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He watches me intently as I process his words. “You mean dark magic. You’ll teach me dark magic.”
“Highmagic,” he says with annoyance. “And yeah, I’ll teach you enough to get your excess magic out.”
“Why?” I ask, suddenly aware that there’s nothing in it for him.
He pauses and his expression changes. His jaw tenses, and the way he looks at me sends a shiver down my spine. “Because you insulted me when you called me a liar and said I don’t use my magic for good. I want you to have to go back to your fancy house in your protected coven and know with every rise of your chest that the only reason you’re alive is because of the magic you’ve been taught to hate.”
I’m stunned. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.
“If you want my help, meet me here at midnight. I won’t offer again,” he says.
Then he’s gone.
ten
It isn’t as hard to get through dinner with my parents as I thought it would be. Certainly not as bad as it would have been had I chosen not to do anything to fix my situation. For better or worse, my mind is made up, and I haven’t second-guessed myself since my walk home.
I want to live, and I don’t think that means I’m disrespecting my magic or the values with which I was raised. I think it means I’m human.
Landon is coming to visit the Witchery tomorrow, and my parents are busy deciding what we should do, where we should go, who we should see. It will be our first public outing on the island, a very strong signal to the other witches that things are about to change. They won’t see us as two young people falling in love for the very first time, star-crossed and shy, hopeful and self-conscious.
They will see us as a walking alliance. A safety net. A vow of protection.
They will see us as the brilliant end to a game we started playing generations ago.
A game we’re about to win.
“A picnic,” I say, cutting off my parents.
Mom pulls her lips from her glass, and Dad looks up from his plate.
“What?” my mother asks.
“Landon and I will go on a picnic. I’ll tell you the beach ahead of time, and you can spread that information however you like. Landon and I will be out in public for all to see, but in a place thatfeelsprivate, with our backs to the island. We need to be able to talk and get to know one another without feeling like we’re being paraded around. This may be about attracting attention for you, but it’s my life.”
My mother nods along until I say the last sentence. Then she opens her mouth to speak, but Dad cuts her off.
“I think that’s a great idea, Tana. We can definitely work with it.”
Mom clears her throat and swallows whatever she was going to say. “Yes, we can work with that.”
“Great.”
I shove back from the table and carry my plate to the kitchen. I rinse it and put it in the sink before filling my glass with water and heading upstairs.
“You’re going to bed already?” Dad asks. He and Mom are still at the table, plates in front of them, drinks half full.
“I’m sorry, I’m just exhausted. It was a long day.”
“It probably wasn’t a good idea to go walking after last night. Get some rest, sweetie,” Mom says.
I nod and walk up the stairs, my parents’ conversation about my picnic with Landon in full swing before I reach the top step. I go to my bathroom and wash my face and brush my teeth, then crawl into bed and anxiously wait for midnight.
My heart races as I sneak down the back staircase and quietly slip out of the house. This is the most defiant I’ve ever been in my life. I don’t feel guilty about it, though, and I’m not sure why.
Tomorrow’s visit with Landon will bring whispers and watchful eyes, and I’m glad I’m doing this tonight, before everything changes.
When I get to the western shore, Wolfe is waiting for me. My heart beats faster when I see him, fear and adrenaline coursing through my veins, and I force myself to close the distance between us.
