“Your…magic?”
“I have it back, a part of being one of the Four Guardians. The big turtle inside me has this unending well of arcana.” We share a smile, and I continue, “It’s probably what made me the ideal target for Sally.”
Loxley sits up in alarm. “Sally…she…?”
“She’s gone. After passing the curse along to you, she vanished, poofed into the shadows.”
“We’ve been looking for her, but to no avail. It’s possible she doesn’t want to be involved with magic altogether,” Luther says. He gives us a wave and continues, “Hi again, Loxley. Good to see you awake.”
He smiles at Luther, then turns back to me. “How long have I…?”
I nod and reply, “It’s only been about a day. We’re in the Union infirmary. They’re taking good care of you.”
Loxley ponders something, then looks at Luther. “The curse?”
Luther cringes and shares a look with the other agents, who walk out the door. Turning back to us, he says, “According to our research, the curse makes a single mage hungry to consume magic, like a parasite. It must have been crafted by multiple powerful dark witches or wizards, because none of our counterspells have worked.” Luther shoves his hands into his trenchcoat pockets and looks away. “The good news is Declan is slowly regaining consciousness and magic. But unfortunately, we, um…haven’t found a way to cure you of it.”
Loxley touches his face. “I’m…going to keep hurting people?”
Luther has no words, which answers his question. “Lock me up,” Loxley says in his quiet tone.
“No!” I shout.
“But, Gordy?”
“But nothing.” Leaning closer, I hold him to my chest. “No one’s locking you up. You’re not a prisoner, you’re a victim of this awful curse, and I won’t let it ruin your life.” Holding his head, I gaze into his precious eyes. “You saved me. Let me save you.”
Loxley half-smiles, his eyes glimmering with emotion. “But how?”
“We have a strategy,” Luther says. “Since Gordy is the Ruby Turtle, he can be a regular source of arcana for you. That should tamp down the hunger inside. Ultimately, it’s your choice, Gordy.”
“Not a choice,” I say in a serious tone, then turn back to Loxley. “I’m going to feed you and let you live a normal life, I swear on my parents’ graves.”
Before he can reply, Luther clears his throat and walks away. “We recommend you, uh, feed soon. I’m going to, um…” He doesn’t finish his sentence before he leaves the room, giving us privacy.
Turning back to my boyfriend, he gazes at me with a mixture of emotions. Fear, sadness, and panic all mix in his precious eyes. I brush his hair and say, “It’s okay, Loxley. You’re okay.”
“But…but I don’t…want to hurt you.”
“Baby, no.” I rub his cheek and kiss his forehead. When I pull back, he takes my chin and pulls me into a real kiss. His lips taste so right on mine. How did I live all these years without knowing Loxley Boysen?
Our heated kisses are interrupted by him hissing and pulling back. “G…Gordy,” he says through a grunt.
“It’s okay,” I murmur. Putting my wrist near his face, I give him a solemn nod. “Don’t hold back. Take as much as you need.”
“But…but I don’t want to…ooh,” his words slur into a bellow, and he clenches forward. It’s as if he’s a starving man, and ina lot of ways, he is. This curse is awful, it’s torture, but I’m the solution. I will be everything for Loxley.
“Watching you be in pain hurts more.” My eyes well up with tears of sympathy, and I move closer, sitting on the bed. “We can go over logistics later, just…” He gazes at me in shock and anguish. “Take my magic. I’ll generate more, I promise you my love, just…please don’t let this curse hurt you.”
This flips a switch in Loxley. He opens his mouth wide, and two of his teeth descend into fangs. Trying not to flinch, I watch as my boyfriend pierces my wrist with his mouth.
I anxiously pace back and forth in the foyer of Boysen House, waiting for my love to return. Toying with my tail, I ignore the concerned looks Anika and Lisbeth give me. It’s been eight days since the Union let Loxley come home, provided I go with him. I’ve allowed him to feed off me regularly, and I don’t even mind the piercing pain of his teeth digging into my wrist. As such, I’ve basically been living here. I refuse to be too far from Loxley in case the hunger strikes him. He claims that when he feeds from me, he’s good for twenty-four hours, but I don’t want to chance it.
It’s not the ideal context for me sleeping in his bed every night, but I can’t say I don’t enjoy that part of this whole ordeal.
But it’s his first day back at work, and I’m a nervous wreck. When his car pulls in, I anxiously gaze through a foyer window. As he walks out of the car, I take in his image in the summer sunlight. Dressed in his dark blue button-down shirt and tight khakis, Loxley looks divine, like a business casual wet dream.
Now’s not the time to be horny! Sure, we haven’t done anything sexual the entire time he’s been home. My priority is for him to be healthy, so when he walks through the door, I rush up to him.
