I chew my lip as I think. “Hmm. I’m gonna…lick your magic wand!”
He nods approvingly. “Good one. Let’s see. I’m going to, uh…make your pussy…my familiar?”
“Madre del Mar, Diego. That’s terrible.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Just be glad I didn’t make it a play on your name.”
“If you ever call me Pussycat, I’m hexing you.”
“And I would deserve it.”
That morning, before picking up Caro’s dress, we swung by La Casa de Paz to check on Matteo after the binding spell wore off. Diego had theorized that the influx of wedding guests was spreading the camera spell thin. Sure enough, Matteo had seemed seriously hungover, weakened but unafraid, if his murderous glower was anything to go by.
While the other Paz brothers took Matteo to Miami for a fresh shave, Diego had stayed behind to work out a plan with me.
He’s quiet for a long minute. “How does it feel?”
For a second I think he’s talking about our mind-blowing sex the night before, but then he gestures at the wedding dress.
“It’s been a while since you’ve done this.”
“It has.” My hands caress the voluminous skirt, layering in enchantments pulled from the air itself. Unlike ritualistic magic, I don’t use many tools for fabric alchemy. Just the garment, the elements, and my own power.
I mull over his question. Despite the inflow of magic last night, I feel clumsy and out of practice. I keep negating the enchantments and starting over.
Yet even with the difficulties, working on this dress feels more like coming home than returning to Casa Cartagena did. I missed this. I missed creating for the sake of creating, not for money, or power, or fame, but because I enjoyed the satisfaction of channeling the elements through my body into a beautiful design.
And I can no longer ignore how every garment I created in New York felt incomplete. How I felt incomplete.
Finally, I have an answer for Diego. “It feels right.”
He smiles and brushes a hand over my hair, hanging loose down my back. “Yo entiendo.”
“You use a similar process in your cooking, right?”
“Sort of. When I went to culinary school, I liked it, but it felt like something was missing. So I developed a precise procedure for my recipes, something the chefs can replicate. And of course, I layer spells on all the kitchen supplies.”
“You’re a genius. I can’t wait to visit the restaurant.”
“I can’t wait to show it to you,” he says fondly.
The enchantment I’m weaving into the lace stalls, and I wave my hands to dissipate it before starting over. I swallow hard, then meet his eyes. “I’m sorry I was so focused on beating you in school.”
Diego shrugs like it’s no big deal and returns to his seat in the armchair. “It’s the only way you would have noticed me. You were so out of my league in all other ways. Besides, you made me better. My brothers used to tease me, but I never would have done so well if I weren’t trying to keep up with you.”
“You mean surpass me.”
He shakes his head. “I didn’t care about winning. You always deserved to be valedictorian, and part of me will never forgive my mother for sabotaging you. I just wanted to be with you wherever you were, and if that was at the top, I decided I’d do whatever it took to get there too.”
“What would you have done if I’d been a mediocre student?”
“Probably found other ways to embarrass myself for your attention.”
I laugh, but a more serious question occurs to me. “What made you leave Isla Bruja?”
He snorts. “Have you met my mother?”
“Fair point. So why stay so close?”
