Page 69 of Shadow Witch

“Relax, Paige. We both lost now. It’s no big deal. We’ll just sweep the final round and get married tomorrow. It’s fine.”

Paige stared over at him. “Wow, I wish I had your confidence.”

He shrugged as he handed her a plate from the buffet. “Don’t worry. After a few years of marriage, you probably will.”

Paige wrinkled her nose as he said the word “years.”

“Years,” Dewey whispered. “Did you hear that? Dimples is in it for the long haul.”

“I know. With little vampire babies and everything.” Paige stared down at the tomato bisque bubbling at the buffet. It looked way too much like blood for her taste. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“So skip the bisque and go for the chicken noodle,” Dewey answered as he took a bowl of broth, balancing one with his tail.

“Not that…this.”

“Huh?” he asked.

“Getting married. Marrying Devon.”

“Well, that’s assuming you win, and he wins,” Dewey said as he tried to juggle his plate and the two bowls.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, pal. But I’m serious. Even if by some small miracle, this all works out. How can I marry Devon?”

“By simply walking down the aisle, saying a few words that probably involve blood and sacrifice, and exchanging rings. It’s a pretty simple ceremony, very much like human weddings.”

“That’s not what I meant. I meant…in general. Like how can I do this? This isn’t right.”

“Oh, stop being so selfless. Marry the dude, take his soul compass, see what happens, and then end in a bitter divorce where you take half of his assets, and we live in a castle for the rest of our lives.”

Paige froze, staring at him with an incredulous expression. “But it’s wrong.”

“Who cares? Doesn’t matter.”

“I care. It matters to me. I try to do the right thing all the time. But this feels…”

“Desperate? Horrible? Like you’re using poor Devon for personal gain?” Dewey asked as he buzzed next to her.

“Yes, all of that.”

Dewey shrugged, adding a few more items to his plate. “That’s life, kid.”

Paige’s shoulders slumped more. “I feel horrible.”

“Look, Paige, look at it this way…Devon’s your friend. And he’s willing to do it so you can find your mom. Just go with it. Take the help.”

Paige flicked her gaze to Devon who already sat at a table with Drucinda. He offered her a wide grin and a wave.

“Paige, seriously,” Dewey said as he glanced between the two of them, “he’s helping you out as a friend. Just let him help.”

She bit her lower lip, trying to parse through the situation in her mind. Did she have trouble accepting help because she’d grown up an orphan? Maybe. Maybe she should let him help her.

“Okay. I’ll go with it. I just hope…”

“Yeah?” Dewey asked.

“Never mind. Let’s just try to enjoy our lunch.”

Dewey grinned at her. “And then your shower! I’m excited. I can’t wait. I’ve got games planned and the cake and the gifts…it’s going to be so fun.”

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