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Ah. Right. Of course.
“You can traverse by closet?” I ask.
His gaze darts toward me, then back to his food. “Boogeymen have a unique means of traveling the physical world. It is a skill I do not use very often anymore as I prefer to enter the dream plane directly, but it is similar to the faerie paths I described in your guide.”
Ah, yes. The faerie paths known as trods that connect points in the human world without equaling the same distance. A five minute walk through a trod could amount to many miles traversed outside one. When I read that particular section in my fae folder, it revealed why Pollux asked me if I wanted to get decaffeinated coffee in Europe that one time.
The awkward mess was being immaculately sincere.
For him, it literally is just a pop across the pond.
I exhale and finish my first slice of pizza before retrieving another one. “Basically, you’re not confident I can on-demand cry you some new magic for another charm.”
“Correct.”
“You’ve said before that hybrids don’t have access to any of their magic, usually. Is it too soon for you to teach me how to intentionally reach mine since that doesn’t seem to be the case with me? You don’t have to tell me what I am or what I can do. Just…how to give enough to you.”
“You trust me with the power that a dangerous faerie has already petitioned you for? Without even knowing the extent of its abilities, you would just hand it to me at whatever depth I ask?”
I plant a pretty little smile on my face. “I exist to provide comfort to those I care about. And, dang it all, Pollux—” I drop the smile. “—I’ve come to care about you. Of course I’m willing to do whatever it is I can to help.”
In a mere moment, Pollux’s face blocks out the scenery. His breath coasts across my lips, and my heart jumps at the sensation. He swears into my open mouth, an inch away from making contact. His forehead touches mine instead as he mutters another curse. “—promise.” Pain ripples in his eyes. “I want you. So badly. But I can’t act against the promise I made. May I claim you? Would you give me permission to claim you?”
I chill in spite of the heat in his gaze. “I…”
He drags himself back to his seat. “I understand.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It is not something you must apologize for.”
“I just don’t think I’m ready yet.”
“I understand.”
“Pollux.”
He looks at me, and the way the dim light from the sky rains across his cheeks makes him look like a painting. A fantasy painting. He’d fit so snugly in one of Zahra’s egregious dating games. No low-resting robes, though. Just plain shirtless.
Yup.
And now I fear my face matches his in shade. “Um…” I swallow, wet my lips, try to remember what good, innocent thoughts I was attempting to express before my brain took a raucous left.
“Um?” he prompts.
I stare fervently at my slice of pizza. “I like you.”
“I know.”
A nerve pinches, and I glare sidelong at him. “You know?”
“You’ve told me before, and I can smell it. You don’t hate me anymore.”
Oh yeah? He can smell the lack of hatred on me? Delightful. “Could you refrain from smelling me, please?”
“You don’t want me to breathe?”
I think about that for a moment.
