Page 7

SEVEN

willow

T here was something about Damien like this that I had a hard time keeping my eyes off of. Where he’d gotten his clothes from, I had no idea. Somehow he looked perfectly natural here in his pair of denim jeans, tight black shirt, and black leather jacket. It was effortlessly hot .

When was the last time I’d been this attracted to another person? Years.

Tugging on the bottom of my forest-green sweater dress—one of my favorites, because it made my eyes pop—I attempted to pull it further down my thighs. I’d pulled on a pair of fleece-lined tights with it and my favorite heeled booties, but suddenly I felt completely out of sorts.

Maybe it was his demon magic. There had to be a reason they warned witches to stay away from them, right? That was what was making me feel like this.

Like I was seconds from coming out of my skin.

“What’s on your mind, little witch?” Damien asked, catching me staring.

“Oh.” My cheeks practically flushed pink. “Nothing.”

Except I could smell his cologne from where I stood by his side, wafting into my nostrils like the most intoxicating smell on the planet. I couldn’t even pin down the scent: some mixture of pine, musk, and smoke, but it seemed to envelop my entire being.

There was a part of me that wanted to pretend that everything was as usual—I came this way every day to go to the bakery, after all.

Except today was anything but ordinary. And Damien was a constant reminder of that.

His soothing voice shook me from my inane thoughts. “So, you normally walk into town?”

“Huh?” I wasn’t expecting the question. Or, rather, I wasn’t expecting small talk at all. Once I’d processed his question, I nodded. “When the weather's nice. It’s not very far, and I always love walking this path.”

It was one perk of living in such a small community—being able to walk almost everywhere. I had a car, but I didn’t use it unless I had to drive all the way to the other end of town. Mainly, I drove when I needed to go into the closest human city for something, like getting our coffee machines repaired.

Today, the air was crisp and clear, just a hint of rain that clung around, and it relaxed me. That and the crunch of the leaves littered on the ground made for the perfect fall day.

“I see.” Damien shoved his hands in his pockets, and I turned away, not wanting to look like I was still staring at his face. Even if I was obsessed with it.

I hummed in response, thinking about what I was going to say to Luna when I stopped at the bakery. ‘ I’m sorry’ didn’t quite cut it, but I owed my sister an apology after I’d ditched her so much these past few days.

Besides, I still owed her that trip to the bar.

“So you like it here, living in this town?” He looked around, surveying the houses that sat right at the edge of downtown. Main Street, full of small businesses and cornerstone witchy establishments, was only a block away.

Nodding, I tried to look at the town through the eyes of a stranger. Wondering what this place might look like to someone new. “I’ve lived here all my life. My coven and I grew up together. Most of us only left for college, and even then, we moved back. It’s hard being a witch and not living in the community.”

There was too much at stake. And no one would understand—except I thought Damien might. Not being able to practice magic, for fear of someone seeing you—that was the true curse of the outside world. Maybe a higher education wasn’t necessary —several of the witches I’d grown up with had simply learned their family’s trade and never left town.

But I’d appreciated the world-view I’d gained by going into the human world for those years. It was before my parents had died, so I hadn’t felt as bad about leaving Luna. But now… I couldn’t imagine not being by her side.

“All my best friends are in the coven,” I continued. “There’s thirteen of us, and they’re practically family.”

It was a perfect number: thirteen. My mom and her friends had all belonged to a smaller coven, and all ended up having kids during the same few years. There had never been another idea when it came time to form ours.

The humans had Girl Scout Troops, and we had our coven. We learned magic together, practiced together, discovered what our innate gifts were together. I’d never once taken them for granted. And I’d always had my sister—even with the three years between us, she was still my best friend—by my side.

“What about your parents? Where are they at?”

I cast my gaze to my feet, my voice growing smaller. “They’re gone.” Sometimes, I wished I could imagine that they were just off on vacation. Seeing the world. Enjoying themselves. That was easier than the reality.

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

Shaking my head, I willed myself not to look at him. If I did, I’d probably cry. And I didn’t want to mourn my parents. Not today. I just wanted to enjoy myself for once.

Pasting a somber smile on my face, I watched as my town came into full view. And I let the jack-o’-lanterns, paper ghosts, and string lights distract me from the rest of the thoughts rattling around in my mind.

Like the subject of my once-cat-turned-demon, followed by the man himself. The stranger, I tried to remind myself—who was currently walking beside me.

I kept my eyes pinned to the ground, trying to force myself not to keep from staring at his face. At the eyes I knew he’d changed to a deep-chocolate brown, which somehow seemed endless. Like if I stared into them long enough, I could find answers to questions I hadn’t even thought to ask yet.

At least he didn’t look like a demon, even if he still stood taller than any human man I’d ever seen, and the physique his body sported was unreal . He was a foot taller than me, and even with my heeled boots, I still felt impossibly short.

Something I was trying very hard not to focus on. There was no reason for me to think about it—how good he looked, simply strolling down the street beside me.

But even as I crunched over leaves in my heeled booties—I knew there was no way to ignore the way I could feel him next to me.

How was it possible that I could find his very nearness so comforting after only a few days? He was a stranger to me, in every way, and yet it felt like there was nowhere else I would rather be.

I cleared my throat. “After I help out at the bakery for a bit, I was thinking I could show you around town. And then tonight, if you wanted to go… there’s the Pumpkin Festival.” I looked up at him under my lashes.

“The Pumpkin Festival?” Damien raised an eyebrow, shaking his head in amusement.

“Mhm. We normally have a booth, serving pumpkin hot chocolate, pumpkin coffee, and Luna’s famous cookies.”

“Let me guess, they’re pumpkin too?”

I couldn’t help the giggle that slipped out. “Yes. But also, she makes regular sugar cookies too—those are just pumpkin shaped.” I was almost drooling, just thinking about her cookies. Not a single person in town could bake like my sister. “There’s also a pumpkin patch, hayrides, a pie-eating contest, and at the end of the night there’s a…”

Looking over, I expected to find Damien watching our surroundings, but I found him hanging on my every word. “There’s a what?”

He brushed a piece of hair back behind my ear, and I suddenly wished I’d worn my hat, if only so I could hide my face behind the brim. I wasn’t used to this much scrutiny or attention from… anyone. Let alone from a handsome man.

“A dance. Old Mrs. Whittle lets the town use her barn, and The Enchanted Cauldron sets up a bar, and… What?”

Damien’s lips curled up into a smile. “Has anyone ever told you how your face lights up when you’re excited about something?”

“Oh.” Was my whole face on fire? It had to be.

Oh my god. I felt like I had bats fluttering around in my stomach. When was the last time a gorgeous stranger flirted with me?

Never. The answer was never.

“Anyway, I, uh… Do you want to go?”

He frowned. “To the dance?”

“Mhm. And the festival.”

“I don’t really…” Was it me, or did he look almost… embarrassed? “Do stuff like that.”

“Dance?” I asked.

Damien shook his head. “I, uh…” Oh, he was definitely embarrassed. It made me feel strangely at ease. Maybe because he felt as out of his element as I did with him. “I’m not very good at socializing. I’ve never been around that many humans before.”

“I can teach you.” I peeked over my shoulder at him, wanting to gauge his reaction. “If you want.” It surprised me how easily the offer slipped out of my mouth, but even more so how easily he agreed.

“Okay. Show me around your town, and then to this pumpkin festival. You just have to promise me something.”

“Anything.” There was no part of me that didn’t beam at his agreement. About getting to show someone else this place that I loved so much.

He leaned in close, his mouth inches away from my ear. “Don’t leave me alone.”

“I won’t.” I gave him a shy nod as the bakery came into view.

It suddenly occurred to me that I still had no idea what to tell my sister. Or anyone else.

What would people think when they saw the two of us together? It was a small town, and people talked. Gossip would spread, especially when I hadn’t been with anyone since college. And even then—I’d never brought a boyfriend home. Even when my parents were alive.

I cleared my throat. “So, what’s the story here?”

“What story?” Damien raised an eyebrow at me as I gestured between us.

“How we met. Why I’m wandering around town with a handsome stranger that no one’s ever seen before.”

His voice popped into my mind. You think I’m handsome?

“Stop doing that.”

Damien shrugged. “I wasn’t aware we needed a cover story. We can’t just be two people strolling down Main Street, looking at the decor?”

“My sister will ask questions.” Everyone would ask questions. Questions I didn’t have answers to yet.

“Mmm.”

“Damien.” I rubbed my temples. “This is serious.”

“You worry too much, little witch.”

Yeah, well, maybe you don’t worry enough.

Nonsense. I just worry about the important things.

I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, and Damien turned around to face me, raising an eyebrow. “What?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “I… thought you said you couldn’t read my mind.”

“I can’t.” He looked confused for a moment. “What do you mean?”

“You’re joking, right?” I didn’t say that out loud. “ And you answered me.”

He searched my face, and I wondered if he found whatever answer he was looking for there.

How come we can communicate with our minds? Silence was my only answer.

“Why did I think you were actually going to answer me?” I grumbled to myself. There were some witches who had… abilities, but nothing like this. It certainly wasn’t anything I’d experienced before. Even with Luna, sometimes it felt like I could anticipate what she was going to say before she said it. But she was my sister—my Twin Flame . Of course, I was in tune with her feelings.

None of that explained this.

I started moving again, my demon-cat-turned-human matching my pace, stride for stride.

“No one’s ever come with me to the festival before,” I admitted, my voice low. “I don’t know what they’ll think.”

“Your friends?”

I nodded. “And my coven.”

“Right.” He winced, as if it was a sudden reminder of our standings in this town. That I was a witch, and he was a demon . “And why can’t we tell them the truth?”

My jaw fell open in shock. “No one’s going to believe that.” Watching to make sure I didn’t step on any cracks on the pavement—definitely not because I was avoiding watching his face—I continued on. “Besides. One witch already cursed you. My kind… they don’t trust demons. I’m not sure I’ll be able to fix it if it happens again. Do you really want to advertise who you are?”

“You’re not going to tell your sister?”

“No.”

“But aren’t you… close? She even came over to check on you yesterday.” He frowned.

She normally came over a few times throughout the week. It was her old house too, after all. And we worked together.

What would I say when she inevitably asked me why Damien the cat was gone and Damien the not-human was strolling around our town with me?

“We can be close and still keep secrets from each other. Important secrets. Don’t you have them with your siblings?”

His voice was quiet, withdrawn. “I’ve never really had anything to hide. My brother…” Damien shook his head. “It’s not like that. My life’s never really been my own. ” When I looked over at him, he’d focused his eyes on a distant spot in the background.

“Oh.” That sounded… sad. And lonely. Suddenly, a lot of things made sense to me about him. Why he didn’t seem to want to leave my side, and why he was in no rush to go back to the demon realm. He said he had unfinished business here, didn’t he? Was it presumptuous of me to hope that it was just me?

Was I the first friend he’d ever had? It seemed strange to call him that, since I’d known him less than a week, but it felt right. Better than strangers.

A thought occurred to me, and I let it slip out before thinking better of it. “How old are you?”

“Two hundred and eighty-seven.”

“What ?” I hadn’t expected that.

“Aging works differently in the demon realm.” He shrugged. “In human terms, I’m not even close to middle-aged yet.”

“Wow. I can’t even imagine living that long.”

What kind of existence had he been living for the past almost three centuries? I hardly knew anything about him as a being, but I got the idea his years weren’t full of happiness, love, laughter— life. And for whatever reason, I wanted to show him what that was like. What it was like to grow up here in Pleasant Grove.

I let the quiet blanket over us, save for the leaves crunching under our feet and the wind blowing through the trees. At least I could appreciate the decorations this way. It was the reason I still enjoyed walking into town, even when the air was nippy. Most of the residents had decorated their houses, lights and fake cobwebs and carved pumpkins that sat on their stoops. I still needed to get my own—Luna and I normally went to the pumpkin patch the first day it opened, but we hadn’t yet this year.

Luna. I let loose a long sigh.

“Never mind,” I mumbled. “How we met doesn’t matter, anyway.”

“Why not?”

“Because my sister… She’s a seer. And is incredibly perceptive. I can’t get anything past her.”

There really was no point in trying to hide who he was to her. Maybe for the rest of the town’s sake, I could pretend he was just a friend, but my sister wouldn’t buy that. My coven would know that I hadn’t met him at a bar—though I wasn’t sure I wanted the implication of that, anyway.

Even if he was handsome. I peeked at him again, catching a wistful look on his face.

I was trying to imagine what my life would have looked like if he’d always been here. A part of this town. If we’d spent the last few Halloweens carving pumpkins together and sipping hot apple cider as we walked through the corn maze.

My heart ached, and that was what startled me out of those thoughts. I had no business thinking about Damien like that.

Like he was mine.

He wasn’t even my cat anymore, after all.

That left a sour taste in my mouth. I ran my arms over my shoulders.

“Willow.” His voice was low, soothing, as his hand wrapped around my wrist. “Where’d you go?”

“What?” I looked up into his eyes, full of concern. For me? Or for himself?

The warmth of his grip flowed through me, grounding me in the moment. I hated that I liked it so much. I wasn’t supposed to like him. He was a demon, after all.

Every witch’s mortal enemy. What did I think was going to happen, bringing him into town?

“This is a mistake.” I pulled away, loosening his grip from my arm. “You should go. That way you don’t put yourself in danger again just to…”

I froze, looking up at him. All six and a half feet of him. He was looking at me with an emotion I couldn’t read in his eyes. And for the first time, I so badly wanted to hear his thoughts. To know what he was thinking.

Maybe it didn’t work that way, but I couldn’t help wanting more of him.

“No.” He moved startlingly fast, and then his hands were on my face. Cupping my cheeks. Holding me, so reverently. I wasn’t sure I’d ever been touched like that before. “I’m not leaving. Not yet.”

“Okay.” The breath I released was quiet, almost inconsequential. Except…

My lips parted as I stared up at Damien. There was no way I could stop my gaze from dropping to his lips. Full and pouty and begging for attention. They looked soft, and I wondered what they’d feel like on mine.

Why was I lusting after this man who was practically a stranger to me? I moved to step back, and his hands slipped from my face, severing whatever connection we’d shared.

“Come on. Luna’s expecting me.” I’d been a shitty co-owner this week. I needed to make it up to her somehow.

And I needed to distance myself from the demon at my side before I got attached. Or worse.

Because he’d be leaving eventually.

* * *

The bell jingled as I pulled open the door to the shop, the scent of cookies baking instantly hitting my nose.

“Willow!” My little sister’s face lit up in a bright smile when she saw me, making me feel even guiltier for the past few days.

“Hi, Luna.”

She had a little dusting of flour on her cheek, and more covering the pink pastel apron she was wearing covered in little cartoon ghosts. Her honey blonde hair, a trait inherited from our mom, was pulled up into a messy bun with one of her signature printed bandanas, but her smile quickly faded when she noticed the dark shadow that was still glued to my side.

Damien was frozen, his face drained of all color as he stared at my sister.

I frowned. What was wrong with both of them? “Damien, this is my sister, Luna.” I elbowed him in the stomach, hoping he would resemble more of a human, settling my face into a small smile as I turned back to Luna. “Luna, this is Damien. My… friend.”

Stepping closer to us, she held out her hand over the counter, schooling her expression into a smile. “It’s very nice to meet you, Damien.”

He stiffened, only staring at her hand and making no move to offer his own. After a moment of silence, he looked away.

“I have to go,” he muttered, turning around.

Walking out without another word to me. Luna’s hand was still in the air.

“But…” I frowned, the bell chiming once more.

Leaving the two of us standing in silence.

“What was that about?” Luna asked, turning her head.

“I don’t…” I shook my head. “I don’t know. He’s…”

We were supposed to spend the day together. And now he was just… gone?

Maybe he didn’t want to be here with me, after all. Maybe I was just a means to an end, and whatever. All those questions earlier…

I shook my head, dislodging the thoughts. At least I had my sister by my side.

“Come on,” Luna said, pulling me into the back. She filled a bowl with ingredients for frosting as I hopped up on a counter. I needed to start working, and I hadn’t even eaten breakfast yet, but I was too confused to focus on any of that.

Instead, I watched her work.

“So, did it work?”

“Hm?”

“Your spell.” She raised an eyebrow. “From last night?”

“Oh.” I was glad I couldn’t see out the window, because I knew I’d just be looking for him. “Yeah.”

“Can’t help but notice your new... friend has the same name as your new cat.” She smirked, starting up the stand mixer to beat the bowl of frosting.

I busied myself by tying my apron and ignoring her question.

I didn’t have an answer for her anyway.

Because how on earth was I going to explain to her that I was spending time with a demon ?