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Val beamed, and I couldn’t help but smile back. Her pride in her niece was infectious.
“Do you have any other genius family members I should know about?” I asked.
Val laughed gently. “I’d say don’t tell her, but I don’t think that girl could get an ego no matter how high you tried to build her up.” She shook her head. “But outside of Morgan’s family, I have another sister. She never really manifested any magic, but she still lives in the coven with us.”
I blinked in surprise. “I had no idea not all witches came into magic. Does that happen often?”
Val nodded. “Magic is never guaranteed. A long time ago, families would arrange marriages, trying to create the strongest bloodlines. Some claimed success, but…” She shrugged. “There are always a few witches each generation who just don’t seem to develop magic. If there’s a rhyme or reason to it, we haven’t figured it out yet.”
“Huh.” I took another bite of mashed potatoes. As good as the meal was, I was certain it wouldn’t be that great if it got cold. But I wasn’t about to let this door Val had opened close, either.
“So, have you ever considered getting married again?” I asked her, as if I’d never considered that idea before. “Maybe it’d be easier if it was outside the community?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Walter stare his food down as if he could turn his Salisbury steak into filet mignon if he looked at it hard enough. I tried not to grin as I focused again on Val.
Val gave me a shy smile. “I’ve thought about it.” She paused. “But I think about a lot of things.” Then she waved it off. “You can’t really be that curious about an old witch’s love life.” She took a bite of food that was entirely too large.
I took a sip of my water to keep from snickering and turned my attention to Walter. “Your turn!” I said cheerily. “I’ve always wondered: how long have you been working for Fenris?”
Walter seemed genuinely relieved by the question. “I came into the Lunar Lord’s employ when I was in my early twenties,” he replied. “Working for Fenris has been my only job, and I’ve never even thought of anything else.”
I couldn’t help but smile, genuinely touched by the answer—but that really wasn’t what I was after today. “Your family all trained for that, right? What about them?”
“My brother and sisters are very jealous,” Walter said, staring at his food. “That was never my intention, of course—only to serve Fenris the best I can.” He paused. “It does mean that one of my nieces or nephews will be the one to take up the mantle, though, as I have no children of my own.”
My mouth twitched as I saw my opening. “So you’ve never considered getting married, then? Having your own family? Did working for Fenris get in the way of that?”
Walter gave me a suspicious look. “I know you think he works me too hard,” he said, and I couldn’t help but duck my head. That was certainly something I’d considered before. “But he tried to let me go in my late thirties.”
I almost choked on my mouthful of food. “Seriously? What happened?” I asked once I swallowed.
Walter held a dry expression. “He didn’t want to get in the way of me having my own family. Apparently, my grandfather had taken that path: he was once Fenris’s assistant, only to leave when he met my grandmother. I can’t be upset about that, of course, or I might not be here.” He paused. “I stayed because I truly enjoy my job—and my family’s role as members of the Order of the Stars. I felt staying was the best way to uphold the oath my ancestors made centuries ago.” He paused, looking at Val and me. “Of course, Fenris would probably not appreciate that I shared that bit of history with you two. If you say anything about it to him, I’ll simply pretend I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Your secret is safe,” I replied. “So, you’ve never had any interest in dating?”
I saw his gaze dart in Val’s direction before he cleared his throat. “I know this may be hard to believe, but I have not met many women who’ve had similar experiences across their lives.” His expression turned melancholy. “Especially not in the human world where I ‘belong.’”
I nodded, filing that thought away for later. Both Walter and Val were watching me carefully, so I decided not to press my current line of questioning. Changing the topic to hobbies got them to relax again, and before I knew it, Walter was regaling me with his quest to collect original versions of classic movies. Even Val seemed interested, though her taste tended more toward collecting music instead of films.
I leaned back in my chair, content to let them make eye contact—that is, before they looked away—as they fell onto the topic of keeping houseplants.
Suddenly, a spike of pain ripped through me. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing, not wanting to ruin the moment for Walter or Val.
Fenris…I hope you’re alright.
I knew this was only an echo of what he was going through, but it still felt like a giant fist was trying to squeeze me like a tube of toothpaste. I couldn’t imagine what the real deal felt like for him.
No wonder Fenris wants to lift this curse.
I still had mixed feelings about being someone’s bride—especially after how things ended with Ben—but if I could help Fenris alleviate his suffering, I would. Leaving him to deal with this agony for an eternity wasn’t something I could live with. I wasn’t that type of person, and I didn’t plan on changing now.
Chapter10
Fenris
Southern Sky Research Station
Antarctica
