“Ugh, by all means, turn down protection in the safest building in existence because you’re not ready to move in with your girlfriend.” Pierce shakes his head, rolling his eyes.
“I’m not complaining, Carlton. I’m just worried that looking at your ugly mug every day is going to rot my eyeballs.”
This isn’t going to be a huge adjustment for Leo. He’s slept in the Astrology room more than once since term resumed. The Library and I agree that the man doesn’t sleep enough, so when he happens to nod off in his chair before closing, we simply…don’t evict him.
I have, however, caught him trying to feign sleep at closing time and promptly turfed him out for his temerity.
I may be going soft in old age, but I’m not stupid.
“What about Talcott?” Leo asks. “Where’s he staying?”
“He’s busy.” I turn away from them. “He’s searching for my grimoire. When he returns, he’ll have a room in the clock tower, just like the rest of you.” I settle a little bit of steel into my tone.
“That’s not?—”
“The building is big enough that you don’t even need tocross paths if you don’t want to,” I cut him off. “The covenant protects both of you.”
It’s not enough, and the dark glare he levels at me tells me he knows it. There are a million ways that Dakari could interfere with Leo’s curse without causing physical harm, not that he would ever bother to do so.
Dakari’s mistrust doesn’t seem to come from hatred of Leo’s family. I’ve never once believed he’d try to sabotage Leo’s attempts to break the ensorcellment. If anything, he seems more wary of the lengths Galileo will go to in his pursuit of freedom.
Honestly, sometimes I share his concern.
Part of me wishes they would just sit down and talk it over, but the two of them are only ever in the same room during one of Lambert’s games. Even then, they religiously ignore one another.
Jasper’s cheeks puff out on a harsh exhale. “The clan won’t be happy, but I’ll tell them.”
“Let me walk you out,” I suggest, gesturing to the doors.
It’s a relief to escape Leo’s wary gaze, and I need to speak with the sweet Scot anyway before I carry out the second of Benny’s requests. I’m so caught up in working out how to broach that subject that I barely notice him courteously holding the door open for me or it swinging shut behind us.
“Hey, you all right?” he asks, taking my hand and pulling me to a stop amongst the plants.
“Yes. Of course.”
“Then…do you maybe want to talk about this?”
He untucks a neatly folded copy of a familiar document from his jacket, and my cheeks heat.
Oh, magic. No. No, I do not wish to discuss it. “I regret ever making that thing.”
“Really? I thought it was a good idea.” At my questioning glance, he shrugs. “I wouldnae have had the guts to ask for halfof the things on the list if they werenae there, and I definitely wouldnae have added more.”
Curiosity burns as I glance again at the paper. Damn. It’s folded, hiding any clues as to what he might’ve written.
“Does this mean you’re saying yes to that date?”
Wildfire fills my face as I nod. For goodness’ sake, I am five hundred years old, not fifteen, but these butterflies in my stomach are out of control, and I selfishly relish every one of them.
“Yes, but I’m still not sure how you plan to pull it off,” I answer.
No doubt, the building will help him. The shelves in the hall beyond are already straightening with anticipation.
“Leave that to me, lass.” He goes to hand the paper to me, then hesitates. “You promise, nae judgement?”
The tremulous thread of nerves in his voice gives me the courage to look up and hold his warm stare with my own.
“Jasper, in the last five-hundred years, I have read literally everything from the bodice-ripper romances of the seventies to the tentacle manga Eddy loaned me a few weeks ago. There is literally nothing you could’ve written that I have the right to judge you for.”
