Page 92 of Extra Witchy

“What are you strongest in?” Trev asked.

“Neuromancy. I do my best work in glamours. Next, it’s probably divination, but I’m weak at it compared to Ethel, so I usually leave it to her.”

“Right, your coven…mates?” Trev didn’t know if he was using the right word for them, but since Leanne didn’t correct him, he ran with that choice. “What are their specialties? If you’re allowed to tell me.”

“Iam.That is what’s so magical about passing this proposal with the council.”

“Guessing you don’t mean the city council.”

“There is some internal witch stuff I’m not supposed to talk about, so suffice to say, yes, I can tell you what everyone specializes in. Vanessa is enchantments and vivimancy, and her sculptures are literally magical. Both Danica and Clem are technomancers, as you could guess from their business name. They’re so strong that I don’t even know what their minor attunement is. Kerry and Priya, likewise, only they’re vivimancers. Ethel is a diviner with minor attunement for enchantments. Margie is a neuromancer, though not a superstrong one.”

“Wow.” This was so much information that his head was spinning.

Not necessarily in a bad way, but like, it hadn’t quite sunk in that this was all real. He kept waiting for her to crack up laughing and admit this was all an elaborate prank, but so far, her beautiful face remained utterly earnest. He took a steadying breath.

“What?” she asked.

“This might come across wrong, I don’t know, but…could I see therealyou? Without the glamour in place.”

Chapter 29

Maybe it shouldn’t, but that felt like a knife twisting in Leanne’s heart.

“Are you worried about what you’ve married?” she asked.

“No, but I think it’s a fair request, all things considered.”

She couldn’t even argue, so she concentrated on stripping away an illusion she had been crafting for years. In all honesty, she couldn’t even recall the last time she’d dispelled it, so she might not recognize her own features without it. Bracing herself, she turned to face him, waiting for him to shout in shock and flee the condo.

“When are you planning to do it?” he asked.

Puzzled, she got up and hurried to the bathroom. To her own eyes, she looked visibly older. Tired, as well. With a few lines around her eyes, and her mouth paler than she’d usually allowed it to be. She came back to face him.

“The glamourisgone,” she said.

He started to smile then. “But you look the same. You’re beautiful, Butterfly.”

“What? I donot.”

Ignoring her words, Trev shrugged. “To me, you look the same.”

Just then, her phone beeped with an advisory, alerting all witches to the change in the covenant. That meant Danica could tell Titus the truth whenever she wanted. All over the world, witches could be having this same talk with their partners.

But she couldn’t stop here. It was time to step up. To be brave, braver than she ever had been before. No longer would she live like she didn’t deserve to be loved, like the person she cared for above all others might still choose to abandon her. She’d done that in the name of self-protection, but really, it was just another word for cowardice—leaving someone before they could decide to do it to her.

“I’m glad you’re not put off by any of this,” she said then.

“My head is a mess, but…no, it doesn’t change anything. I don’t care what—or who—you are. You’re still the person who crossed a room to pick me out of the crowd. You’re still the person who makes me feel like I matter more than anyone else.”

“You matter. So very much. And that’s the next stage. When we got together, we had so many sensible reasons. Logical motivations. But for me, it’s not about that, and frankly, it never was. I was just too scared to admit the truth.”

“Which is?” Trev asked.

“I want to be your wife, always. I don’t want a temporary arrangement. I don’t want to worry you’ll get tired of me and take off. I want you to come to bed even when we fight.” She paused, knotting her fingers together because the next one was huge. And she’d never said it toanyonebefore, which explained why none of her relationships lasted. “I want you to love me, as much as I love you.”

He let out a slow breath, his eyes bright as golden coins. “That’s so easy, Butterfly. I’ve been yours almost since the beginning. But I was so afraid that I didn’t have anything to offer. Let’s face it, I wasn’t a catch when we met, and by most standards, I’m still not. I don’t earn—”

“Bullshit,” she cut in. “I was making enough money already when we got married, and though I’ve shifted gears, we’re still doing fine freelancing. When you add in the inheritance, money isn’t a factor. One day soon, I’ll be allowed to freelance as a witch as well. Imagine the money I could earn doing beauty glamours for special occasions. People with skin conditions who can’t wear cosmetics at all could benefit.”

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