Page 217 of Castings & Curses

After explaining everything that had happened, I looked at a blushing man. A man filled with the energy I had known before, craved. Yes, there was quite a bit of dark magic in his past, but this was like a box of chocolates, many flavors, many layers. I no longer felt the disgusting taste of this place burning in my nose or mouth. I suspected that was due to her, my mother. Of course I would find the taste of her essence repulsive and she was inside of him. A part of her anyway.

Without her presence, all the heat and desire was coming back to me. “Do you believe in fate, Professor?”

“Damien, please.” He smiled and my insides did a little flip and tickle.

“Damien.” I licked my lips.

“I do.” He nodded. “My grandfather used to say that I was marked for greatness. He wasn’t my biological grandfather, but he played the role. My parents died when I was young, and I was placed with a wizard. You were adopted, right?”

Oh, this all made sense to me. Maybe not to him, but to me. This was how my mother played this game. She manipulated a wizard to provide a child she could takeover and left him a boy destined to become something great as the gift. She then placed her daughter with another family, after all, the wizard was already raising a son and a daughter needed a mother’s influence. Only, this time, I had two mothers and their influence was stronger than predicted. “I was. Two lovely witches I still call mom.”

He nodded. “My guardian died which is why I came to the university. I wanted to settle down some. Maybe…it’s a big castle.”

“That is true.” I looked around the space we were in. “Huge.”

“I thought one day…it would be filled with life again. It’s always felt…haunted. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve been back in what seems like ages. It feels different now. Lighter somehow.” He chuckled. “Or maybe it has only been darkened because of that presence. Always looming in the back of my mind. Pushing me to the more…nefarious of my nature.”

“You’re saying you’re not the villain?” I asked and didn’t resist the flirtation.

“I guess it depends on who tells the story.” He placed his cup to the side. “I know you’re my TA. I know there are rules about these things, but I must tell you, from the moment I stepped on that campus and saw your face…I just…knew…”

“We have the weekend.” I smiled. “We’re not on campus. No one has to know any better.”

“Well, well. The good girl truly is bad when she wants to be.” He stood up. “It’s late. Part of me is afraid if I fall asleep, I’ll awake and you’ll just be that beautiful creature I can’t talk to without losing my job, or my life, right?”

“I don’t think I’m going to kill you.” I winked. “I think I want more than to feed on your energy.”

“Maybe you want to be next to me?” he asked.

I nodded. “Definitely.”

CHAPTER8

A week later…

I inhaled his scent the moment I stepped into his office. He smiled at me, winked, and the door closed behind me. I inhaled again. All that sexual tension filling my lungs and spreading through me in powerful waves. He knew I was doing this so he asked, “Taste good?”

“Delicious.” I could barely contain myself. The weekend at the castle seemed like a million years ago. We had been taking things one step at a time. I had admitted my fear of not being able to stop. He admitted the same fear, but for a different reason. Neither of us wanted to hurt the other, but the waiting, the baiting was agonizing.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked and opened his bag.

“Very.” I might not make it through the portal to the castle at this rate. I needed to feel his hands on my lower back, pulling me closer as his lips touched mine. I wanted to wake up curled against his bare chest rather than his clothed one as I had last weekend.

“After you.” He waved his hand and then opened the door to his office which led us right into the main room of the castle. Such a difference travel makes when someone is not controlling the warlock wielding the power.

I stepped into the castle and inhaled deeply. All of the sour stench was gone. My moms had come by with his permission and a key and cleared and cleaned the castle. My brow went up and I asked, “Banana bread?”

He winked. “You mentioned it was your favorite scent when you were coming home after school.”

“Yeah, but—”

“This is your home now too. I want you to—”

I turned, dropped my bag and reached for my warlock. “Kiss me.”

He leaned down as I tiptoed up and pushed my hands through his thick, dark hair. I was hungry for his power, but more so for his touch. I pushed his respectful hands a bit lower on my hips, then I pulled him closer by his shirt as I tugged at the buttons.

“Peach.” He gripped my wrists and pulled back a moment. “Give me one second.” He snapped his fingers and we were in the bedroom. “I can’t imagine our first time on the cold stone of the entryway. At least here there is a nice, soft bed.”

---