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[ “THE CARDS DON’T say he’s dangerous; they say you won’t care.”

— Cryptids and Cards - Episode 3]

Maggie

The crowd crushed around us within ten feet, making Tess fall back a step and forcing Silas and me up against each other.

His hand lifted, pressing into the small of my back. I knew it was just an old-fashioned, gentlemanly gesture, that he’d likely noticed how clumsy I was and was trying to stabilize me. Try telling that to the swooping feeling in my chest, though.

By the time we got through the crowd and the bar yawned open in front of us, I’d completely lost track of Tess and Margo. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was by design. Because we all knew that by “You need to get out of the house,” what they really meant was “You need to get laid.”

Hey, probably valid.

Also was not going to happen.

Whether I liked it or not, I’d always been a relationship kind of girl. The idea of casual hookups just never appealed to me.

Maybe my ex was right; romance novels had ruined me for reality.

But I don’t know, it just never seemed unrealistic to me that someone should be loved the way they deserved.

“Drink?” Silas asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

And I was glad of it.

Because I’d been missing the coolest club I’d ever seen in my life. That was saying something, because Tess and Margo knew all of the best ones and dragged me (sometimes kicking and screaming) to them.

I couldn’t help but wonder if this place was owned by a high-ranking warlock because you could feel the magic pulsing in the air like the music through the speakers.

Neon, shimmering sigils were painted on the walls. Glitter seemed to descend from the ceiling in an endless light trickle yet never seemed to get caught on anyone’s hair or skin. The drinks carried around by servers seemed to hover just slightly above the trays as if to remove the chance of spillage.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one enjoying the atmosphere. Most of the tables were occupied. Bodies pressed close on the dance floor. Laughter drifted upward from every corner of the room.

“Not yet,” I said.

Silas’s hand pressed harder to my lower back, leading me over toward a standing table at the edge of the dance floor.

“Have you been here before?” Silas asked. To be heard, he needed to lean in, his lips brushing my ear, making a delicious little shiver move down my spine.

“No. You?”

The look he shot me was answer enough.

I felt a body move in close behind me. “Drinks!” Tess cheered. A glass nearly overflowing with shimmering purple liquid appeared in front of me. “To some much-needed fun,” she said, clinking her glass to mine.

I probably should have asked what it was. But I lifted and took a sip.

“Have fun!” Tess called as she danced away toward where Margo was waiting for her on the dance floor.

“Did you want something?” I asked Silas as the açai-flavored drink teased my taste buds.

“No.”

“Vampires can’t get drunk, right?”

“Correct. Though we can be… manipulated.” He shot a pointed look at my glass just as I took another healthy sip.

“What do you mean?” I asked after swallowing it down.