The Winged Curse by Leah Crowe (best contemporary novels TXT) 📖

marry. He was handsome, with his dirty blonde hair, but I really had only known him for a few months! I don't know how I knew to believe him but I knew somehow that all he was saying was true. I also knew that even though he hardly knew me, he loved me. I gasped at that thought! I didn't know where that had come from! Maybe it was his eyes. The one thing I knew to be true though was this: Everything Thomas had said was true and he was the one person I could trust.

"Beth? Are you still there?" Thomas asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between us. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forget you can't see me. I was just thinking." I said, and I stared out into the darkness. I was just beginning to snow and I shivered in the cold. Of course, no one would see me shiver so I guess I had to suck it up and endure the cold. "I'm sorry...I-I'm sorry." Thomas said and he began to cry. I couldn't speak. When I found my voice, I wrapped my arms around his shaking frame and whispered in his ear. "It's not your fault, Thomas. I don't blame you for any of this. It's still a bit of a shock for me but I am coping and I know what we need to do now." He stopped shaking and took a deep breath. When he was done he asked, "What comes next?" "We need to find Simon. I read that if a wizard casts a spell, only that wizard can undo the spell. That's why I have been searching for him for so long. I no longer need to go after him about my fake parents. They are better off where they are. But if you want your wings back and if I want to be seen again, we need to go to him." I put on my most determined face to try to cheer him up, but then remembered that it didn't matter. Thomas sat up straighter and rubbed his face. "Ugh! I'm sorry for breaking down there. It's taken so long to find you and as soon as I do, you get ripped away from me again. Your right, though. I think I know where Simon is, too. We had a bit of a...well, fight after we left your house. He took my wings and apparently your visibility and said he would wait for us in London." In my head, I was already taking a vacation from work and cancelling all other things I had planned for the month. "Alright then Thomas. London it is!" "But I'm still stuck to the house." Thomas said. "Ok, I have a plan, but it's going to hurt you." I replied. "What's that?" He asked. "We use metal to break your bond! We'll drive to the airport. That should free you! Then, we can get some more of your salve and you will be fine on the airplane." I almost shouted. "Actually, you can make the salve. All you would need is bark from pine trees mixed with a special ingrediant." Thomas said and he winked. I got up and walked over to the nearest pine tree. I stripped it of some of it's bark and walked back over to Thomas. "Next?"

CHAPTER 6
The Journey


I was not human. I could feel it the moment that Thomas had said I was faery. It was as if some part of my body woke up suddenly and remembered something I didn't even know I had forgotten! I felt stronger and the outline of my form shimmered for a while. Thomas had looked up and laughed. I smiled, though he wouldn't see it. That made me sad but I knew that there were perks to being invisable. For one, I could stare at people like him without them knowing. I was still eager to find the wizard though. Now, I was going for my visability, not my wings. Even if Simon undid the spell he cast on me, my wings would never fully be gone. They were now a part of me that I had to accept. We were now in the cabin and I turned around from looking out the window to look at Thomas. His back was towards me and I cringed at the sight of it without wings. He was on his laptop, booking a flight for London. I would have to stow on which shouldn't be too hard considering I could not be seen. I figured I would stand in the back or hide in the bathroom or something. Thomas finished and started packing for the trip. "We fly tomorrow." He said, not looking away from his packing. "Excellent." I said, "The sooner the better. I was always shy but I don't like being completely invisable!" Thomas turned towards the sound of my voice. "Yes, and I don't like not being able to look at you." He said and I probably blushed. Good thing he couldn't see me...

The next morning, Thomas and I made our way to the airport. I drove his car and he sat next to me moaning. Sweat was dripping down his face but he was out of the house. We arrived and he slathered some ointment over his arms, legs and face. We made it to our plane. I surprisingly found an empty seat in the back and I hunkered down for the long flight across the Atlantic. I had to be quiet and I couldn't buckle so I hoped the pilot was good and that there would be no clouds or choppy winds. Thomas kept glancing back at me and I rolled my eyes. He really didn't need to check on me! No one could see me anyways!

After a long day of flying, we finally landed in London and I waited for the airplane to empty before I made my escape. I wouldn't want to bump into anyone! Thomas had gotten had long before me and I looked around for him once I was out. I felt someone grab my arm and I was lead through the airport! I couldn't see who it was that had grabbed me because he was wearing a hoodie and I could only the back of his head. My mysterious kidnapper led me to a small room that read, Staff Only!

He waved a card in front of a screen and the door opened with a click. I thrashed and twisted, wondering how this man could see me! He walked in, dragging me with him and I found we weren't alone. In the corner was Thomas! I jerked out of the man's grasp and ran over to him. He was unconcious. I turned to see who had caused us all this trouble and gasped to find that I was staring at Simon! He smiled at me coldly. "Took you both long enough to get here." He said. I scoffed. "What a wonderful way to say hello! Grabbing me and bashing poor Thomas on the head!" I retorted. "Sassy as always. How do you like being invisable? Isn't it nice?" Simon said, chuckling and looking straight at me. "At least you don't waste much time! For your information, I hate it and I want you to change me back and give Thomas back his wings!" I screamed in Simon's face. He all out laughed now. "Sorry honey. No can do! I love playing hide-n-go seek though! Catch me if you can! I'll be waiting for you at the Beach! It's here in London...I think!" He stuck out his tongue and in a puff of smoke, he was gone.

After slapping Thomas awake and half dragging him out of the storage room Simon had led us to, I told him all that had happened while he was "taking a nap". "So we have to find a beach, eh? That stupid wizard! He could've just made it simple by undoing his curses but no! He has to play his little games!" Thomas said, his voice rising as he spoke. I put my hand on his arm and though he tried not to jump, he did cringe at my invisable touch. "Calm down. Are there any beaches in or near London?" I asked. "Let me do some research. For now, let's find a hotel that will give two rooms to one guy." Thomas said, giggling softly.

Two hours later, I was in my own suite. I hopped into the shower, trying to wash away the jet lag I was feeling. The weather was dreary outside, but Thomas told me it was that was most of the time. London wasn't known for it's sunshine... I dried off after my shower and wrapped my hair up in a towel. I began to pat it dry. I didn't need to fiddle with my hair because no one would see it but I still felt the need to make sure it looked good. I could still see myself in the mirror and when I was done, I nodded at my reflection and walked out into Thomas's suite. He was lying on a huge king-size, four poster bed filled with plush pillows. It was all a very rich rose-colored red with gold stitching. I don't know how he paid for all this but I sure wasn't complaining! Thomas had a laptop in hand and was browsing the Net for beaches in the area. "London doesn't seem to have any beaches." Thomas said, hearing the door open. Of course it didn't! It wasn't by any water. But then what could the wizard have meant? "Here, let me see." I said, snatching the laptop out of his hand. Beaches...beaches...

Like Thomas had said, there were no beaches. What if the wizard hadn't meant a REAL beach though? What if, he was talking about... "Thomas, I think I know where Simon is!" I exclaimed. "Where?" He asked, peering over at the floating laptop that actually sat on my lap. "What if he wasn't talking about an actual beach! What if he meant this place!" I said, near shouting and I pointed to the screen. Then I remembered how he couldn't see me so I said, "Look at this website!" Thomas took the "floating" laptop and stared at the screen. "Hey, you may be right!" He said. The screen showed colorful pictures of 'Palm Beach Casino' filled with smartly dressed men with margaritas and women in slinky, gittery dresses playing poker. "I think we should check it out. We may need to register or call ahead or something so you should call this number." I said and I clicked on Contact Information. Sure enough, there was an address and phone number. "Bingo." I muttered under my breath. Thomas dialed the number. After a few minutes he hung up and told me the news. "They are going to be packed tonight but they said they would write my name down for tomorrow. You can sneak in." "Well, that gives us plenty of time to buy you a new tux!" I exclaimed and Thomas moaned. I laughed and walked out of his suite and into my own. It was spaceous and had a lovely veiw of the Thames river. There was a window seat so I went to it and peered out. It was raining, but I always found the rain to be peaceful so I fell asleep watching the rain trail paths downt he window pane and dreamed about the job ahead...

CHAPTER 7
Palm Beach Casino


New tuxido in hand, Thomas walked into his bathroom while I changed into a cute little black dress that I found on sale. I knew I didn't need to dress up since I WAS sneaking in but I wanted to all the same. When, I was