BLAKE

I opened my eyes, slightly confused, a nervous ache churning in the pit of my stomach. Looking around, I wasn't in my bedroom. No. I was in Henry's room, in Henry's bed. Something that felt like a fist pounded against my skull and I groaned, forced to close my eyes again. I curled into my bedsheets and my pillow. I never felt so tired. The exhaustion seeped into my bones and my eyes burned, making me eager to cry. I wanted to scream. I wanted to tear apart these sheets.

"Headache?" Someone asked.

I jumped, a gasp on my lips as I looked up to find Ignacio. Dressed in his fine leathers and silk flowing blouse, Ignacio sat in my bed, still in his boots and wearing all of his jewelry. He had the same tired look and dark bags under his eyes. Red skin and purple bags.

He said, "I brought you up some food. The staff are beginning to worry, Henry."

Right.

I hadn't left my room in a month. Not since Edward left on business again. This time, he made sure I wouldn't want to leave the house. Not unless I wanted everyone to see the bruises and the welts. Not unless I wanted to break my younger sibling's heart. Not unless I wanted to explain what happened to Nicolas...

Tears welled up in my eyes. I hadn't seen Nicolas in over a month. I clutched my sheets and closed my eyes, fighting back the memories. The pain had never left my skin. The devastation lingered in my chest and the moment of my greatest sorrow never ceased. I wondered if I was ever going to stop feeling like this.

"Edward sent a gift," Ignacio said and motioned to a box at the foot of the bed.

A horrible laugh flew out of my mouth. "He must feel a speck of guilt this time. That's the third one. Just put it away."

"You don't want to open it?"

"I don't need to open it. I know what it is..." I extended my foot and kicked the bottom of the box until it flipped off the bed and out of my sight. The anger in me rising to the top of my head and making my face burn. "It's some other horrible red costume. It's always red. Edward's signature color... and I hate it."

Edward's favorite color consumed me from the bed sheets, the curtains, the cushions and even the walls were the color red. Maybe that was why Edward liked to hit me. My skin reddened so easily, even with the briefest amount of pressure. Not that Edward did anything gently.

"My apologies," Ignacio said, his voice small.

It made me look at him. He had his hands in his lap, rubbing them nervously together. I had never seen him so unsure before. "It's not your doing... I'm happy you came to see me." That was the truth. "I didn't realize I was so starved for company."

"Well... I wanted to pay you back for your gift."

"Ignacio!" I smiled, and my cheeks ached from the lack of practice. "You're here to read to me?"

"No. Like I said, all my trades must be equal. No mortal has ever given me a gift before, so I wanted to give you something no mortal should have."

"That sounds exciting."

The sleeping butterflies in my chest awoken and fluttered all around, stretching their wings. I sat up, wincing at the pain still in my side. "Go on," I encouraged him.

"Remember what I told you? I'm a demon."

"I remember."

"But there's more in this world than demons and humans. There're all kinds of creatures that are real, including witches."

I nodded to show him I was following along, although I didn't quite understand where this was going. He continued, "Most people don't know this, but there's a little magic in everyone. Witches are just more sensitive to it. Think of it as a language you don't understand..." Ignacio snapped his fingers and a brilliant sparkle exploded from his fingers. It was as bright as fire, but without the bite. I nearly leaped out of bed.

"How did you do that?!" I asked with more excitement than I knew what to do with. Grabbing his arm, I hung off of Ignacio and stared wide-eyed at his hands. "Do it again."

Ignacio smiled and snapped again, igniting a flurry of crackling light.

I squeezed his arm.

"Would you... would you like to learn how to do this?"

"Can I?" I asked in disbelief. He might as well have asked me if I wanted to open that window and fly away. What I wouldn't give... What I wouldn't do... Sitting up, I snuggled up next to him and his warm body and insisted, "Show me."

"Hold out your hands." Ignacio smiled and crawled to the end of the bed, raising to his knees. I mirrored him, holding out my hands and anticipating every single velvet word. "Find the life deep inside of you. Find the string connecting your heart to your soul. Hold a shred of happiness and let it build, let it burst from your fingertips."

I looked down at my empty hands.

I've never created a thing with these hands. Never contributed anything good to this world... but I've touched many good things. I thought about running my hand through my baby brother, Thomas' hair. I remembered wiping the tears away from the kitchen girl, Mary's cheek. I had the lines of Nicholas' hands memorized. The first day that we met, and we shook hands, there were sparks then too. A fire started by Nicholas' bright smile.

A small golden spark jumped out of my palm and I gasped, pulling it back out of instinct. My laugh came out half afraid and half elated. Ignacio matched my smile, grinning wider than ever before, a rare appearance like the tail end of a rainbow.

We spent all afternoon making my dark, sad and red room bright with starlight glittering right from our fingertips. Ignacio chased me around, grabbing for me. When he snatched me, he mercilessly tickled my sides, and I screamed, falling into the bed.

"I give! I give!" I begged for relief.

Ignacio laughed and jumped back on the bed, making our too happily exhausted bodies bob up and down. My cheeks ached from smiling, my smile just growing wider as I admire the happiness bursting from the demon beside me. It was new and thrilling, and I could spend forever locked inside this room with my friend.

"I hope this isn't rude, but..." I said, almost losing my nerve. My resolve strengthened when I looked into Ignacio's eyes and saw only gentleness. "Can I call you Iggy?"

"Of course you can."

#

With a start, Blake jolted out of his dream.

And yet, he still felt like he was dreaming. Blake tried rubbing the delusion out of his eyes, an uneasiness wrapped all around him that he couldn't shake. Restless, Blake threw off his covers and sat on the edge of his bed. He held up his hands and stared at the lines on his palms, still hearing Ignacio's voice echoing in his ears.

Find the string connecting your heart to your soul. Hold a shred of happiness and let it build, let it burst from your fingertips.

That was what he said.

Sparks whizzed out of Blake's fingers, blinding him in the dead of night. Thoughts whirled around his head like a storm on a path of destruction. He tried thinking back to the morning he reconnected with Ignacio... That demon chose his words carefully and Blake didn't notice it.

Blake heard the truth in whispers before, but now it was all screaming in his ears. Making him insane.

"Blake?" Ignacio appeared in a puff of red smoke. He was a demon again with his horns, red skin and golden eyes, but he cocked his head like a curious cat. "What's wrong?"

The words left Blake's lips as they came to mind. "I'm just remembering what you said to us after we summoned you..." Blake stood, walking deeper into his room. Maybe he needed to stand in the exact place where Ignacio spoke to them for the first time. "It was your wording. It's sticking out to me now. You said you saved Nicholas."

"I said I saved his ancestor," Ignacio said, unable to hide the tension in his voice.

Blake's brow lowered, picking apart the words. The truth sat huddled in a dark corner of Blake's mind. Slowly, he was lighting the way to reveal it. "You said you gave my family power... Henry wasn't the first witch in my family, was he? It was his brother..." The name floated to the surface from a long lost memory. "Thomas. Thomas Winslow was the first witch in the family, wasn't he?"

"He was."

"Not Henry."

They stared at each other for a moment.

Ignacio unflinching.

Blake was shaking, and he didn't know if he just started crying or he had been crying and he wasn't sure if he was in pain because of Henry or if the truth just hurts. Blake could hardly get the words out as his throat closed up to the width of a needle. "Edward killed us, didn't he? But you could only save Nicholas. Edward killed Henry for good."

Making himself smaller, Ignacio shook his head. "That's not what you want to know."

"But I do!" Blake lashed out, an anger he didn't recognize building inside of him. The lines between Henry and Blake faded in and out, and Blake wasn't sure if he ever existed.

"No. Ask me what you really want to know..."

"Am I Henry?" The tears were getting bigger and his nose was running. Stumbling forward, Blake grabbed onto Ignacio's arms to keep from falling to pieces. "Did Edward kill me?"

"No," Ignacio insisted, holding onto Blake. "You're not Henry. You're Blake Winslow."

"You know what I mean."

Ignacio swallowed and took a deep breath. He dropped his head, giving it a little shake. Finally, when he lifted his eyes to meet Blake's, Ignacio spoke with so much authority Blake would've believed anything he said. "Five hundred years ago, you were Henry Winslow and Daniel was Nicholas Bellerose."

"This whole thing. This entire agreement was so Nicholas and I could be together again."

"Yes."

"Why did we have to wait five hundred years—?" But then Blake knew. He asked, "Was it Edward? Something about your deal with Edward? What deal did you make with Edward five hundred years ago? There's no way he's back, right? It's just about Nicholas and me, right? No." Blake was spacing out, losing himself. "He'll find a way to stop the wedding, Iggy. He would never let me be happy. He'll never leave me alone. Iggy—"

Iggy waved his hand in front of Blake's teary eyes and he saw stars. Stars, just like sparks. The mix of all Blake's emotions and his stress and the adrenaline shaking his core melted away. Blake lost the strength in his legs, collapsing into Ignacio's arms. Humming, Ignacio swept Blake off the ground and held him securely in his arms. Just like he'd been doing the last five hundred years and even longer before that.

#

DANIEL

A knock on his bedroom door gave Daniel pause. Groggily, Daniel rubbed his eyes and turned over to lie on his back. "Hello? Who is it?"

"It's only me," Ignacio said from the other side.

Sighing, Daniel forced himself out of bed. He opened the door, wondering why he didn't just teleport like he usually did. But before he could ask, Daniel saw the answer sleeping soundly in Ignacio's arms. Without asking, Daniel reached for Blake.

Ignacio traded off the witch with a sad smile. "He hasn't been sleeping well."

Daniel nodded. "Another nightmare?"

"Perhaps... I believe he's just stressed and I think he can find some comfort being by your side."

"You think?" Daniel wondered that himself. Glancing at Blake as he tried snuggling closer to Daniel's chest. His brow furrowing, Daniel noticed his red face and tear-streaked cheeks. He felt strangely cold. "Is it truly just about a dream?" Daniel asked, but when he looked up, Ignacio had already vanished. 

#

Author's Note

Hello friends! I hope everyone's having a good week so far. Who expected a more serious tone after such a cheesy chapter? Everyone? Gosh. Y'all know me so well. Lol. 

Don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comments! Are you surprised Blake figured it out that he's reincarnated? Or are you thinking it's about time? Haha. Does this change things now that Blake knows? Do you think he should tell Daniel? 

All comments are appreciated! 

And if you like this book, check out my other works!