Page 22 of Dewitched

“That was the plan, but I decided to take a gap year. My powers were just too unpredictable.”

“Have you considered online courses?”

He bobbed his head. “I did, and that’s probably what I’ll end up doing. I just need to get my life figured out first.”

“That’s fair. So, what are you doing in the meantime?”

“Staying with my parents and working at their hardware store while I save up some money.”

He’d started sweeping floors at fifteen and had steadily worked his way up to a managerial position in shipping and receiving. Being the only kid of the owners didn’t hurt, but his parents had never shown him preferential treatment. Quite the opposite, in fact. They had always been harder on him, expected more from him, ensuring he worked damn hard to earn everything he’d been given.

“Your parents are human?”

“They are. So are my grandparents.”

In fact, he didn’t know of anyone on either side of his family tree who practiced magic. He hypothesized that the gene had come from a distant relative and had been passed down through the generations. Then, for whatever reason, it had remained latent until he’d come along.

Lucky him.

Through countless hours of research, he’d eventually been able to put a name to what he could do, but that hadn’t helped him manage the condition. His parents had supported him the best they could, but they’d been ill-equipped to handle a magical child.

To their credit, they had tried, which was more than he could say for some other families. They had even considered hiring him a “tutor,” but there wasn’t exactly a website that offered such services.

“I see,” was all Fenix said before changing the subject.

They kept to mostly mundane and inconsequential topics after that, and the conversation flowed easily, carrying them all the way into the city.

Their first stop had been to a small local diner in the art district for breakfast. The food had been amazing, but the whole atmosphere had been off. Between the dim lighting, darkwood finishes, and haunting music, the gloom was practically suffocating. Not in the typical Halloween fashion, either. More like hardcore dark academia vibes.

Afterwards, they’d split up so Fenix could take him to buy a new cell phone. Owen protested the entire way, reminding him about the insurance coverage, but his mate wouldn’t be dissuaded. In the end, he’d left the store with a stupidly expensive phone and a brand-new cellular plan.

“This is too much,” he argued as they traversed the sidewalk.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it!” That so wasn’t the point, though. “But I don’tneedit.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Owen sighed. He clearly wasn’t going to win this one. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

Grinning from ear to ear, Fenix puffed out his chest and took Owen’s hand to link their fingers together. “You’re very welcome,talei.Is there anywhere else you’d like to go?”

“Oh, can we grab coffee before we meet up with everyone else?”

“Absolutely.”

Like most major cities, there seemed to be a coffeehouse on nearly every corner. Of course, they had their pick of the standard big chain places, but surprisingly, Fenix led him to a quaint little café off the beaten path.

Oddly named the Apothecary, the entire place had been decked out for Halloween. Cobwebs and toy spiders adorned the corners, while a flock of bats roosted from the rafters. Just inside the entrance, a witch’s cauldron overflowed with individually wrapped and expertly decorated cookies in the shape of coffins and jack-o’-lanterns.

Unlike the diner, however, an abundance of natural light filled the space and glittered off the white tables with their matching chairs.

Extensive shelving comprised the wall behind the dark wood counter, but instead of syrups, sauces, and the like, they held a number of unusual objects. Goblets, ornate treasure boxes, amulets, totems, and hundreds of tiny jars filled with powders, liquids, and herbs.

Well, at least the name of the place made sense now.

Shuffling closer to his mate, he asked through their bond,“She’s a witch?”

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