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I blink slowly. That’s definitely not what I was expecting her to ask. “Why?”
She shrugs. “Mei was acting really weird when I asked her.”
Of course it’s the meddling ghost’s fault. I take a deep breath in. Well, I did wonder how Esme would react if she knew the truth about my cravings. It’s time to find out. “I was feeding.”
Her lips part in a lovely round shape. “Not, uhm, food, I suppose?”
I grin. “Well, it’s food for me.” Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, I say, “emotions. It’s what I eat. Though mortal food tastes fine, too.”
My finger trails down her neck. “I can tap into a human’s life source, and feed from it. I feel everything you’re feeling, taste it on my tongue as distinctly as you would a juicy fruit. For a moment, all your emotions become mine.”
“That sounds…” Esme pauses, tapping a finger to her lips. There’s a dozen different things I expect her to say. Odd. Monstrous. Invasive. Instead, she says, “intimate.”
“I guess it is, in a way.”
“Will you feed from me?”
I swallow a knot. I want to, desperately. But I don’t know if I could stop, once I started. “You are…” I struggle with the right words. “A little too tempting. I’d risk hurting you.”
Esme’s fingers find my hair. “I think I’d like to try, at some point. I trust you, remember?”
The way she offers herself to me so willingly has something fierce and warm blossoming in my chest. I kiss her cheek. “Next time, maybe.”
Then, I let a slow smile spread across my lips as I take inventory of her naked body. I promised to fuck her frustrations out; she seems pretty mellowed out already, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to get away unscathed. Lowering my hands to her waist, I move her to her knees, then snake my hands lower. I squeeze her ass before slapping it hard. Esme moans breathily.
“Right now I want you on all fours, little witch,” I command. “You’ve earned yourself a punishment fuck.”
chapter 35
secrets in the attic
esmeralda
My childhood home stares back at me like a stranger. Some part of me wants to turn around, but I will it to quiet. Some dark, overcrowded corner of that house could hide answers. I will find them.
“If you’d rather come back another day…” Tei says, as if reading my thoughts. Maybe he is, with his whole ‘eating feelings’ thing. I shake my head. “We can’t. I’ve put this off long enough. Time isn’t exactly on our side.”
Tei’s hand rubs circles on my back. “You’re doing great, little gem. I have a really good feeling about your chances of success.”
It feels like he’s trying really hard not to lie to me, because he didn’t exactly say ‘you’ve got this in the bag.’ Which is fine by me — I don’t need empty platitudes.
Fishing the key from my tote bag, I open the door and cross the threshold. It’s only after I’ve taken several steps that I realize Tei isn’t following. I look back over my shoulder, and sure enough, he’s waiting at the door. “Everything ok?”
He looks at the ground as it if could sprout limbs. “I… can’t cross. The house is spelled.”
It makes my blood crawl in my veins. How is that possible? Tei came over once already, and had no problem then. The only person who’s been in the house since is me, and I certainly didn’t spe— “I poured liquor down.”
Tei’s eyebrows lift. “You did what?”
“I poured liquor. Well, homemade ratafia. I still had a bottle. I watched Àvia do it a million times, she’d sprinkle a few drops on the door as an offering to the Beyond to leave us alone.”
Tei cocks his head. “And your grandmother taught you to do that?”
“I guess it’s something my grandfather insisted they did. Àvia wasn’t very superstitious, but apparently he was, and Àvia did it to keep the peace.”
“Well, at least we’ve traced your witch heritage to the right side of the family.” He sweeps one arm in front of himself. “Now, will you let me in, please?”
Heat spreads down my neck. “How… do I do that? Exactly?”
