Page 11 of All's Fair in Love and Magic

And I could do every kind of magic, while most of them could only perform one or two types with any amount of skill.

Blood witches weren’t any more dangerous than any other kind of witch. But we were stronger than them, so they hated us.

Just to make sure the magic worked, I grabbed the handle of the door and tried to pull it open.

Some of my tension eased when it didn’t budge.

I could shower in safety after all.

I padded into the bathroom, shucking my t-shirt, shorts, and bikini as I went. I paused when I saw myself in the mirror, taking a closer look at my chin.

There had definitely been a bruise after Cecil grabbed me. Liam said as much.

The bruise was gone, though.Entirelygone.

Did that have something to do with his magic? Or the warmth I’d been feeling since he touched me? He had to have used his power on me when he took my chin in his hand.

I shook my head.

It didn’t matter.

I had bigger things to deal with than whether or not the phoenix could heal me.

Starting with my lack of clean clothing to change into.

If the spare clothes Bailey mentioned weren’t there when I got out, I’d have to borrow some of Liam’s or something. If the phoenix really did want to mate with me, he was going to have to learn how to share his things. Right? Women in movies and TV shows often borrowed their significant other’s clothes.

Granted, I wasn’t sure if that was real or if it was fiction.

I’d never actually been around a mated or married couple before. The closest I’d gotten to that was when I saw a human guy grab a girl’s ass in a gas station. They were both wearing rings, so it seemed safe to assume they were married. Hopefully to each other, given the physical contact.

Anyway, whether or not it was normal, I’d likely end up taking some of Liam’s clothing.

I turned on the shower, then took a minute to check a small bathroom closet I hadn’t noticed before. When I found a stacked washer and dryer, I threw my clothes in with some detergent and started it up.

Stepping under the water, I finally relaxed and closed my eyes.

Physically, I was safe.

That was what mattered.

I could figure out everything else over time.

The warmth I’d been feeling since Liam touched me melted into exhaustion as I scrubbed myself clean. When I finished rinsing conditioner from my hair, I stumbled out of the shower and grabbed the nearest towel off the hook. It was massive, and I sighed as it engulfed my body. The smell that clung to it was delicious, and it somehow relaxed me further.

I squeezed some of the water from my hair with a second towel that smelled like the first, then grabbed a t-shirt from the closet and slipped into bed. It wasLiam’sbed, but I was drained enough not to care who the mattress belonged to.

And the blankets smelled so good, I don’t think I could’ve cared if I tried.

three

LIAM

The curtain rustled lightlyover the window as I sat across the room from my witch, studying her.

She looked good in my bed.

Really fucking good.