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“Who’s is?” Maddox asked.
I whipped my head around, watching as he walked through the doorway. He was the epitome of elegance. He was always well-groomed, with his hair styled to the side, sleek with whatever product Aaron, his boyfriend and potioneer, had brewed. His black shoes with white tops were shined to death. His black pants were ironed, a crease down the middle, and held up by a leather belt with a silver buckle.
“Who’s attractive?” he asked again, grinning.
“Did you finish studying the stone already?” I asked. The ancient rock etched with markings in Lor had been brought in a few days ago, when some witches found it near the mountains.
He placed his hands into his pockets, then strode toward the counter. “Yep. It didn’t take long to translate. It was an old spell supposedly used to form a bond between this world and other realms, like the underworld. Probably some crazed worshiper trying to make a deal with a god.”
“Show off.” I smirked, and he chuckled. He’d always been our best keeper. Dora was okay, but she didn’t hold a candle to him. “At least it’s safe here with us now.”
“Yep. Locked away in the vaults. So who’s this man you were talking about?”
Naomi raised her eyebrows, a seductive smile on her lips. “His name’s Viktor. No one knows much about him, but oh my.” Her eyes rolled up. “You should see him. Muscle galore. He’s super tall too.”
Maddox’s eyebrow raised. “Does he like men or woman?”
“Not sure, but I hope he likes woman.” She said with a wink.
“What about Craig?” He was Naomi’s only friend, outside of me and Maddox. She’d liked him since I’d known her, and I was pretty sure he felt the same, but neither would admit it out loud.
“If he liked me, he’d have told me by now. It’s time to move on.” Hope brightened her eyes, but uncertainty darkened her smile. “Elle’s seen Viktor too.”
“When?” Maddox joined us at the table, coffee in hand.
I gave Naomi a look. “Last night,” I said, turning my head toward Maddox. “He came with Frederick. He’s a human-born warlock.”
“Ooh, like you.” He sipped, then placed his cup on the table. “Maybe you’ll finally give someone a chance.”
“I do give chances… occasionally,” I said. He had a point, but I didn’t want to linger there. “Besides, I have all the men I need.” I poked his arm, a teasing smile playing on my lips. “Between you and Edmund, I’m already exhausted. I couldn’t imagine having a boyfriend as well.”
Naomi cleared her throat. “To be fair, Elle does need to focus. The call is coming up soon.” She clasped her hands together, her voice rising a whole octave. “My grandmagician said I’m ready to take the test. If I pass, I’ll finally be a full magician and will be able to travel, you know, to places that require magicians.”
Maddox whistled out a breath. “That’d be great. Speaking of the call… Edmund had a word with me not long ago.” His disapproving gaze met mine. “Why aren’t you putting your name forward? We need you. I can’t always carry the entire coven on my shoulders.” He was joking, but there was some truth there. Between the three of them, he and Edmund did most of the work.
Naomi looked at me incredulously. “Well? Why aren’t you putting your name forward?”
“I want to wait until I’m sure I’m ready.”
“Edmund thinks you’re ready,” Maddox said, but Edmund didn’t know how I was failing the advanced spells or that I hadn’t memorized all the history and translations. “Come on, Elle. Stop worrying you’re not good enough all the time.”
Naomi pressed her lips into a thin line, tapping her finger against the dip in her chin. “He has a point. You do do that.”
They both nodded, and heat flushed my face. “I’ll think about it,” I lied. “So are you going to ask him out? Viktor?”
She rolled her eyes at my obvious change of topic but took the bait anyway. “Possibly. Depends on where he’s placed.”
“He’ll probably be a caster,” said Maddox.
“Or a protector,” Naomi said. “He looks like one.”
“Maybe he’ll be a magician.” I smiled in her direction.
Disappointment guided her tone. “Unlikely. We’re the second smallest coven, next to yours. Besides, he has that ambitious look to him.”
“We’ll find out today,” she explained. “The ceremony is this afternoon.”
I swallowed thickly. “I have a prior en?—”
