His Favorite Sin

7.1: CURSES

Nine Years Ago

Lance always hated public spaces. He never could concentrate with so many people around, not when he could smell everything – the food someone had for breakfast the moment they opened their mouth to speak, the fragrance of their body wash and lotion that they used that morning, the perfume they sprayed on, and even the odor of those who refused to partake in proper hygiene. Fresh bread, cookies, roasted corn, citrus; he couldn’t focus on a single scent!

Then there was the noise: the harsh honks of vehicles, the continuous rumbles of motor engines, the heavy and even light footfalls of people walking by, and their endless chattering mixed with their laughter. It all flooded his senses, and with each deep breath he took, he hoped it would all stop.

Usually, it was easy for Lance to block it all out, but that was with the help of his trusted pet. His cat was where he found comfort from it all. Once he established a mental connection with his feline, a link would form, one that let his mind slip into the cat's. His senses would then adjust to those of the pet as he took control of its mind.

He was born this way. Others would think it a “gift” for him to have such heightened senses and also be able to form mind links with animals, but his family didn’t call these abilities such. They were instead referred to as curses, and that was because they were the only ones who knew the true story behind them.

Cats also had a heightened sense of smell and hearing, something Lance shared with them, but unlike him, they had mastery of their abilities. This was why Lance preferred to cocoon his mind into that of his pet’s all day. However, those weren’t the only things Lance could borrow from his pet. The cat’s vision came in handy, too, since that was the only sense he lacked.

His cat’s mind was his safe space where he could feel at peace while using its sight to take in his surroundings. But sadly, Lance didn’t have the cat there with him. Dahlia wouldn’t let him take his pet with them to town.

This was her third time bringing him into town, and she never allowed him to bring his cat along. If it had been anyone else distancing him from his cat and ordering him so, he would have taught them a lesson they surely would never forget. It was what he did to his last access assistant, which was why the man had quit after only a few days in their house.

Mr Gerard had been flown in from Ireland to specially assist Lance, but the man had also thought Lance’s cat creepy with how intensely it stared at him, and so he had suggested to Mr Dvorak that the pet have its own cage so it could be separated from Lance. His fourth night in the house, Mr Gerard woke up to find the said cat lying on his chest, its round green eyes fixed on him in determination, paw raised and aiming for him.

It brought a smile to Lance’s face, recalling the echoes of Mr Gerard’s scream that night as it drifted through the brick walls of their mansion. The man lost an eye and never dreamed of returning.

Lance’s dad had not been impressed by his vindictive spirit. It hadn’t been the first time Lance tormented an assistant, tutor, or helper around the house. The only people he hadn’t yet chased away with his antics were Anna, their long-time maid who had been there even at the birth of Jonah, Tim, also, their driver, who was another help they regarded as family because of how long he had been with them, and now, Dahlia.

Lance could smell Dahlia’s body wash all the way from the library the first time she came into their house – Coconuts, with a hint of jasmine. It had tingled his senses in a good way, and he decided that maybe he didn’t need to scare this one away. Well, his dad had also warned him of the consequences that would be incurred if he tried his usual antics on Dahlia before a new assistant arrived, and his dad could be very creative when making threats.

So Lance had been especially sweet to Dahlia – acted vulnerable in front of her, gave her flowers, asked if they could be friends – and she had been charmed. But maybe he had been a little too good at charming her because his dad had noticed too, and Lance had an inkling the old man had paused the arrival of his new assistant, so Dahlia could remain. It had been weeks now, and no talk of the assistant's arrival had been brought up. Not that Lance was complaining.

He liked Dahlia. He liked how articulate she was when reading to him, her diction clear, her tone also matching every emotion, and her passion audible. It brought life to every story. She didn’t need to be loud and dramatic to convey a story. There was always gentleness when she narrated, and he realized soon the calming effect her voice had on him. His senses instantly relaxed around her. He also liked seeing her squirm under his cat’s gaze when he stared too much through its eyes. He realized he wanted her around more often.

She brought him a sort of serenity, something he had been trying to find since his curse started to manifest. He found it easy to block out other scents and focus on hers alone when she was around, to solely stick to her voice when she read to him, listening to her heartbeat.

Even now, as his senses were being thrashed by the racket and smell of the town’s farmers’ market, he could feel their sensitivity dull and center on a particular scent as Dahlia made her way closer to him from the crowd. It was like the whole world faded out, and she was his only focus. How she had such an effect on him, he didn’t know.

‘I’m back!’ She announced, but she didn’t know she didn’t need to because Lance had already smelled her coconut and Jasmine scent getting closer. ‘Sorry about that. I just can’t believe they’re selling all these at such prices. They’re practically giving them away at this point.’ She beamed, lifting a small bag containing some produce she had bought.

‘Thanks for looking after him, Gloria.’ Dahlia said to the teen brunette sitting beside Lance. Lance's eyebrows raised when someone shifted beside him. He had completely forgotten there was someone beside him. She had been blabbering on about something, but her voice had mingled with other discordant noises in the market.

Gloria hadn’t noticed Lance's lack of attention towards her, though, because she still smiled at Dahlia and tried extending an invitation to Lance. ‘A bunch of kids from my school are having a bonfire this Saturday by Shepard’s Lake. I was wondering if Lance would like to come? It’s going to be fun, and I will introduce you to everyone,’ she said to Lance.

‘I will make sure to look for you if I can make it.’ Lance smiled softly at her.

‘Great!’ Her enthusiasm couldn’t be hidden from her tone as she got up and said goodbye.

Dahlia smiled after Gloria’s retreating form. ‘She’s so sweet. What did you two discuss while I was gone?’ She asked Lance while he fixed his dark shades.

‘I’m not sure, considering I didn’t partake in her bland talk.’ The soft look Lance had graced Gloria while she had been beside him was now completely gone.

Dahlia’s smile fell off seeing the look of annoyance now on his face.

She had tried getting Lance to be more social, especially with teens his age, and while he could put up a show in front of others, the second they got home, he would express his irritation. He had turned fifteen a few days ago, his school resumption was closer now than ever and yet, she couldn’t succeed in the task Mr Dvorak gave her.

It baffled her because Lance was always so charming towards her but contemptuous to others, not to their face, though. Still, it worried her. She had always thought of him as a sweet boy, but she was beginning to see an unfamiliar side of him. Was he the same with her? Did he show his disapproval of her to his father when she wasn’t around?

‘Can we go now?’ Lance asked as he stood up with his stick, ready to head back home. He was done with today’s "visit to the town."

Dahlia sighed. ‘Lance, your father is worried about you being so reclusive.’ She sat him back down with her on the bench. ‘He thinks you are a little too comfortable at home, having everything coming to you. That’s why he wants me taking you into town so you can get used to it before school starts. You don’t want to be overwhelmed when you find yourself in a new environment. I won’t be allowed in with you. The school has its own specialist to guide you around and attend to your needs. But if you’re able to get used to being in public with new people and...’

Dahlia was interrupted mid-sentence when a low chuckle escaped Lance. She furrowed her eyebrows at him, still smiling but puzzled by his amusement. ‘What is it?’ She hadn’t said anything funny.

‘I’m sorry.’ He apologized but still held an amused expression. ‘It’s just, you still think that’s why dad wants you bringing me here? Because he’s concerned and wants me to get used to the public?’ That had been what Mr Dvorak told her, and Dahlia hadn’t questioned it. It seemed reasonable.

Lance shook his head at her naivety. ‘Yes, miss. Dahlia, I like to isolate myself from the world and would prefer not to step out of our property, but for very good reasons. This way, no one gets hurt. And my thoughtful father knows this, but he still has you bringing me here... just to test me.’ He added.

‘At least here, the damage would be easier to cover up than in a school in a different town with people he may not be able to silence.’ His voice suddenly took a low tone, and Dahlia felt a sudden chill.

Lance scoffed and shook his head. ‘That’s what this whole town is to him; a testing ground and the subjects are the walking, talking townspeople who are so oblivious to what’s going on.’

Dahlia felt something curl in the pit of her stomach as she looked up at the peaceful town. A testing ground?

‘W... what are you talking about? What do you mean when you said no one would get hurt by you?’ Dahlia asked beside him, completely in a fog. Did he have some quirk she was unaware of, and he was ashamed of displaying in public? That had to be it. What else could he mean?

Lance suddenly turned silent, not saying anything for a full minute, his body rigid until Dahlia called his name. ‘Lance?’

‘It’s late already, Miss Dahlia. I want to go home.’ Dahlia flinched back at the iciness in his tone. It was clear he wouldn’t say more, and she couldn’t exactly force him to. So, for now, she was going to leave it; another terrible mistake she had made, which cost her so much.