Page 227 of Sigils & Spells

I keep drawing the Lovers and the Tower. Ravyn, whoever the young man is, do you really think your romance is worth the consequences of what you are?

Anger coursed through her. Why couldn’t she be normal? Why couldn’t she have relationships, boyfriends, dances, and dates like everyone else? The Lovers card was self-explanatory. The Tower meant impending disaster.

It didn’t necessarily mean it was her fault. In fact, the bad thing could be happening to her and have nothing to do with Daniel.

And maybe if she kept living in denial, the blissful ignorance would protect her from the damage awaiting either or both of them. Knocking on Daniel’s door, she quickly wiped away the tears welling in her eyes and tried to plaster on the smile that had been real a few minutes before. Trust her mom to ruin it.

“Hey, you…” His sentence died when he took in the sight of her. “What’s wrong?”

So much for trying to hide her upset. “Nothing,” she fibbed, but damned her tears for attempting to fall a second time. She was going to wreck her makeup if she didn’t pull herself together. “My mother reads Tarot and is trying to scare me home, apparently.”

He stared at her, standing there in his doorway, perplexed. “You’re upset over a card reading?” Daniel shook his head. “I didn’t take you as someone who believed in that sort of thing. The goth fashion aside.”

“I don’t.” She rubbed her eyes. “Not really. I believe that if people believe in what they say enough they can manifest those things into being. I don’t believe in curses.”

At least she hadn’t until recently.

“Ravyn…” He shook his head and then moved out of the way, gesturing her in. Once she was inside, he shut the door and turned the lock. “Roomie is away this weekend, by the way. Otherwise,” he paused and then placed a hand on her cheek. She pressed her face into his palm, needing the connection to him. “I don’t understand what Tarot has to do with curses.”

She laughed, but even to her ears she sounded crazy. Could she tell him her secret? Maybe a partial truth, and not the part where she turned into a bird? “My family has a pattern of only daughters being born, no sons. And every man we fall in love with dies, like…soon after the babies are born.”

Daniel blinked but didn’t say anything.

“Well,” she said, “Aren’t you going to be scared to date me now?”

This timehelaughed, but the laughter sounded genuine. “If this is an attempt to break up with me, please be respectful enough to just say it.”

On the bright side, her tears had stopped. Now, though, she was growing irritated by the fact she couldn’t explain. “I’m not trying to break up with you. My mother on the other hand would love it if I did.” She sat down on the bed and crossed her arms. “All I wanted was a normal college experience, since I was denied the childhood and high school years I deserved. Is that so wrong?”

No longer laughing, Daniel took a seat next to her and pulled her into his arms. “No, Ravyn, it’s not wrong. I’m sorry your family has not let you have the freedom to grow and live as you would have liked.”

She leaned into his warmth and wrapped her own arms around his waist. He smelled good. A combination of some kind of bay rum and fresh laundry scent. It comforted her in ways she didn’t quite understand. If Ravyn had her way, she’d curl up into his lap and never leave. “I have that freedom now. I don’t plan to relinquish it again.”

“You shouldn’t. It’s your life; do what makes you happy.”

She grinned up at him and kissed the underside of his chin. Daniel didn’t have much in way of facial hair, and the stubble was coarse but not unpleasant. He hadn’t shaved that morning. Probably hadn’t expected to see her all day. “I like that plan.”

“What plan?” He cupped her face in both hands and kissed her deeply. “I stopped paying attention when your mouth was on me.”

“Put yours back on mine, and maybe I’ll repeat myself—after.”

Her comment got a chuckle out of him before he acquiesced. Their kisses grew more fervent with each brush of a lip, pass of a tongue. Before long she was underneath him on his bed, arching into his touch as he ran a hand down her hip and to her backside.

“Daniel,” she whispered, her voice husky with desire. “Make love to me.”

He paused long enough to study her features, as though suspecting it was all a joke. “Are you sure. I don’t mind waiting until you’re ready.”

If her body igniting due to the need coursing through her wasn’t indication enough, she didn’t know what was. “You told me todowhat makes me happy.” She leaned up on her elbows and bit her lip in a teasing fashion. “I’ve decided what makes me happy is you.”

The way his eyes darkened with interest and passion did nothing more than fan the fire within her. He moved over her until he was directly between her thighs. Right where she wanted him, despite all the meddlesome clothes in the way. “You want todome, hmm?” He couldn’t even keep a straight face and she giggled along with him. “That can be arranged.”

“Arrange itnowwwww,” she whined and ran her hands under his shirt. The muscles in his stomach flexed at her touch and she groaned. “Daniel…”

“Okay, okay.” He rose up and pulled his T-shirt over his head one-handed, then tossed it away. “I thought I was supposed to be the impatient one.”

“Better not be.” She toyed with the button on his jeans and grinned as his breathing deepened once she had him unfastened and unzipped.

He stalled her hand before she could lower his pants, scrambling out of the bed to his desk drawer beside the headboard. Daniel ripped the corner off a condom wrapper with his teeth as he crawled back in bed then spit over his shoulder. Ravyn couldn’t help but snicker when the piece of wrapper stuck to his cheek instead of falling to the floor. Reaching up, she retrieved it and flicked it away.

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