Page 23 of Cursed by the Love Witch (A Monstrous Holiday #2)

23

DARCEE

“ D arcella Thistle!” announces the Head Mistress.

With a smile—and walking slowly so as not to break my neck in my pink heels—I cross the graduation stage. The wide brim of my witch’s hat shades my eyes from the evening sun. Mistress Saege holds out my wand and protective case, which I accept with my diploma, proclaiming me an Axwyne School of Magic graduate.

She quickly hugs me before the next name is called, and I’m passed down the line. Shaking hands with each staff member, my palm tingles when my eyes meet a familiar violet pair. Bael is beaming with pride. I quickly move down to the next professor lest I burst into tears in the middle of the congratulation line.

The promise of tonight burns like an inferno between us. One that will be extinguished soon enough.

My parents had not shown up, and I’m finally okay with never seeing them again. After I confessed to Bael, I’ve been considering talking to someone regularly about what I went through. I’m tired of being afraid of my past. Everything I endured under the cruel hands of my father made me think Bael could be just like him.

Now I know that couldn't be farther from the truth.

The rest of the ceremony moves quickly. A large bonfire is lit in celebration, and we all toss our pointed hats into the air. Fireworks light up the sky as sweet-smelling smoke billows around us. The sun is already lowering by the time I make it out of the crowd.

I spy a familiar dark head and embrace my best friend. She looks gorgeous in her black dress with blue beading. We grip each other tightly, shaking with tears and excitement.

Pulling back, I blink away the moisture in my eyes.

“How are we gonna go from seeing each other every day to every other day?” I ask.

Prue laughs. She’d told me shortly before the ceremony that Zander and she were getting a place near me in the next town over. He would be an apprentice at the local library while she worked under the local charms master.

“Somehow, we’ll manage.”

Her parents appear and hug us both. Her mother is just an older version of Prue, while her father has a short, stocky build and a thick white beard. His laugh is booming as he embraces me.

“Congratulations, girls!” he cheers. “Now, Prueitt Starlow, it’s time you introduce us to this boyfriend of yours.”

I laugh at her jovial father, trying his best to look stern. Prue also chuckles before leading them away and waving goodbye to me over her shoulder. My heart lifts—delighted that my friend has found her happy ending. I watch them go, my heels sinking into the soft grass below me. A lone breeze picks up around me, tugging at the slit hem of my short dress.

A familiar presence presses against my side. Taking a deep breath, I turn and find Bael behind me. The setting sun casts his face in harsh shadows. He’s standing too close to me, but that matters little now. A million thoughts race through my head as I stare up at him. With today's excitement, putting this evening out of my mind has been easy. The bag on my shoulder feels heavy, with the antidote resting inside.

“Congratulations,” he whispers.

I will the tears not to form in my eyes as I stare up at him. Heat races up my neck, and my throat feels tight. Bael merely leans down, his lips finally finding my ear.

“Are you ready for your gift?”

I smile as he pulls back from me.

“I’ve been waiting my whole life for it.”

Bael chuckles, his eyes glancing around the crowded lawn.

“This party has far too many people. I want you all to myself.”

Heat swims in my cheeks as I glance around as well. Something tickles my neck, and I turn to the side. My eyes meet those of Romina. Her gaze is narrowed, having witnessed Bael and I’s interaction. It’s a juvenile thing to do, but I feel my lips pull into a smirk anyway.

Turning back to him, I push up on my toes and bring our mouths together. He sighs against my lips, his hand splaying against my back and dragging me closer. We part for air, and my eyes find Romina’s again. Her face is a picture of quiet furry. If looks could kill, I’d drop dead in an instant.

Taking Bael’s hand in mine, I forget all about her and grin up at him.

“I was thinking the same thing.”

Bael leads me out of the courtyard and towards his cottage. The overgrown woods are easy to navigate, with him leading me—even in heels. The terrain remains flat, and he holds the branches I need to duck under. The sun has fully set, and a large blue moon glows above his cottage. The woods are quiet tonight as we get to his home and enter through the front door.

I can imagine myself walking home with him every night. We’d dine together and make love upstairs until exhaustion claimed us. Then we’d go to work and start the evening ritual again. The image is so vivid it’s like I’ve lived it.

The door clicks shut behind us, and Bael moves quickly. His lips find mine again. The desperation in his kiss tells me the waiting has been just as painful for him. He molds me to him, my stomach pressing against his hard cock. I groan into his mouth, my hands sliding into his silky hair. I commit every detail to memory, knowing this will be the last time I feel his lips on mine.

His lips skim down my jaw, licking and biting as he goes. Pausing to tease the sensitive skin of my neck, my head falls back. Resting on the small coffee table is a box wrapped in purple velvet, tied with a matching ribbon.

“What’s that?” I sigh, needing to find some way to break the kiss before I let it go too far.

Bael glances over, and I watch the gray skin of his cheeks darken. Slowly—almost sheepishly—he walks towards the box. Lifting it in his hands, it rattles as he extends it towards me.

“Your graduation gift.”

My lips twist.

“I thought you had something else in mind.”

“Trust me, little witch, that’s still happening.” Ice forms over my heart at the heat in his gaze. “I wanted to give this to you first.”

I take the box from him, and its weight is surprising. Carefully, I unwrap the soft fabric. It is a wooden case with golden hinges. I unlock it and nearly drop it to the floor—a gasp echoes in the quiet room. Rows of glittering gold coins sparkle up at me in the candlelight.

Bael walks over, his gaze burning.

“This should help cover the rent of your apothecary for the next few years,” he explains in a rush.

“At least,” I whisper. “This—Bael—this is too much. I can’t accept it.”

“Please, Darcee. I have more than enough money.” His hand cups my cheek. “I know there are a million conversations we need to have about the future, but I want us to be together from this moment forward. Wherever you choose to be is where I’ll be, too. I’ve already given Axwyne my notice. My life is yours now—as is my money.”

“Bael…”

I trail off, not knowing how to find the words.

“Don’t say anything,” he says, as if reading my thoughts. “I want you to be happy, Darcee. To be fulfilled in whatever way you want. You haven’t had an easy go of things, and I’d be honored to help provide at least some part of your dream.”

Oh, how I love this male. Goddess, I love him so much it burst from my heart and soul. He will always have me—no amount of time or distance will undo what has happened between us. Try as I might to protect my heart, I gave it to him from the first day.

I have to end this. Now.

Closing the box lid, I rise to kiss him.

“Thank you,” I say—never agreeing to take the money.

I set the box down on the table and reach into my bag. My hands graze over the smooth glass shape of the wine bottle and pull it out.

“We should celebrate with a drink.”

Bael nods. “I’ll get some glasses.”

I stop him with a hand on his arm.

“Allow me.”

Quickly, I shuffle into the kitchen and locate two wine glasses. I fish through my bag and find the small vial of antidote. I pour it into the left glass before uncorking the wine bottle. The dark liquid should conceal the potion. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I return to the room.

My body goes numb, and I plaster a fake smile on my face. I hand him his tainted glass, and we clink them together cheerfully. Taking a smile sip, he wrinkles his nose.

“Bitter,” he says.

I need him to drink all of it to ensure it works. The air around us shifts as his hand goes to my waist—his warmth seeps through the thin material of my pink dress. I go into myself, preparing for one final performance and hoping to make it through without shattering.

“I liked how you kissed me in front of everyone,” he purrs.

“What can I say? I’m full of surprises.”

I cup the back of his hand, my thumb grazing over his soft skin, savoring the feel of it for the last time. I gently lift it from my hip and slide it along the outside of my thigh. The hem of my dress rises as I drag his hand along my bare skin. His breathing turns ragged as his fingers brush the lacy strap of my thong high on my hip.

“Finish your wine and go upstairs,” I command with a grin. “I have another surprise I want to show you.”

Bael shivers before downing the rest of his wine in one swallow. I collect his empty glass, and he leans down, kissing me fiercely. His tongue seeks mine for one final pet before he pulls back.

“How did I get so lucky to find you?”

I smile at him as he turns, unbuttoning his black silk shirt. Once the stairs stop creaking and I hear him settle on the bed, I move quickly. Pulling the crumpled piece of parchment from my pocket, I tuck my pathetic excuse of an apology under his thoughtful gift.

The coins would provide me with a comfortable future where money was never a worry again. I glance up at the loft and the love I’m losing forever. The idea of the apothecary and spending my life helping others find love with my eternally broken heart nearly makes me fall to my knees. Tears burn in my eyes, but I cannot let him hear me cry.

Quietly slipping off my heels, I walk back into the kitchen and collect my bag. The backdoor is just as silent as the first time I used it. I slip out into the garden. The scent of herbs and fresh flowers fills my lungs. The stars and moon glow overhead as the silence of the woods engulfs me. I take a deep breath, reaching for my magic and using it to transform into the only other creature I’ve ever been able to manage.

Once I am a magenta butterfly, my thin wings flap with all their might away from Bael and the life I could’ve had. I don’t stop until Axwyne is a spect in the distance and my new town comes into view.

The old apothecary needs a fresh coat of paint. Luckily, the previous tenants left behind most of their inventory, so I’m not having to stock it from scratch. It’s little more than a room with three rows of wooden shelves, a counter, and a small office in the back I’ll use for love readings.

I flutter up to the next level and transform back into my body once inside my small apartment. Again, it’s nothing special. My boxes still need to be unpacked. The walls are bare. The small kitchen is along one wall, and my unmade bed rests on the other. With some time, I can make this room into a home.

The task seems overwhelming. I go to the nearest box marked bedding and rip it open. Pulling out a pillow and my quilt, I toss them onto the bed. Unzipping my dress, I feel the weight of the past two weeks crashing down on me. Completely naked, I slide under my old blanket. Bael’s scent still clings to the fibers, and fresh tears spill down my cheeks.

The only way I’ll sleep tonight is if I exhaust myself. So I sob into the pillow, the moonlight streaming in from my broken window. Bael may come looking for me. Only Prue and Mistress Saege know where I’ve gone off to. Surely, they won't betray my location if he is as angry as I suspect he will be.

I’m such a coward. I should’ve stayed to face him and holdfast in the face of his wrath. If only I could see him one final time and leave with some awful version of him, perhaps that would make my broken heart less painful. As it stands now, the rough shards of it tear at my skin until I’m bleeding.

Loneliness yawns open inside of me. It swallows me whole, and I succumb to my misery. All that I’ve lost flashes through my mind. The memories of Bael—his passion, his kindness, and his warmth—flood me. Each one cuts me a little deeper.

Maybe I don’t have any business opening up this apothecary and offering my love services. After all, I can’t be that good of a love witch, seeing how my own love potion broke my heart.