11. Evil Sorcerer MoMo

CLOVER

I wake up groggy and only mildly sore. It’s well past noon, and the late orange sky has become hazy outside the bedroom window.

“I wasn’t sure what to get, so I ordered a variety,” Kushim says as he walks in the room in nothing but a loosely tied silk robe that shows the absolute glory of his muscled chest.

He still wears some necklaces, an earring, and some rings that glint with the light as he pushes a massive trolley with tons of food on silver plates. It even has a little silver tower with scones and glass jars with jellies and fruits.

“Oh my, that looks amazing!” I gasp, sitting up and crawling across the bed to him and bouncing on my knees.

He smiles and leans in, tilting my chin up with his hand, effectively stopping my bouncing, and pulling me in for a kiss.

“Are you sure that’s enough?” I say, breathlessly.

His deep chuckle sneaks out between us, reminding me of last night, and I squirm.

“Any time you want me, you can have me. But let me feed you first.”

I lick my lips, my eyes going between the food and his hardening cock. “Ugh. Tough decisions.”

“I mean the food. You can have me later.” He winks and I laugh, making him smile as he takes a seat beside me.

“Yay!” I grab a buttery croissant and dip it in some berry jam before taking a bite. The sweet berry and buttery goodness dances along my tongue. “It’s delicious. Thank you.”

“Any time,” he says, then places a soft kiss on my bare shoulder.

“You know, I was a bit worried you wouldn’t like me at first,” I tell him between bites.

“I certainly like you. So much so I would be happy to show you how much all over again,” he says, wiping some jam from the corner of my mouth.

I lick my lips and smile as he reaches out and grabs a grape, popping it in his mouth.

“Good. I am really happy I found you so fast. And now that we’re together, we can go find my other mate, break the curse, and free Aldrich from the realm with the shadowy monster thing. The Blobby,” I tell him, then pick up a piece of toast and munching on it.

“I—” Kushim’s muscles tense, and he grows still beside me. I look over at him to see him looking at me with his brow furrowed. “You what now?”

“Oh, don’t worry. Its real name isn’t that. I call him Blobby, but Aldrich insists he wasn’t always a blob, so it’s inaccurate. He calls him Mo something. Sorcerer MoMo? Or MoJo? Something like that.”

He delicately reaches out and cups my face, turning me so I can only look directly into his eyes. They seem to glow, and my head feels fuzzy. I have a sudden urge to tell him anything and everything.

“You believe me to be your mate?”

I smile softly. “Oh, yes.”

He smiles in return, looking less nice and more predatory. “Who is Aldrich?”

“Oh, he’s my other mate. He’s pretty and a Fae!”

His smile falls, and his jaw clenches. “And where is he?” he asks in a clipped tone.

“Oh, you can’t see him. Mip can, but Mip is from the world he’s trapped in, so it’s different. Oh! You will like Mip. He already seems to like you. He didn’t stab you, and I think that’s a good sign. He never stabs me, but I’m his bestie for the restie.”

“They are in one of the nine realms?”

My head feels heavy. “Oh, I don’t think so. Aldrich made it sound like it was its own special realm. It has a lot of very desolate areas but pretty blue trees and bright yellow flower fields. Oh, and sometimes the massive moon is crimson.”

“And he is trapped there?”

“Yes.”

He breaks eye contact, and suddenly my brain feels like it has been doused in ice-water, crystal-clear clarity coming to me. He did some brain funkiness to me with his pretty eyes.

“What did you do to me?”

“I just wanted to make sure you were telling the truth, so I ensured you would be honest.” He kisses my forehead.

I frown. “Why would I lie?”

“Some people in my world lie for many reasons. Mostly to take advantage of or steal from me. I have lived a long time, Clover. So long that I have forgotten my age. I was quite literally man’s first merchant.” He gives me an apologetic smile. “I just wanted to ensure you were certain about me being your mate.”

“Oh.” I fiddle with the food. “I don’t like that.”

He pushes the tray table aside and kneels in front of me. “I am sorry. I won’t do it again. I just needed to know. And if you think of something unpleasant next time that feeling happens, be it from me, or anyone else, your mind should be able to clear it. It’s a benefit of being a witch.”

“Really?”

He nods, and I pull him in for a kiss. I suppose I would want the absolute truth about being someone’s mate too, if I were him. But I was more happy just to learn I did have mates in the first place. And Kushim feels right, so I am certain Aldrich was right. Kushim is my mate, and an amazing one at that.

“Here, have some more food,” he says, selecting a small tangerine and deftly peeling the skin before holding it out to me. “I need to make a call. I’ll just step into the other room, okay?”

I nod, more than happy to keep munching.