Page 47 of Curses and Cauldrons

Roman picks up my hand again, and my heart swoops. He leads us up the gravel path to the front door. The exterior of the cabin is well-tended. It’s obvious they take good care of this place. He keeps hold of my hand while he presses a code in the keypad and opens the door.

I follow Roman inside and squint as he turns on the lights. After being in the dark for so long, it takes a second for my eyes to adjust. Despite Roman’s claims that the cabin isn’t anything fancy, it’s perfect. There’s no separation between the kitchen and living room besides a sturdy farm table with eight chairs. Overstuffed furniture arranged around the fireplace and a large television mounted above it give the living room an inviting feeling.

Visions of sitting in front of the fire, reading a book, while a snowstorm roars outside hit me like a premonition. Roman’s head in my lap while he sleepily watches TV and I read. My feet up on the wooden coffee table, a warm drink within reach. My skin tingles. I want that so badly.

“Is our date with the hot tub?” I won’t lie; that does sound kind of nice, but it’s also like something a frat boy would suggest as a first date.

“That is tempting and not totally off the table, but I have other things in mind for tonight.” Roman grins at me. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” He exits the way we just came in, and I obey.

For a second.

I’m quickly drawn to the photographs that adorn almost every surface. They’re all of Roman and his friends. Spanning from childhood up to a recent shot of the four of them here at the cabin. It looks like Ambrose’s arm is outstretched as he takes the photo, a smirk and a twinkle in his eyes. Odie is smiling, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Roman is glaring at the camera, and Bram has a devilish but somehow chilling look on his face.

The sound of the door closing pulls my attention away from the photographs. Roman is holding a canvas bag and an armful of thick blankets.

“Are we making a fort?”

“We can do that after. Follow me.” Roman cuts across the room, heading toward a sliding glass door. “If you wouldn’tmind.” He nods toward the door. I grab the handle and it opens with a quiet shush. Roman steps outside, and I follow him onto the deck.

There’s the infamous hot tub.

Just beyond is the lake, which is partially frozen over. The deck is large and wraps around the entire back of the cabin. There’s a table and chairs off to one side and a sunken level a few steps down with a fire pit. There’s enough room down there for a whole party to gather around. That’s where Roman heads, setting down his bag to lay out the blankets.

“Are we having a picnic?” It’s disarmingly sweet. Not something I would have imagined from Roman.

“It’s supposed to be a clear night tonight. If we’re lucky, we might be able to see the northern lights.”

I look up and gasp. The sky is packed with stars. Away from the lights of the city, it’s incredible to see just how many are scattered across the sky. I spot Orion and Cassiopeia, marveling at the swath of stars twinkling above us. It’s not like Mystic Hollows is a huge city, but there’s enough light pollution that you don’t get a view of the sky like this within its limits.

“Will you sit?” Roman gestures toward the blanket he’s laid out. I sit cross-legged, watching as he grabs the bag and kneels on the thick quilt. He lifts items out of the bag one by one. There’s a container of cut-up fruit and another with an assortment of cheeses. Next comes some crackers, sliced meats, and nuts.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I didn’t see this coming.” I look at the perfectly packaged foods.

Roman lifts his gaze, a guilty smile on his face as he rubs the back of his neck. “Full disclosure: I asked the chef at the hotel restaurant to pull some food together. I can cook, just for future reference. Not that any of this is cooked.”

“That’s really sweet.”

Roman laughs. “The bar must be low, if that’s what you think.” He pulls out a bottle of white wine, a few beers, and some water. “I didn’t know what you’d like to drink.”

“Wine sounds good. And the bar is pretty much non-existent.” I snap my mouth shut, realizing that could be interpreted in multiple ways.

Roman opens the wine and pours me some in a plastic glass. “Keeping it classy.” He opens one of the beers and taps it against my cup. “And I guess we’ll have to see about raising that bar.”

I gulp down a huge drink of wine. That comment implies there will be more of this in the future. How is that going to work?

No. I need to stop obsessing. I’m going to enjoy this night, even if it’s the only real date I ever have.

I take a smaller sip and pick up a strawberry. “Have you seen the northern lights before?”

“A few times. Never when I specifically tried, though.” Roman grins at me.

“That doesn’t bode well for us, does it?”

“I won’t be disappointed if we don’t. This is already the best night I’ve had in a while.”

I’m bundled up in my warmest jacket, a knitted cap, thick socks, and boots. I have gloves in my pocket, but between eating and the fact that Roman keeps touching my hands, I don’t want to put them on. Still, the chill of the night and the breeze off the lake have frozen the tip of my nose.

I take another drink, the wine already warming my belly and making my mouth loose. “When did your curse fully set in?”

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