“You’d know you couldn’t be so obvious about it. You’ve been studying us for who knows how long?” he growls.

“Five-and-a-half years I’ve been studying you. It’s not like the four of you told me before today that you couldn’t get it up without each other in the room. As you stated, there are some things you don’t feel the need to discuss after so much time together. I only heard what you shared with each other. It was usually dark jokes, women, and some killing I witnessed. That’s about it.”

He starts to speak, but I hold my hand up.

“You know what? Forget it. You can’t touch me. None of you can. Whatever happened this morning was probably another form of torture to show me what I’ve been missing, because it’s become clear to me that whatever I am is a punishment of some sort. Why else would I be stuck with the four of you?”

I turn to walk up the stairs, but Gage is suddenly in front of me.

“Leave Ezekiel alone. The last thing he needs is you tearing him away from us when our lives are at stake. You want to prove you care? Fucking care by staying away from him.”

I pass through him without another word. Just to be spiteful, I almost walk through Ezekiel’s door, but I stop myself.

For five years, I’ve stalked their lives. Today is the first time I’ve ever seen them fight.

A sick feeling forms in the pit of my stomach, and I bite back an angry curse as I spin and stalk away, moving toward the west wing and my self-proclaimed bedroom.

Right now, I really wish I could touch things, just so I could slam a freaking door.

I could hang out in my room, but instead, I zap myself back, swaying a little but not as bad as usual. Like the stalker I used to be, I hide out in the room beside them as they argue.

They all, of course, went to Ezekiel’s room.

“I get it. I get the temptation that would present. But remember what makes us the way we are,” Kai is saying.

“You don’t have a clue what it felt like, and I don’t know how to explain it without sounding completely fucking insane,” Ezekiel grumbles.

“You turned on us. Do you see the problem here?” Gage asks.

A harsh breath follows that. “Fuck!” Ezekiel shouts before something crashes to the ground.

“I don’t know if she’s here to sabotage us or just here with some really bad fucking timing, but I do know we can’t risk her severing our bond,” Jude tells them.

“So we keep our hands off her. We let her hang around, since she has saved us a time or two. Until we really know what the hell is going on and why she’s attached to us, we have to be more cautious,” Kai says on a long sigh. “Trust me, I get wanting to trust her. When she took away the pain left behind from the hellfire, all I wanted to do was fuck her, kiss her, touch her. Never wanted anything so bad in all my life.”

“But usually the things we want despite the consequences is a trick straight from hell,” Jude goes on.

Great.

Absolutely terrific.

One step forward, eighty steps back. It’s the status quo for my relationship with them.

This time, when I return to my room, I don’t wish to be able to slam the door. Because I’m starting to think they may be right.

They fought. Because of me.

Maybe I’m not the blessing to them I thought I was. Maybe I’m their curse.

Perspective is a real bitch.

Chapter 12

After a week of avoiding them, even though they’ve remained at the house, I’ve gotten used to not having my eyes on them. It was a rough withdrawal, but I still managed.

The media room TV was accidentally left on when they watched a movie a few nights ago. As soon as they left, I quickly occupied a seat and watched the next movie on.

I’ve never gotten to watch a whole movie without them in here, because they always remember to turn it off, usually. I’m liking my newfound freedom a little.

But for two days, I’ve been counting down the minutes for the movie that is on right now.

I’m even dressed for the occasion, sitting in the front row, wishing I could eat popcorn. That’s the first thing I’m eating when I’m whole.

Just sayin’.

I’ve been on the edge of my seat the entire movie, glued to the screen like my life depends on it.

Just as the sad, lonely little fella gets screwed over by the ones he thought were his friends, and they get turned into literal jackasses, the door to the media room is thrown open, and the sound of laughter fills the room.

Speaking of jackasses…

I look behind me as all four of them come to an abrupt stop, all eyes on me like they knew I was in here. Ezekiel’s eyes have lost their golden hue over the week, and he looks away from me like he’s making sure not to fall into my sticky trap of doom and manipulation or whatever.

My feminine wiles have these guys on cock-block overdrive.

Considering I was here first and have been dying to watch this movie since I saw it advertised, I turn back around and concentrate on what’s going on.

“What the actual hell are you watching?” Jude finally asks me.

Damn bipolar, annoying, self-centered, arrogant, distrusting pricks.

All of them.

Now they’re just being rude for talking during the movie.

Ignoring them, I try to focus on the movie and nothing else. I’ve waited too long to—

“And what the fuck are you wearing?” Kai asks as he walks to be in front of the huge screen, his head cutting off my view.

I try to peer around him, but he deliberately steps into my view again.

Blowing out a frustrated breath because I’m near the big climax, I glare at him. “What exactly do you want? And can you hurry up and say it so I can get back to my movie before it ends?”

The screen pauses, and I look back as Jude’s lips twitch, the remote in his hand.

“Seriously...what are you wearing?” Kai asks again, his eyebrows up as he stares at my dressy, blue bow tied at the top of my yellow shirt that is buttoned all the way up.

Jude steps forward, his eyes scanning over my red shorts and red suspenders. Don’t forget the wooden Dutch shoes.

When Gage joins the gawking fest, he focuses primarily on my yellow hat and bright red feather that is proudly sticking out.

“This is a movie that is resonating very deeply with me, and it needed the proper outfit to enjoy it with,” I dutifully explain, hoping they just leave me in peace.

“Pinocchio is a movie that resonates very deeply with you?” Ezekiel asks from far behind me, probably cautioned not to get too close so I can’t whammy him with my evil vagina powers.

Evil. Isn’t that ironic, considering they’re literally trying to save the devil. Take away the D in devil and what are you left with?

“Does your nose grow when you tell a lie? Because that would be helpful to us,” Gage states dryly.

“He wants to be a real boy. I want to be a real girl,” I point out, even though it really should be obvious.

They exchange a look that makes me feel like they might believe I’m crazy. Of course I’m crazy. Five and a half years of not being seen or heard, then getting treated like a disease when I can be seen and heard…anyone would be crazy.

“Is the outfit supposed to make all your dreams come true?” Kai asks incredulously.

“I have no idea,” I say on a long sigh. “I’ve never seen the movie. I’ve yet to discover what, if anything, turns Pinocchio into a real boy.”

“Spoiler alert, it’s the blue fairy,” Jude states with a smirk.

I cut my eyes on him, imagining the ways I’d like to kick his ass right now.

“Any chance you can help me find the blue fairy equivalent now that you’ve ruined my movie?” I ask him through gritted teeth.

“There’s no such thing,” he answers with a shrug, seeming to enjoy the fact he’s pissed me off.

Their phones all start going off, which means a job.

Pulling my knees up to my chest, I silently fume.

“I’m not taking her anywhere in that outfit,” Jude says as he disappears from sight.

Kai rolls his eyes and steps in front of me. I just glare up at him as I reach out my hand, feeling the tips of my fingers swipe through his shirt just before he siphons.

We land in the middle of the graveyard, and the others start trying to catch the black shadows of souls that are racing away. Me? I decide to be a pain in the ass tonight, since they’re assholes who ruined my movie for no reason.

Jude is my first target.

One of the souls dives for him, trying to invade his body, and I turn around in a Little Bo Peep outfit, sheep hook in hand and obnoxiously large bonnet on my head.

He stumbles, his eyes widening as his mouth twists in a cringe. The soul runs through him, and he curses as he doubles over. The soul is forced back out, and he swipes his bo staff, absorbing the soul until the metal lights up.

My next outfit is a cheerleader outfit, with my hair in pigtails. Midriff showing and short skirt barely covering my bare ass, I lift my pompoms in the air and start exaggerating a cheer.

“J! U! D! E! What’s that spell?! Major dick, yes, sir-ree!” My cheer involves a one-finger salute.

Kai snorts, then curses me as he struggles to recover from his accidental burst of laughter.

I chase them through the streets, as they diligently avoid the humans, trying to capture the souls without being caught on film.