Page 24 of Magic & Mochas
My hand flew to my mouth in horror.No wonder Thorne seemed to hold such animosity for warlocks.
Thorne took a deep, shuddering breath.“But I don’t need to move to summon my shadows; they respond to my will.They took down the monsters with ease.But by the time the hex wore off and I found the hidden exit, the rest of the party were nowhere to be found.I escaped that dungeon alone, assuming they had left long before me.But according to the guild, none of them ever returned.”
By this point, I was absolutely steaming mad.“And they blamedyoufor your party members’ deaths?!After the waytheysacrificedyou?!”
Thorne looked at me with haunted eyes.“They didn’t believe me.And there’s no way to prove a negative, to prove something Ididn’tdo.”
I set my cup aside, and gently put Thorne’s on the coffee table as well.I drew him into a hug, stroking his back soothingly.“Is that why you came to Willowmere?Why some of the elders refused to rent to you?”
He went stiff in my arms, but gradually relaxed.His arms slowly encircled me, and he rested his head on my shoulder.“Yes,” he whispered.
After a minute, Thorne pulled back.But when he remained silent, I took his face in my hands, forcing him to meet my eyes.He looked startled, but made no move to pull away again.
“If what Rasmus did wasn’t my fault, then what that party did to you wasn’t your fault, either.”I surprised even myself with the force of my words.
“But, my powers…if I’d only told them the truth…” Guilt laced his voice, his eyes.
“If it hadn’t beenyou,that party would have betrayed someone else.And that someone else would not have made it back.”There was no doubt in my tone.“Even if youhadtold them the truth, it sounds like they would have tried to use you the same way your parents did.”
“I know that in my head,” he whispered, his eyes turning glassy.“But…”
“But it still hurts,” I finished.“It still makes you wonder if somehow, you’re the problem.If you’re broken.”
He swallowed.Nodded.
It seemed both of us were trying to pick up the pieces of our lives.It made me feel a little better to know that I wasn’t the only one feeling this way.
“Maybe we can be broken together, and slowly pick up the pieces.We can glue them back together with gold instead of tears, until we’re stronger than we were before.”I laced my fingers through his and squeezed.
“I used to think I was just unlucky with people.Unlucky with my party, unlucky with my parents… But now, I think…maybe I just hadn’t met the right person yet.”His voice dropped an octave, and he lifted my hand to his lips.
My heart melted.It was in that moment, with startling clarity, that I realised I was falling in love with him, shadows, scars, and all.
Chapter ten
Tea & Trouble
Clove
“Thisisit.”Istood facing the closed front door, trying to mentally prepare myself to flip the CLOSED sign to OPEN.
You can always open tomorrow,complained Silas, cracking one eye open.And go back to bed for today.
You know I can’t do that—I told everyone I was openingtoday,not tomorrow.I tried unsuccessfully to cover my yawn.I had been far too excited to sleep.
At least letmesleep, then,he grumbled, curling up in his little house.
Today was the grand opening of The Broom & Bean, the day I had been dreaming of for so long.But even though I was incredibly excited, I was also incredibly nervous.What if something went wrong?Or worse, what if Rasmus barged in again and tried to humiliate me in front of everyone?
But at least I wouldn’t be doing this alone.
“No matter how today goes, I’m proud of you.”Thorne placed a hand on my shoulder.After last night’s openness, it felt like we had grown much closer.“And I can tell your parents are proud of you, too.”
I furrowed my brow.“You’ve met my parents?”
“No, but I think I’m about to.”He chuckled, gesturing at the window through which, sure enough, I could see my parents waiting eagerly.
I laughed, flipping the sign so that it read OPEN, and propped open the door.The little bell I had installed tinkled merrily as my mom greeted me with a hug, and my dad greeted Thorne with a firm handshake.
