Page 22 of Elora and the Crow

She stared at him as shock rippled over her. “What?”

“Make me forget,” he said.

“No,” she said firmly. “Absolutely not. That was just a stupid joke earlier, Jonah. I told you - I would never do something like that to you. Especially not after you’ve spent the last few years trapped as a crow because of a witch’s spell.”

She leaned against the counter, too aware of how close Jonah still stood to her. She wanted to kiss him again, but he’d already been clear that it was a mistake on his part. Why the hell he was attracted to her even briefly was a mystery she’d never figure out.

“I peed my pants once,” he said.

“You… what?” she asked.

“I peed my pants,” he said. “Oh, and another time, I fell down an entire flight of stairs in front of three legitimate supermodels who I desperately wanted to bang.”

“You wanted to bang them all at once?” she asked.

“Yes.” He grinned at the look on her face. “And I’m afraid of snakes. Seriously afraid. Scream and run away, afraid.”

“Okay,” she said in confusion.

“I know embarrassing things about you. Now you know embarrassing things about me,” he said.

She couldn’t help but laugh. “I really want to know the story of why you peed your pants. Was it the same night you fell down the stairs and then banged three supermodels at once?”

“I didn’t bang them,” he said sadly. “They were not at all into me once they’d watched me slip and roll down the stairs like an uncoordinated panda.”

“Wait, were you a panda when it happened?” she asked.

He laughed hard, his face lighting up and increasing his handsomeness to about a thousand. “No, I wasn’t a panda when I fell down the stairs. I was human. Although, if I’d been a panda, that might have been better. They would have found it cute, right?”

“Absolutely,” Elora said, trying not to giggle. “Pandas falling down stairs - super cute. Grown ass men falling down stairs - not cute.”

He laughed again, “I know you’re mocking me.”

“Why did you pee your pants?” Elora asked.

“The Academy sent me on my first job. I was fourteen and terrified,” Jonah said.

The amusement fled Elora’s body. “Fourteen? They sent you out at fourteen years old to kill a person?”

“I didn’t,” Jonah said quickly. “I failed the mission.”

Elora just stared at him, and he shrugged. “They sent some out when they were twelve.”

“That fucking place,” Elora snapped. “Someone needs to burn it to the ground.”

“It’s been around forever,” Jonah said. “As long as there are shapeshifters, the Academy will…”

“Steal them from their loved ones and turn them into merciless killing soldiers,” Elora said.

Jonah nodded, looking sick to his stomach again. “Yeah.”

Elora’s stomach twisted, and she stepped closer, placing her hand on Jonah’s arm. “You’re a good person, Jonah. I know you are.”

His smile was faint. “If I were a good person, I would have stopped killing people when I left the Academy, Elora.”

“Sarina didn’t stop either,” Elora said.

“Sure, but she only kills -” he stopped abruptly.

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