“How did a book fit into your pocket?” Silly question.
“I created a spell to store big things inside small ones. I was tired of carrying my satchel around. It wasn’t fashionable.”
He flipped through the pages, and I tried to understand the writing. Utter gibberish. The more I focused on the words, the more my head hurt.
“I think this wizard isn’t a wizard, but a sorcerer.” He stared at me as if expecting a big reaction.
“And?”
He exhaled. “I’m a wizard. I master many spells and can brew many potions. A sorcerer masters one or two spells. He’s no match for me.”
“How can you be sure he doesn’t master many?”
“Why would he need to trick you and take your money or be the boss of a gang of human thugs? Because he can only turn people into animals and produce green blasts.”
“Why did Knight lie about him?”
He closed the book and slid it into his pocket. “Fear? Or he wants to reveal what he knows at the right moment when it’s convenient for him. Alex has an advantage over him because we’re going to help him. Knight might have decided to withhold information to have some leverage over Alex.”
I touched his arm. “You truly are brilliant.”
For the first time, he didn’t smirk, agree with me, or say something silly. “I want to be helpful.”
His seriousness surprised me.
“You are. Why would you think otherwise?”
He shrugged, brushing breadcrumbs from his jacket.
The shadows lengthened as dusk advanced, and Alex’s window was lit.
Darius nudged me with his elbow. “Go to him. You’re turning him into a proper human.”
“Thank you for your help.”
“One last thing.” He propped his elbows on the backrest. “The first bottle you smashed, it was me.”
“Darius!”
His smirk returned. “You needed confidence. It worked.”
“You’re impossible.” I laughed.
“Thank you.” Darius winked.
Alex had kept his promise,and my armoire was now full of new gowns, hats, shoes, and fashion accessories. My dear papa would never have been able to buy such magnificent clothes for me. Every time I regarded the layers of velvet, satin, and lace, I remained stunned.
Before going to Alex’s room, I washed and changed into a lovely bottle-green gown, something I would wear for a fancy dinner party, but I wanted to look nice for him. I styled my hair into a simple chignon. Anything more complicated was a daunting task for me, and I didn’t want to bother a maid.
When I entered his room, his gaze followed me with hunger, but I didn’t think it was thirst.
“You look lovely.” His voice had a seductive quality that made my toes curl.
“I wanted to wear something nice.” I smoothed the bodice, feeling the corset underneath.
“Perfect choice.”
When I sat on the sofa, my muscles ached after the training, and I still had a lot to learn, but for the first time since the tragedy, I wanted to live and be happy, and I wanted to rid the world of men like Sean.
