Brothers of Brimstone Book 1: Slater

MALLORY

I accepted his offer to walk me home but was determined to remain tight-lipped during the journey.

At first, Randall didn’t seem to notice as he rambled about his day and some gossip he had overheard in the teachers’ lounge.

I focused on his strong jawline that moved as he spoke and the cute way his nose scrunched when he mentioned things he found unappealing.

He had been so immersed in what he was saying that it took several minutes for him to acknowledge my failure to engage.

“It couldn’t have been that bad, Mallory,” he said teasingly, giving me a playful poke on my sleeve.

I bit my bottom lip, determined to resist his charms, but I lost my resolve as I gazed into his dancing hazel eyes.

“The job itself is fine,” I sighed. “Regretfully, I can’t say the same for the children.”

“Did they give you a hard time?” he inquired. “If so, I can visit your class and talk with them about their behavior.”

“They weren’t unruly,” I said.

Although Roger sprang to mind, I didn’t mention him.

The last thing I wanted was to allow Roger, who was nothing but a mere nuisance, to dominate our conversation. Besides, it wasn’t Roger that had gotten under my skin; it was the apathy that the children had displayed.

“You claimed that those kids were devastated by their teacher’s death, but none of them seemed that bothered by the loss. In fact, some of the children were even mocking her.”

“Mocking her?” Randall repeated, raising his brow in surprise.

I nodded. “They said she often fell asleep in class.”

“Silvia was struggling with insomnia. Though her cause of death was not revealed, it is suspected that she died of exhaustion. The human body is pretty fragile.”

Everything Randall said confirmed the rumors around Ms. Peters’s death. But if everyone around her had been aware of her insomnia, why hadn’t they done anything? Randall was not known for his magical skills, but he could have undoubtedly concocted a remedy.

“Didn’t she seek help? Why didn’t you try to help her?”

“I did try to help her,” Randall proclaimed. “I even took it upon myself to bring her coffee spiked with everything from chamomile to belladonna, but nothing seemed to have an effect.”

“That poor woman,” I sighed. “Not only was she deprived of sleep, but she had to get up every morning and face those horrible children.”

“The kids aren’t so bad,” Randall said. “They are just human, and humans process things a little differently.”

He made this claim as we were strolling past the elementary school, which was completely enclosed by a metal cage-like construction. Surely that was there for a reason.

“Then why is a cage required to protect the public, if human children are so harmless?” I asked, alluding to the enclosure we were passing.

Randall threw back his head and laughed. “That is not a cage,” he informed me. “That is a fence, and it’s for their protection. Human children have a habit of wandering off, so the fences are erected to prevent them from doing so.”

“Oh,” I said, blinking at the fence, not certain that I believed him.

“It was your first day,” Randall reasoned as we approached my street. “Tomorrow will be better.”

“Argh!” I cried, slapping my forehead. “I forgot I had to return.”

Randall chuckled. “They are not that bad. They just take some getting used to,” he assured me as he started up my walkway.

We paused awkwardly on my stoop.

“Thank you for walking me home,” I offered.

To my surprise, Randall flushed. “I’ve actually been imagining this moment since we reconnected online.”

My heart fluttered. “Really?” I prodded him, hoping he would divulge more.

“Yes, really.”

He reached over, swept a stray strand of hair from my forehead, and tucked it behind my ear. It was such a small gesture, but one that sent my heart racing.

This was not the setting I had imagined for our first kiss, but after the rotten day I’d had, it was better than nothing.

His lips slightly parted, and he cocked his head to the side. Then, he paused and met my gaze, as if he were waiting for consent.

I nodded and tilted my chin so his mouth could meet mine.

I had always expected kissing Randall Page would feel like an explosion of fireworks. There was no eruption of anything, but it was pleasant enough. His soft kiss caused a stirring sensation in my stomach that left me lightheaded.

His tongue teased the tip of mine, sensually lingering around my lips. Though I liked a good tease, I leaned in to deepen the kiss, but then Randall pulled away.

Slightly disappointed, I tucked in my bottom lip as if to savor the taste of his mouth on mine.

Randall smiled down at me, and for a moment, I thought he was going to suggest we move inside where we could take things further.

But as he opened his mouth, his expression shifted, as if he suddenly remembered something. “Oh! I brought you a gift to welcome you to Wakefield,” he cried, turning so he could fish something out of his satchel.

It was not a dinner invitation, but I couldn’t help but feel flattered that he had brought me a present.

“Just a little token,” he said, presenting me with a plastic box that held what appeared to be a corsage.

“What is it?” I inquired, confused by the strange gift.

“It’s a magenta magnolia from my grandfather’s garden; it’s a species he bred himself,” he explained, opening the box. “The fragrance is incredible. Have a whiff.”

I bowed my head and inhaled but was not rewarded with the fantastic scent that Randall had promised.

Instead, my nose began to tickle, and my eyes became irritated.

Not wanting to offend Randall, I choked out, “You are right; it smells fantastic.”

I attempted to smile at him, but my eyes betrayed me as they began to water.

“Oh Luna! You’re having an allergic reaction,” Randall exclaimed. He hurried to snap the box closed and tucked it away in his pouch.

“It’s fine,” I proclaimed with a wave, but I wasn’t okay.

I was dizzy, and the slight movement of my hand caused me to weave.

“Do you need help?” Randall asked, his concerned expression blurring as my lids began to swell shut.

Mortified, I reached for the doorknob. “I’m all right, really. This happens to me all the time in springtime. It’s nothing that a little stinging nettle won’t cure,” I insisted.

My tongue had begun to swell, but I managed to mumble a quick “Goodbye” before I slammed the door in Randall’s face.

I touched my face, shocked by my body’s reaction.

Most of my remedies were in the kitchen, but I kept my allergy medication in my upstairs medicine cabinet. I rocked on my heels as I began to ascend the stairs.

I clung to the railing for support and hoisted myself to the second floor of my tiny house. My eyes were glued shut as I reached the second landing; using the wall as guidance, I managed to locate my bathroom.

The stinging nettle took effect almost immediately, but the entire ordeal left me physically and emotionally drained.

I decided to lie down as the medication worked its magic, hoping the nauseatingly dizzy feeling would subside.

As my eyes grew increasingly heavy and my head began to nod, I instinctively fought the urge to succumb as my subconscious screamed, “Don’t fall asleep!”