Magic in the Bindings

:// 6 //:

Theo could still hear echoes of the party when he descended the stairs into the wine cellar. The air around him was cold, with barely any light, but he could still see a few corks scurrying about. He used a minor electricity spell to zap them out one by one. He found the task to be kinda fun, and a good distraction for the time being.

Bright green flashes exploded behind Mikel's closed eyelids. He groaned a bit as he stirred. “God, what time is it...?”

Theo froze. He heard a sound as he zapped the last cork creature. He didn’t sense anymore magic in the room, but still he could hear something stirring in the corner. He moved slowly, taking care not to make any noise. Towards the back of the room he spotted something, a pair of long legs stretched out beside a wine cask.

He tried to use his senses, but there was nothing. So, either it was a servant, or the Human Melinda had marked. Theo bet on the second option as he inched closer. It’d be too coincidental to be anything else.

Mikel opened his eyes, but immediately frowned. He could barely see anything around him except a distorted trail of light from the servant entrance. Why hasn't Melinda come and got him yet?

For a moment, he debated trying to leave by himself. Then something moved out of the corner of his eye. Mikel blinked, defensively preparing to run for it. When his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, he found someone leaning over him.

Copper hair, sharp chin, and a stare that could leave anyone breathless. Mikel couldn’t begin to describe the strength of the urge he had to hide from those judging green eyes.

Theodore Corvinus was standing over him, glaring.

Mikel gulped. “I'm screwed.”

Fasted paced steps echoed down the rickety old stairs. Theo glanced at the Human below him as something in his mind shifted. He kicked Mikel's outstretched legs, which immediately retracted back into hiding. Mikel didn't understand why he had kicked him, until he heard a voice.

"S-Sir!"

Mikel held his breath, mainly because it was the only thing he had left to do. Theodore, on the other hand, handled everything perfectly; or at least that's Mikel’s opinion. "What do you want?"

"I-I came to get..." She was obviously talking about the wine bottles. Theo selected a random one and tossed it at her. She caught it, but only just. It was the servant girl from earlier, but that only barely clicked in Theo's head. He had to get her out of here before she noticed the imbecile hiding in the corner.

"Now go." Theo tried to keep his voice steady, so he wouldn't seem suspicious. This really was a strange day for him. Nevertheless, the girl hurried off with an even worse impression of the prince, but not before tripping up the steps once or twice.

When she was gone, Theo reached for the Human. He roughly dragged him to his feet by his shirt collar. "Where's the charm?" Theo demanded with that mask of calm. “Wait, why did I help him?” He thought, which was slightly aggravating. He wasn't in the mood for any of this bullshit.

"What?" Mikel asked innocently, but obviously confused.

"The charm." Theo repeated as he crossed his arms. Something about this Human was off. It wasn't just the fact that Theo couldn't sense him, but there was something else between them that was making him nervous. It was like the air had gotten thicker with something beside the musk of the cellar. "Melinda gave you a charm-now where is it?!" He demanded.

"I-I don't..." Mikel started as he pushed his hands into his pockets. The right one held his payment, but there was something in the left that he didn't recognize. He pulled it out cautiously.

It was a crummy thing of string and sticks, but in the center was a crude drawing of the family crest. Melinda could have easily done this in no time. Mikel stared at the charm with confusion on his face. "She must have slipped it on me when..." Mikel thought about when she came on to him outside. That was the only time she as close enough.

"Tch." Something about his demeanor told Theo he wasn't lying, which he didn't like, and he also didn't like to picture his sister grinding up on yet another man.

Theodore snatched the charm out of Mikel's hands, but immediately regretted the decision.

The void hit his senses like a truck. That empty, soulless feeling of a Human. Magicals distrusted Humans because of this. This ugly, soulless evil that haunted every Human that walked the Earth.

Magicals could sense the beautiful essence of their own kind, and the Goddess’ entrancing presence in nature, but there was nothing but negativity from Humans. Humanity was the ultimate plague to Magical kind, and if you look at the Human's history of burning Witches, you'd think that they were too.

Lucky for Mikel, the Corvinus family was one of the few that wished to live peacefully with Humans despite their horrible aura.

Theo blinked a few times. The void hit him too fast, too sudden. He felt a little sick, and even swayed a bit. Why was this Human's void so shocking to him...? “A-And it’s so strong…”

Mikel noticed his discomfort and reached out. "Hey, are you alright?" He asked as he barely touched the Warlock’s shoulder. Theo's head was fuzzy, so fuzzy that he stumbled when Mikel touched him. He fell forward a bit but managed to catch himself on something.

Both of the boys gaped.

A shot of lightening sparked as soon as their bodies touched. Theo had fell into Mikel and caught himself on his bare arms. Theo gripped Mikel's wrist fiercely. The skin on skin contact burned between them as Mikel leaned on the wine cast. Theo slipped with him, unable to stand properly as they slouched together. Neither of them could move as the magic worked its ways.

It was powerful, but the energy spread like warm water throughout their beings. It started in their fingers and spread upwards like a wave. The room seemed brighter, the air smelled sweeter, and their heads clouded with the ecstasy of it all.

Neither man formed complete thoughts, but they could still think. Mikel was surprised and confused. He's never experienced something like this before. But the feeling was so blissful… “God, whatever this is, I hope it never ends.”

Theo on the other hand was so dizzy he could barely keep his eyes open. When he did think, his thoughts were panicked. “No, stop. What's going on?” These words piled themselves inside his head until finally something resonated.

"It's supposed to be wonderful." Sylvie's voice whispered in Theo's head. It was so clear and solid that he couldn't help but listen. "Once the connection is made the two can't be separated."

“Oh my Goddess.” Theo's head reeled back in horror. “My Soulmate's a man...and a Human?”

“What's a Soulmate?”

Mikel didn't even know he was listening, let alone hearing Theodore's private speculation, but when Mikel's cool voice entered his violent mind he recoiled. An explosion of truth rang out in his head. “I can’t handle this-” Theodore shoved Mikel back.

They stared at each other, the room silent expect for their matching heavy breath. Theo couldn't help but study the person in front of him. Messy black hair from sleeping down here. A simple dark t-shirt and jeans that fit him nicely. But those eyes-sliver, intense, but clouded from the connection.

Theodore wanted to scream, and he almost did, when the cellar door opened. A servant was coming down to retrieve more wine. “No!” Theo's mind thought as his body moved and pulled Mikel up by his wrist. “We can't be seen.”

He was about to shove Mikel back into hiding when he asked again, but this time out loud. "What's a Soulmate?"

Theo froze. More of Sylvie's warnings were bouncing in his head. "Death by suffocation...like the blood was deprived of oxygen..." Theo honestly never wanted to see Mikel ever again, but if he shooed him off, what would happen to them?

It'd be suicide.

"Dammit!" Theo cursed aloud as he shoved Mikel to the other side of the room. "I didn't even feel the stupid attraction!" Or did he? There was that dizzy confusion when he took the charm off him. Maybe that was something more...?

"What're you talking about?" Mikel asked as he was shoved into a wall.

"Nothing." Theo sneered as he adjusted his ring. It was a family ring with the Corvinus crest on it. The ring itself was hundreds of years old, and only the head Warlock can wear it. Theo found a matching symbol on one of the bricks along the wall, and pressing the ring to it, the metal began to glow. It heated on Theo's finger, before the secret passage slid open with clouds of dust.

Mikel gawked in amazement as Theo shoved him inside.

The passage closed behind him just as Theo realized who was coming down the steps. It was his sisters, but why? His fists clenched, and that's when he noticed he was still holding the charm. He could smack himself upside the head. How could he be so stupid? Almost anyone in the party could have sensed Mikel down here.

He was about to forcefully shove the charm back in Mikel's pocket when he noticed something odd. In the center of Mikel's chest, which is where the souls of people showed, there was a spark in the darkness. A small spark of cool icy silver that sent shivers down Theo's spine.

Ignoring it for now, Theo forced the charm back onto Mikel and everything disappeared. The black void of a Human, and the small spark of something…else.

Sylvie glanced around the cellar. She could've sworn she sensed an unmarked Human down here. Melinda had followed her downstairs. She was worried that Theo had discovered Mikel's hiding spot, which would've been bad for her case. After all, they still couldn't prove that she had anything to do with tonight's cork creatures, so she'd probably be off the hook. But not if they caught Mikel as her associate.

Melinda glanced Mikel's hiding spot and sighed with relief. “Hopefully,” She thought. “They were smart enough to hightail it out of here.”

"Come on, I told you no one was down here." Melinda pulled Sylvie back upstairs, but Sylvie said nothing. She simply stared at the secret passage that was slowly losing it's blue tint.

Someone had definitely been down here.