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The drive out to Moon’s house in the middle of nowhere took about thirty minutes. Moon spent most of that time regaling the vampire with tales of insanity about his friends. In the past month, it had been Skylar finding trouble, though his boyfriend Nolan was a trouble magnet as well. A few times Chen glanced over at Moon with an expression of disbelief. Not that he blamed him.
Moon pointed a finger at Chen. “This is your one and only warning—weird shit happens to witches. It’s mostly got to do with spells going wrong or strange adventures gathering spell ingredients. Or in Sky’s case, dealing with underworld minions. The point is, if you can’t deal with the occasional weirdness, walk away now.”
“That is good to know.” Chen hummed to himself as if thinking about Moon’s warning. “Maybe I should just drop you at your house and—”
“Hey!”
Chen laughed.
The vampire actually laughed.
Okay, so it was more of a breathless huff of amusement than a freaking full-out laugh, but it still counted. He was even making jokes.
Moon slumped deep in the passenger seat and pressed the back of his hand to his forehead. “I think you’re gonna have to pull over. I’m about to swoon. You’re too cute when you smile and laugh.”
“Please remain conscious. I don’t know how to find your house. I’ll have no choice but to leave you on the side of the road,” Chen threatened.
Not that he had to give many more directions. Five minutes later, they were slipping off the main road onto the long, winding gravel driveway that was flanked on either side by trees. His mother had loved this home. She’d called it her magical escape from the world. His parents had spent most of their lives rehabbing the old two-story farmhouse with the wraparound porch.
It also didn’t hurt that the property came with over twenty acres—almost all of them wooded—to add to the sense of privacy.
At the end of the drive was his beat-up white SUV and old black truck. One was for runs into town and short road trips. The other was for hauling big things to and from the property.
Lights glowed on lamps near the house. A couple of porch lights were on, as well as a few lights on timers in the house to give the illusion of someone being home. A brief glance about revealed that nothing had changed since he’d last been home.
“You have a lovely home,” Chen said as he put the car into park and turned off the engine.
Moon grinned. “Would you like a tour before I grab some clothes?” He paused and rubbed his chin. “Unless you’re in a hurry to get to your clan. You could leave now, and I’ll follow in a few minutes in my car. I think I know the way to your place.”
That earned him the icy glare he’d been expecting.
“I’m in no hurry,” Chen bit out. “I think it’s best if you ride with me. Or at least follow me in your car. It would be a shame if you became lost on your way to my home.”
Moon was still chuckling to himself as he climbed out of the car and led the way across the yard to the front door. Normally, he would have gone in through the rear door, which had the mud room connected to the kitchen. It was the best option for kicking off filthy shoes and jackets. But since he had a guest, he could at least pretend to be civilized. He wouldn’t shame his mother from the grave.
At least, not over this.
As they stepped inside, Moon began flipping on more lights and trying to tidy up the random papers and trash strewn about the place. This is what happened when a guy lived alone for several years. The idea of picking up after himself slipped to the farthest reaches of his mind. His only criteria for cleaning was whether his house smelled and whether it was going to draw pests. He always disposed of food. But dirty clothes and papers…not so much.
“Moon, should I take off my shoes?” Chen called out.
The witch twisted to find the vampire standing next to the front door, seeming hesitant to go another step. “Sorry, I don’t have those neat guest slippers you do. It’s fine to leave your shoes on. I doubt you’re going to get the house much dirtier than it already is.”
With a small nod, Chen walked into the living room. His gaze skimmed over the comfortable furniture and dark woodwork Moon’s parents had painstakingly restored. Most of the artwork on the walls was landscapes, while family portraits popped up here and there.
“You have a lovely home,” Chen said, his tone soft and respectful.
“My parents appreciate your kind words. I can’t take any credit. They bought this house years before I was born and spent all their time rehabbing it. I haven’t changed much since I inherited it.”
