“See, there is only good in you, Lily.”
My eyes snap open and meet his. “There is good in you, too.”
He half-smiles. “Only you see that, lastochka.”
His gaze flicks between my eyes, then settles on my lips. “It’s a full moon, Lily. Haven’t you forgotten something?” he asks.
I raise an eyebrow. “Forgotten what? Don’t you dare start talking about me getting on a broom. I’m not actually a witch, unfortunately.”
He chuckles, and my cheeks heat.
“No. Your crystals, they need to go outside, right?”
“H-how do you even know?”
He leans in, his mouth brushing my ear. “I like to learn everything that makes you happy.”
My heart hammers as he pulls away and picks up the ceramic plate of crystals from the dining table.
I blow out the sage, set it aside, and follow him as he slides the doors open to the yard.
“Wow. She’s pretty,” I murmur, looking up at the bright moon.
“Yeah. Yeah, she is,” Drago mutters.
He drags the table across the patio until it’s in direct moonlight and carefully places the crystals in the center.
“Is this okay?” he asks.
I nod, suddenly lost for words. This man feels too good to be true. I already know how quickly things can crumble.
We stand side by side, staring up at the moon in silence. It’s soothing. Enough that I yawn and rest my head against his arm.
He sighs, wrapping his arm around me and tugging me closer, resting his head on top of mine.
“Maybe you don’t have evil entities in your house,” I whisper.
“Oh, yeah?”
I nod against him.
“Maybe the negative energy is coming from us.”
I look up at him. He turns to face me.
“I don’t want it to be like this, Lily. In fact, I can’t fucking stand a single second of pretending that you’re not the center of my universe. It’s not even been a day, and I can’t do this.”
I let out a breath.
“Then why did I see you kissing another woman? And why haven’t you tried harder to explain yourself? You seemed fine with this ending.” The words sting the second they leave my mouth.
He shakes his head and gently laces his fingers through mine, placing them over his chest. His heart pounds beneath my palm.
“That woman is dangerous, one that we need to end this war before it starts. I have something she wants, and I’m using it as leverage. She kissed me to seal the deal. That’s what you saw.”
The moon shines down on him, trust blasting from his eyes.
I believe him. The way he looks at me tells me everything. “Okay. If she’s that dangerous, why is she kissing you? Is she an ex?”
