“They don’t count.” Despite saying that, Fitz’s eyes skated around the crowd, suddenly aware of howmanypeople might overhear our conversation. He grabbed my arm and dragged me to an opening between two stores. The little alley led to a back hallway meant for discreet deliveries. I was familiar with the setup because Trey and I had met somewhere similar before.
He dropped my arm, then carefully set our bags down, ensuring the magical supplies inside didn’t break as they were jostled. Then he turnedto me, his expression serious. “Ever since we met, I’ve felt like we already knew each other.”
Shit. Since he wasn’t holding onto me, I could teleport away, or simply run, to conserve my energy. I tensed, debating the best option.
Delilah’s voice whispered in my mind:coward.
I forced my body to relax and stared at Fitz, waiting for him to continue.
“Once upon a time,” he murmured, his voice taking on a soft, storyteller’s cadence. “I met a girl named Willow.”
My heart pounded, beating a simple command:run. Run. RUN.
“She was beautiful, and kind, and smarter than anyone else I knew.” He approached me slowly, hands raised, like he was trying not to scare off a wild animal. “We spent hours together, talking and reading and simply enjoying the presence of another person.”
I closed my eyes, refusing to look at him for this confession. “Willow doesn’t exist. I made her up. I lied to you about everything: my name, my gender, my interests. All to get closer to you, so I could go on this quest.”
“I don’t care if you’re a man or a woman, Willow or Wilde. And I don’t think you fakedeverything.” A quiet certainty emboldened his voice as deft fingers tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Not the way your eyes lit up when you talked about the Flower King. Not the way you smiled when you learned something new. There was truth in that. And Ithink—” he hesitated, maybe not so certain after all—“there could be truth inus.”
The last words were spoken close enough to feel them. And then all I could feel was his lips. Gentle, at first, a question:do you want this?When I didn’t immediately push him away, he increased the pressure, the kiss warm with hope.
It wasn’t unpleasant, exactly. The sensation was fine—a bit dry, a bit dull, butfine.
Fine wasn’t enough.
When I kissed Treasure, no matter whether it was sweet or passionate, pain or pleasure, every inch of me thrummed with awareness and hunger. I always wanted more, to have every second consumed by him.
With Fitz … I just waited for him to give up.
A nearby clock bell tolled the hour.
Ten second warning.
I shoved Fitz away, needing to put distance between us before the spell activated. I scrubbed my lips, trying to remove the sensation of his dry kiss. “Don’t do that again. I’m not in love with you, and I am notgoingto fall in love with you. Forget about Willow. Try to find someone else—”
One Hour Earlier
The Entrance of the Windermere Plaza
Lightheaded
“Wait.” Maximus held out a hand, preventing Delilah from passing me the list. “Shouldn’t the mage shop for the magical items?”
Delilah blinked, dazed, then glared at me.What happened?She mouthed, ignoring Maximus’ question.
Fitz wobbled and stumbled to the side. When he caught himself, he spun in a full circle, facing the group again. “I feel …”
“Sick,” Trey said, covering his mouth. His face was somehow green and pale at the same time.
“Like I was rejected. Again.” Tears dotted Fitz’s eyelashes and when he blinked, they speckled his glasses. He removed them to briskly clean them on his shirt, “Sorry, I don’t know why I’m crying.”
“Fitz and Iwill shop for the magical items,” Delilah insisted, snatching the list from Maximus’ hand. He stubbornly clutched it long enough for the corner to rip before finally letting go. She grabbed Fitz’s shoulders and forcefully steered him away from the group. “We’ll meet you in an hour.”
“I’m gonna find somewhere private to … puke,” Trey said, stumbling off to the side.
“Ugh, you’re disgusting,” Angelica complained, rolling her eyes. “Come on, Maximus.”
Maximus’ hand closed around my wrist, tight enough to bruise. I gritted my teeth to keep from flinching. “I’ll shop with Wilde. Stay here with Trey until he feels better.”
