“You didn’t tell him?” she snaps.
“Tell me what?” I struggle to sit up, looking between them. Selene rests a reassuring hand on my back, stroking in slow circles—I’m not sure she’s aware she’s touching me. Her blue eyes, bright with anger, are still firmly fixed on Hux.
“I didn’t want him to panic about it. If I’d known how powerful he was, I’d have warned him of the possibility. Now the strength of the amulet makes sense.” He looks at me. “Whoever your parents were, they must have been incredibly strong.”
“Back up,” I say, doing my best to follow the conversation, but everything’s drifting by me like leaves on the wind. “I passed out?”
“Yes,” Huxley confirms. “I’m sorry, Jared. After you connected to your magic so quickly I suspected you’d be powerful, but I never imagined your magic would try to force the shift on you.”
I latch onto that. “Demons can change forms too?”
“Not in the same way shifters do, but yes, demons have an alternate form,” Selene explains.
“It’s not one size fits all though,” Hux adds. “The characteristics of demon shifted forms vary. Horns, wings, a tail, a change in your colouring, claws—it’s all possible. Some features pass down through family members, but even then, there are still anomalies. Since you’re adopted, we won’t know what changes you’ll experience until you shift.”
The image of a red cartoon devil, complete with horns and tail, floats across my mind, making me chuckle. The sound isonly alittleunhinged. “Let’s add that to the list of wild shit I’ve had to deal with since coming here.”
Selene and Hux share a look of concern. “How are you feeling?” Selene asks.
“Like I’ve been hit by a truck and my brain’s turned to scrambled egg.” Her hand is still on my back, and I lean into her side, letting my head fall onto her shoulder. I can’t help it. Boundaries have lost all meaning to me. All that matters is being close to her.
That reminds me. “Before I blacked out… I felt something. A pull like I needed to find you. What was that?” I tilt my head to look up at Selene only to be hit with the realisation of how close we are. If I weren’t already sitting, her ruby lips being this close to mine would be enough to floor me.
I’m close enough to hear her breath catch and watch her electric-blue eyes widen before she darts a panicked glance over to Hux. “Nothing.” The pink tip of her tongue darts out to wet her lower lip, and she clears her throat, pulling back. The distance between us feelswrong. My breaths saw in and out in short, shallow gasps. God, what is wrong with me? I’ve all but admitted to wanting to find her the moment something went wrong, and now I’m panicking because she’s not comfortable with me invading her personal space.
A soft palm cups my jaw, Selene’s thumb stroking over my stubble in a soothing rhythm. My lungs instantly expand. Why do I need this woman like I need air? Maybe I’m not handling the supernatural revelation as well as I thought—not if I’m latching on this hard to the first person in town to show me kindness.
“Sorry.” Embarrassed, I go to move away, but she holds me in place. I’m not too proud to let her keep me there, wrapped in her comforting orange blossom scent.
“It’s alright, Jared. This has all been a lot.” She moves to kneel directly in front of me, blocking everything else from view. She’s so close the hem of her burnt-orange skirt brushes the tops of my thighs as she settles. Her delicate hands rest on my shoulders, and I wish I could reach up to hold them in mine, but I haven’t regained control of my limbs yet. “I’ve got you. We’ll sit here, just like this, until you’re ready to go home, OK?”
I nod. “Think I’m going to need a little time to recover before that dinner.”
Her laugh is beautiful. “I’ll bet. Power surges are no joke, and I felt yours all the way from the shop.”
“Felt it?”
“Because she warded the gazebo for us,” Huxley blurts out eagerly. Huh. I forgot he was still here.
Selene’s hands drop to her lap, and she sits back on her heels. I already miss the contact. “Right. Yes. The ward.” Her voice has shot up an octave.
“Are you OK? The surge didn’t hurt you through the ward, did it?” I have no idea if that’s possible.
“I’m fine.” She reaches for my hand, the black paint on her nails a stark contrast to my fair, golden skin. “You could never hurt me, Jared.” Sighing with relief at both the contact and the reassurance she’s alright, my muscles unknot and I gently squeeze her hand in reply.
We sit quietly until I feel like I can let go of Selene without spiralling. Not that Iwantto release her at all, but I won’t take advantage of the situation or her kindness. The next time Selene’s in my arms will be because she doesn’t want to be anywhere else—not because she feels obliged to comfort me.
“Hux,” I begin, and the demon in question looks up from his phone. “Before you put the amulet back on, did you figure out what kind of demon I am?”
His entire expression brightens as he leans forward eagerly. “Yes.”Please don’t let me be a soul eater. “You’re an insight demon.”
“He is?” Selene asks, excited.
“Yep.” Huxley grins. “A good fit, wouldn’t you say?” A look I don’t understand passes between them. “Selene will be a great help in teaching you to master your powers.”
“What do you mean?” Selene’s a witch, not a demon.
“She’s a moon witch, meaning she specialises in divination and insight.” He looks downright giddy, and I can’t help but feel I’m missing something important.
