Page 23 of A Roar for Magic

“By being between me and you.”

Oh. Well. That was... that was something that made her magic spark and her heart perform increasingly complex acrobatics.

A shower of magical sparks erupted overhead – actual sparks this time, not just the ones dancing between them. The musicians had switched to something more upbeat, and other couples were starting to move more energetically.

“Want to take a walk?” Rook asked, his thumb tracing abstract patterns on her waist. “It’s getting a bit crowded here.”

They slipped away from the dance floor, following one of the winding paths that led through the park’s enchanted gardens. Fairy lights wove between twilight shadows, and the eveningair carried the scent of night-blooming jasmine and magical possibilities.

“Your grandmother is watching us leave,” Clover noted, catching Ilaria’s knowing smile.

“She’s probably already planning the wedding.”

“Rook!”

“I’m just saying – you should be prepared. She’s remarkably determined when she sets her mind to something. It runs in the family.”

“I’ve noticed.” She glanced up at him through her lashes. “Like someone else I know who spent three hours practicing ways to ask me to a picnic?”

“Those were legitimate security protocols.”

“Ah yes. The great planning session.”

“It was very important.”

“For community relations?”

FOURTEEN

They shared a laugh, and Clover marveled at how easy this felt. How natural. Like they’d been walking garden paths together for years instead of hours.

A cool breeze stirred the trees, making her shiver slightly. Before she could even register the chill, Rook was shrugging out of his light jacket and draping it over her shoulders.

“I’m fine,” she protested, but the words faded as his scent surrounded her, warm and spicy and distinctly him.

“Humor me.” His hands lingered on her shoulders. “It’s a tiger thing.”

“Taking care of cold witches?”

“Taking care of you.”

The simple statement delivered with such quiet certainty made her breath catch. She looked up to find his gaze holding that soul-deep intensity that seemed to see right through all her careful defenses.

“Rook...”

“Too much?” His voice carried a hint of vulnerability. “I know I can be... intense. Banner reminds me daily, usually with elaborate eye-rolling.”

A laugh bubbled up before she could stop it. “You, intense? Never.”

“Says the witch whose magic keeps reaching for mine every time I’m near.” His smile turned tender. “I noticed, you know, how everything in your shop seems to lean toward me whenever I visit.”

“That’s just... they’re magical items. They’re naturally curious about new people.”

“Mh-mmm.” His hand found hers, fingers intertwining naturally. “And I suppose it’s also completely normal for your magic to spark like this?” He lifted their joined hands, where golden threads of energy danced between them.

“You’re impossible.” But she didn’t pull away.

“Part of my charm.”

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