Page 79 of Grave Robbing and Other Hobbies (Grave Concerns 1)

“Like…once?”

“Oh, no, at least a dozen times.”

My mouth hung open for a moment before I snapped it shut. “Doesn’t that make you a whore?”

“Sure, but a very well-paid whore. Her services don’t run cheap.”

“I can only imagine since I know how goodyourservices are.” The words came out sharp and unhappy. What did I even have to be annoyed over?

It wasn’t as though Hunter and I were involved. He’d gone down on me once. That was hardly an important relationship.

He caught the front of my shirt and tugged me toward him, ignoring that I’d crossed my arms and triedveryhard to ignore him. “I like you jealous.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“No arguments here.” He leaned in to kiss me, but the shuffling of Grant behind us in the room made me pull back. Hunter lifted his eyebrow. “Come on. You can’t be angry about me shagging people before I ever met you. That seems a bit petty.”

“No arguments here.” I threw the words back at him, but instead of him getting annoyed, he only smiled wider before he leaned down and nipped my full bottom lip, like a punishment for my difficulty and a reward at the same time.

As soon as he did, when I was ready to forgive him, he pulled away with a grin. “Well, I guess I’ll go get us food then. I have a feeling we’ll need it.”

When he left, I turned to find Grant walking the perimeter of the tent, whispering. It was like at my house—an impressive display. Even without flames or sparks or anything of the sort, the way he moved was captivating. I hadn’t realized at my house, but the more I saw of Grant, the more I realized how powerful he was and the more interested I became in what he did.

I wondered if I’d ever have that sort of knowledge or confidence.

Sure, I knew my way around a form eighty-six-B like no one’s business, but that was different. Selling life insurance wasn’t like this.

Grant, at the door of the tent, sliced his arm with the same sort of sharp point on his finger he had at the stump, and the dripping of blood didn’t freak me out as much.

I’d grown used to everyone bleeding all over the place, which didn’t feel like much of an improvement.

When Grant finished, he turned as though he hadn’t realized I was staring. After a moment, he offered me a cocky grin. “Enjoy the show?”

“How do you do that?”

“Magic?”

I nodded. “It seems like something that would come in handy.”

He shrugged, then nodded at the cushions on the floor that looked like a large seating area at the center of the tent. I lowered myself onto one cushion with the grace of a tipsy giraffe, and while he plopped down in a similar fashion, somehow his clumsiness seemed purposeful.

“Magic is something you’re born with.”

“I thought you said that all immortals are sterile, so new ones have to be turned.”

“They are. Mages are sterile, but only certain humans can become mages. Vampires and werewolves, they’re made from any human who is infected, but mages are humans with innate magical talent who choose to trade their humanity for power.”

“Well, that sounds ominous.”

He chuckled before he pulled me around so my back was to him. He set his hands on my shoulders and massaged, digging in so tiny moans left my lips. “It is. Not all humans who could become mages choose to. It’s a trade-off, and even those who choose to try don’t always make it. There’s a ritual, and it is extremely dangerous. Less than a third of the mages who attempt it make it through.”

“What happens to the humans who don’t try?”

“They live normal human lives. Some never know anything about our world because they don’t have enough power to let the guild know they exist. Others create enough waves in the universe through unintentional magic that the guild locates them and offers them the choice. If they refuse, they have their minds wiped clear of their guild knowledge and they’re let go, assuming their power isn’t problematic.”

“And if it is?”

“Then they’re encouraged to join the guild in a way that makes refusing impossible. Most decide to become mages from there, because living in that world but not being a part of it isn’t something anyone really wants.”

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