by Amy Boyles
I took a deep breath and headed out of the kitchen. When I opened the door, Thorne stood on the other side, as I’d expected.
He wore jeans and a button-down polo. I was surprised he wasn’t wearing more of a work outfit, but who was I to judge?
“Can I talk to you a moment?”
I didn’t even get a hello. It was all straight to business.
“Should I grab my purse?” I figured I was going to jail. Did I get to bring a toiletry bag?
He shook his head. “We’re not going far.”
I considered my options and figured it looked better for me if I went with him willingly. I closed the door and glanced around, noting Jamison and Reese sat on a nearby bench.
“It’s a nice evening for a stroll, don’t you think?” Thorne said.
I shot him a what’ch-you-talking-about-Willis look but followed him down the steps and onto the sidewalk.
We walked quietly for a moment, and I couldn’t take it anymore. Why wasn’t he saying anything? Why hadn’t he admitted he knew we were at the botanical gardens? Why was Thorne, the vampire extraordinaire, being so gosh-darned quiet?
The silence was killing me.
“You know,” he started. This was it. The moment he told me I was going to the pokey. I fisted my hands and steeled my spine. I was ready.
I’d done it all for the right reasons, and I wasn’t ashamed.
“You know, the other night when I said that you weren’t ready to be kissed?”
The words blurted from my mouth. “I had to, Thorne. I had to do it. Witch’s Forge was in danger.”
Apparently I hadn’t listened to what he’d said. Okay, perhaps I was too ready.
He quirked an eyebrow in question.
I waved my hand in dismissal and laughed nervously. “Okay. Never mind.” I inhaled a deep, refreshing gulp of air scented with the sweet smell of honeysuckles.
“I said that because—well, I told you the reasons why.”
My beating heart settled. “And you were right. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, you were absolutely right. I was protecting myself, lashing out and being hateful.”
He pointed to a fountain with a bench. I followed and sat beside him, still uncertain where this entire conversation was going.
Thorne turned toward me, draping his arm over the bench. “What I realized was that I’ve done the same thing.”
I frowned. “How do you mean?”
“I mean,” he said slowly, his gaze landing on the fountain and resting there, “when you asked me about Angelique, it angered me.”
“It was a very personal question.”
He slowly nodded. “There was that, but there was also more to it. You were asking me to reveal a part of myself that I haven’t discussed with anyone, at least not anyone here. Peek is from my old life, that’s how he knew the tale. That event was something I haven’t thought about for a long time.”
“Oh.” What else could I say?
“It made me realize”—his gaze swiveled back and his silvery eyes snagged mine, making my breath hitch—“that I was doing the same thing that I accused you of.”
His gaze mesmerized me. I could barely find the breath to say, “Oh.”
A slow smile curled on his lips. My heart fluttered in my throat, and I wondered if he could hear it, if he could sense the blood rushing through my veins. What did that do to him?
Better not to ask.
“I decided it was only fair to be honest with you. Angelique used our relationship to betray my family to a rival vampire clan. What ensued was an onslaught that wiped out many of my family members. When it was discovered that Angelique had been a spy, a treasonous one, I went after her.”
His gaze shifted back to the distance. “I found her. She pleaded with me, denying any involvement, but the evidence didn’t lie. So I brought her back to my family, where she suffered the consequences.”
Thorne’s eyes darkened to the color of gunmetal. “No. I wasn’t the one who killed her. That’s the next question and rightly so, but I didn’t stop justice from being carried out.”
I shivered. The emotion filling his voice made my heart leap to my throat. The sadness infecting the tale constricted my chest. Thorne thought he’d found true love, but instead she’d betrayed him.
It was horrible.
“Your eyes are as violet as an orchid tonight.”
I nearly bolted from my seat. “What? Oh. My eyes. You surprised me.”
His head slowly bobbed. “So that’s what happened with Angelique. She didn’t die by my hand.”
But others had? He didn’t say it, but that was what Thorne implied. The man reeked of soldier. For the first time I knew Thorne was a killer by nature, all vampires were. But this vampire held a moral code. If he killed, it was for a reason.
Thorne may not have always lived that way, but he did now and now was what mattered.
He brushed a hand over his thigh. “That’s what I wanted you to know. I said you weren’t ready, but you aren’t the only one without issues.”
A wobbly smile pushed up on my face. “I’m trying to be nice. Nicer. You were right about me.”
He smiled sadly. “Looks like there’s work to be done for both of us.”
I nodded. “I’ve never been friends with a vampire before.”
“I’ve never been friends with a witch.”
I scoffed. “You live in a town that’s full of them.”
“Doesn’t mean we’re friends.”
I laughed. “Guess that means we’re not.”
Thorne studied me. “You don’t really think that, do you?”
I shrugged. “I guess I don’t know what to think. Everything seems so confused.”
He smiled. “I know what to think.”
“What’s that?”
Thorne’s lips curled into a whimsical smile. My heart thundered in my chest. What would he say? Would he say he wanted to just be friends? Or would he tell me something different? Would he say he thought we should go out?
His eyes glinted, and he leaned forward as if he would kiss me. I held my breath.
“Charming, would you—”
His radio crackled. “Chief?”
Thorne scowled. He yanked the radio from his belt. “Go ahead.”
“The suspect has confessed to everything. You’d better get down here.”
“Copy that.”
Without thinking, which I absolutely should have, my voice leaped from my throat before I had a chance to stop it.
“Did Rots confess? He said he was using the crystal to drain Witch’s Forge of its power?”
Anger flashed in his eyes. “You know, I wasn’t going to mention one word of the fact that your scent was all over the botanical gardens, or even that I caught a glimpse of you and your family escaping over the gate when I arrived.”
My blood froze. “You saw us?”
He nodded. “I did.”
My hackles rose. “Well, what were we supposed to do? We had to find the device since Rots had moved it and I knew you’d be ticked if we were searching so we just did it. Go ahead and arrest me if you want to, but we did the right thing. I don’t regret it.”
He chuckled, which irked me even more. “What?” I snapped. “What’s so funny? I admit to being a criminal and you laugh?”
He nodded. “I’m not going to arrest you. What you did was stupid, yes, but I’m not going to arrest you. It was reckless, careless and you could’ve gotten yourself killed, but in my book you’re a hero.”
I slowly peeked up at him from under my lashes. “A hero?”
He nodded. “Absolutely. A reckless one, but a hero.” Thorne rose and offered his hand. “Come on.”
I squinted at him. “So you’re not arresting me?”
Frustration crossed his face. “Not today. But keep asking me that and I might.”
“So I should stop talking about it.”
“I would if I were you.”
I pressed my lips to a thin lin
e. Our gazes locked and we each laughed.
“Let’s get you back home,” he said.
We walked hand in hand back to the house. A fissure of glee raced up my arm, and I felt lighter, as if I could walk on air.
He let me go at the house without a word about a date or anything like that. It was okay. One day at a time was fine with me.
He said one last thing before disappearing into the night. “Thanks for calling me. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to trace you to the botanical gardens.”
“How’d you find us? I never told you.”
He pointed to the house. “I just followed the scent.”
Now that was talent. We said good night, and I went inside to find Mama, Rose and Reese together. Reese beamed when I entered.
“How’d things go with Jamison?” I said.
“Great,” she confessed. “I think there’s a chance for us.”
I smiled. “Wonderful.”
Rose exhaled a sigh of relief. “Finally. Now I can take off this wig I’ve been wearing.”
She reached up and yanked off a piece of hair that looked exactly like her own. My jaw dropped. “You’ve been wearing a wig?”
“Didn’t you wonder why my hair never got frizzy?”
“I figured it was menopause,” Mama said.
Rose scoffed. “No. It was the wig. Thank goodness for that.”
Mama fluffed her hair. “Well, looks like tonight was a win-win. Everything worked out, and Charming didn’t come any closer to satisfying the prophecy.”
I groaned, remembering the nautilus shell in my pocket.
“What is it?” Mama said, her voice snapping.
I cringed. “About that. I’m afraid what you said might not exactly be right.”
“Tell me. Now.”
I screwed up my courage, preparing to tell Mama about the visit from Hildegarde.
Chapter 24
Things for Reese and Jamison worked out indeed. Within a few short weeks the two were getting married. I had to admit I was proud of myself. Though Reese might’ve started out as sort of a mail-order bride, she’d transformed into an honest-to-goodness much-loved bride for Jamison.
“Charming, so glad you and your family could come.”
Mama, Rose, Pig and I peeked in on the bride before the wedding to exchange hugs and well wishes.
“If it hadn’t been for you, I never would’ve met Jamison. I’m so blessed to be here.”
I hugged Reese tight. “So glad we could attend.”
“Oh yes, Pig is excited for the chocolate fountain,” Rose said.
Reese laughed. She leaned down and smiled at Pig. “You are welcome to as much chocolate as you’d like.”
Pig snorted in pleasure.
Reese peered behind us. “You didn’t bring Broom?”
I shook my head. “No. Bringing one magical creature is enough for us.”
Reese giggled and gave us another round of hugs. “See y’all after the ceremony. Enjoy yourselves.”
We left Reese and headed toward the seating area. “Charming,” Mama said quietly, “don’t forget. You’re not getting out of my sight. Not for a moment.”
I rolled my eyes. Ever since she discovered I’d received the nautilus, Mama had kept strict tabs on me, wanting to know everything from when I was in the bathroom to who I was matching that week and what sort of witches they were.
“You only have one more gift to receive—the gift of fire. It won’t be because of me that magic fails,” Mama said.
“Yes, Mama. Trust me. I’m doing my best not to add any more gifts to my collection. Broom and Pig are enough.”
“Me personally, I’m waiting for when the nautilus wakes up,” Rose said.
“Wakes up?” I said. “I received more water power and it didn’t wake up.”
Rose shrugged. “Mark my words, that creature will come out of its shell one day. Maybe not now, but eventually.”
Mama fluffed her hair as if what Rose said wasn’t likely to happen anytime soon. “Let’s find our seats.”
Magic shimmered in the air during the ceremony. Literally. As Jamison, an air wizard, and Reese, a water witch, said their nuptials, the spell that gripped Witch’s Forge retracted even more. I glanced out the window and watched as some of the biting kudzu’s grip on the town shrank into the background.
A smug smile flitted across my face. I had to say I was proud of my work. Bringing witches and wizards together was healing this town.
I loved watching every minute of the ceremony. The light in Jamison’s eyes revealed he was truly in love and the shadow of Corley no longer existed for him.
When the nuptials were finished and the crowd had moved into the reception area, Jamison twirled his new bride over to me.
“You did great, dudette,” he gushed. “Love her with all my heart.”
Reese splayed a hand over Jamison’s chest. “Love him, too.”
I embraced them both. “So glad.”
The couple floated off to greet other wedding guests. I sighed and relaxed against the wall.
“Looks like I was right after all.”
I glanced up to see Thorne smiling down at me. My heart leaped into my throat. With the arrests of Rots and Dash and then Thorne having to deal with the stolen and destroyed property from Duvall’s, I hadn’t seen him much in town. Like, at all, really.
But I knew he’d been in Witch’s Forge. After all, Thorne couldn’t leave. He was bound to the place, and nothing would change that.
At least not for a long, long time.
I smirked. “Right about what?”
His lips coiled into a devilish grin. “Right about the fact that she was a mail-order bride.”
I shrugged. “So what if she was? Did you notice the town shimmers a little more? The magic here grows stronger. I can feel it.”
“If I had magic, I’m pretty sure I could feel it.”
Our gazes snapped together and we laughed. It felt good to be near him, watching the light dance in his eyes as he laughed. The tension between us melted, and I felt a sloppy smile plaster itself to my face.
“Haven’t seen you around,” I murmured.
He raked his fingers through his thick, wavy locks. “I’ve been busy. I have to apologize for that. I meant to see more of you.”
The intensity in his gaze made my heart patter against my throat.
“Oh,” I croaked nervously, “you have?”
He nodded. “Listen, Charming, I was wondering—”
An announcement over the loudspeaker cut him off. “All y’all single ladies, it’s time for me to throw the bouquet.”
Reese stood on a balcony waving a knot of roses and lilies high in the air. “All y’all come down.”
Before I could protest, Thorne gently pushed me forward. “Go ahead. We’ll talk later.”
But I wanted to talk now. Find out what he’d tried to ask me twice. Argh. How annoying.
But instead of arguing, I took my place on the floor beside Rose and Pig.
I glanced at the swine, who seemed to grin happily at me. “You know she’s a pig, right, Rose?”
Rose bristled. “Just because she’s a pig doesn’t mean she doesn’t have the right to a happily ever after.”
I shrugged. “Okay.”
Pig snorted and just because I was in all the feels about love, I scratched between her ears. She leaned into my fingers, and I had to extend the scratch a bit longer.
“Are y’all ready?” Reese said.
“Yes,” the crowd cheered.
She turned her back. “One. Two. Three!”
On three, the bouquet sailed through the sky, almost looking suspended in the air. Which, given that we were a crowd of witches, I hoped no one was using magic to make sure they caught it.
The flowers fell, and I swore it looked like they were coming straight for me. I reached out and up, ready to catch, when another hand snatched them from the air.
Horrified, but doing my best not to sh
ow my irritation at whoever had been rude enough to snatch the flowers, I glanced over.
A small woman with flowing red hair, sparkling blue eyes and pale skin smiled innocently.
“Why, I’ve been waiting my entire life to catch that bouquet.”
Rose grabbed my hand. “Do you know who that is?”
“No.”
“It’s Frankie Firewalker,” she whispered.
I couldn’t contain my gasp. Frankie Firewalker was my mother’s nemesis. Not that I knew much more than that, but that’s what I’d been told.
Frankie, who was easily in her midforties but without one blemish on her skin, sailed over to me and smiled.
“You’re Charming Calhoun, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” I said slowly.
“Wonderful,” she gushed. “I’ve just caught this beautiful bouquet, and I’ve traveled to Witch’s Forge for you—for your help.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mother seething. I could practically hear her screaming, Don’t take anything from Frankie! No gifts.
“What sort of help do you need?”
Frankie took my arm and laughed. “Why, I need a matchmaker, of course.” Her eyes glittered. “Find my soul mate, if you please.”
I uncuffed my hand from hers and took her arm in mine. “If you’d like.”
“Be careful what you’re doing,” Rose whispered.
There was nothing for her to worry about. This was my job, after all.
I closed my eyes and focused on Frankie’s soul mate. The images of three men flashed in my head. The first two were familiar. I’d seen them in town. The last face I recognized all too well.
I sucked air and dropped her hand.
“Three,” I whispered. “You have three possible matches.”
Which was practically impossible. I only ever saw one person for a witch or wizard. But three? Matching didn’t get much stranger than that. But I didn’t have time to ponder it.
Frankie clapped her hands with glee. “Wonderful! Then we’ll do a dating game. For all of Witch’s Forge to enjoy. Do you know the three men?”
I swallowed a knot in the back of my throat. My gaze slowly slid around the room until it landed on Thorne—the third possible soul mate for Frankie Firewalker.
My voice trembled. “I know them,” I said. “I know the three.”
