Page 40 of The Rowan
“Maybe not in other races, but for witches, the dark has little power,” she says. Cassandra stands and tosses her hair. “And of course, you can bring your family. My mother is looking forward to meeting them and hearing your history. Well, we’ve got to go. See you in a few days.” With the two other witches, she walks out of the food court, leaving me to digest all the information she let slip.
Valerian waits until they’re completely out of sight, then walks over to me. “Did you get any new information?”
I wrap my hand around his arm. “I did. And I found out I’m allowed to invite my family to the ceremony. Would you like to go?”
He stares down at me, emotions swirling in his eyes, “Lass, I don’t think they’ll let you bring me.”
“Why? I’m adopted,” I remind him. “In my life, I’ve had to adopt my family. I choose to adopt you and the rest of the cadre. Besides, it’s not like Theron is going to stay at home and let me go to the placement ceremony by myself.”
He snorts. “Not only Theron. We’ll talk it over and decide who’s going to go. Now, are you ready?”
Shaking my bags, I nod. “Ready. And I’ve found the perfect dress for the ceremony. Matches your eyes.”
He stills, stares down at my lips and mutters, “We need to have a talk soon, lass.”
24
ARDEN
Theron is standing by the elevator when Valerian drops me off. At least this time, I’m fully dressed. I glance up and find him staring down at me, but he says nothing. What’s he thinking about? Probably something utterly mundane, like his schedule. Although, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I was wrong? From what he said earlier, he thinks about me more than I imagined. He certainly intrigues me. He’s everywhere, taking care of the cadre, me, The Abbey, and his Fae duties. We would all fail if Theron wasn’t around.
I clear my throat and step into the elevator, where I’m trapped. The smell of dark chocolate and peppermint fills the air, making me…hungry. He murmurs something, but I miss it. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I instructed the elevator to stop at your room first,” he informs me. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I reply. Silence reigns in the elevator, so I blurt out, “Can I borrow the book in your office?”
He tilts his head. “What book?”
Thinking back to the titles on the shelves, I reply, “I think it’s calledThe Harmony of Technology and Magic?”
He stares at me, trying to decipher the meaning behind my request. “I’ll drop it off later.”
The elevator opens. Thank the fuck. “Thanks, I appreciate it,” I call out, launching through the door of my room like a rocket and falling on my bed facedown. “I’m such a fucking idiot.” The man makes me nervous, with his violet eyes and effortless perfection, and I find myself wanting to please him just so I can see his almost imperceptible reactions. Those tiny tells shout louder than any words.
* * *
I closethe book on the founding witch families. My mind is racing with all the pieces of the puzzle, turning them, trying to find the right fit. I’m close. I can feel it. Without this book, it would have taken me a lot longer to figure things out, and it’s all thanks to Meri.
With a pause, I consider that statement.How did Meri know I needed this book?
My hand reaches for my phone, and I send her a quick text to ask if she wants to go out this evening for a girls’ night. I haven’t seen much of the city, and I’ve been promising her I’d go out for a week, at least. She replies quickly with a place and time, giving me thirty minutes to get ready. I shoot off another text and jump up to get ready.
With a couple of spells, I arrange my hair into a half up, half down style, then enhance my makeup with smokier eyes and plump lips. I check the mirror, nod at the results, then walk over to the closet. This is going to be the tough part. While a witch can conjure clothes, we typically don’t. Any interference with our magic, and we’d be standing naked. I shudder.No, thank you.
Flicking through the sparse choices, I settle on an off the shoulder sweater in green that makes my eyes pop, black skinny jeans, and black booties. This seems nice enough to go to dinner or a club, depending on where the mood takes us. After a spritz of perfume and grabbing my clutch, I’m sailing through the door and into the elevator, straight into Theron’s arms—strong arms that immediately wrap around me.
What are the fucking odds?
I pull back and cringe. “Sorry, Theron. I’m in a hurry to meet Meri, and I didn’t see you. Lobby, please. Oh, the book. Thank you. Would you mind putting it in my room? Thanks. I’ll see you later.” The doors open, and I jump out of the elevator before I make a bigger fool of myself.
“Wait,” Theron demands. “Who’s going with you?”
“I am,” Astor drawls, stepping from the shadows.
Theron gives me a satisfied nod and Astor an intense stare, probably ordering him to not let me out of his sight.
Astor laughs and tells Theron, “Stop worrying, old man. We’re going to have some fun.”
