Page 55 of Endlessly Raphael
“And yet it’s okay to ruin your son?” Thorn asks.
“He… has… oth-er… talents.”
I tilt my head at that. Unable to sit back any longer, I climb through the window and join the party. When Salman sees me, he only looks mildly surprised. He struggles against his unseen restraints. Thorn is so powerful, a person can actually feel his influence like a physical bond.
“What other talents?” I ask.
“Shouldn’t you know?” Salman spits. “If you’re so in love with him.”
“I know what I know. I want to know what you know.”
He scoffs. “His designs,” he says, his voice now weak and hoarse. “What are you doing to me?”
Thorn grins with his arms crossed over his chest.
“I guess you should have considered what you had to lose when you turned your back on him,” I say softly, leaning in close. “You could have run the company together. Now you’ve forced his hand.”
Anger pours off the man as he fights to put his defenses back in place. “You don’t know me.”
“I know more than you think, Salman. I know everything about you.” I search his eyes. “I even know why you’re afraid of your brother.”
Salman pulls his head back, but that’s fear in his eyes, not defiance. His scent reeks of terror, sour and distorted from the man I met earlier.
“Listen, Salman, you deal with your brother how you see fit, but when it comes to Haven, you have to get through us.”
“And let’s just say, we’re not exactly easy to deal with,” Thorn says.
“Let’s wrap this up,” I say to Thorn, who nods.
“We’re going to leave now, and in the morning this will feel like nothing but a dream. You won’t remember our visit or the specific things we said, but you will remember that it’s in your best interest to make sure nothing happens to Haven. No harm, no blocking the will. If you do, I’ll visit again, and I won’t be so nice the next time. Are we clear, Salman?” Thorn says.
His eyes glaze over as he listens and nods. “What are you?”
“I told you. I’m a ghost. Sleep now.” Thorn drags his hand over Salman’s face, who falls instantly asleep.
Thorn lays his head down gently on the desk and the two of us slip out the window and back into the night. When we’re back in the car, my thoughts spin. I’m even more agitated than I was.
“He’s not a bad person,” Thorn says. “A shit father, yes, but he loves Haven.”
“I know. Which means my instinct about the other brother was right.”
“Yep. Is that our next stop?”
“I don’t know where he lives. Besides, I’m curious about what he’s got on Salman.”
“Me too. Can I drain him? He’s just an uncle.”
“No, Thorn, you cannot drain him. Not yet, anyway. We need to find out more.”
Thorn makes a face, sticking his tongue out. “Ugh, you’re a killjoy.”
I pat his shoulder. “Come on. I’m sure there’s some trash that needs taking out somewhere.”
“Right on. That’s what I’m talking about.”
As the car tears off into the night, I pat his shoulder. “Thanks for helping. I needed your compulsion skills.”
“I’m glad I can be useful sometimes.”