Chapter Text
Theo tosses the bag to the center of the table, the clink of scrap parts rousing interest from nearby patrons. He ignores them, focused on the paunchy older gentleman sitting across from him. A manic grin forms, revealing aged yellow teeth and a gap that comes from past brawls. It lengthens the scar across his lip and Theo subtly slides his hand down onto his thigh, resting just shy of his pistol. He doesn’t think he’ll need to draw it, but one can never be too careful.
The silence drags on, save for the ticking noise that Theo can never shake. It doesn’t appear to bother the man across from him, or perhaps he just doesn’t give a damn. He taps his fingers against the table and slouches back in his chair, watching as the man opens the pouch to review the scraps. “Well?” He asks, a touch of impatience in his voice.
“Mr. Raeken,” the man chortles, “do you take me for a foolish man? This kind of money-“
“Is more than you deserve for the information, if it even has any value.” Theo cuts in coolly. Without missing a beat, he draws a second leather pouch and tosses it across the table. All chatter in the bar goes silent. “Hand it over.”
“You drive a hard bargain.” The man takes both bags and drags them onto his lap. He retrieves a small bronze orb from inside his cloak and rolls it across the table, smirking. “A word to the wise, Mr. Raeken? That orb isn’t going to get you very far.”
“Whatever,” Theo scoffs and tucks it inside of his breast pocket. He pushes back from the table, keeping a hand firmly on his pistol. “We’re finished, Malgreaves. If you or your men come after me…” he leaves the threat open and offers a sharp smile, walking around the table.
“I have no intention of retrieving that garbage. But watch your back, Mr. Raeken. Plenty of people are after that little trinket. You were willing to pay, but others won’t be.” The man cautions. Giving a curt nod, Theo continues walking and slips out the back. He slumps immediately against the wall when the door clicks shut, breathing a sigh of relief. He knows that his best friend will give him hell for spending his life savings on it, but Theo knows it’s the only hope he has for a future.
He pulls the bronze orb from his pocket and rotates it slowly between his fingers, admiring the intricate carvings that crisscross the surface. They may be from an ancient language, but Theo is sure he’s never seen it in any of his studies. It doesn’t change anything. He doesn’t need to be able to read it to solve the puzzle. All he has to do is find the right groove and start from there.
He slides his fingers across the warm metal, measuring each dip and curve as he takes note of the varying patterns. None of them seem to match, but maybe that’s the whole point. He cautiously grips the base and twists the top, momentarily surprised when it clicks into a new position. “Well then,” he mutters under his breath. Just as he goes to slip it back into his pocket, something cold and sharp presses against the side of his neck. He goes stiff instantly, eyes snapping up and focusing on the grimy wall across the alley.
“Why don’t you just give that piece to me?” A voice purrs in his ear.
“And where’s the fun in that?” Theo asks, curling his fingers firmly around the orb. “I bought it. I’m pretty sure that makes it mine.”
“We all saw you flaunting your money around in there.” The man at his side snorts in disdain. “How long did it take for you to get daddy to round you up those scraps?”
“Fuck you.” Theo seethes. “I’m not one of those spoiled brats-“
“Ooh, did I strike a nerve?” The other laughs, but his grip on the knife doesn’t lessen. If anything, it slides a little lower to rest against his jugular. Theo knows this is a fight that he can’t win. “You know how much scrap metal runs for around here. That amount? You could have been a fucking king.”
“I don’t give a damn about the money.” Theo replies. A breeze cuts through the alley, carrying with it the scent of juniper oil and clove cigarettes. Silence follows his response, though not for long.
“What’s that sound?” The man asks, the knife shifting again.
“You’re just now noticing it? You’re not very observant, are you?” The laugh that escapes Theo is bitter and ugly.
“If you armed a bomb, you’re a fucking moron. Blowing us both to bits won’t do you any good. Just hand over the map and I’ll let you live.” The man continues. Theo doesn’t like his options. He can hand over the orb, but it will cost him the rest of his life. Or he can hold onto it for a few more seconds and get his throat slit open. Neither option is a real win.
“Tick tock, goes the clock,” the man murmurs, “and my patience is wearing thin.”
“Fine.” Gritting his teeth, Theo digs his fingers into the orb and slowly extends it in front of him. Gloved fingers curl around it, but the knife doesn’t leave his throat. The man is smart, Theo will give him that much. He knows better than to let his guard down.
“Pleasure doing business.” The man says, pulling the knife away. Before Theo can attempt to draw his pistol, a fist catches him against the side of his head. He goes down, ears ringing violently, and the last thing he sees are sky blue eyes peering down at him through a dark mask before the world goes black.
-
Liam rubs his fingers against his hips, pacing outside the front of his apartment. Just beyond the door he can hear Mason at the piano, no doubt practicing for his upcoming debut performance. Prolonging the inevitable is only going to make things worse. He’s already missed dinner and with his newest acquisition, he knows that he’s going to miss many more in the near future. The bronze orb feels impossibly heavier in his sack.
Rolling his shoulders back, Liam lifts his chin and opens the door. The piano music stops instantly and he sighs, toeing off his boots. “Hey,” he greets. “Sorry I’m late, I got tied up with work.” Shifting the bag against his hip, he walks briskly into the sitting room where his best friend is waiting. A frosted look welcomes him and he winces, ducking his head as his cheeks flush. “Sorry?”
“Why do you even bother making plans with me when you know you’re just going to bail?” Mason asks, jabbing sharply at one of the keys.
“It wasn’t intentional-“
“It never is when it comes to you. The job always comes first. What was it this time? Another hostage situation? Another person that had to go missing?” Mason asks, throwing heat behind his words.
“That’s not fair and you know it.” Liam says, leveling his knife at him. “I found the map to it, Mason.” He feels a sliver of satisfaction as his friend’s jaw drops. “Yeah. Four years and I finally had a lead that paid off.”
“There’s no way. It...it’s not possible…”
“But it is. Just had to steal it after some rich sod bought it off of Malgreaves. Now I just have to figure out how to read the map. How up to speed are you with ancient languages?” He asks curiously, pulling the orb from his sack and holding it out.
“You stole a map that you can’t even read?” If Mason’s eyes rolled any harder, they were sure to get stuck.
“Like it’s that simple. It’s some kind of puzzle…” Liam trails off, rotating the top of the orb. He holds it close by his ear, listening as it clicks together, but there’s no sign that he’s on the right track. “Piece of junk,” he growls.
“You’re awful at puzzles.” With a heavy sigh, Mason holds out his hand. “Here, let me take a crack at it.”
“You’re a saint and I love you.” Liam drops the orb in Mason’s palm, smacking a wet kiss to the side of his head. “I’m going to get started on making my dinner. When this job pays off, I’m taking you to the nicest joint in town to celebrate my freedom.” He says, already three steps closer to the kitchen. He washes his hands, moving from the fridge to the countertop as he starts to spread an array of vegetables over a cutting board. “How goes recital practice?” He calls out, pushing his sleeves above his elbows.
“I think that I’m ready. Corey tells me that I’m worrying too much-“ Liam almost misses the hitch in Mason’s breathing. For a moment, he thinks that maybe he’s solve the puzzle. But there’s no exclamation of success and a pit of dread opens in Liam’s stomach.
“I’m sure Corey is right,” he says as he sets down a pepper. Lifting the kitchen knife, he weighs it against his palm and inches around the counter. “You’ve been practicing for ages.” Around the corner, he can hear an audible ticking that makes his stomach plummet. He lowers the knife to his side and steps into the room, trying not to be sick. The man he’d robbed is standing behind Mason, gun pressed to the base of his skull. “Leave him be,” Liam croaks out. “He’s got nothing to do with this.” He says, trying to implore the hard green eyes that are studying him. There’s something silver smeared across the side of his face, but Liam can’t identify it.
“You’re the one who dragged him into this.” The man says, cocking the hammer. Mason whimpers, screwing his eyes shut, and Liam sees red.
“Get the fuck away from him,” he snarls. “Take the fucking map.”
“Liam, no-“ Mason starts, his eyes flying open. Liam jerks his head, lips pressing in a firm line.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone,” the man says quietly.
“You brought a fucking bomb into my house-“ Liam spits, curling his fingers around the knife. The man’s brows scrunch in confusion, a frown marring his features.
“You keep saying that. I don’t have a bomb on me. If I did, it would have blown by now.” He sounds confused.
“Then what’s the ticking noise?”
“Nothing.” His expression shutters off instantly and Liam feels like a door has been slammed in his face. He drops the kitchen knife to the floor and kicks it away, exhaling shakily.
“Look. You’re the only one armed now. You’re holding all the cards. Just let him go and we can pretend this never happened. Right?” Liam asks, slowly reaching behind him. He grips the hilt of his favorite throwing knife, grinding his teeth as the man shifts so that Mason is sitting between them. He slides his free hand down Mason’s arm and lifts the puzzle from his hand, tucking it inside of his breast pocket. “Happy?” Liam growls, freeing his knife.
“I didn’t want to hurt anyone.” The man almost sounds apologetic. He backs toward the open window where he’d come through, keeping his pistol aimed at the back of Mason’s head. “You should have made sure I was unconscious before you fled the scene.” The man says, his gaze shifting to Liam.
“You’re just another spoiled rich brat looking for the heart of immortality. We can’t all have daddy’s money to get us what we want.” He sneers.
“That was my life savings.” He says, frowning. “I need that heart.”
“Not nearly as much as I do.” Liam says, narrowing his gaze. It’s his ticket to freedom, the only thing that will rescue him from a life of servitude. With the heart in the hands of his bosses, they’ll finally release him. He’ll be his own man for the first time since he was seven years old. He doesn’t know what the other man wants with the heart, but he bets that he wants it for his own gain. Legend says the heart was magic, able to grant immortality to its owner and even grant them knowledge behind their wildest dreams. He doesn’t give a damn if the legends are true. What his bosses want, his bosses will get. That’s that. No pretty boy is going to stand in his way.
“Sorry you feel that way.” With a sad smile, the man turns and lowers his pistol. He grips the windowsill and Liam throws his knife, satisfaction flooding through him as it’s buried to the hilt in the man’s shoulder. He yelps, eyes blown wide in shock, and stumbles through the opening. Cursing, Liam scrambles after him and sticks his head out the window. A shot explodes above his head and he ducks back down, covering his head as bits of brick fall onto his head. He hears receding footsteps and dares to look, not surprised that the man has already turned the corner. But there’s a mysterious trail of a silver liquid left in his wake and his knife is sitting a few feet away, coated in the substance. He climbs out and retrieves his weapon, finding a scrap of paper laying under it.
Talbot’s Shop of Magic is scripted neatly across it, a tear cutting out the address. It doesn’t matter, Liam knows the shop well. Gritting his teeth, he returns to Mason and finds him curled up on the piano bench, sobs making him shake. Sighing, Liam wraps him in a hug from the back and drops a kiss to the top of his head. “I’m sorry, Mase. I’ll get that bastard, I swear it. I need you to pack a bag and go stay with Corey for a few days.”
“Where are you going?”
“Hunting.”
-
Theo stumbles into the shop, swearing as he crashes into a set of wind chimes. He hears a cry of disdain from the back and goes through a set of beaded curtains, slumping down on one of the cushions. He hears footsteps coming his way and looks up as a dark-haired man enters the room, wearing a skirt that tinkles with each step and a crop top. “Diaz,” he croaks out. Silver pours from his lips and he coughs, shuddering hard.
“Gods damn you,” the man hisses. “Brett! Close the shop!” He calls out, kneeling down beside Theo. “If you bleed out, I’m going to summon you back and murder you.” He growls. Theo wants to laugh, but the pain makes him gasp instead. A whimper slips past his lips and the man kneeling opens a pouch at his hip, pulling out a handful of colorful powder. It reminds Theo of the starry skies and a handful is sprinkled over his shoulder, the man murmuring words to a spell that Theo can’t remember. The pain begins to ebb and he sighs in relief, looking up as a taller man steps through the curtains.
“Brett.” He says, a half laugh escaping him. “I think I’m going to steal Josh away.”
“Like he’d forsake our marriage vows for you.” Brett snorts. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Not dying, obviously.” With a groan, Theo straightens up. Josh sits back on his heels, closing the bag at his hip. Dark eyes study Theo for a moment and he finally shakes his head, muttering a curse.
“You’re a goddamn fool,” he says. “What the actual fuck were you thinking? Were you followed?”
“Don’t know. Maybe.” Theo says, reaching into his pocket. “Can I get some water?” He asks, pulling out the orb. Josh’s breath hitches and he reaches for it, eyes wide as saucers.
“Brett...get my crystals…” Josh says softly. “You really got it?”
“Yeah. Took almost everything I had to get it. I just came to buy some magic from you two. I can’t stay, I’ve already put you in enough danger. Someone else is after the heart and I don’t think they’ll give up easily.”
“I don’t think they will.” Josh murmurs. Brett returns after a moment, offering him a soft leather pouch and handing Theo a tin mug filled with water.
“Gonna tell me my fortune?” Theo asks, a crooked grin spreading as Josh scowls at him.
“I want to see if you’re going to find the heart, dumbass.” Josh says, opening the pouch. He spreads a set of crystals across the table, brow pinching as he leans in to study them.
“Josh?” Brett asks after a beat, settling a hand at the base of his neck.
“You shouldn’t go.” Josh says at last, lifting his eyes to look at Theo. There’s nothing but sorrow in their depths. “I see you finding the treasure...but there is death, Theo. There is no other way.”
“Cryptic.” Theo murmurs with a halfhearted laugh. “But we both know I’m dead either way.”
“You could stay here in the shop.” Josh’s lip quivers. “I could use magic-“
“We both know that you can only fix my heart so many times. Eventually I’ll be laying in a bed unable to do things for myself. That’s not a life, Josh. This heart...it can save me. I have to try.” He says gently, looking away from his friend. Brett nods solemnly and squeezes the base of Josh’s neck. A heavy pounding at the front door startles them all and Josh sits up, wiping at his eyes.
“We have to get you out the back. Come, quickly.” Josh says, reaching for his hand. Theo follows him, grimacing as he sees the silver trail he’s left across the floor. Josh takes notice and hastily strips him of his jacket, emptying the pockets and thrusting the belongings into Theo’s hands. He snatches a jacket from one of the hangers they brush past and shoves it on top of everything, stopping as they reach the exit that leads into an alley. “Be careful, Theo.” He unties the pouch from his hip and seals it, setting it with care on top of the jacket. “This will keep you alive.”
“I can’t take all of your magic-“ Theo protests.
“I have extra reserves, don’t worry. Consider this my gift and my blessing. Come back when you’ve got the heart and I’ll help you put it in.” He wraps Theo in a hug, quickly letting go as Brett snarls at the person outside of the shop who is still pounding on the door. “Go. I’ll stall as long as I can.”
“I owe you for this. I’ll pay you back, I swear it.” Theo says. Josh yanks open the door and Theo stumbles out, hurrying down the alley. He ducks behind a dumpster and pulls on the jacket, stuffing its pockets and securing the pouch of magic at his waist. Drawing up the hood of the jacket, he ducks his head and hurries quickly down the path, disappearing into the crowded streets.
-
“About damn time,” Liam snaps as Brett opens the door of the shop. “Took you long enough. Why are you closed?” He asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
“We were just cleaning up. I accidentally spilled something so Josh was going to mop. What crawled up your ass?” Brett raises a brow, continuing to block the doorway. Liam doesn’t hesitate to duck under his arm, scanning the shop suspiciously. He knows the weird silver trail stopped outside of the shop. He’d checked all around the block to make sure that he hadn’t missed the trail. He doesn’t know why the man had come here, but he can’t be far.
“Where is he?” He says through gritted teeth, eyes flitting around the shop. He catches a spot of silver smudged across the floor and follows it, ignoring Brett who is hot on his heels.
“I didn’t say you could come in-“
“Liam.” Josh steps in his path, blocking him from entering the room where he does his readings. He notes the silver dotting his skin and he sees red. Snarling, he grabs Josh by the throat and slams him up against the wall. The other man wheezes and claws at his arm, eyes wide. Liam wants to squeeze the life out of him and demand answers, but Brett hauls him off and sends him crashing into one of the display stands.
“Get the fuck out!” Brett growls, looming over Liam as he tries to lift up onto his elbows.
“Why are you protecting him?!” He demands, narrowing his gaze.
“You just tried to kill my husband-“
“Not him!” Liam snaps, rolling his eyes. “The other guy! I know he was here, he left a trail!” He seethes, chest heaving as anger pulses through his veins. “He tried to kill Mason! Why are you protecting him?!”
“What…” Brett looks caught off-guard and Liam shakes his head, getting to his feet.
“Yeah. You didn’t even fucking ask why he was running, did you? You just let him go! I had the fucking map and he held Mason at gunpoint to get it.” He hisses.
“He needs it, Liam.” Josh says softly, cautiously stepping around Brett. The taller man throws his arm out to separate him from Liam and he bristles instantly. “He didn’t mention threatening anyone. But we know him and he needs the heart.” He says.
“I don’t care. I need it more.” Liam says around the sudden lump in his throat. He can’t lose the heart, not when he’s gotten so close. He can taste the freedom on his tongue. He can’t give up now.
“Doubt that.” Brett mutters, earning a glare from Josh and Liam’s scowl.
“I won’t kill him if I don’t have to. Just tell me where he went.” Liam pleads. “I need it. Brett-“
“Maybe you should have thought of that before you threatened my husband,” Brett snaps coolly. Josh sets a hand on his arm, shaking his head.
“It’s okay, my beloved. Liam, I can’t tell you where he went. Neither of us can.” He says. Liam’s gaze darkens, fingers curling into his palms. “But I can give you a little magic to help you on your journey.”
“What?” Brett and Liam ask in unison, the latter’s jaw going slack. “But I tried to strangle you…”
“And for that I’m charging you double. If it was anyone else, I’d kill them on the spot.” Josh flashes a sharp smile that sends a chill down Liam’s spine. “But as luck would have it, I’m feeling generous today. Clean up the display while I go find my reserves. Brett, come with me.” Liam watches them leave, a funny feeling settling in his gut.
-
Josh wastes no time in taking his husband by the wrist, leading him back to one of their storage closets. He pulls on the string above them and a light flickers to life, a dull buzzing sound emitting.
“Why are we helping him? Josh, he tried to kill you!” Brett reminds, taking him by the shoulders. Josh’s hands cover his own and squeeze gently, a fond smile crossing his lips.
“You didn’t see what I did when I cast the crystals for Theo’s fate.”
“Tell me what you saw.” Brett whispers, leaning their foreheads together.
“I saw Liam.”