25. Damian

Chapter twenty-five

Damian

O wen and I were sitting in the little deli across from his office when the law firm's receptionist, Cary, came in. The guy had flirted shamelessly with me from the moment I met him, but I got a distinct feeling that was just his character.

Owen didn't seem the least bit surprised or concerned, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I mean, I didn't want a jealous boyfriend, but I didn't mind him caring a little.

"So," Owen said, moving nervously and glancing around for listening ears. "I, um, wanted you to meet Cary because he's, you know, on the same team."

"Honey, it's the 2020s. You can say the gay word." I said, chuckling.

Owen rolled his eyes toward Cary, which made him laugh. I'd already clocked him as a witch. My internal voice told me that when he walked into the deli. I didn't understand what that meant, just that he wasn't a threat.

"I think he means the witch thing," Cary said, laughing when Owen looked around. "Baby, nobody cares about that these days either. The ones who hear it just think we're a bunch of nutters. The ones who know, already knew.

"Damian," Cary said and extended his hand. "It's a delight to meet you, on friendlier and less professional terms, that is."

I chuckled and took the witch's hand, pulling back when the little bastard electrocuted me, but his grin gave away the fact that he was just being naughty. He waggled his eyebrows and said, "I've got a very electric personality."

"Cut it out, Cary, or I won't invite you to have lunch with us again," Owen said and stuffed his mouth with a hoagie.

"Ugh, you are no fun, Owen. You get to sleep with the hunky wizard. At the very least, you should let me play with him."

I cocked my eyebrow and wondered if I could somehow zap him back, but my powers immediately shut down the idea. There are a lot of differences between a wizard and a witch. They aren't powerful enough to worry about keeping everything locked down. On the other hand, I apparently had to watch my every move when it came to magic.

As the epiphany came to me, I sighed and, reaching over, took several of Cary's potato chips instead. When he cocked an eyebrow at me, I shrugged. "I can't zap you back, so I decided petty theft would be my revenge."

Cary stared at me for a few seconds and burst out laughing. "Oh, I like you, wizard. Okay, so when are you two tying the knot, and can I be the flower girl?"

The rest of the meal was like that, and secretly, I couldn't wait to get Molly and Cary together. Would I regret that for the rest of my life? Oh yeah, because they were going to be impossible together. Not to mention what would happen if Molly ever figured out that Cary was an actual, honest-to-goodness witch. Ugh, maybe I shouldn't introduce them.

My phone buzzed, and instinctively, I knew it was the devil I'd just been thinking of. "Hey stranger, about time you called me."

"Phones work both ways, butch," she said, using my nickname since she said I wasn't gay acting enough, whatever that meant, to be a bitch.

"Whatever," I replied like I always did. "Where've you been? I want you to have dinner with Owen, me, and maybe even my new friend, Cary."

Cary's eye went up, and I could see mischief pouring out of him. At that moment, he looked a hell of a lot more like an imp than a witch. I'd have to ponder that one a bit.

"I've been so busy with work, but I told my boss that if she didn't pull back, I'd quit, so I've got some time. What about tonight?"

I closed my eyes to see if I could contact Orville in my mind. Of course, I did, which was awesome .

"Orville, would it be possible to bring over guests tonight?"

"Not your seance friends again?" he asked sarcastically.

"One of them, yes, but the other is a witch."

I could feel Orville's alarm.

"Elias never allowed witches in his home."

"Yes, and I feel the alarm bells going off, but this one is a friend of Owens's. I'd like him to feel welcome."

"I can't restrict who you invite, but don't expect him to be welcomed by the other residents."

"Damian," I heard Molly say.

"Yeah, sorry I got distracted. Come by the house tonight. We'll show you the renovations and see what you think. Also if he'll come, I'm inviting our friend. You'll like him; he's a witch."

"Oh, is he single?"

"I think not on your team, even if he is."

Cary laughed across from me as Molly moaned in my ear. "Why can't I meet a nice straight witch? Okay, well, I get off at five and can come over then."

"Five thirty it is."

I closed my eyes again after I hung up and asked Orville if cook planned to prepare a meal tonight or if I needed to grab pizza because I sure didn't want to offend the spirit if it meant they wouldn't cook like that for us again.

"Cook only does what they want to. You should prepare your own meal. "

The curt reply made it clear how Orville felt about my having a witch over for dinner.

I opened my eyes, and Cary was staring at me, his mischievous eyes watching my every move. "Okay, well, against my, I don't know what I'd call Orville. My resident ghost?" I said, and Owen choked on his water. I clapped him on the back and kept talking. "I'm inviting you to my home tonight, but they're not real happy. I'd recommend you only go the kitchen/dining combo and the parlor."

"What if I need the powder room?" he asked seriously, and I laughed.

"I think I can convince Orville to allow that."

He nodded. This time, he wasn't smiling. "It's very unusual to receive an invitation to a wizard's home. Much less if you have ghosts in residence. You're new. Are you sure you wish to open that can of worms?"

I searched my thoughts for any instinctual concerns, and although there was certainly a reticence from the ghosts coming at me, I couldn't see any reason why I shouldn't trust Cary. I stared at him for a moment more while weighing all the concerns.

From what I could see, the main one was the same as the movies said about vampires. Once you invited one in, they could come and go as they chose. Of course, the only difference between most homes and ours was that ours was full of spirits that I doubt even a witch could contend with .

"I can see no reason not to invite you in, but the invitation applies only to you, not your coven, not your relations, only you. If I choose to open an invitation to others, it will be done individually. Can you commit to that?" I asked, and Cary nodded, the smile still gone. I felt how important it was to give a consequence, so I sighed and wished I didn't have to come off as rude, but apparently, it was required.

"Know this, witch. If you break this agreement, you will never be allowed in or around my residence again. That includes the entire neighborhood."

"As it should," Cary said and lifted his hand. I did the same, and light transferred between us, sealing the bond and the agreement.

Cary's smile returned as I glanced at Owen, whose mouth was agape. "That was intense."

"Oh, you'll get used to it. When you have the power that your boyfriend has, you have to be very careful about who you invite into your home. I am very honored, wizard, as will all my coven be. You have earned yourself a lot of very useful allies by your generosity."

I snorted. "You say that, but you haven't met our house full of spirits yet."

Cary stopped short. "House full of spirits?" he asked.

"Oh, very full. Orville, also a spirit, has yet to tell me how many, but I know it's several dozen. "

He shook his head. "You are a very strange wizard, Damian, but more power to you, and I appreciate the warning. I'll wear my citrine pendant, just in case."

I realized that citrine repelled harmful spirits, but I seriously doubted that any crystal would hold off the spirits in my home. Not only because there were a lot of them, but even more importantly, having lived over a century with a powerful wizard, they had also manifested powers, although Orville denied it. I didn't think they were the kind that could be used outside their own forms, but they could and likely would be formidable if provoked.