Page 57 of Magic of the Damned

“It’s time for him to be out of my life. Today was a lot for me, and it would have been nice to have a little normal. But something was off with him.”

Dominic moved back to the chair, canted his head, and waited for me to continue.

“I’m not sure what it was.” I explained about him being compelled by the vampire and my suspicion that it had been broken by the vampire’s death, and about Jackson’s return to the store.

“You are correct. Just as a spell is broken when the caster dies, the same happens with a compulsion from a vampire.”

“He just seemed odd, and I don’t know why he’d return to the store.”

“Someone made him do it. The Dark Caster was there.”

“The wall,” I concluded. “It was the Dark Caster who erected it, which was why you couldn’t break it.”

He confirmed. “Your boyfriend?—”

“Ex.”

“Your ex, could he be the Dark Caster?”

“If he had magic, there’s no way he would have kept it a secret. He would have been found immediately. His ego couldn’t handle godlike powers.”

Dominic gave me a faint smile. His swift movements were as off-putting as Helena’s. A frown beveled the corners of his lips as he looked out at the garden.

“Tell me about your boy—ex-boyfriend, Jackson.”

Since I’d never given him Jackson’s name, I knew he had all the information he needed. The general information.

“Why?”

He turned to look at me, his eyes lazily traveling the length of my body, lingering over my lips before they met my eyes. “Because I asked.”

“Technically you didn’t ask, you sort of ordered me.”

“Consider it a question.”

“Then phrase it as one. Give me the option to decline.”

He chuckled and returned to admiring the view. “It is rare that I ask and even rarer for me to be declined.”

“I’m overjoyed to be giving you such a rare experience.”

Abandoning whatever held his attention outside, he flashed a roguish smile, making me wish I’d phrased things differently. “Rare experience,” he said. “Intriguing.” He approached me in a slow, easy stride. I focused on the light splatters of other people’s blood on his shirt and how comfortable and oblivious he was with it.

“Will you tell me about your ex?”

I shrugged. “I’m not sure what you’re looking for. I can assure you that there’s nothing magical about him. And if there were, he’d be leading the Awakeners and you wouldn’t be able to keep him from letting people know he’s a special little being.”

The love goggles were nowhere to be found. I’d loved Jackson’s confidence, but with clear vision, I could admit it had descended into self-aggrandizement. “Why are you curious about him?”

“Knowing him, I get to know you better.”

That caught me by surprise.

“You want to know me better. Why?” I sputtered. I had no chill in me.

“Helena was right. I find you intriguing. And the reason the Dark Caster chose you even more perplexing.”

Join the club.

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