14. Sloan

CHAPTER 14

Sloan

S loan enjoys her food and the tiny bit of conversation she manages to coax out of Daisy, but throughout the entire meal, she can't stop thinking about that random gust of wind. Where they are seated, they are blocked off from any draft that would come in from a doorway, and despite Daisy's attempt to try and distract her, Sloan is pretty sure she saw some faint magic floating on that gust. A faint violet hue, to be precise.

While she knows Daisy is right and it wasn't a big deal, she wonders what set her off. They had certainly had their moments throughout the day, but things had calmed down, and they were starting to have an actual conversation. It was finally beginning to feel like they could get along, even if it did feel like an awkward date. So why the magical freakout?

"Earth to Sloan!" Daisy says, waving a hand in front of her. She must have said something, and Sloan was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear it.

"Sorry. I zoned out there for a second."

"Little longer than a second," Daisy replies. "I was just saying that I'm going to go for a walk around the building and check it out."

"Oh. Okay." Sloan responds, sounding more deflated than she meant to. She doesn't want to force her company on Daisy and understands if she needs space for herself, but Sloan also can't ignore the pang of hurt at not being asked to go with her. "I guess I'll see you back in the room then."

"Sounds good," Daisy says, placing her napkin on the table as she stands. She gives Sloan a slight nod before turning and walking away without looking back. Sloan's eyes follow Daisy on her way out, noticing how her sweater hugs her curves and how the ambient light bounces off her purple hair. Sloan sighs softly as she reminds herself why she is here this weekend—to help get this event organized, not to develop feelings for the one person who wouldn't, and doesn't, want her.

The waitstaff comes by shortly after Daisy leaves, checking in to see if Sloan would like anything else. There are lots of things she would like, such as a friendship like Daisy and Petra have, or the ability to not be known by her last name and all the expectations that come with it. To avoid unloading all of her mental torment on this poor staff member, she takes a breath, places a kind smile on her face, and says, "I'll take a cappuccino, please."

"Would you like a slice of cherry cheesecake to go with it?"

"Sure. That sounds great," Sloan replies, doing her best not to let the sense of self-pity fester now that she's about to have dessert all alone.

"Anything else, miss?" the waitstaff asks as they deposit her drink and dessert in front of her.

"No, this is great. Thank you."

"My pleasure. Enjoy."

Sloan smiles and nods slightly in response as she hooks her finger into the cup's handle and brings the cinnamon-coated foam and espresso to her lips. She takes a sip and closes her eyes, letting the velvety chocolatey flavors wash over her tongue. As her eyes open, her only thought is that she will have to make sure Daisy has a cappuccino before they leave. Her power sparks under her skin at the thought of Daisy. She breathes deeply, answering its call and recognizing that Daisy may be someone special. With their past, though, she doesn't know if they could ever move beyond the bare acquaintances that they are now. When her drink and cheesecake are finished, she places her napkin on the table and rises. As she makes her way back to the restaurant entrance, she looks back in the direction of their table, wondering if perhaps tonight was the beginning of a shift for them.

Back in their room, she throws her purse down on the desk and takes off her heels, carefully tucking them out of the way. Her hands find their way up to her chestnut-colored hair, and she runs them through, stopping at the base of her neck, where she interlaces her fingers together and then sighs.

Sloan's thoughts fly through her mind like a broomstick gone rogue. Did Daisy feel like this was a dinner date? What caused her to manifest physical magic? Is there something wrong with her?

As Sloan's brain takes her on a deeper dive and the anxiety tightens her chest, worried that this incident could mean something more, she hears the lock on the door beep. She stares at the door, listening to the handle turn, and watches as Daisy steps through the entrance, bathed in the golden glow from the light in the hallway. The tightness in her chest instantly releases as her eyes travel down Daisy's body.

"Oh. Hi. I didn't think you'd be back yet," Daisy says, surprised to see Sloan. She closes the door behind her, kicks off her shoes, walks over to the bed, and flops onto it.

"Where did you think I would go after you left me?" Sloan asks, sounding more accusatory than she intended.

Daisy rolls over onto her stomach, softly kicking her feet in the air. Her arms fold in front of her, creating a little nest for her head, which turns sideways and rests atop them. "I don't know. Wherever you wanted to? We're still in Leeside, you know. Lots of places for you to go. Lots of people for you to torment."

Sloan's magic sparks under her skin, annoyed at Daisy's tone and her apparent gall to suggest that Sloan wants nothing more than to hurt others. Why does she have to be such a witch all the time? Would it kill Daisy to actually be nice to her? Sloan has gone out of her way to try to be kind and offer assistance since being assigned to work together, and yet Daisy seems to have taken every opportunity to make it challenging or be completely unreasonable. And for what? To take all the credit for something they are supposed to do as a team? And now she can't even have a normal conversation after abruptly leaving Sloan alone?

Sloan opens her mouth to voice all of these thoughts when she notices the rosy appearance around Daisy's eyes and her nose. She instantly deflates. "Have you been crying?" she asks.

Daisy turns her head to face down into the hole in her folded arms. Her shoulders hunch, and Sloan sees and hears a deep breath release. "No," Daisy replies unconvincingly.

Sloan tries to stop the funnel cloud of frustration within. "I totally believe you. That absolutely sounds like you're telling the truth."

"Shut up." Daisy's muffled attempt at an angry response amuses her, leading Sloan to let out a tiny snort. "Did you just snort?" Daisy asks, lifting her head to look at her.

"No," Sloan replies, mimicking Daisy's response from a moment ago. This earns her the briefest quirk of a smile. It's not much, but she'll take it.

Don't get her wrong, Daisy frustrates the fuck out of her. Clearly, if her feelings from two minutes ago are anything to go by, she knows Daisy will continue to do so. The constant whiplash and not knowing whether each interaction will be easy or end in an argument is mentally draining. But seeing the hint of a smile is worth all of the frustration. Lachlan was right. Daisy's tough, but being consistent is helping Sloan break through her shell.

Sloan sits on the edge of the bed, hoping the proximity doesn't scare Daisy away. "What's wrong?"

Daisy rolls over onto her back, lacing her hands and resting them on her stomach as she looks to the ceiling rather than at Sloan. Daisy doesn't respond immediately, and after a prolonged silence, Sloan figures there won't be a response. As she shifts to stand, Daisy says in almost a whisper, "I've had a rough couple of weeks."

"Oh?" Sloan says, settling back into her spot on the bed.

"You obviously know what happened with my parents when I was younger."

"Yes," Sloan says softly. Everyone knew. The Hales were the talk of the town for a long time. As she thinks back to all the things she said when she was younger, the years of torment that she and her friends caused Daisy, she's filled with a deep sense of remorse.

"Well, Petra pulled some strings, and I was able to see them a few weeks ago. I hadn't seen them since they were exiled."

She simply replies, "Oh."

"Yeah, oh. Well, things didn't go as I had hoped."

"What happened?" Sloan asks, leaning toward her.

"They essentially wanted me to join their new ‘business venture,'" she says, using air quotes around the term, "and wanted me to go back with them. They needed a witch and my connections. I said no and sent them back through a portal. I had to report them, and now their memories have been wiped and I am truly, officially, an orphan. They don't know I exist anymore, and I no longer have a family. It may have been a shitty one, but at least I had one." The words rushed out of her as if they had been seeking an escape route and finally found their freedom, leaving her breathless. Despite the heaviness of what she shared, Sloan thinks Daisy looks a little lighter, as if she needed to release that pain from her being.

Sloan reaches to place a hand on Daisy's shoulder but stops midway, not knowing how Daisy would respond to her touch. "I'm so sorry."

Daisy raises a hand, grasping the sleeve of her sweater, and uses it to wipe away the few tears that have escaped. "Anyway. I went for a walk because I could feel this," she says, motioning to herself, "needed to come out. I've recently had a surge in my power thanks to my family grimoire appearing, and I'm still learning to control it. So that wind earlier was a response to some emotions I was having… and well, this needs to get let out, or other shit could start happening."

Sloan wants to ask about the grimoire, how things have been going with it, and if she is happy that she has it. But she decides to save that for another time. "I get that. You're grieving, and that causes all sorts of big emotions and reactions. Thank you for sharing that with me."

"Yeah," Daisy sniffs.

"Look. I know we aren't exactly friends…" Sloan pauses, perhaps hoping Daisy will correct her. She doesn't. She ignores the sting and continues, "But I do think I'm a great listener. I know you have Petra, but if you ever want someone to listen and not try to fix it, I'm here."

Daisy offers a short laugh. "Yeah, Petra does like to try and fix everything, doesn't she?"

"Li'l bit. It comes from a good place, but she can be a bit…"

"Intense?"

"You said it, not me," Sloan jokes.

"Thanks."

"No problem." Sloan stands, goes to her bag, and begins pulling out clothes. "I'm going to get into some pjs and wash up. Do you wanna watch something?"

"Sure."

"Great. You can choose," Sloan says, stepping into the bathroom and closing the door. She leans against it, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. She releases a breath and counts to ten. They actually managed to have a decent conversation. If that continues, they may be able to work together after all. Maybe even become friends.