He glances over at me, sees me glowering and quickly schools his face. “Well, um. I’m finished here. I imagine you two have some things to discuss.”
He nods to my sisters and they rise. My mom, too. As they start to march from the kitchen like a line of ducks, I lift my hand. “Wait. Y’all don’t have to go.”
But the only trace of them that’s left is the swinging door quietly swishing back and forth.
I turn to Eryx, who smiles grimly. Well he’s the only one who’s smiling about this. But I’ve always been told when you give bad news to someone, frame it between two good things, so that’s what I do.
“Thank you for saving us.” I lift my eyes to meet his. “Now explain why you told my entire village we’re getting married.”
His smile vanishes. “I was wrong.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“We barely know each other.”
“Which is why I’m wondering how it ever came up in the first place.”
“You mentioned that you have to get married, remember?”
My breath stills. “That was a secret.”
“I didn’t tell anyone. All I said was that?—”
“I know what you said!” I slam a hand onto the table. “And you’ll take it back. I’m not marrying you.”
He swallows, and his Adam’s apple dips. “Fair enough. It was worth a shot.”
Eryx rises and starts to walk to the back door. What? Is he giving up? This quickly? He’s not even going totryto change my mind?
Somehow this feels more like a defeat than a victory.
I should let him leave. Let him walk out that door and deal with his uncontrollable magic on his own. But the bookstore this morning…that was just the beginning. If our magic keeps failing, we'll lose everything. The shop. Our home. Everything my family has built.
He reaches the door and places a hand on the knob. “For what it’s worth, I won’t be able to stop what happened last night if you say no.”
A tingle cartwheels down my spine. I know exactly what he’s talking about—the roses, the magic, the tug.
That’s what it felt like—his magic pulling at mine.
“Why won’t you be able to stop it?” I ask.
“Secrets.”
I laugh bitterly. “Are you serious?”
He shrugs. “Some things are on a need-to-know basis.”
“Why can’t you control it?”
He turns around, and those icy eyes of his overflow with an emotion I can’t place—worry, maybe. “Marry me and find out.” Before I can reply, he keeps on. “I’m not asking you to do this because you like me or even want me. Hell, both of our towns will probably be in upheaval over this. But you need this as much as I do. If what happened today is any indication of the future, your family’s magic will be gone by the end of the week, if it even lasts that long.”
“How do you know our magic will be gone that quickly?”
“Because I pay attention, Chelsea.”
When he says my name, his voice rumbles deep, the sound thrumming in my chest. It’s impossible to ignore.
My name has never sounded like that before. Like a promise. Like a threat. Like something precious.
