Malum Discordiae (Tennebrose, #1)

by Ashlyn Drewek

Malum Discordiae — Apple of discord

But since he had most of the same powers, it’s not like I’d get very far.

Arden’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “But his dad…” The voice was mine, but the words were hollow. “Murdered my mother.”

Oh damn

More importantly, he was the son of the woman who killed my brother. Cassius fucking Corbin.

Ahh

“Just what I thought.” He swallowed but pushed his shoulders back. “What?” Allowing myself a small smirk, I gave him a pointed once over and spun on my heel, striding away. “What the fuck did you just do? Cassius!” My smirk spread into a full-fledged smile. The only answer I gave him was laughter, like the villain he wanted me to be.

Losing Owen broke her and she never bothered picking up the pieces; it didn’t matter she still had a husband and another son who needed her. “Fine. Whatever.” I held my hands up in surrender

Aww Graeme

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his head tilting. “I didn’t have to unlock the door.” Did that mean someone was in here, just now, putting the knife back? Were they still here?

His sister maybe??

She cradled his body against her chest as if he were her own, a fact I found odd, even then. She explained to my parents how she found him like that while out for a ride. He was in her orchard, facedown on the ground, already dead. According to her. The enemy.

Yeah doesn’t seem like she did it

But something about that night never sat right with me. Maybe it was the way Lydia cried while talking to my mother. Maybe it was the fact everyone believed an eight-year-old. Or maybe I was just looking for someone else to blame instead of myself.

Me either bro

“Ainsworth might have forced our hand, but consider this your last warning, Stormbringer.”

Oooh Storm bringer

They say there’s a fine line between love and hate. But what about lust and hate? Where did that fall on the spectrum?

Omg this is so hot sorry

“Once. To get it out of our system. And then back to figuring the other shit out.” “Once,” he agreed,

We all know how this is gonna end ahhh

“You’re afraid of a horse and you think you can control me?” “Watch and learn, baby.” His lips brushed the back of my neck right before he bit me.

Uh omg not Cash being a bottom, actually this isn’t surprising at all

“No.” In all honesty, I would have called him whatever he wanted as long as he didn’t stop. But I had to at least try and hang on to a shred of dignity.

He’s so real

“You’re not worth the effort.” “Fuck you, Cash.” His voice wavered at the end and he swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple betraying the movement. “Unfortunately for you, it was a one-time thing. Remember?” With a smirk, I pivoted on my heel and stormed off.

Cash always gonna get his lick back

“No, really. This place looks like it belongs in England or something.” “Well, it used to. Our family had it shipped over sometime in the 1800s,” I replied distractedly, sorting through the various vials and jars in the cabinet.

Wht do you mean 'shipped it over'?? Huh???

“Can you ever look at me and not see my father?” he asked quietly. “Can you ever look at me and not see a monster?” “I don’t see a monster.” “Too bad I don’t believe you.”

🥲🥲

“One more thing.” My molars ground together, suppressing the urge to throttle him. “What?” He leaned up and grabbed me by the back of the head, yanking me close. As soon as I realized what he was doing, he pressed his lips to mine. A rush of warmth swept through me, along with a thousand more tingling sensations.

Eek omggg

He was so goddamn annoying! And yet, I couldn’t help the stupid little flutter in my stomach.

“It’s not happening, baby, so go bark up another tree.” “I like this tree.” I backed him into the towering bookshelf and pinned him in place. I really liked this tree. For some stupid, inexplicable reason, Cassius was all I could think about these days. And whenever he was near me, all I wanted to do was touch him.

He’s obsessed

Not that I wanted to know the innermost thoughts of Graeme Hewitt, but if we were ever going to make headway on this stupid project, he needed to get it together. I thought a blowjob would help him focus on the task at hand. Apparently not.

Hahahaha

Lifting my chin, I gave him a slow perusal. This was the side of him I liked — the side I saw at Preston’s before he turned into a total jackass. When he smiled and had that impish sparkle in his mismatched eyes and wasn’t, you know, trying to fucking kill me.

“I mean after you leave the library. We could go get something to eat, if you want.” “Uh, no. I have class in the morning.” “So do I.” “Do you want congratulations?” Ducking my head, I made a beeline for the escalator, not sure where the hell he was going with this conversation. Studying and then food? That sounded like a date and that was not happening. Not in this town. And not with him. Ever.

Cash is too funny

“You have a book on Necromancers?” He shook his head. “Not anymore. Percy stole it from Peyton and then his dumb ass lost it. It’s a shame. It was a pretty cool book.”

Do you think Percy might have accidentally killed the hewitt?

“Out of my way!” he barked. Treadwell was also there, keeping the Tenneys away from the smoldering pile that used to be my best friend.

What not india omgg

“She was arguing with Lennox about the bonfire bullshit. I was on my way over but she walked away. She wasn’t even near the fire. But then she just… erupted.” “Lennox?! Where the fuck is he now?!” I was going to kill him. I was going to rip him limb from fucking limb

Wait Lennox huh??

“Still pissed about her outdoing you at the meetinghouse? I don’t know. Do you people even need a reason to kill?” I shoved him in the chest, black mist swirling between my fingers and adding force to the blow. “Fuck you, Graeme!”

Honestly Fuck Graeme

“What the fuck does it look like?” I snapped back. “It’s an amulet. It pretty much negates my power against you. So feel free to stop accusing me of fucking murder every time you turn around!”

Honestly like it’s not every day blame Cassius

“For this very reason. Because in order for us to be close to anyone outside our family, we have to bend over backwards proving that we’re not evil incarnate. And you self-righteous assholes still blame us for everything.”

Exactly

“My brain is confused. All I know is that you are all I can think about these days. You’re driving me crazy, Cash. It’s like nothing in the world makes sense until you come around, then everything feels… right.”

🥵🥵

He really hadn’t seen anything yet. The library was good, but it wasn’t my best.

Don’t kill me Cash jeez

No matter what happened after this, in this moment Graeme Hewitt was mine.

Ahhhh but 40% in, wish they kept tryng to kill eachother for a bit longer

Realization finally dawned on him. His eyes widened before he looked away, jaw slack. “Oh my God… that was magic? I thought it was… I don’t know. Super intense.” “Electrifying,” I deadpanned. Shaking my head, I crawled off the other side of the bed and headed for the bathroom.

He thought this was the movies loool

“Just because I’m not turning you out into the rain like a stray doesn’t mean it’s an open invitation for anything else,” Cassius said, his gaze raking over me anyway.

Cassius you fox!

In this new, confusing world, I didn’t need oxygen anymore as long as I had Cassius.

🥵🥵

“I will call Treadwell myself unless you produce my son in the next thirty seconds!” “Your son isn’t here!” Caius snapped back. “Then why is his phone tracking here?!” Cassius and I both swore.

Oh shit

He typed something in quickly and handed it back. A second later, a text message popped up from him. “Text me when you go. I’ll meet you there.”

Finally got his number

“In a dirty, old barn?” I wrinkled my nose for effect. “Beggars can’t be choosers. And I’m fucking begging you, Cash.”

Oh my-

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” I murmured, shaking my head with my feeble attempt at protesting.

Love this trope hhhh

“We’re not done talking about this!” she shouted through the closed door. “Yes, we are!” “Just wait until Dad gets home!” “That threat doesn’t work anymore!”

Siblings😭😭

“A Stormbringer. My ancestors would have chained you up and cut the still-beating heart out of your chest and drained every ounce of power they could from your body before they cast your spirit into the darkest level of Hell. But you know why we won’t do that now? Because someone stole part of our grimoire, which means we can’t!”

Oh

Or haunt their dreams like a fucking hag back in the old days?” Hag. The word was even more of an insult than implying I’d hexed him. A pain shot through my chest, so sharp it stole my breath.

Ooh not the slur

I couldn’t curse him with the amulet on, so I did the only thing I could — I blessed him with the strength to follow his convictions and stay the fuck away from me.

No matter what he said, I knew somehow this was all connected. To him, to us. We’d pissed off the powers that be and this was the punishment. People were dying and it was my fault. Again.

Poor India

“Us? Nothing. We’re just on our way to a barbecue,” Lennox said with a shit-eating grin. “Wanna come?” Arden asked. “Might have a bonfire later, too,” Lennox added. Rage clouded my vision. A

Oh Lennox you bitch

I knew from Aunt Jane’s high-pitched shriek that Lennox was well and truly dead. Beyond death, actually. His body was too broken to be repaired, which meant even if his spirit could be recalled, it didn’t have a home.

Damn Graeme finished him like that but is it really his fault? Lennox was being a bitch and Graeme can’t control his powers

“I’d venture to say his feelings for you run deeper than they ever have with anyone else before. Because of your shared magic? Possibly. Perhaps that explained the initial attraction but he kept coming back because of you, Cassius. You’re more than your magic. So is he.” “Yeah. Now’s he a murderer, just like his father.” Another round of tears fell.

Damn oh my

The day I killed Lennox, Dad came home shortly after I did. He took one look at my bleary eyes and he smiled, hugging me tightly and telling me how proud he was. According to him, I’d protected myself and our family’s honor.

Graemes family is something else ill tell you

“You don’t recognize your family motto?” “Clearly not.” He chuckled. “Do not seek outside yourself.”

Ooooh

“What does that mean? In plain English?” “Look within. You have all of the answers, Graeme, you just have to put it together.”