Page 8 of The Witch & the Grizzly

“I did.” Those green eyes beamed more intensely, and her mouth went dry. She clenched her hands, trying to stop her fingers from trembling. She had a small natural tremor, but now it was more visible than ever.

“It’s… uh… possible we may have met. If…” She closed her eyes. “Ugh, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I was a bit wild back then. It’s a lifestyle I regret now, but I used to seek affection from a lot of different people. You might have been one of them.”

That… didn’t sound good to say out loud. It simply grouped him as one of many, and misogynist types might assume she was a slut; it wasn’t like that.

He nodded and looked sympathetic rather than judgmental. “Don’t worry. I’ve been around a bit, too. But there are only a few people I really care to remember. One of my fondest memories has to do with a redhead in the Gorserow bar. God, I don’t remember anything else, though. She and I drank together; we drank too much. I don’t know what, if anything, she recalls. I don’t recall much myself. I just know that I want to meet her again someday.”

Eva’s heart raced as she heard his words, hardly daring to believe that he meant her. She wanted to ask but didn’t want to ruin the hopeful fantasy blossoming in her mind that she was the redhead he spoke of.

It made sense. Red hair wasn’t that common. It was an easy detail to remember, even if you forgot everything else. But she wasn’t the only redhead on campus.

Still… she did want to explore this a little further. She said, “I, too, remember a person who was special. I don’t know who they are, though. I don’t think I even got a name.”

They gazed into each other’s eyes, amber to green, searching for answers and forming more questions.

“I didn’t get a name either. She and I talked a lot, I think, but names never came up.” He smiled at her then, and he looked kind. “I stopped going to bars much after I graduated. Something about it wasn’t quite as thrilling as it used to be.”

“Hey, I suppose someone like you must find it easy to charm others with your fae powers. What are your powers, anyway? I don’t think I quite understand.”

“I can explain more about it later… over a cup of coffee in Gorserow if you’re up for that.”

A shiver went down Eva’s spine since she knew Harriet was planning to meet friends at the bar. They’d be very close. And if he were the same person… they’d be awfully close to the last place where they hooked up—in one of the upstairs bedrooms at a friend’s house.

More memories came through: They were locked in a dark room. A man was sitting at the bar, looking bored. It was too dark to see his features, but his eyes were clearly of a lighter color. He smiled in her direction, and she moved, of her own volition, next to him and called for a drink.

That was all she remembered.

I’m sure it’s him. The jawline…

However, knowing that he had a preternatural charm did throw all the events of that night into question. Had she truly been interested in him, or was it more of a glamour?

“I want to avoid the bar if possible,” he said. “I know it’s still student central, but I think I’m over the bar scene.”

“Oh, me, too,” Eva said with a bright smile, even though those words came layered with shame and regret. “I’m avoiding it like the plague at the moment.” She still hadn’t gotten over not being there for her brother in his time of need.

“Excellent. We can share more about our powers then if we’re to be working together,” Nathan said. “And get to know each other a little better.” His voice dipped, and it sent a bolt of heat to her core. She inhaled sharply, not wanting to reveal the effect it had.

“I saw you were hesitant to work with an Unseelie fae,” she said, diverting the subject away from dangerous waters.

“Well, yeah.” The light in his eyes dimmed, and he scowled. “No one would voluntarily choose to work with the Unseelie. They’re almost always out to trick you, to bend you to their will, to get more out of the deal than you ever would. The fae don’t have the same morals as we do, but the Unseelie – they’re as amoral and malevolent as they come. But whatever. Two professors want to work with it. It apparently wants to stop all the bullcrap going on with the other Unseelie.”

“Hearing it was one of the ones who signed the original treaty of separation is a bonus point for me,” Eva said. “I believe it’s the same one my brother and his team freed.”

“Your brother?”

“It’s a long story. It may be best to talk about it over the coffee you promised.” She smiled. “I’d like to freshen up first. Meet you in two hours, at 7?”

“I look forward to it.”

She walked toward her dorm and had the distinct sensation that he was watching her the entire time. Only when she was completely out of sight did she breathe easy and realize she’d been holding her breath.

He really does have such a presence.

It infuriated her, in a way, to not know how much of it was because of her and how much was because of his magic. She suspected that the same frustration would be present in him, too.

After freshening up, she finally had time to look at the messages on her phone and realized a little belatedly that she probably should have asked for Nathan’s number. Still, they were meeting in the same place, so it didn’t matter that much, really.

Eva: Yo, Harriet. I may or may not have a date in Gorserow in like two hours.

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