“Mari, I?—”
“I don’t want to hear it, bat-boy.”
I open my mouth, then snap it shut. “I’m not a fucking vampire, Mari.”
“Let’s see, you have wings, you dissolve into shadows, you suck the soul out of unsuspecting people, and you don’t give a damn who you hurt.” She ticks each point off on her fingers. “If it quacks like a duck…”
“I’m not a duck either.”
“Fuck the ducks,” she cries. “That’s not the fucking point, Dimitri. Just…get out. I only went because I needed to return Clara’s book. I didn’t realize it would drop me at your place. Go back to your…private time or whatever the hell you were doing.”
“I was wallowing, thank you very much. Becausesomeonedrove me away when shit got hard. Instead of leaning on me like she should have.”
I struggle to my bare feet, then slip on the wet floor. I manage to catch myself, but just barely. A giggle escapes her and my head snaps up. She glares at me all while her lips twitch, giving her away.
“I didn’t drive you away. I asked you to take me home. I didn’t sayleaveme there without a word.”
“I gave you a word. I gave you plenty of words. I sat next to your bed and told you it’d be okay. I offered to go searching for her. Hell, I even made your gross coffee that’s way too fucking strong. Then when you wouldn’t respond, I called Percy. What the fuck else was I supposed to do?”
“Stay,” she cries. “You were supposed to stay and take care of me. Not foist me off on someone else.” She pulls in a deep breath and closes her eyes. “I get it. I’m not mad.”
I snort, rubbing my palms on my boxers and wishing I had a towel. “Nope, not mad at all. Totally chill.”
“No, I’m really not. I understand why you left. I even understand why you didn’t come back. I’m not your?—”
I stab a finger in her direction. “If you call yourself a problem, I swear to fuck, I will put you?—”
“In my place?” She raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms.
I step out of the circle and prowl closer. She tenses, and her nails dig into her skin. It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve set my eyes on her. It’s like waking up for the first time after a long nap. Like diving into a cold lake on a hot day. Like feeling the sun on my face after years in the dark. She tips her chin up, reminding me we’re in the middle of…something. A fight? A tiff? A battle? Whatever it is, it’s invigorating.
My lips brush the shell of her ear as I lean close and whisper, “I’ll put you over my knee.”
“You can’t…this isn’t…I’m not…” Her palms slap into my bare chest and she shoves me back. “This isn’t a joke, Dimitri.”
“Oh, I wasn’t joking, spitfire. Now yell at me. Tell me how much you hate me so I can grovel at your feet. I’ll confess how devoid of color my life has been. How I’ve wallowed for weeks, unable to leave my bed for more than a few minutes. How you were never far from my mind. You infiltrated every waking moment and most of my dreams—nightmares really, since they were all of losing you.”
Her bottom lip trembles. “She left me.”
A tear trickles down her cheek, and I sigh. “Oh, witch. No.”
She collapses into my arms, and I cradle her against me. I don’t bother with useless words she won’t hear anyway. No matter how many times I tell her she didn’t fail her sister, she won’t believe me. I’m not the one who can help. Only her sister will be able to reassure her. She doesn’t even have the note to cling to.
When her cries subside to the occasional sniff, I bury my nose in her hair and inhale deeply, committing her scent to memory. Not that I need to. It’s already embedded in my psyche. Still, this might be the last time I get to hold her. I’ll take whatever I can get.
She makes a noise in the back of her throat. “You left me, too. I failed my sister, and you just confirmed I wasn’t good enough to stick around for. I just…I’m sorry I yelled at you. It’s not your fault. I get why you went back.”
I cup her cheeks and force her head up. “None of this is your fault. Your sister is an adult. She makes her own decisions. Okay?” I wait until she nods, then rest my forehead on hers. “I didn’t mean to leave you. I just didn’t know how to help. And I didn’t know what the joining spell did to you or how the curse impacted you.”
She pulls away and deep grooves appear between her eyes. “Joining spell?”
I drop my hands and put space between us—fist-swinging space. “Mysister helpedyoursister do a joining spell. It, uh, linked us in a way? Coupled with the curse, it’s why…”
“Why you showed up. A curse and a spell. That’s…” She stares at my chest, and I scramble for words—something to convince her this is more than just magic. Except I can’t. Magic brought us together and magic binds our souls. I’d like to think if I had met her randomly, I’d still be drawn to her, but I have no proof.
I run my hand through my hair, sending static rippling through the short strands. Magic thrums in my veins, matching my need—my anxiety.
“Do not make it rain in here,” she snaps, then sniffs. “Did Karma break the curse then? Did my sister dissolve the spell? Or are we just going to continue having these awkward encounters where you don’t really want to be here and I don’t know how to let you go?”She presses her lips together as if she’s said too much.
