“I’ve avoided the sea my entire life and most rivers and lakes by extension. I really did think for a while that Cliodhna had given up or gotten bored. But over the past year, I’ve been attacked by water sprites springing up from puddles on the street. A kelpie appeared in my bath water last week.” Theo admitted. Some of the tightness in his chest evaporated as he was finally able to tell someone about what had been happening to him.
“I can’t live my life like this,” Theo pleaded, “and someone is going to get hurt. An innocent bystander or a civilian. It seems Cliodhna has reignited her search since the magic returned, and now she’s recruiting others to help.”
Calum let out a low whistle. “No one holds a grudge like a banshee.”
“Apparently.” Theo chuckled darkly. He looked up at his brother, cracking his knuckles as he fidgeted. “I know I have no right to ask this?—”
“You haveeveryright.” Calum interrupted Theo, standing up and pulling Theo to his feet to hug him tightly. “You’re my brother, Theo. So go ahead. Ask me.” Calum smiled through his tears.
Theo looked at his brother and took a deep breath. “Calum, will you help me break a curse?”
Calum laughed loudly, clapping Theo on the back. “You’ve come to the right place,bràthair.We’ve become somewhat of experts in the subject. Welcome to the Office of Highland Magic.”
CHAPTER TWO
The next week was one of the strangest and most incredible of Theo’s life.
Calum accepted him with wide open arms and no hesitation, something Theo had been too afraid to hope for. Calum moved Theo into his townhouse, and they spent the next week sequestered from the prying eyes of the university. Calum’s friends and colleagues dropped in to say hello or chat with Theo, but for the most part, the two brothers spent the next seven days making up for lost time.
Calum told Theo stories of their parents and their sister, keeping their memories alive and giving Theo snapshots of the people they’d become. Theo told Calum all about everything he’d been studying—he was a history major at university, much to Calum’s delight—and what life had been like for him growing up.
Calum managed to hire some loyal water sprites to help strengthen the wards around his house, so it was the safest place for Theo to be. He managed to start getting caught up on the sleep he’d been missing, as well as being granted the privilege of wallowing in a hot bath without wondering if a kelpie was going to pop up from the bubbles, Freddie Krueger style. It was stressful being cursed by the queen of the banshees,especially when that curse involved avoiding water at all costs… in Scotland.
Still, the reprieve had to come to an end. It would do Theo no good to stay trapped forever inside Calum’s townhouse. Fae didn’t do well in captivity. After a week, Theo was itching to hear Calum’s plan. Before Calum left for work, he told Theo they’d discuss it over dinner and left Theo to explore the library for the rest of the day. By the time he heard the front door open and realized Calum had returned, he was ready to jump out of his skin with anticipation.
Theo bolted down the stairs like a child on Christmas morning, ready to jump into action. He was more hopeful for an end to his curse than ever before, and he could barely contain himself.
“Theo!” Calum called out from the entryway, kicking off his shoes and turning around. “Oh, there you are.” He grinned, not realizing Theo was already coming to greet them.
“You’ve brought friends.” Theo smiled, giving a small wave to Pippa and Emmett.
“They’re here to help,” Calum held out his arm and directed everyone towards the dining room. “I’ve had the staff put out a light dinner, if we want to?—”
Pippa held up her hand, cutting Calum off with a smirk. “No point in waiting for dinner. It seems that everyone’s eager enough to get on with another curse-breaking adventure, hmm?” Pippa winked at Theo. He thought he might fall over in relief. He was still getting to know Calum and didn’t want to insult his hospitality, but he was chomping at the bit.
Calum chuckled, looking between Pippa and Theo. “All right. I see someone’s eager to get started. Let’s go to the study instead.” Pippa and Calum took the lead, chatting about something related to the university, while Emmett and Theo followed.
“How are you doin’?” Emmett clapped Theo on the back, nearly making Theo stumble.
“It’s a lot,” Theo admitted, looking up at the massive wulver. “But Calum has been amazing, you know? I really wasn’t sure how he’d take the news. Not every heir is excited to learn about the spare.” Theo grimaced at his awkward attempt at a joke. Emmett smiled warmly.
“Calum is. He’s been treating everyone around him like a younger brother his entire life. There isn’t a single person in our world who doesn’t have a story about a time Calum helped them.” Emmett paused, stopping outside the study. “I think he knew about you on some level. Not consciously, or he would’ve burned the world down trying to find you. But somewhere, in his soul, he knew he had a little brother out there, waiting. Next to Fern, I can already tell you’re the greatest thing to ever happen to him.”
Theo stared at Emmett, slack-jawed and misty-eyed. He wasn’t expecting that emotional declaration, and it nearly sent him to the floor.
“Well, come on then,” Emmett piped up, his tone changing, “Let’s go see about squashing that beastie of a banshee, shall we?” Emmett started whistling as he ducked underneath the door frame and stepped into the study, leaving Theo to collect his thoughts for a brief minute before following.
“What’s the plan, boss?” Pippa was leaning against the mantle, tossing a dagger absentmindedly in the air. Calum scratched at his beard, waiting for Emmett and Theo to take a seat before he began.
“I hope you don’t mind, Theo, but I’ve asked Emmett and Pippa specifically to help us with this. A smaller group is going to draw less attention, and a good portion of this plan relies on Cliodhna not being able to find you.”
“What he means to say,” Pippa laughed, “is that we’re your quest buddies, Theo, so buckle up, buttercup.”
“Pippa.” Emmett sighed, but there was no heat in it. His eyes lit up whenever he even so much as glanced at his mate. Calum cleared his throat and continued.
“The answer to every curse is in linguistics.” Calum braced his elbows on his knees. In the brief week that Theo had spent with his brother, he knew this meant Calum was about to go down a rabbit hole.
“Which leads us to one of our main problems: we don’t know exactly what the curse said.” Calum continued. “Without the exact language Cliodhna used to curse Theo, we can’t examine it for loopholes.”
