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Chen cleared his throat and forced his eyes to the tea. Though he had to blink twice to even see the neatly labeled tins. “Do you have a habit of disappearing?”
“Nah. Well…” Moon’s voice trailed off and the hand resting on Chen’s hip tightened for a heartbeat before releasing him. Chen missed his warmth. He grabbed the peach oolong, closed the pantry door, and walked over to stand beside Moon at the center island.
“Well?” he prodded. The grin was gone from Moon’s face and he seemed…pensive.
“Oh. Yeah. I guess I sometimes disappear around the anniversary of my parents’ deaths.” Moon glanced up at Chen and didn’t even try to smile. “They died in a car accident during my first year of college. About five years ago. I’m usually good on my own, but…yeah, close to that date, it’s hard. I feel like if I can just go off on my own for a while, I can remember how to breathe again. And then a couple of days later, I can remember how to think.”
“You’re an only child?”
Moon grunted. “Funny enough, I think most witches are. No clue why. Maybe witches are worried about all their kids inheriting their gift. Who would want to deal with their kids tossing magic at each other or literally destroying the house every other day? Not me.” Moon was attempting to make a joke, but the upward tilt of his lips faded quickly.
“You were close?”
Moon nodded, his fingers spreading on the counter. He traced some of the pale-white veins within the dark-green marble. “Yeah. Dad was a normal human who thought Mom’s magic was the best thing ever. And Mom…” He paused and smiled. “She was amazing. Most of the time, she was that normal baking cookies and complaining that I needed to clean my room kind of mom. But then she’d take me on hikes in the woods and show me how to use our type of magic. All it took was a prick of the finger. She used to say, ‘a little bit of sacrifice for a lot of wonder.’ ”
“I am sorry for your loss,” Chen murmured. He reached over to place his hand over Moon’s, but drew it back to his side.
The witch drew in a deep, cleansing breath. When he smiled at Chen this time, it appeared more genuine. “It’s okay. I was lucky. We had some good years together. That’s more than many people can say. But yeah, on the anniversary of their deaths, I get flaky. Wander off. The guys are overprotective. Usually track me down. This time, though.” Moon made a scoffing noise.
Chen walked over to a drawer and withdrew a spoon. He began scooping some of the loose tea leaves into a pair of clay teapots with a floral design etched into the sides. “I destroyed those two vampires who were attempting to accost you. They were concerned about your safety.”
Moon moved around the island and rested on it next to Chen with his hands gripping the edge. The side of Moon’s right hand brushed Chen’s hip every time he shifted, sending tiny shafts of warmth through his body. Part of him argued he should take one step to his left, putting a safe distance between them, but he didn’t, not wanting to seem like a coward.
“They’re overprotective and tend to overreact. Especially Sky.” Moon leaned toward Chen, his arm pressing into Chen’s as he whispered, “Total drama queen.” Moon straightened and smirked. “But I’m sure your clan is like that, right? You’re protective of each other when there’s danger.”
“Reasonably so. We’re all trained to watch for threats and guard against any kind of attack.”
“Sure, but sometimes you’re outnumbered and outgunned. Come on, what if Xiang was in danger and—” That suggestion was choked off when Chen leveled a stern glare at Moon. If Li Xiang was in trouble, Chen was tempted to leave the annoying gremlin to deal with it on his own.
Moon cleared his throat while failing to hide his smirk behind his hand. “Got it. Bad example. What if it was Jun? Or Ming Yu? Or Daniel?”
“Yes, if any of my clan mates were in trouble and needed assistance, I would hurry to help them.” Chen turned his head to Moon and dipped it lower. “And yes, even if it was Xiang, I would help him. Especially if he was in trouble and needed my help. I would save him if only so I could hold it over his head for a very, very long time.”
The witch threw his head back, laughter leaping from his open mouth. Chen couldn’t recall the last time he’d heard such a joyous sound. Moon was always full of smiles and giggles, but these were deep belly laughs and Chen couldn’t stop his own lips from rising at the corners. How could he not? The sound was infectious. As if Moon were the source of all happiness in the world, releasing it for others to relish.
