Page 56 of Solar Shadows

Should I say something? Confront him about his iciness?

Pfft. What would it achieve? This was simply a case of not winning them all. Ollie and I were never going to be anything other than this.

My misplaced feelings needed to take a hike soon.

Kill them with Tony…

“Thanks,” I said, reading the spell.

A simple one. A toll of a hundred grams of grass tipped into a boiling mixture of milk and coriander, a spell to be cast solo. Easy as pie.

Unfortunately, I’d have to drink it.

Bleurgh. What the fuck would this taste like?

I clapped out the magic, calling, “Condition Removal!” The liquid turned pink, then orange, then brown until it settled on a grim shade of gray. A pungent stink of mackerel and onions wafted from the cauldron, the extractor not extracting much.

How did those ingredients make such a vile smell?

Ugh.

I pinched my nose, waiting the recommended five minutes for it to cool for decanting.

“Nasty,” Ollie grumbled, ready with a potion vial.

“How are you not holding your nose?” I questioned.

“I’m not using it right now.” He smiled the tiniest of smiles.

We stared at each other for a moment, the aircrispy with weird energy. My pulse quickened, my head floating on some dreamy cloud. He kept on looking, his chest rising and falling quickly, his luscious lips parting, the ice melting.

All in your head, all in your head…

Tony wants you, though…

I winced at my thoughts, sharp pain striking my left temple. “Darn it…”

“What’s wrong?” Ollie said, striding toward me. “Is it her?”

So close, his citrusy scent tickled my nostrils. His body heat wafted at me in gentle waves, his proximity disarming me.

I met his concerned gaze, trembling. “I… I’m…” My tongue failed, my stupid desire confusing my sense reason. “I… I…”

“Isaac?” he said, his voice a sexy rumble threatening to buckle my knees.

“I… I’m…” I took a small step back when I really just wanted to fall into his arms. “I…”

“You don’t look well.” His tone was full of concern.

Why did it have to confuse me? Why did I have to be this person?

He moved closer. “Maybe you should sit down.”

I stepped back again. “I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine.” I cleared my throat, summoning some steel to halt this nonsense. I straightened my spine, flashing him a megawatt smile. It was because I made the mistake of breathing through my nosethis whole time, the stink of the potion catching up to me.

I gagged, losing all the cool I’d tried to smother myself in, bent over, stomach roiling, making a complete fool of myself.

A hand found my back and every skin cell said hello. I lost my balance, collapsing to my knees with a painful thud.