Really, it just seemed like both Sally-Anne and Dorian had a lot of growing up to do before either of them was ready to be in a relationship, either with each other or anyone else.
But that was a problem for Dorian and Sally-Anne – right now, Luna was really mainly concerned with getting her curse lifted. And explaining the situation to Dorian, before he got the wrong –
Suddenly, Dorian gasped, his eyes falling on Luna’s face. “You!”
Sigh. Too late,Luna thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. The only positive thing she could take out of this was that he had, at least, dropped the all-caps from his speech – she had actually been able tohearthe capitalization in his words when he first entered the room. She suspected that he may have been magically enhancing his voice to make it have a booming quality, but itreallydidn’t go with the whole jeans-and-t-shirt look – and now that he’d been distracted, he’d forgotten to keep it up.
Sheesh. Is being a wizard really so much effort?
“Madame Fortuna!” he bellowed unimpressively. “At last, we meet!”
He started rubbing his hands together, and an eerie green light began to fill the room.
Oh, crap.
How on earth was she going to explain it to her editor if she got put in hospital by a vengeful wizard? Would her healthcare plan even cover this?!
“Stay back.”
Henry was in front of her before she knew it, a growl in his voice and his body positioned protectively, an imposing barrier between her and danger. His eyes smoldered with fury, and, despite the wizard with glowing hands standing only a few feet away, Luna couldn’t help but feel protected – right now, Henry looked like a freight train couldn’t move him.
Okay, Iknewhe worked in security, and Iknewhe was a hellhound, but… wow.
She peeped around his side, just in time to see Dorian reaching one hand into his sleeve. Henry tensed, clearly ready to shift into his hellhound form if necessary, and Luna flinched as Dorian pulled out…
Some flowers?
Some FLOWERS???
“My love!” he cried, going down on one knee and thrusting the flowers out before him. “I have held on to my grievances for so long, but seeing your pulchritudinous visage again has made me realize the error of my ways! Take these blooms as a lowly token of my affection, and become my beloved once more!”
I’m going to kill this guy.Oh my GOD.
She didn’t dare turn around, but she thought that Sally-Anne’s face probably had a prettyinterestingexpression on it right now… and she wouldn’t blame her, to be honest. It had to be rough, seeing the guy she was carrying a torch for profess his undying love to a complete stranger.
Henry, a line of tension still clear in his shoulders, seemed to be staring at the flowers as if he wasn’t sure whether to laugh or throw them in Dorian the wizard’s face.
I think I better sort this out as quickly as I can,Luna thought, as she stepped forward to stand by Henry’s side.
“That’s all very nice,” she said to Dorian, “but those aren’t for me. You don’t even know me.”
Dorian looked confused for a moment, but then rallied valiantly. “Of course I know you! I have known you since the dawn of time, and will know you until the death of the universe! How could I not know the other half of my soul?!”
It was hard to believe that she was having this stolen-photo-on-a-dating-app conversation for the second time in an hour, but apparently this was her life now. And this time, her patience was considerably lower.
“I’m not Madame Fortuna – she is.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “She stole my photo, just like you stolehis.” This time, she jerked her head in Henry’s direction. “Don’t try to deny it – we already know the full story,” she said when she saw Dorian’s mouth opening, indignation written all over his face, as if he were about to try to – no doubt wordily – rebut the accusation. “The two of you need to sort your issues out, and leave us out of your lovers’ tiffs.” She raised her voice just a little. “Oh, and take this curse off meright now!”
Dorian blinked in confusion, looking around from face to face, wobbling precariously as he remained perched on one knee, bouquet in hand. Normally Luna would have been more sympathetic, but this pompous idiot really had been making her life difficult.
Now, however, far from having far toomuchto say, he’d apparently been reduced to complete silence, his face going redder than a tomato as he realized he’d beentotally busted.
But after the last few weeks, Luna’s patience was officially at an end.
“Hey.” She stepped forward, waving her hand in front of Dorian’s reddening face. She realized that he wasn’t really looking ather, though – he was lookingpasther, to where Sally-Anne was still seated at the diner table. He seemed to come back to himself as she waved her hand at him though, his eyes darting back to her face, his somewhat clouded expression clearing.
“Yes?” he asked, as if Luna was the one who was importuninghim.
“Curse. Remove it. Now.”
