Idris drops both the sugar and creamer without warning, letting the crystallized cubes scatter across the tabletop. I brace myself for the liquid to splatter too, but an icy blue light catches the pitcher just before it makes contact, suspending it in the air. I watch it sway gently back and forth. One lone drop of cream drips down the side, its movement jerky and unpredictable, until it falls, sinking into the fabric of the tablecloth.
I stare at the magic, mesmerized, as Idris lowers the container to the table without touching it. He takes a casual sip of his coffee, and I blink, feeling heat rush to my cheeks.
“If they’re just running around worshipping chaos all the time, wouldn’t there be more witch mayhem on the evening news?” I ask, pointing to the scattered sugar cubes.
“Most people just assume they’re eccentric or rationalize away anything overly weird,” Callum says, shrugging.
“And the only rule their coven leaders force them to follow is the secrecy covenant,” Dimitri adds. His dark eyes are tracking the way his oldest son looks at me, and I don’t like the attention.
“Are there any trusted elders we could reach out to overseas?” Sarah diverts my attention from Dimitri’s plotting with her question. “I doubt we want to involve any of the other North American enclaves. The temptation would be too close.” She gives me an apologetic look, and I force a smile.
“That’s not a bad idea.” Joshua rubs his chin. “I’ll think about it. Perhaps Magnus in Scotland.”
“What about the academy?” Gideon asks, pressing his hand over his heart as he looks at me. The motion makes me realize I’m feeling the distance between us too.
“I don’t trust any of the professors,” Callum mutters.
“We wouldn’t have to tell them what’s going on, though.” Gideon scrunches up his nose as he thinks about his alma mater. “Just come up with some excuse to case the library.”
“That might actually work,” Idris says. He seems impressed by Gideon’s suggestion, but in a way that’s almost completely patronizing. “It is the most comprehensive supernatural archive on this continent.”
“I can’t help with that. You know I’m banned from the campus for life,” Ciprian says, grinning at me as if he’s daring me to ask him why. I don’t give him the satisfaction.
“Callum and I will go,” Gideon says decisively. He stands then, his chair scraping against the floor with the sudden movement. “Now, we’re going to bed. I can’t listen to another word from any of you. You’re all giving me a headache.”
Gideon circles the table, clapping his father on the back and kissing his mother on the cheek.
“Mallory, the food was great.” Gideon nods at our host, ignoring Ciprian, Dimitri, and Idris completely.
He slips his hand in mine and pulls me up from my seat. I barely have two seconds to thank the Casanells for the dinner, before my massive shifter half carries, half drags me from the room, Callum trailing after us.
The fae watches us leave with obvious interest. “Good night, little djinn.” He purrs the nickname for the third time.
Gideon squeezes my hand a little tighter in response.
CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN
SHEENA
When we near the gargoyle statue, I remember Gideon’s silly impersonation and some of my stress from dinner melts away. My lips tick up in amusement as I spot the claw mark he accidentally left behind while trying to make me laugh. I shed layers of tension with each step I take.
I must not be the only one because as soon as we cross into the winding corridor, Callum tugs me away from Gideon and into his arms. He kisses me with desperation, his tongue slipping in and dominating my mouth like he can’t help himself. There’s a new urgency in the way he holds me as though the things we’ve learned have shaken his control.
“It’s okay,” I whisper, trying to reassure him between kisses. He groans in my mouth, clinging to me tightly. Gideon crowds my back, dropping a warm kiss to my exposed neck.
“This is really fucking hot, but can we do it back in my room?” Gideon grumbles in my ear. “I still feel like that creepy statue is watching us.”
I look over my shoulder. Even though the gargoyle is out of sight now, I do feel something. I chuckle, a little unnerved, then put my imagination to better use.
With one hand still buried in Callum’s dark hair, I stretch my other arm up, winding it around Gideon’s neck, and arch back to whisper in his ear. “Better hurry and take me back to your room before it comes alive and you have to protect my virtue from a hungry demon.”
My words impact him exactly how I hoped. Gideon’s brown eyes melt into a rich gold, shining in the dark hallway. I push my lower body further into Callum, who is holding me so tightly I can feel exactly how excited he is. After years of haunting loneliness, seeing them burn for me thaws some of the ice around my heart.
“You don’t get to leave us,” Callum hisses, speaking for the first time since we left dinner. His words are raw and ragged.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I reassure him, feeling a sting of regret over how my flight down the mountain damaged our fragile trust.
