“Cancer.”
“Genetics? Did you lose family from a cancer?” Axell watched him as he spoke, not looking around at all the other witches in the bar, just at Dan.
“No.Ihad cancer,” Dan clarified. People reacted to that sentence awkwardly, either fumbling words or blurting pity. After a lifetime of pity, Dan was over it—and he didn’t want a pity flirtation.
“Cancer is bad,” Axell said with a nod. “It is good you are a witch, ja?”
Dan grinned and echoed, “Ja.”
Axell gave him a look. “You mock my words.”
“You’re built like a Viking god and are calm no matter what, Axell. I need to mocksomething,or I’ll feel ragingly insecure.” Dan shrugged. He glanced at a badger that was swinging from a trapeze overhead.
Axell shook his head. “There I traveled and sang, and had much sex, but here… I am a student. No different than you.”
“So if we met there?”
Axell shrugged. “Depends on when. I hadmuchsex. After a show… I had energy, you see, but when people said untrue things, I knew. So just the sex. Not dating. They did not say untrue things about my singing, ja?”
Dan chuckled. “Must be a witch thing. I could tell when people lied, too.”
Axell caught his gaze. “So you know I do not lie to you now.”
It was a simple statement, an obvious one at that, but it sucked the air out of Dan’s lungs. Hedidknow that Axell wasn’t lying, that he was interested in Dan, and that made everything shift. The noise of the bar, the plethora of badgers, all of it faded in that moment.
“Ask me, Daniel.”
“Would you like to go on a date sometime?” Dan said, feeling anxious that despite the conversations they had shared the last few days this was a setup of some sort.
Axell’s answering smile made all the anxiety vanish. “It is just us here together, ja? Thisisa date, Daniel.”
“Oh.” Dan took a gulp of his beer.
“A date should move closer.” Axell lifted his arm, inviting Dan to slide closer.
When Dan leaned slightly nearer, Axell sighed, tucked a foot underthe rung of the barstool, and pulled it toward him, all but dumping Dan into his arms. “Better, Daniel. This is better, ja?”
“Ja,” Daniel echoed again, gratified by the laugh that Axell let out.
I love being a witch. No cancer. A gorgeous man who seems to like me.Everything would be perfect if he could stay in Crenshaw.Whatever it takes. Whatever the cost. I’m never going back to my old life.
13Ellie
There was something oddly energizing about the whole magic-is-real, here’s-a-gorgeous-woman-hiding-secrets, and—oh yes—there’s-a-prophecybusiness. Ellie stood in what appeared to be a Victorian sitting room with a Victorian witch who wanted to break all the rules to save this peculiar community. Bravery was obscenely sexy to Ellie. Passion for a cause? Sexy. The obvious battle Prospero was having with herself as she tried to sound reasonable and convincing? Still sexy.
And all Ellie could think about was kissing Prospero. “Dire straits, dangerous witch… it’s all so verymuch. Seriously, though, I catalog books, bake scones, and sometimes, when I feel particularly saucy, I paint my nails bright colors.”
“You’re probably more overwhelmed since I didn’t give you time for your magic to settle.”
“Like sediment or something?” Ellie snarked.
“Yes, Miss Brandeau. You may feel a little tipsy, perhaps?” Prospero motioned her to the chair. “That explains the urge to ki—”
“OrI might just find you attractive.” Ellie’s desire to be swept off her feet was obviously going nowhere just then.
“Is there anything in your life that you care for enough to want to risk everything?”
“No. I don’t think so.… Maybe my aunt. Hestia. She was an archaeologist, and she vanished for a few years until—”
