AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m glad feeding off me has perks for you.”
He swallows and takes a step back. “I spent the past hour watching the play of sunlight against the leaves of fresh vegetables and herbs.”
I chuckle. “I thought you had research you needed to do for the seethe to gather intel.”
He makes a face. “Och, I do. It’s just…it’s a rare occasion when I get a moment of rest to really slow down and see the world around me.”
I step to his side and press my palm to his, lacing our fingers together. “Well, your secret is safe with me. I won’t tell anyone you’ve been playing hooky.”
He dips his chin. “How is yer potion invention progressin’? Do ye know what to present tomorrow to the elders?”
I deflate a little. “Not even close. It has to be potent, useful, and unique. I’ve always enjoyed conjuring but knowing that four other witches—who have been planning for this forever and been an active part of the coven—are out there perfecting their potions, is paralyzing my process. Elara and I have been at it all day and I’m no closer to an answer.”
“Then maybe ye need to take your mind off it for a bit and loosen up yer creative flow.” Finn’s fingers tighten around mine as he holds my hand, and then he tugs me over toward the sunflowers, pointing. “Come. Have a look at the little moth I found earlier.”
I’m more than content to follow along and watch him while he watches bugs. My vampire seems very intrigued by the insects, and I wonder if he’s always been intrigued by nature’s inhabitants.
Speaking of which…
I tilt my face towards the sky, shielding my eyes and scanning for any dark wings soaring overhead. No luck. Phi has been M.I.A. since she flew away after the trial.
I’m starting to get worried.
She’s my familiar now. Isn’t she supposed to be close by? She’s somewhere in the city—but I can’t tell much more than that. I figured having a familiar would be like Tavor and Elara, the little ferret following her everywhere.
Like any relationship—it needs work.
Like mine and Fintan’s right now.
The magnetism is there. The heat is there, but he’s distant. That’s my fault.
Squeezing our joined fingers, I gesture to the back of the property and the manicured grounds, obviously cared for by a green witch. “Walk with me for a bit?”
“Anytime, anyplace, lass.”
Being alone with Finn is like sinking into a warm bath. My skin prickles to awareness as I’m surrounded by a comfort that spreads right to the tip of my toes.
I release his hand and hug his arm, pressing my cheek against his shoulder. “I owe you an apology.”
“What for?”
I pull him under the cascading blooms of the wisteria tree, enclosing us in our own purple paradise. Facing him, I take both his hands in mine, the same way Elara did inside. “I didn’t plan for this—the bond, the battle between factions, or getting sucked into the witch trials.”
“No. I don’t suppose anyone could’ve known what your arrival would mean.”
Maybe my grandmother, but instead of being honest with me, she hid the truth and kept me in the dark my entire life.
But that’s a conversation for another night.
“I flew to New Orleans with this dutiful idea of burying Grand-Mère with her ancestors and then returning to honor our life together. I had no intention of staying, so I kept you at a distance. Falling for you would’ve been too easy, so I warded myself to keep that from happening.”
“Aye, I may have picked up on that.”
There’s no judgment or recrimination in his comment, just a tinge of sadness. “I didn’t let Rune into my heart either, if that’s been part of your mood lately. He’s no more to me than you, but he’s also no less.”
He nods. “So, where does that leave us?”
“At the apology part of the evening. I’m sorry if I hurt you or if I’ve been stubborn or distant. It was pointed out to me a moment ago that my simple existence in Leeds was a fabrication of my grandmother’s making and that my path is unfolding here in New Orleans.”
