pulled away from the cart, and his brows furrowed.
"What? Where are you going? What just happened?"
Shit. This wasn't how I'd wanted to do it.
"Theo, I'll tell you everything, okay? But later. I need to—I need to go right now."
Without waiting for an answer, I hurried off, calling Pythor as I made my way through the aisles.
"Hey, Arnick. What's up?" Pythor asked as soon as he answered the phone, no doubt knowing I wouldn't call unless it was something important.
"Did you sense any dark souls today?" I asked as I stepped through the automatic doors, walking over to the awning and leaning against a pillar as I spoke.
"No, I didn't. Did something happen?"
"Not exactly. We were out shopping, and I could swear I sensed something, but it was only for a few minutes. I tried tracking it, but they weren't in town. Whoever it was, they were in your direction, and I thought maybe they were closer to you, and you might've sensed something."
"Can't say I did, but I wasn't really looking," Pythor murmured. He must've been distracted with his mate, and I couldn't blame him. Theo had been taking up most of the space in my mind too.
"Think you could look around and find out? I would, but I'm kinda busy," I said, thinking about Theo waiting for me. And an explanation.
"I don't think I can today," he said, and I frowned. Before I could push, I caught a soft, gentle voice through the phone.
"You should go," he insisted, and I smiled.
"Is that your mate? The neighbor?" I asked, instantly curious, and he sighed.
"Yes, he is. No, you can't talk to him. I'll—I'll look around, and I'll text you if there's anything."
"Need backup? I can call someone."
"Nope, I'm good. I have Hella."
"Cool. Text me if you find something."
"I will," he said, then ended the call.
Putting my phone back in my pocket, I took a deep breath, then exhaled.
For a moment, I just stood there, soaking in the warm sunlight as I tried to reorient myself.
All the plans I'd made for tomorrow were for nothing, it seemed.
Theo had clearly noticed something inhuman about me when I wasn't paying attention, and he needed answers.
I had to tell him everything, and I had to do it now. I just hoped he'd understand.
Taking one last fortifying breath, I went back inside, finding him at the checkout counter. He gave me a questioning look as soon as our eyes met, but I shook my head as I joined him.
"We'll talk once we're home," I said in a low voice, and he stared at me for a moment, then nodded. I couldn't quite tell what he was thinking, and I hoped I'd get a chance to explain everything properly.
The drive home was filled with a stilted silence. Theo clearly wanted me to talk, while I tried to figure out how to tell him everything now that my grand plan was in tatters.
When we reached his place, I helped him put away his purchases, all the while sensing his eyes on me. I needed to start talking before Theo lost patience.
My phone buzzed just as I was about to suggest going to the living room and taking a seat, and I had to check it in case Pythor had found something.
It turned out I had been right, but Xin's update was surprising, to say the least. Mammon had killed dark witches? Why? What was he up to?
Maximus and the others were still at the scene, and Xin had texted the address in the group in case any of us wanted to check the place out, see if we could spot something they hadn't.
I glanced at Theo, who was leaning up on his tiptoes to stuff something into an upper cabinet, and realized I needed to go.
I needed a moment to sort my thoughts, and I had to get a look at these witches and figure out if the darkness I'd sensed had been a result of their death.
Maybe I'd sensed their souls passing through on their way to a checkpoint?
"Theo," I started, hoping he wouldn't hate me for delaying our conversation. "Something came up, and I need to go. But I promise I'll explain everything as soon as I get back."
Theo stared at me, his face unreadable, then nodded. "Okay. Just... don't take too long," he said.
Taking his hand in mine, I pressed a kiss on his knuckles before pulling away.
As I turned around and headed for the door, Theo called out. "And be careful!"
I smiled as my heart paused in its relentless squeezing, and exhaled. "I will!"
THEO
I paced across the living room, chewing on my thumbnail as I waited for Arnick to return. It'd been hours since he'd left. Where was he? Was he okay?
Back at the shopping center, I hadn't even realized he'd stopped following me until I'd turned around and found him standing there, frozen in place with his eyes glowing.
At first, I'd assumed it was a trick of the light, that the overhead fluorescents were reflecting off his eyes, but no.
His eyes had been glowing, like there were tiny little LEDs inside his irises.
Suddenly, all the weird little things he did—that I'd brushed off as quirks—had come rushing back to me, and for the first time, I'd entertained the idea that Arnick might not be completely human.
The thought still made me scoff. It couldn't be possible, could it? Vampires and werewolves and all those supernatural beings existed only in books, not in the real world.
But Arnick's eyes had really glowed.
I so wanted to pick up my phone and call Jade, to tell her everything and ask what she thought. But I had a feeling she'd either think I was going crazy, or that I'd dreamed up the whole thing.
"Where are you, Arnick?" I demanded out loud, as if he'd hear me from wherever he was. Who knew? Maybe that was one of his powers. There had been more than one occasion where he'd heard me even though we'd been in different rooms and I'd wondered how.
Fuck, I needed him to get back before I convinced myself he was an alien from another planet.
I threw myself onto the couch, covered my face with my palms, and groaned. Tomorrow was my birthday. We had plans. And yet right now I wasn't sure if our relationship would survive the night.
I'd been right when I'd thought Arnick was hiding something from me, but I'd been wrong to think it was an affair, or that he wanted to break up with me.
No, whatever secret he had, it was much bigger than that. It had the potential to change my life, though only time would tell if it'll be a good change or a bad change.
A peek at the clock told me it was fifteen minutes to midnight. Fifteen minutes until it would officially be my birthday. Would I be starting it alone?
I sat up, unable to stay still as the nervous energy flowed through my veins. I needed to bake. Yeah, that would calm me down.
I went into the kitchen, set the oven to preheat, and started working. I'd make a cake for myself, for tomorrow. Chocolate, because it was Arnick's favorite, with strawberry frosting for myself. Maybe I should've let Arnick buy that extra bag of chocolate cubes...
As I mixed the batter, I focused only on the movement of my hand, on every turn of my wrist as I used the manual whisk to give the batter a smooth, even consistency.
Baking had always calmed me down, but after my parents' death, it had become my solace, my safe space. When I baked, I could shut my brain up and just focus on my body, on being present in the moment.
I poured the batter into the cake tray, smiling at the lump-free batter as it filled the tray in perfect proportion. Topping it with chocolate flakes that would melt into it once it started baking, I slid the tray into the oven and set the timer.
The oven beeped as the clock read 12:00 a.m., and all at once I was thinking about Arnick again.
He still hadn't come back. Was he okay? What if something bad had happened? Would I even know?
I went back to the living room as the house slowly warmed with the scent of baking bread and chocolate. I'd always loved that scent, loved how cozy it made my house feel. I breathed in the aroma, filling my lungs with it with the hope it would calm me down.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a miracle worker.
"Hey."
I jumped, whirling around to face Arnick, who'd appeared out of nowhere. I hadn't heard the door open, had I? Maybe I'd been so lost in thought I'd missed it. Or maybe... maybe this was part of Arnick's secret.
"Sorry," he murmured, then turned toward the kitchen, his eyes lighting up—like normal, not in the glow-in-the-dark way. "Are you baking?"
I stared at him. That was what he wanted to talk about? The cake?
Arnick turned to face me, and his eyes widened at whatever look I sported. He raised his hands, palms facing me. "Sorry, sorry. I promised I'd tell you everything, and I will. But first, just in case I don't get to do this later," he said as he stepped forward and pressed his lips to mine.
I kissed him back because I was just as worried I wouldn't be able to handle what he was about to tell me. I hoped I would, because I... I really liked Arnick. Maybe I even loved him, though I'd never let myself admit that. I didn't want to lose him.
As Arnick pulled away, he stayed close, his blue eyes peering into mine as he smiled gently. "Happy birthday, Theo."
Right, it was past midnight.