Page 71 of The Alchemists

She pressed her eyes closed. “I can’t.”

“Why?” But he knew why, as soon as he said it.

“It would be wasted on me.”

“Because of your curse?”

She shifted uncomfortably, her face agonized in the parking lot light.

“Because of my curse.” Her confirmation was an echo.

LILY

“Ready to sample some assuredly mediocre wine?” Seb said in the Millay lot as she locked her bike.

“You do know that I’m not legally allowed to drink, yes?”

He rolled his eyes at her. “Give me your license.”

She obliged, skeptical. He framed it between his thumbs and forefingers, his lips silently working. A few jerky movements later, he handed it back.

“Basic illusion cantrip.” He grinned at her.

“This is a research trip, Sebastian.”

“Sure.” He pulled open the car door for her with comical bravado before slipping into the driver’s seat and gunning the engine. It roared, leonine, into life. He smirked genially as he pushed the throttle. Lily’s teeth vibrated inside her skull.

Charming.

A very small, drowned-out part of her hated that she was sitting in a stupidly expensive automobile with a stupidly wealthy young man. Sebastian charmed her in spite of herself. This world had pushed her to its outskirts her whole life, barely tolerating her existence, but now she’d fallen into the lap of it, and it was as thrilling as she’d feared.

Seb kept the car’s theatrics to a minimum as he slid onto the arterial and guided it across the Hudson. It purred as they glided along the river’s west bank. She couldn’t stop herself from glancing over at him, just to make sure he was real.

“Wait, you just passed it!” She pointed frantically at the sign for the winery, now in her side-view mirror.

Seb glanced over at her, bemused. “I figured we could get lunch in town first.”

She raised an eyebrow. “How much are you planning on drinking?”

“You have to pay for the tour. The wine comes free.”

“It’s not really free if you have to pay for the tour.”

“Either way, we have to pay if we want to get inside properly, so we might as well enjoy it.”

“Fine.” Lily slumped into her seat. “How much is the tour?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

She pursed her lips, worrying about it. There were twenty dollars in her wallet, and she could swing lunch on her debit card if they went somewhere cheap, but already this venture was full of expenses she hadn’t prepared for. Her neck felt hot and itchy beneath her scarf. She tugged it loose.

“Hey.” He moved his hand from the gear shift and fished for her fingers. “I was thinking this could be a date.”

“A date?”

“Like I…take you to lunch because I like you and I want to buy you lunch.”

“And then?” She narrowed her eyes at him.