Maddening (Cursed Superheroes #2)

I feign being dumb, batting my eyelashes again. “What won’t?”


He frowns, puzzlement creasing his brow. I try to maintain my pouty face, hoping he doesn’t realize I’m trying to, as my sister puts it, “play him.” I feel bad for what I’m doing—being so manipulative—but I really want to be let out of my cage.

Shaking his head, he huffs an exasperated breath then strides for my cage. “I’ll let you out on one condition.”

I bob my head up and down. “I swear I’ll do anything you want.”

His eyes briefly sparkle but the look quickly fades. “Don’t ever make that kind of promise to someone like me. You’re lucky I don’t have enough time to make you follow through with it.” He reaches for the lock on my cage. “I’ll let you out, but you have to promise to stay by me at all times. I have to keep an eye on you.”

“Why?”

“That’s another thing. If I let you out, you can’t ask me a ton of questions.”

I pantomime zipping my lips up.

He heaves a weighted sigh. “I have a feeling I’m going to regret this.” Then he taps the lock with his fingertips.

The lock to my cage melts into a pool of metal.

And just like that, I’m free for the first time in fifteen years.





Chapter 5





I stare at the agape door of my cage in shock. My heart is a flurry in my chest, sending doubt soaring through me. Is this really happening? Am I free? After all these years?

“Are you going to just sit there or actually get out?” He taps the thick, leather watch on his wrist. “The clock’s ticking.”

I inch closer to the door and stick out my arm through the opening. A smile lights up my face and I wiggle my fingers. “Freedom feels so good.”

He rolls his eyes. “That might be true if you were actually out of the cage.” He reaches in, grabs my arm, and gently pulls me out of the cage.

My heart leaps giddily at the feel of his fingers on my skin and then nearly does five hundred kickflips as my feet touch the floor outside of my cage. I wiggle my toes and take a deep breath of air, which somehow tastes fresher.

“There, now you can say it.” He starts to release my arm, but I latch onto his hand with my free hand.

“Just one more second, please.” I suck in a breath and another, letting the warmth of his contact glow across my skin. “You feel so good.”

He scowls at me, but then his eyes widen as I place my hand against his chest.

“You feel so solid.” I lightly pat his chest. “Like a rock or something.”

He gives me a condescending grin. “How did you expect me to feel? All squishy and soft?”

“Actually, yes. At least that’s how I remember humans feeling.” I tap my palm against his chest. “But you definitely aren’t smooshy.”

He bites down on his bottom lip, either out of frustration or to stop himself from grinning—it’s really hard to tell since I haven’t been around people very much. “No, I’m not. But I’m also not human either.”

I blink up at him. “What are you then? Because you never said. And you also forgot to tell me your name.”

“Who said I forgot?”

I pout. “So, you’re not going to tell me then?”

He rolls his eyes. “Would you stop doing that?”

“Doing what?”

“That pouting thing. I know you’re doing it on purpose.”

I stick my lip out further. He shakes his head. Then, with his fingertip, he pushes my lower lip back into place. Little does he know, though, that the feel of his finger against my lip makes me feel all gooey and warm inside, which only makes me want to stick out my lip again. Which is exactly what I start to do.

“Stop,” he warns, holding his finger to my lip. “And I’ll tell you my name and what I am, but that’s it. Got it?”

I bob my head up and down. He sighs again, something I’ve noticed he’s done a lot. I don’t know why, though.

He waits for a few ticks of the clock, I guess to make absolutely certain I’m going to keep my lip in place. Then he says, “My name is Caspian and like you, I’m a Maddening.”





Chapter 6





So not what I was expecting. Well, except for maybe the name part. Caspian sort of fits him, at least if you ask me. But him being like me…

“Wait a minute.” I cup my fingers around my arm where he touched me moments ago. “How is that possible if you touched me?” My gaze hurriedly drops to my arms and then my legs, searching for anything… Well, bad. But my skin is its usual pale color. “Why am I not… Well, I’m still not a hundred percent sure what my touch is supposed to do after I change into a… What did you call it? A Maddening?”

He nods. “A Maddening is what I am and what you’ll become very soon.”

“But what is a Maddening exactly? I mean, what happens to someone when you touch them? And why didn’t it happen to me?”

He wavers. “I’m not sure I want to tell you.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m afraid you’ll get upset.”