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He leaned his forehead against mine. “Baby steps.”
As I gave the command to continue down the snowy path, my heart hammered in my chest.
Could he? Could we?
It was too fragile of a time to consider the possibilities of a future beside this man. I’d seen these things time and time again. Some would change, some would not. And no matter how much hope I’d had from afar, it never seemed to change me.
Because I was a hypocrite. I’d been one since the day my brother died. Maybe my heart was not marked the same way Atlas’ was, but there was still damage done.
* * *
“Have you ever seen anything like this in Moss?” Atlas asked, nudging me with his shoulder as he stepped around from the back of the sleigh, closing our blankets into the boxes.
“Never,” I answered, mouth agape from taking in the music and laughter from a festival happening in the heart of the village.
Small children circled the thick skirts of their mothers as the gathering grew in volume. Chatter filled the square, overtaking the lively music coming from the witches dressed in furs as they swung ribbons through the air in celebration.
“Let’s go see if we can find Eden Mossbrook, huh?”
“The Eden Mossbrook?”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “The one and only. Bash told her I was coming with one of his little love notes, I’m sure.”
“Is that…” I narrowed my eyes.
“What?”
“Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?”
“Psh. No. Magical letters are not that appealing.”
I hid my grin as he tugged me into the throng of people dancing in the village square, laughing and singing off key as the music surrounded us.
With smiles abundant, I couldn't believe this was the coven of Endora Mossbrook, the most feared and dangerous of the coven leaders. But as a woman approached us, with half white and half black hair and stunning opposite eye colors, I couldn’t help but see the reason behind it. Not as she yanked Atlas from my hand, gripping him into a hug when he lifted her and spun her around.
He set her down, and she reached forward, messing up his hair, that beautiful smile never wavering. “I’ve missed you, Pup.”
“About time someone did.”
She pulled away, searching his eyes for more than what his words conveyed, before yanking him into another hug. Only then did she see me, standing awkwardly close, watching the exchange.
“Who’s your friend?”
“Oh.” Atty winked at me. “This is Marley. Marley, this is Eden, Mother-Slayer, Mossbrook.”
“Atlas,” she chided, shoving him away. “Don’t say it like that.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, sheepishly, staring at the woman that had been hunted far longer than I was.
“Any chance you can take a look at her ribs?”
She narrowed her eyes. “What did you do, Atlas?”
He took a step back, showing his palms. “Calm down, slayer. It wasn’t me. We ran into a little trouble.”
She moved closer to me, hovering her hand just above my wound. “I hope nothing serious. May I?”
“Please,” I managed, still in awe of the woman.
