I scoff. “There are ways to protect us without you hurting yourself.” I pace in a circle and continue, “The agents of SPELL, my roommate, the Jade Lion, the FBI…Cauldrons, Loxley, anyone but you!”
“Wha…what?” he rasps
“I can’t have you losing control of magic. Let someone else?”
“I’m an empath witch!” he barks. I freeze up and look at him?he’s never raised his voice before. I genuinely didn’t think he could do it.
We gaze at each other, miles of discomfort radiating between us. Why won’t he listen to me? “This…is my destiny,” he says, quietly.
“Why can’t it be someone else’s destiny? Okay, screw destiny. I’m supposed to be a powerful Ruby Turtle, but you don’t see me throwing magic around that I can’t control.”
“I can!”
“Can you?”
“Yes! I d-d-don’t need this.” He tosses the charm necklace, and I catch it without blinking.
I sigh and reply, “Loxley, you don’t know what it was like to see you use your powers for the first time. That pain…that agony you were in. All because you couldn’t control it, and I couldn’t help you.”
He steps forward and lowers his voice. “You do help me. You…unlocked m-m-m-my powers. You’re my…”
“What, your familiar?” I ask with a hefty dose of spiteful sarcasm. When he pauses and his jaw drops, my heart falls as well. “Wait, you still believe that? That I’m, like, what…your magical pet?”
He shakes his head. “N-n-no!”
I laugh self-deprecatingly at the sky and pace in a circle again. “Unbelievable,” I mutter. My boyfriend thinks I’m his magical animal. Worst of all, I’m the reason he might kill himself with his new powers.
“Gordy,” he whispers. “You’re…not a pet. You…p-p-partner. B-b-boyfriend,” he stammers.
I sigh and take him in. For the first time tonight, he seems apologetic. This guy?this gorgeous, beautiful, nerdy, somewhat stubborn witch boy?has my emotions flying off the handle, as usual.
“I j-j-j-ust…need to…find the threat…protect you,” he rasps.
“I want to protect you, too.”Because I’ve fallen in love with you. The words threaten to leave my lips. Instead, I sigh and shake my head. “So, I’m gonna go.”
“What? Wh-wh-why?” he asks.
“Because…”Because magic hurts you, and I’m your magical conduit.“Because if I stay, I might say something that will ruin our relationship.”
Loxley’s eyes shine with moisture, his face a look of shock. Before I can change my mind, I nod and stride away. I don’t mind the long walk home across town. Pulling my hood over my head, I stuff my hands into my coat pockets and power walk down the road. Loxley can do whatever he wants, but I won’t be complicit in his pain.
***
Throwing yourself into work is easy when you’re fighting with your boyfriend. Is he still my boyfriend? The thought of us breaking up makes my inner turtle furious, so I’m definitely still invested. Seb told me that arguing is normal in relationships. He also informed me that Luther and Taz claimed they fought for years and continue to bicker, and those two handsome dudes constantly look like they’re about to make out. But our fight is about Loxley’s destiny, one that I feel is too dangerous for him. And he wants me on board to support his witchy role.
Like Mama and Papa showed me, being a romantic partner means constant support. And I care for Loxley, so would being his familiar be so bad?
I finish mowing for the day and put the lawnmower into the resident shed. With that done, I glance at my reflection in the shed window; I’m in my human guise, wearing only a sweaty tank top. With a flex, I pop my pecs. I look good, if I do say so myself. This morning, I realized I still had Loxley’s magical dampener necklace. Putting it on, I’ve been able to suppress my turtle form all day.
I’ve been able to resemble a normal human for hours. I guess the new witch truly is well-versed in dampening magic. Still, this could wear off at any time, so I put my hoodie back and close the shed door.
Five minutes later, I’m striding down to the bus stop. My heart aches when I think about how long it’s been since I’ve spoken to Loxley. These past forty-six hours and ten minutes have been torture, but who’s counting?
Glancing at my phone, I notice no new texts. I frown, but my mood is immediately lifted when I notice Loxley calling me. Confused, but also excited, I pick up. “Hello?”
“H-h-hey.”
“Loxley? Is everything okay?” I make it to the bus stop, an isolated bench surrounded by trees.
