Page 45

“You see the other problem of course, my lord,” Ned said. “With Mr. Kenzie and Mr. Brodigan in the guest room, and no basement room, Mr. de Leon is going to have to sleep in your room.”

“Oh,” Wesley said, and blinked again.

“We’ve gone over it already, the whole staff, and I’m afraid there’s no other solution,” Ned said primly. “You’ll all just have to share.”

A young voice piped up. “You look nice when you smile, sir. You should be happy more.”

Wesley looked over to see Miss Elsie beaming at him while holding a fluffy orange-and-white cat.

Sebastian appeared behind her, another orange-and-white cat in his arms. It had its tiny paws on his shoulder and was rubbing its face into Sebastian’s cheek.

No amount of torture would have gotten Wesley to call the sight cute , but Sebastian had big sappy eyes for both animals, and even Wesley would admit it was nice to see him so happy.

“What a smart and kind thought,” Sebastian said to Elsie, which caused her to go beet red. She set her cat on the table, stammered something back at him, and raced away down the hall.

“I think she still fancies you,” Ned said to Sebastian.

“Can’t fault her taste,” Wesley muttered. Louder, he said, “What is this, a zoo? Cat, get off that table immediately.”

“Her name isn’t Cat , it’s Flan.” Sebastian held up the cat in his arms. “This one is Crumpet.”

“I’m not concerned with their names, I’m concerned with their presence .” Wesley pointed at Flan. “You’re supposed to stay in the basement. Apparently even have your own room down there,” he said, keeping a straight face.

Sebastian grinned. He let Crumpet leap down to the floor, and Ned shooed them toward the stairs.

“I should change for dinner,” Wesley said.

“If you want,” Sebastian said. “We will all understand and wait for you. But I promise no one will care how you’re dressed. We’re your friends; you can join us exactly as you are.”

For fuck’s sake. Wesley was smiling. “I’m famished,” he admitted. “Let’s just eat.”

* * *

Wesley let Sebastian go into the dining room first, following close behind. Sebastian was almost instantly enveloped in hugs from the woman with witch-sight, Gwen Taylor, and her husband, Ellis.

But a moment later, Gwen was turning to Wesley. “Oh good,” she said immediately, holding out a hand. “Your aura is completely intact.”

Wesley felt a tension he hadn’t realized he was carrying leave him. “It is?”

She was touching the air around him, almost like a doctor examining a patient. “Whatever happened with that wretched pomander relic in October, you’re completely healed.” She tilted her head. “Although…”

“Although?” Wesley sputtered. “What do you mean, although?”

She shook her head. “Just a funny coincidence.” She touched the air, directly over his heart. “There’s one spot, right here, where I can’t see anything. Not a tear, you understand, just a place that my magic can’t see.”

Wesley put a hand over his chest. “But what does that mean?” he said, a bit unsteadily. He tried to scoff. “Does it mean I have no heart? You’d hardly be the first to claim that.”

Gwen made a thoughtful face. “You could decide that was the reason, if you liked. But there is another possible explanation.” She tilted her head.

“You see, my magic has never been able to see Sebastian’s magic.

His mix of Isabel’s magic and his own enervation that gives the lion its colors blocks my witch-sight too. ”

She looked up, and she was smiling. “So perhaps you have no heart. Or perhaps there are still traces of Sebastian’s magic blocking mine, because your heart is where it took shelter until it was safe to return to Sebastian.”

Christ. Wesley could not possibly let himself think about that—he would have feelings and they would never stop.

“I had a letter from Mateo de Leon,” he said quickly.

“He’d had flashes of visions of Sebastian’s magic.

He seemed to think it needed to stay away for a reason.

And of course it helped us stop the Dukes of Valemount and saved my life.

But how did Sebastian’s magic know to stay away? ”

“I can only speculate, you understand,” Gwen said. “But Sebastian used his magic to bind his brother’s magic. It might be that, through their connection, a touch of Mateo’s foresight lingered in Sebastian’s magic.”

“Can that happen?” Wesley asked.

Gwen shrugged. “Magic, you know. It’s such a hard concept to explain, like friendship. Or love.”

Wesley’s gaze stole to Sebastian, who was laughing with Arthur and Ellis. “Yes,” he said slowly. “I suppose so.”

It was surreal—perhaps even magical —to have dinner in his own home at a full table, to hear laughter and stories layered over Stella Robbins’s record on the gramophone and most of all, to enjoy it.

Wesley might like his privacy and solitude, and that would never change, but this did have its appeal, having people in his life who felt not like peers, but like friends .

Finally, when Jade was hiding yawns and Rory nodding off into his sponge cake, they called it a night, plans being made for the next day.

Arthur and Rory had already disappeared into the guest room as Wesley led Sebastian up the stairs.

“I can’t believe my staff is blaming the cats for you sleeping in my room. ”

“They want to see you happy,” Sebastian said, as they walked down the hall. “Do they put on a big Christmas here?”

Wesley shook his head. “They have their own families. I give all the staff the holiday, so Christmas is just me, and my smokes, and my whiskey.”

Sebastian paused outside Wesley’s door. “We could stay in England for a bit, and then what would you say to Christmas in Spain?”

Wesley raised his eyebrows.

“It’s just a little celebration,” Sebastian said, with a hint of a smile. “Two weeks and about thirty de Leons showering you with food and attention.”

“Thirty de Leons.” Wesley’s eyebrow went up. “And how many dogs and cats?”

“ Lots, ” Sebastian said, sounding like that was a Christmas present all in itself.

Wesley huffed a half laugh. “And you’re certain you want to bring a very male viscount home for Christmas?”

“My family is big and some of them are a bit eccentric,” Sebastian said. “There will probably be many guests much stranger than you. And Isa is going to bring Molly; we can say we’re Bohemians like them.”

“Bohemians? I think I’d rather openly admit I love your cock,” Wesley said in horror, which made Sebastian snort. “Brodigan might be jealous if I’m the one who goes to the Mediterranean.”

“I was going to invite him too,” Sebastian admitted. “And the others. But I promise you can complain about all the people and pets as much as you want.”

A real laugh escaped Wesley. “I think I’m offended by how well you know me.” He pushed open the door to his room. “Is your entire family paranormal? Eccentric paranormals?”

“Pretty much,” Sebastian admitted. “It can get pretty wild, as you would say.”

Being swept away into Sebastian’s wild world of magic—Wesley could think of nothing he wanted more. “I’ll happily follow you to Spain, or anywhere you’d like to go—provided we can start with my room. Right now.”

“Does it look different if you’re not wearing handcuffs?” Sebastian said, as Wesley grabbed him by the sleeve and tugged him into the bedroom.

Wesley firmly shut the door behind them. “Come here and find out—”

His knees promptly went weak, and he pitched forward, right into Sebastian’s arms. “Oops,” Sebastian said, too innocently.

“You arsehole,” Wesley said, though he could feel himself smiling again. “You did that on purpose, just to show off that you have magic again.”

Sebastian grinned. “Maybe,” he said. “Or maybe I just—whoops, no, that time actually was an accident,” he said, as he scrambled to catch Wesley before he hit the floor.

They fell together on Wesley’s bed, a tangle of limbs and magic and laughter. Outside the bedroom window, the snow was falling as he rolled Sebastian onto his back. “You can use that magic all you want,” Wesley said, crawling over him. “Doesn’t change that you like it here, under me—”

His arms and legs gave out, and a startled oof left him as he fell flat on top of Sebastian.

“I can use it all I want, hmm?” Sebastian said, pushing Wesley over onto the mattress.

Wesley’s limbs were tingly and heavy as lead, his eyes half-lidded with the effort of keeping them open, and the return of the sensation was as welcome as the smile on Sebastian’s face. “You think you’re so cute.”

Sebastian lowered himself so their bodies were aligned as he stretched out directly on top of Wesley. “I think I have you right where I want you.”

“For a moment, perhaps,” Wesley said, limbs alight with magic and the bliss of Sebastian’s warmth against him. “But you see, I know you too. And I know you don’t have enough control of your magic yet to keep this up.”

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. “Yes I do.”

Wesley scoffed. “Maybe by tomorrow you will. But tonight? Considering the amount of control you need to exert to keep your magic just on me? You really don’t.”

“I do ,” Sebastian insisted. “I can keep you here, at my mercy, as long as I—shit.”

The heavy sensation in Wesley’s limbs promptly doubled. There was a clatter somewhere in the house, the sound of dishes falling and someone cursing.

The magic abruptly disappeared, and Wesley instantly rolled them over. “Oh no,” Wesley said, deadpan, as he pinned Sebastian to the bed. “What happened, duck? Don’t tell me you…lost control of your magic?”

“Don’t be smug,” Sebastian said, as he squirmed under Wesley.

Wesley pinned him more firmly to the bed. “And which of my staff did you knock down with that little slip?”

Sebastian winced. “I think it was Ned.”

Wesley tsked. “And are you going to keep trying to control your magic while my poor staff tries to work?”

“No,” Sebastian muttered.

Wesley leaned in, lips close to his ear. “So I guess you’re just going to be at my mercy now.”

Sebastian’s eyes seemed to darken, his tongue darting to wet his lips.

Wesley settled on top of him, pulling his wrists up to pin them to the mattress on either side of his head.

“We are most certainly skipping the handcuffs, though; I’m not quite mad enough to chain either of us up when your control is questionable. ”

“But however will we entertain ourselves without handcuffs?” Sebastian said wryly.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Wesley said, leaning in for a kiss. “I keep more than just handcuffs in my nightstand.”

“Wait, what?”

Wesley found his lips, slipping his tongue into Sebastian’s mouth, kissing him long and slow until Sebastian was soft and pliant under him.

When he finally pulled back, Sebastian’s cheeks were flushed and his gaze hazy.

Wesley shifted to place lingering kisses below his ear and over his throat, keeping his hold on his wrists.

Sebastian’s breath was coming faster. “Wes, you can’t draw things out tonight; I really will keep losing control of my magic.”

A shiver of desire went through Wesley. “I love how you say that as if it could possibly turn me off .”

Sebastian half laughed, half groaned. “I’m serious.”

“So am I.” Wesley kissed his jaw. “I changed my mind; my staff will just have to adjust, because I want to see if I can make you send the whole house to the floor by the time I’m done with you.”

Sebastian groaned again and turned to catch Wesley’s lips in another kiss. Clothes needed to come off, Wesley’s hands desperate for warm skin, the endless touch he craved and Sebastian had promised was welcome.

But his gaze was drawn up the bed, where Wesley was still pinning Sebastian’s wrists to the mattress as he had only days prior.

Except this time, the lion was a bright blaze of color dancing on Sebastian’s wrists: Sebastian’s magic, which had trusted Wesley enough to show him the lion before they’d even kissed—had trusted Wesley enough to take shelter with him these past weeks.

The brilliant colors were like a glimpse inside Sebastian, into the bright, kind heart that had somehow inexplicably decided it wanted Wesley.

Wesley couldn’t resist stretching up to press his lips to the tattoo.

Sebastian’s inhale echoed around the room. “Still mine,” Wesley said, against his wrist.

“Always yours,” Sebastian whispered.

I love you so much , Sebastian had said, back at Valemount Hall.

And the realization hit Wesley harder than the magic, and he was finally brave enough to think the word.

He loved Sebastian too.

“Ah.” His tongue suddenly seemed too big for his mouth. “Sebastian. We didn’t talk about that thing. You remember. That thing you said. Back at Valemount Hall, before the kidnapping bit? The thing?”

“Oh.” Sebastian’s cheeks colored. “You mean the thing I said after I found out you sabotaged the fox hunt? That thing?”

“Yes,” Wesley said. “When you said…the thing.”

Sebastian’s cheeks were still flushed, but he raised his chin and met Wesley’s eyes. “I remember.” He swallowed. “You don’t have to say it back, not tonight, not ever,” he said quickly. “But I meant it.”

“Oh.” It was Wesley’s turn to feel his face heat. “Well. I mean. I, um. I just—that thing you said. Well. Yes. Likewise.”

Likewise? Really? That was Wesley’s big romantic declaration?

But Sebastian had broken into the sweetest smile Wesley might have ever seen. “Okay,” he said happily, and then he was kissing Wesley.

Because this was Sebastian, and he understood what Wesley was saying when Wesley was bad at words, and he saw Wesley’s heart, and when Wesley had hated everyone, and hated himself most of all, Sebastian had come along and changed everything.