“Good morning, son,” my mom greeted with a smile. “How would you like your eggs? Over easy or scrambled?”
“Over easy,” I grunted.
She pointed at the coffee pot on the other end of the counter. “It’s lucky for you that I already made coffee since it looks like you could use some caffeine. Did you not sleep well?”
“No, I slept great,” I answered as I grabbed a mug from the cupboard.
“Then why are you such a grouch this morning?” she asked, her brow wrinkled in confusion.
It wasn't like I could tell my mom that I was in a pissy mood because I wanted to fuck Opal’s brains out. My dick was the last thing I wanted to bring up when talking to her. Trying to get out of this conversation, I poured myself a cup of coffee and shrugged my shoulders as I took a long sip.
My mom wagged the silicone spatula she’d just picked up at me. “Don’t think for a second that I’m going to let you get away with not answering me. You might be the head of the Ainsley coven now instead of me, but you’re still my son.”
Setting my mug on the counter, I looked at my feet and pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. A full minute later, I sighed, “Mom.”
“What? A mother can’t ask her son simple questions and expect answers?”
I dropped my head lower and clamped my lips together.
“Oh! I see,” she drawled, the light finally dawning. “You’re cranky because of something having to do with Opal.”
I wasn’t sure if it was just my awareness of Opal being awake upstairs or not, but it felt like my mom had practically shouted that. “Can you maybe try to keep it down a little, so Opal doesn’t think we’re talking about her when she comes downstairs?”
“To be fair, we are talking about her,” my mom pointed out. I sighed and rolled my eyes, which just made her laugh before adding in a much softer tone, “But I’ll try not to embarrass you in front of her, especially since I wanted to talk to you about how you’re going to handle this thing with her anyway.”
“This thing?” I echoed, glancing towards the living room to make sure Opal wasn’t near when I asked, “What do you mean by that?”
She wiped her hands on the towel next to the sink and moved closer to me. “Do you remember the family who owned that horse farm just on the edge of town when you were little? You used to love to go there and sit on the railing to watch them train the horses.”
“Yeah, Dad used to hold onto the back of my shirt because he was afraid I’d fall off the fence and get trampled.” It’d been forever since I thought about our trips out that that farm. The memory was both painful, since he was gone, and joyous, because it’d been one of my favorite things to do with him.
“Back when you were too little to remember, they had this one colt that they had the hardest time breaking in because he’d been mistreated by his previous owners. It wasn’t until they backed off and gave him time to adjust to his new surroundings and learned to trust them by watching how they treated the other horses that they made any progress with him.” She cupped my cheek and offered me a sad smile. “Opal reminds me of that colt. It’s something about the look in her eyes, I think. So wary and untrusting, like she’s just waiting for us to disappoint her in some way.”
It didn’t surprise me that without knowing what Opal’s childhood had been like, my mom had still sensed her skittishness. “Yeah, there’s a good reason behind that look. But you’ll have to get it from her since it’s not my story to tell.”
She patted my cheek and nodded. “You’re right to keep any secrets Opal shares with you close to your chest, son. It’ll help to earn her trust, and I’m afraid that you’re going to have to tread very lightly when it comes to your consort.”
I knew in my gut that my mom was right, but I wasn’t happy about it. It was going to be harder than fuck to give Opal the space that she’d need to feel comfortable with me since every fiber of my being was pushing me to keep her by my side every minute of every day.
Chapter Eight
Opal
“Again,” Rowenna commanded. We’d been at it for a few hours already, and I was exhausted. But that didn’t prevent me from sending a spiral of flame from a nearby candle into the air and swirling it around my body. The fire was so close that I could feel the heat through my clothes, but I had enough control over the flame that it didn’t damage the material. Rowenna had taught me this particular spell only about thirty minutes ago, and I’d already done it successfully twice.
A cool breeze wrapped around me, snuffing the flame with a wave of Rowenna’s hand. “Very impressive,” she complimented me. “I hadn’t expected you to progress this quickly in your magical training. It’s a lucky thing that I was able to get my hands on that book of fire magic spells, or else you would’ve already run out of things to learn.”
Since I wasn’t working the spell anymore, I dropped my hands to my sides. “That’s something I don’t understand. Warren said that you’re basically the most powerful air witch in the world. I get that air and fire magic are different, but why can’t you teach me more fire magic without that book of spells? Aren’t there enough similarities for you to be familiar with at least some fire spells?”
“Only the simplest ones, and your skills have already surpassed those. Since my strength is air magic, I wasn’t trained in fire beyond the basics. Just what I learned before I turned twenty-one, and my affinity for air snapped in place,” Rowenna explained.
“You don’t find out what kind of magic you have until you’re twenty-one?” I was surprised, especially considering that I’d always been drawn to fire, even as a small child. Heck, my mom had abandoned me in a fire station when I was an infant. Since learning I was a fire witch, I couldn’t help but wonder if that wasn’t a coincidence and there was a deeper reason why she’d chosen that particular location.
“Yes, that’s when the vast majority of witches discovery their affinity, although there are always rare exceptions to that rule.”
“I turned twenty-one—” I broke off mid-sentence, not wanting to talk about what had sent me running towards Ashburn in the first place. Not right now, anyway. After an awkward pause, I finished with, “not too long ago.”
Rowenna gave me a look that plainly said she knew that hadn’t been what I’d originally planned to go with, but she must’ve decided to let me off the hook because she didn’t call me out on it. “Maybe that’s why you surpassed my fire spells the second day of your lessons. Your magic must’ve been waiting, coiled up inside you, until the time was right for it to finally be set free. I suppose that it makes sense for your powers to have amplified throughout the years, without an outlet of any kind. Kind of like a pressure cooker.”
Considering my long-standing affinity to fire and how easily the spells had been coming to me, her theory made an odd kind of sense. But there was something else I was curious about. “Are there any witches who have an affinity for more than one kind of magic?”
“If you’d asked me a couple of years ago, I would have said no. But that was before the prophecy which united the magic and shifter communities came true. Selene, the witch who mated the bear shifter, Camden, has a natural affinity for air magic. But she’s also gifted with air and fire magic, gifts from the earth witch and dragon shifter who should’ve been together many, many years ago and were the start of the prophecy in the first place.
“How is that possible?” I asked. “I thought witches and shifters had stayed away from each other until only just recently.”
Warren’s mom moved over to the couch, sat down, and patted the cushion next to her. After I dropped down onto it, she explained, “Many years ago, her coven and the members of his hold made a terrible mistake. Although it had never happened before, the air witch had a dragon shifter for a consort, and she was his fated mate. But because of the fear and hatred between the communities, they wouldn’t allow the couple to spend their lives together. Since the witch and dragon weren’t willing to give e
ach other up, they killed him and she followed him into an early grave. But not until the witch spoke a prophecy about the next witch and shifter couple who would unite our communities.”
Whoa. It wasn’t too long ago that I would’ve laughed at the idea of a prophecy, but that was before I found Warren and found out that magic was real. “I thought that finding your consort was the most important thing for a witch. If that’s true, shouldn’t her coven have backed off and left them alone? Even if it meant that she couldn’t be a part of the coven anymore?”
Because of my past, I cringed a little at the idea of anyone being turned away from the people they considered to be family. But at least that would’ve been better than dying.
“There was just too much fear between the two communities. The coven couldn’t wrap their heads around the idea of shifter being the most important person in a witch’s life, and vice versa for the dragons.”
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “Are you sure it’s not just because Warren over exaggerated how important a consort is to a warlock?”
“Are you asking because you’re curious about what happened with the first witch and shifter couple? Or because of something going on between you and my son?”
I twisted my hands in my lap in a nervous gesture. Opening up to other people wasn’t my strong suit, but Rowenna had proven herself to me during the time that I had lived in here. No matter how busy she was, she always made time for me. Not just for my magic lessons, but also to do girl stuff like teaching me how to cook, going for manicures and pedicures, and taking me on shopping trips. She had earned at least some of my trust, and it was time for me to give it to her.
“Because of me and Warren,” I admitted softly. “I’ve been here for two weeks already. Other than the first day, we’ve spent a grand total of maybe five hours around each other.”
“Well, fudge.” I loved how Rowenna rarely cussed, replacing swear words with something similar but completely innocent. “I’m afraid this misunderstanding is all my fault.”
“I don’t see how that’s possible,” I disagreed, crossing my arms over my chest in a protective gesture since it felt like she was taking Warren’s side by covering for him. “You’ve spent plenty of time with me. He’s the one who hasn’t bothered to get to know me. How can he when he’s barely around? And how important can I be to him if I’m not worth even the smallest amount of effort?”
“Oh, dear,” she sighed. “You have no idea the amount of effort it has taken on my son’s part to stay away from you.”
“But why in the world would he do that?”
Rowenna offered me an apologetic smile. “Because I told him to.”
My head jerked back in shock. Was it possible that I had misjudged Rowenna all along? She had been so kind to me, but did she hate the idea of her son and me together? It would be just my luck for her to reject me right after I let her inside my walls. My voice was shaky and whisper-soft when I asked, “Why? Do you think I’m a bad match for Warren?”
“No,” Rowenna gasped. She reached for my hands and gripped them tightly. “I love you for my son. I think you were the best thing that could have ever happened to him.”
I heaved a sigh of relief before asking, “Then why did you tell him to stay away from me?”
“If he’s anything like his father was when we first met, he’ll come on strong with you.” Rowenna’s eyes took on a faraway look before she flashed me a sad smile. “Even knowing the instant connection some consorts have to each other, it was still a lot for me to take in. I was worried that Warren would scare you off before you had the chance to get to know him. And hopefully, love him as much as I did his father.”
I wasn’t going to touch her mention of that particular four-letter word with a ten-foot pole. So I tried to play it off with a semi-serious joke. “So what you’re saying is that even though he hasn’t been around much, Warren might not like the idea of me starting my new job at the diner next week?”
Chapter Nine
Warren
“Job? What job?”
Opal’s head jerked up, and her blue eyes widened in surprise. “Warren!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t know you were back. How long have you been here?”
Considering how much I’d heard of her conversation with my mom, I understood the flash of concern in her eyes. “Long enough to know I’m glad that I forgot some notes I needed for my next meeting.” Dragging my gaze away from my gorgeous consort, I shifted my attention to my mom. “Could you give us a moment alone, please?”
“Of course.” She jumped up from the couch and bent down to give Opal a quick hug, which made me smile. I loved how well they got along since they were the two most important women in my life.
When my mom reached my side, she stopped to kiss my cheek. Before she walked away, I gave her a little squeeze to let her know everything was going to be okay. Then she picked her purse up from the table next to the front door, flung it over her shoulder, and hurried outside.
As soon as she was gone, I claimed her spot on the couch and yanked Opal closer to my side. Stretching my arm out on the back cushion behind her body, I asked, “What’s this about you having a job at the diner?”
“Don’t you remember? Mabel called me her new waitress the day we met. Before you came into the diner, I had applied for a job,” she explained.
“Shit, I had completely forgotten about that.” I ran my hand through my hair before dropping it down on my thigh. How in the hell was I going to convince her not to take a job she’d been offered before we even met? Especially since I’d monumentally fucked up with her over the past week. She’d probably called Mabel at the diner to beg her to let her start as soon as possible so she could earn some money to get away from me. “Do you want to work as a waitress?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Not really, I guess. I’ve waitressed before, so it’s a job that I know I can do.”
“And getting a job is important to you?”
“I don’t know,” she sighed. “If you’d asked me this morning, I would have said absolutely. But that was mostly because I thought I needed one.”
“You don’t need a job,” I reassured her.
“Is that your roundabout way of telling me you don’t want me to waitress at the diner?”
“I want you to do whatever will make you happy.” She quirked an eyebrow at me. “Okay. Yeah, I’d prefer if you didn’t take a job that’d mean you’re gone for eight to ten hours a day, now that I’ve pulled my head out of my ass. But it’s not my decision to make. It’s yours.”
“That’s a really good answer.” She relaxed against the cushions, her shoulders brushing against my arm.
Having her loosen up a little with me, some of the tension left my body. “I have my mom to thank for knowing how to handle a strong woman.”
Opal’s eyes flashed with a hint of insecurity. “Speaking of your mom, she seems to think that she’s the reason you’ve been staying away from me this past week.”
I wanted to kick my own ass for making her question her importance in my life. Even though my mom had been right about Opal being skittish, I should’ve known that staying away from her might make her feel like I’d abandoned her. My mom wasn’t aware of how many times she’d been left behind by families when she’d been a kid, but I had. That miscalculation was on me. “My mom was the one who suggested that I didn’t push you too hard to quickly. But I’m the one who fucked up by avoiding you. I took it too far in that direction, when I should have just figured out a way to keep a tight rein on my urges when I’m around you.”
“Urges?”
I searched her face. The insecurity was still there, but it was mixed with curiosity now. I hadn’t completely lost Opal yet, but I had the feeling that I needed to prove to her how desperately I wanted her to give me another chance.
I glanced down at my hard-on, and her gaze followed mine. It wasn’t the direction I’d been planning to go, but I decided to go with it when her lips formed a perfect circ
le as she gasped, “Oh!”
Since I wasn’t the least bit embarrassed by my body’s reaction to her, I didn’t bother to try to hide it. “Yeah, it gets like this any time I’m near you. Or think about you. Or dream about you. Or—”
She giggled and pressed her palm against my mouth. “Okay. I get it. You’re sexually attracted to me.”
I curled my arm around her shoulders and waited for her to lift her hand before saying, “If that’s all it was, I would’ve just tried to get you into my bed the first night you were here.”
“I guess I could give you at least a little credit for not pressing the advantage since the attraction is mutual and you did put a roof over my head.”
Hearing her admit that she was also drawn to me made my cock even harder, but I ignored how it pressed against my zipper to focus on the latter part of what she’d said. “You don’t owe me anything for being here. This is your home now. I want you to think of this house as yours as much as it’s mine.”
“Wow,” she breathed. “Are you sure?”
I didn’t hesitate to answer. “Absolutely.”
“That’s a pretty bold statement to make when you’ve been avoiding me this past week.”
“I’m sorry. I will never again give you a reason to think you’re not important to me,” I promised.
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not,” I quickly disagreed before she could brush off my apology. I wanted her to understand how deeply I meant what I was saying, and that could only happen if she truly listened to me. Wrapping my hand around the back of her head, I tilted it back until she was staring up at me. Keeping my gaze locked with hers, I continued, “The only reason I’ve been keeping my distance is because that’s what I thought you wanted—no, needed—in order to get used to living in my house and being my consort. It was the absolute last thing I wanted to do. Every single day I’ve left the house with you inside it, I’ve had to force myself out the door.”
The Empress: A Cards of Love Story Page 4
