He couldn’t answer the question his body worked on autopilot as he went about fixing the tea for both him and Nicholas instead of the other man doing it.Am I being controlled with a spell?Even with the calming atmosphere, he could see the runes that covered parts of the living room. They both sat at the table waiting for the kettle. He was a bit speechless at his actions.
“How did you know what kind of tea I liked?” Nicholas asked him.
“I’m not sure,” he answered honestly. “You just seem like the white tea kind of guy.”
“I see,” he said after a few seconds. “So, Sirius, tell me about yourself.”
Sirius nodded and started talking explaining how growing up he knew that he was a witch and that other than his mother Brigid, he hadn’t lived around others like him.
“You must have come in contact with other supernaturals over the years. Vale Valley isn’t the only place we reside.”
“I did sort of, but I’ve always kept my distance. When you have a mother who’s fearful that everyone is out to get you for what you are, it made me want to be alone. I had no idea Grayson Vale was from Vale Valley or that he was one of us.”
“And now you want to see what it’s like to be among your kind?”
“In a way, yes. But I was also looking for something different in my career.”
“You’re a rare kind of witch, Sirius.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Let’s see. I’m quite certain you were able to see the runes in various parts of the room. The only ones able to pinpoint where they are is the one who drew them. And being able to summon your familiar at that age is quite remarkable, no one has been able to do that except for our coven leader Bedwyr. Not even Emmaline, our very first leader had been able to do that. You also look vaguely familiar to me. What was your mother’s name?”
Sirius went to speak but the sound of footsteps stopped him along with a voice. “Hey, Nic, are you home?”
“Yeah, Naheem, I’m in the kitchen,” Nicholas answered.
“Hey, I hope you’re not destroying my kitchen after I just cleaned it or—” the guy who entered the kitchen didn’t finish his sentence when he saw Sirius sitting at the table. “Oh, hello who’s this?”
“Naheem, I’d like for you to meet Sirius Henson. This is Naheem, our resident chef.”
Sirius could tell that Naheem was a witch but that wasn’t the only thing he was, the other man’s eyes glowed bright red for a split second, and he felt nervous all of a sudden.
“Hello, Sirius, it’s nice to meet you.” Naheem walked over to him, and a fearful chill ran down his spine. He stood and wiped off his palm on his pants cleaning off the sweat.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” he lied. There was something about the man he didn’t like, even though he was meeting him for the first time. The instant they touched Sirius’ body grew cold, and images of his nightmares came to him like a horror movie gone wrong. He pulled his hand back quickly, and his knees buckled as he dropped down in the chair, but he never took his eyes off Naheem.
“Fucking hell, Naheem, you forgot to shield your mind,” he heard Nicholas barked.
“Oh gods, I’m so sorry Sirius, I didn’t mean to do that to you,” Naheem said with worry that didn’t reach his eyes.
“I must apologize,” Nicholas said moving over to him. “Naheem is an incubus, like me. But whenever he feels anxious around new people, he pushes them away by letting them reveal their nightmares. Which is something he knows he’s not supposed to do, you’re old enough to fucking know better.” Nicholas turned glaring at Naheem.
“I really am sorry, I just walked in here and saw…”
“It’s fine,” Sirius said even though it wasn’t he didn’t want to hear the man’s lies.
“What did you need me for anyway?” Nicholas asked Naheem.
“Oh, I got the ingredients we need to start working on the ritual for the blood moon.”
“Blood moon?” Sirius asked with interest.
“Yes, every Valentine’s we—the members of the coven—cast a spell on the moon, turning it red, symbolizing the bond of love,” Nicholas explained.
“I’ve never noticed the moon changing colors.” Granted he’d never really paid attention to that specific day over the years.
“It will only be noticed to those living in Vale Valley,” Naheem answered. “And then we have a night of debauchery, for all the single residents.”
