15. Warwick

Chapter 15

Warwick

I pace Flutter and Fangs so much, Frankie whines and trots beside me. Everyone else continues on with transforming the place into a majestic wonderland for the masquerade party, but now I can’t concentrate.

“Hey,” Wren, Lark’s older brother, also a Fae, pops his head into the backroom I’m hiding in. He looks so much like Lark. Sometimes the only way I can tell the two apart is by their hair. Lark’s is bubblegum pink, while Wren’s is stark white. “You okay?” He pops something in his mouth as he strolls into the room.

“I’m fine. Just nervous, I guess.” Which is ridiculous.

“Wanna tell me why?” Wren plops down on one of the benches lining the far wall and pats the spot beside him.

He usually has solid advice, so I join him. “Me and Ethan have been apart so long. I have this image, this memory of him, but we were so much younger then. What if we aren’t compatible anymore?”

Wren shrugs. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

“I know you’re right.”

“I usually am.” He grins and I knock my shoulder into his. “We’re almost done out there if you wanna check out our handiwork. I brought in some Fae flare.”

My phone vibrates, and I laugh when I read the text.

Ethan: First crossroads was someone named Crawford. You should have seen his face when I broke the circle without uttering a word to him.

“I think I want to see the final look when I show up to the party. Will you tell the others I left?”

“I will. I’ll see you then.”

Before Wren can leave the room, I’m at my crossroads behind the veil, just watching and waiting for Ethan. It’s like a scavenger hunt, almost. I hate that he’s out here in the dark all alone, though. While Hex is safe, it still worries me. His essence calls to mine and I find him easily on a walk over to another crossroads.

“Wick!” He runs to me, but we both stop short of hugging each other. His blue eyes sparkle in the dark night. He has a halo of stars behind him.

“I want to touch you so badly,” I admit. Hold him in my arms to feel the weight of him. Press my lips to his.

“Same,” he whispers. “And I’m sorry, but I looked, well, Vi looked everywhere for how to break the spell so we can remove the pendant, but she nor I found anything.”

“It’s okay,” I say, hesitating as I place my hands on his shoulders. “And I think as long as we don’t touch skin to skin, we’ll be fine.”

Awkwardly, we hug, keeping faces, necks, and hands away from each other, but it’s the best hug I’ve had in a long, long time.

“I want this gone,” Ethan says as he tugs on the pendant.

When he lets it fall back against his chest, I try my luck, though it doesn’t budge.

“I want to remember everything.” He drops his head to add, “I want to kiss you, but only if you want that, too. There’s something in the back of my head that says you might not be agreeable to it, but I hope it’s wrong.”

I raise a hand. “I absolutely want to kiss you.” I dream of it some nights, especially now that we’ve reunited. “Perhaps your memory is coming back slowly. I told you years ago I was somewhere on the asexual spectrum.” The more I think about it, demi-sexual is probably where I land. “When it comes to you, I want kisses, maybe more.” I’m glad I’m not that awkward teenager about it anymore. I’ve never felt broken about any of it, but it’s weird to talk about.

“I’m a virgin,” Ethan blurts. “A lot of people lose their virginity in college, but I was still a kid and so exhausted it never crossed my mind. Then I was just always busy. And I think in the back of my mind I always knew there was someone I was waiting for and it was the pretty demon in my dreams.” He sucks in a breath, going bright pink. He’s so cute. “I’m not ashamed. Just wanted you to know.”

I shrug. “I’m a virgin too, on account that sex just doesn’t cross my mind. And certainly not with some random person off the street.” I shiver at the thought. “I need connection. But I don’t need sex.”

“Makes sense. And I was always told I’d have to marry Florence. They are sex repulsed and I’m gay, so I knew we wouldn’t be doing anything despite everyone’s desire for us to produce heirs. How fucking gross is that? Here you have to marry and fuck so we can continue the magic lines. No, thank you.” He sticks his tongue out and shivers. “Just doesn’t make sex appealing to me. I want intimacy, not requirement.”

“I get that.” I itch to hold his hand as we walk, but alas, I don’t want him to disappear on me.

“We are a mess.” Ethan chuckles. “I ever tell you about that time I fucked a grapefruit.”

I bark out a laugh. “Actually, yes. You said it burned and not in a fun way.”

“Sounds like something I’d say.” Ethan’s laugh is magical. Damn Cordia for her meddling.

I sigh, my fingers twitch. Ethan yawns and I feel bad because he’s probably exhausted.

“You should go to bed,” I whisper.

“And miss time with you? Not a chance.” He shakes his head, and it reminds me of him as that determined boy.

Something like a flare lights up the night sky over Cordia’s mansion and Ethan grimaces. “Are you kidding me? She’s using the bat signal on me?”

“What?” I ask.

“You’ve never seen bat man? He’s got the bat signal when Gothem needs him.”

“No idea what you’re talking about, but there’s not a bat in the sky or anything.”

“No, it’s just…” Ethan flings a hand towards the light. “Grandmother being dramatic. If I don’t show up in ten minutes, she’ll punish me. I can’t believe?—”

I wrap my hand around his upper arm where I won’t touch his skin and we teleport right into Cordia’s yard. There’s a raccoon in a tree that watches us.

“That’s Rosco, grandmother’s familiar,” Ethan says. “He’s pretty harmless.”

He says that, but then the little creature runs down from his tree and starts screeching. Ethan stumbles back and when he does, he grabs my hand, and he’s gone yet again.

“What did you say to him?” I ask Rosco, as if I’ll be able to understand him. He continues chatting and I just stare blankly at him.

Someone I don’t recognize rounds the house and I take a few steps back. They hold up their hands. “You probably don’t know who I am. Let me introduce myself. I’m Trever Belladonna. Head of the Belladonna coven and I think I can help you help your little Speller witch.”

“How can I trust you?”

“You can’t and you can’t trust him either. Somehow, he’ll find a way to betray you like he does everyone.”

“That’s not the Ethan I know. He’s trustworthy.”

Trever snorts. “He was supposed to marry my boy Liam. The two were thick as thieves before that Hallow bitch showed up. It’s like he forgot all about Liam.”

I search my brain for any mention of Liam and nothing comes up. If Ethan had to marry another boy, he probably wouldn’t have had any problem. Probably never would have fallen in love with me.

“I don’t think he forgot Liam on purpose. You know Cordia used a memory spell on Ethan to forget me. She probably did the same for him to forget Liam.”

“I know all about the memory spell that keeps you out of his head because I helped her develop it. But she stabbed me in the back and I’m ready for payback.”

My heart pounds. Could it really be this easy?

Ethan pounds on the door. “Let me out!”

“My sweet grandbaby, this is for your own good,” Cordia says from inside. Then I can’t see him anymore.

Trever laughs. “The bitch thinks I’m helping her keep Ethan locked up. She’s sorely mistaken. I’m here to cause chaos. You know what my Liam did?”

I shake my head, hoping it’s not something tragic.

“He renounced his magic and left Hex.”

“But he lives, right?”

“Yes. But he said we repressed him too much. Said we put too much expectations on the coven heirs. We just want what’s best for everyone. Florence or Ethan should have married my boy to show him the joys of magic. Instead, the spoiled brats keep pushing off their wedding. Soon it’s not going to matter.” The man cackles manically. “Soon, Ethan will go BOOM! And Hex’ll be covered in the strongest magic she’ll ever experience. There’s no way we won’t all absorb it. So, of course, I’ll tell you how to remove the pendant that keeps him stable.”

“Don’t you dare!” Cordia screams from inside. “I had no idea how you felt about all this, Trever. Had I known, I never would have recruited you to help.” She can’t get the door open fast enough.

Trever leans in. “True love’s kiss breaks the spell. Then any demon can remove the pendant.”

“You! You!” Cordia points to Trever, and he disappears. “That should teach you, you damn gnat!”

I stumble back and trip, falling to my bottom as she stomps towards me. The raccoon pounces on me and sits on my chest, growling at her.

“You betray me too, Rosco?”

He chitters something, and she fists her hands. “Then so be it.” She snaps, making Rosco go limp against me when she turns on her heel. “You’re nothing to me anymore, creature.”

I clutch the raccoon to my chest as he regains consciousness. “I’m so sorry, little guy,” I whisper. “So sorry.” Pushing to my feet, I do my best not to jostle him too much. I’m not sure what she did to him other than sever whatever bond they had. I know witches and their familiars usually have a lifetime together, so I hope she didn’t just give him a death sentence.

The lights go out in Cordia’s house. I want to rip the door open and retrieve Ethan to take him away from this woman. What’s holding me back? Nothing! I stomp to the front door, but the moment I step on the porch, magic pushes me back with each trial until I’m standing on the road outside the barrier.

Wick: True love’s kiss breaks the spell.

How the hell can we kiss and not touch at the same time?