At least I know the witch is attracted to me; I don’t think she would have been able to fake the night before if she wasn’t.
“Showering. Would you like to join me?” I ask with a smile.
“I’m not showering with you,” she says like she’s scandalized, yet, her gaze doesn’t leave my half-undressed form.
“Because of your period?”
She raises her wand again and I place my hands placatingly in the air.
“Please don’t break my nose again.”
“I won’t if you stop bringing up mycondition.”
“Don’t be embarrassed, Ember. I love being edged with what I can’t have,” I tell her, turning on my heel and heading into the shower.
After my shower, I throw on some sweatpants and consider going back to the room without a shirt on. Wanting to not piss Ember off anymore than I already have, I throw a shirt on.
When I’m back in the room, she’s lying on the bed, bored, braiding a piece of her pink hair.
As an immortal being I know a thing or two about boredom.
“Is your nose okay?” she asks, and the sick part of me wants to pretend it hurts so she’ll make it all better; she clearly feels guilty. I find her temper endlessly cute.
“It’s fine, my own doing. How about some Gin Rummy before I have to go?” I ask her, grabbing the card deck out of the top drawer.
She sits up in the bed, skeptical but eager to do something other than sit around. “What are we going to bet with?” she questions and I smirk.
“What do you want if you win?”
She licks her lips, scooting on the bed, crossing her legs and I sit on the edge of the bed, shuffling the cards with speed.
“Another secret. What do you want if you win?” she asks.
I could be crass, could irritate her even more, but instead I ask for something I know she’d be willing to give. “I’d also like to know a secret.”
She squints at me, but nods. “I can do that.”
Her raccoon familiar is absolutely snooping the entire time we play, but he’s quiet, letting us play our game. When it’s my turn I grab from the discard pile and Ember curses under her breath.
“How do I know you aren’t using your vampire speed to cheat?” she asks.
“How do I know you aren’t using your magic,” I retort and she clicks her tongue.
“A promise that neither of us will cheat.” She holds out her hand and I take it in mine, squeezing her soft hand for a moment.
She looks down at where our skin touches and I rub my thumb over her skin.
“You feel it don’t you?” I ask her.
Her breath hitches and she slowly tugs her hand away from mine, looking back down at her drawn hand.
We go back and forth, running through the deck until the end of the game and we have to lie down our cards and count points.
The witch wins.
“Yes,” she hisses as we count the totals. Alright, so my witch is a little competitive, I like it.
“What secret would you like?” I ask her, hoping to fuck it’s an easy one.
