“I’ll see you later,” he told him before letting himself back into the tavern, waving goodbye to Abigail as he made his way out—back to the café.
Nathaniel found Thea sitting on the floor in the café, an odd look on her face.
“What is it?”he asked, sitting next to her.
“I’m just wondering… What happens if we truly can’t break it?”she said.
“What happened to ‘we’re not allowed to think that way’?”he asked, keeping his voice lighthearted.
“I know,” she said with a sigh.“I’m trying.”
“You and I will be fine,” he said.“We can get through anything together, even if it’s a curse.Although I will warn you—I’m about to say no to any more potions.Those were truly the most vile things I have ever tasted in my life.”
“You already told me that,” Thea said, but she smiled, which was his goal in saying it—so it had worked.
“I just don’t know what else to try,” she said.
“Well, if Guinevere isn’t sure yet, and she’s known about magic her whole life, I don’t know why you expect yourself to be able to come up with an answer to it,” he said gently.“We’ll figure it out eventually, but it doesn’t have to happen right now.”
“Are you saying you’re okay with turning into a cat again?”she asked skeptically.
“Okay with it?No,” he said, shaking his head.“I’m not okay with anything that keeps me from your side for even a moment longer.”
Thea’s sigh softened, and she leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder.
“However,” he said, “you and I have fought through worse, and I know that no matter what it takes, you and I can find our way to each other again—no matter how many times I turn into a cat, no matter how many times we think we’re being pulled away from each other.I refuse to lose you again.Not even to a curse.”
“You’re good at this motivational speech thing,” Thea said, looking up at him.“You should do it more often.”
“Hopefully I’ll never have to give a motivational speech about turning into a cat ever again,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“I hope so, too,” Thea said softly.
Ginger padded over toward them and sat on Thea’s lap.
“Hello, kit,” she said, smoothing her hands over Ginger’s back.
Nathaniel’s nose twitched.“Is it bad that I’m jealous that she’s sitting in your lap right now?”he asked.
Thea rolled her eyes.
“It might just be the feline instincts, but right now I just want you to rub my head.”
She let out a wry chuckle, but she reached out to pat his head and said, “You’re a good boy,” which made Nathaniel guffaw.
“That felt strange,” Thea admitted.“I’m never doing that again.”
“I think that’s probably wise, because otherwise you might get too used to doing it.”
Thea simply rolled her eyes again.
“Do you want to scratch under my chin?”Nathaniel teased as she began to do the same to Ginger.
“No,” she said, shaking her head at him.“You are the strangest man I have ever met.”
“I bet I’m the only one you’ve ever met that also turns into a cat,” he pointed out.
“That would explain a lot,” she said, but there was affection in her tone.
