“I’ve seen you in my dreams ever since I was a child,” he confessed. “Do you really think I haven’t seen what you are capable of?”
“Be more specific.” Her eyes narrowed.
“I’ve seen your magic.” He leaned closer. “I’ve seen you master fire.”
“That’s not…” She swallowed down the sudden sick, panicky sensation churning in her belly. “I’m not…”
“You don’t see it, but you glow.” This time, unable to stop himself, he lifted his hand, his fingers tracing her jaw. “It’s like looking at pure sunlight.”
“Don’t,” she whispered, although she wasn’t quite sure what she was objecting to.
“You’re a witch, aren’t you?”
“How can you ask that so calmly? Doesn’t that bother you? Doesn’t it go against everything you believe in?”
A hesitant sigh escaped his lips. “I will tell you my story if you want to hear it, though I fear you will think less of me for it.”
His hands slid from her face, and he took a step back. Grabbing the two beers from the counter, he led her back to the room where she seemed most comfortable.
Olivia curled up on the worn couch—tucking her legs under her, pulling her favorite throw over her, and snuggling in. She looked across at the fire, and it once again flared, bathing her in its warmth and light. She glanced at Theo, who watched the flames before turning his attention back to Olivia.
“I still haven’t figured out how to stop it from doing that,” she muttered under her breath. “It’s like it wants to please me.”
Theo stared at the fireplace, his expression a mixture of curiosity and something else she simply couldn’t place.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
“You know, you really don’t have to tell me anything.” Olivia picked at the label of her beer bottle.
“Yes, I do.” He sighed. “You need to be able to trust me, and you can’t do that if you are questioning my motives. I don’t want you to feel as if you can’t be truthful with me for fear of my reaction.”
“I guess you might have a point.” She took a sip of her beer. “And I have to admit, I’m curious. I specialize in New England history, the witch trials in particular.”
“Then you must already know some of my story.” He frowned, unsure as to how history would have portrayed him.
“That’s the weird part,” Olivia told him. “You aren’t mentioned at all. The first time I came across your name was in Hester’s journal. I had to do some serious digging into the records, and the only information I could find was the official notification by the court of your appointment as a Witchfinder, along with your brother.”
At the mention of his family, Theo’s expression darkened.
“You mentioned in your journal someone named Temperance,” she added.
“She was my younger sister.” A small smile graced his lips as his eyes became distant, lost in memories. “Tempy was such a sweet little thing. I was already twelve years old when she was born. She was a late child, and it was a difficult birth. My mother didn’t survive, and for a while, it seemed like Temperance wouldn’t either. She was so tiny, so fragile.”
Theo moved closer and took a seat on the rug, the fire crackling at his back, and took a pull of his beer as he organized his thoughts. “Temperance was a sickly child, prone to ailments, but though her body was weak, she was full of life and so funny. There was not a day when she did not make Logan and me laugh.”
Olivia watched him thoughtfully. “You must have loved her very much.”
“We doted on her.” He stared at the bottle in his hand. “And she ruled us like a little queen.”
“What about your father?”
“My father”—he scowled—“was a difficult man. We owned a farm on the outskirts of Salem village. After my mother died, he was never quite the same. He was hard to live with before, but once she was gone, he was even worse. He liked to find his solace at the bottom of a bottle of strong spirits.”
“So, you were left to take care of a baby when you were only twelve years old?”
“She was a good baby. She almost never cried.” He shrugged. “As soon as Logan and I were old enough, the running of the farm fell largely to us. Logan always hated it, hated being a farmer. He always wanted something more, something better.”
