Page 22 of Wooing the Wiccan (Elf Magic #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Jared

I leave my meeting with Xiao Wei at the Community Integration Agency feeling a lot more in control.

She’s given me a ton of literature to read, answered questions I didn’t know I had, and pointed me in the direction of the community web, where I’ll be able to find even more information.

She also set another appointment for us in a month and gave me a signup to an online forum for humans and others who are just learning about the community of species.

Apparently it’s not uncommon for members of other species to grow up not knowing they’re not human, only to learn the hard way when their true nature asserts itself.

At least I don’t have to worry about that.

One thing that completely floored me was when she explained that eventually I’d be able to slow down my own ageing and decide how long I want to live.

That led to the revelation that the other species are all naturally longer-lived, and when I just stared at her in shock, she calmly advised me that she was nearly four hundred and fifty.

She looks my age. That’s something I’m going to need time to get my head around.

Alistair is waiting for me in the hallway, bouncing on his toes like he’s at the starting line of a race. “There you are! Come on, let’s go before Noah gets grumpy about waiting.”

I fall into step beside him and wonder if our temporary bro-hood allows me to ask personal questions. Screw it. “How old are you?”

He gives me a sideways look. “Xiao Wei told you about our lifespans, huh? I’m one hundred and eighty… something.” He frowns. “Eight, I think. I’m pretty sure. It might be nine. But I’m not a hundred and ninety yet, I know that.”

“Oh.” I would have guessed he was in his late twenties or early thirties.

He pats me on the shoulder as we approach the elevator. “Don’t worry so much about the numbers. Enjoy every minute of your life, and don’t be afraid to change things up. You said you teach kindergarten, right?”

That was something he and the others he introduced me to asked about earlier. “Yes.”

“Great! So keep doing that for as long as it brings you joy, and then you can find a new career if you want to. Retirement age isn’t going to come for a long time, so you can afford to spend time on things that aren’t going to provide for the future.

” He jabs at the elevator call button. “You have the added benefit that you get to pick what your retirement age will be—Xiao Wei told you that, right? That magic-user humans can control their lifespans like elves and dragons?”

“She told me. I’d still have to learn how, and I don’t think my magic use is that advanced yet. Plus, I need to get my head around it. It’s not something I ever expected.”

The elevator doors open, and we wait for the people inside to get off before stepping in. Alistair presses the button for the ground-floor lobby, and as the doors close, he says, “I bet you can say that about nearly everything that’s happened in the past twenty-four hours.”

A laugh escapes me, and I’m pleased by how genuine it is. I’m leaving shock behind and starting to feel more like myself. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“I heard you went to the hockey game last night. The Warhammers are pretty awesome, aren’t they?” He changes the subject, and it’s nice to talk about something mundane, even if the hockey players in question aren’t human.

“The Warhammers suck. I was cheering for the Glaives.”

His gasp is so shocked, I look over my shoulder to see if a serial killer with a knife has somehow appeared in the corner of the elevator. When I look back, he’s clutching his chest.

“How could you? The Warhammers are our local team! It’s our duty to support them even when they suck.”

The elevator doors open before I can reply. It’s just as well, since I think me laughing in his face would probably revoke my temporary bro-hood.

“Tell me about the team,” I say instead, then glance around. “I mean… if you can.” There are a lot of people in the lobby, and more outside on the street. I don’t want to be the reason a nine-thousand-year-old secret gets out.

Alistair waves dismissively. “We can talk about anything we want. People who overhear will just think we’re talking about a movie or book, or that we’re role-playing something.

It’s a lot easier to keep our secret on a day-to-day basis than most people think.

I just avoid anything that’s too hard to explain, like shifting into my canid form with fifty people watching. ”

“That’s not something I need to worry about doing,” I say wryly as we exit the building and he guides us to the left.

“See? Easy. But back to the travesty that’s you supporting the Glaives. How can you break my heart like that? I thought we were going to be bros.”

“I even bought a jersey,” I tease, then wince. “I threw it away when I realized… you know. I wish I hadn’t, now.”

He slings an arm around my shoulders. “You can get another one. They’ll probably go on sale when they finish last this season.”

This time, I do laugh. “With the Warhammers in the league? No way they’re finishing last.”

The restaurant we’re going to is only a block away, and I hesitate at the door. “Am I dressed okay? This is fancier than I was expecting.” I hope I’ve got enough left in my account to pay for my lunch.

“Pfft.” Alistair pushes open the door. “It only looks fancy to stop too many passersby from coming in. It’s a community restaurant, and mostly only people who know come here.”

That’s so cool. Sure enough, once we get past the host stand, I notice that a lot of the people at the tables aren’t human. The demons are easiest to tell, because of the horns, but I also spot some fangs and claws.

The table we’re led to is tucked into a corner and more private than many others, which I’m grateful for. There are two men sitting there already, one studying the menu, while the one who looks much older is juggling chunks of bread. He looks up as we reach him.

“This is Jared,” Alistair announces, sliding into one of the chairs and leaving me to take the other. “Meet Noah”—he points to the younger guy, who’s only just putting down his menu—“and Andrew.”

Andrew smiles at me, treating me to a discreet flash of fangs. “Welcome to the community, Jared. I’ve been around a lot longer than these two?—”

“Or dirt,” Noah adds.

“—so I can answer any questions you have. Ignore my husband. He’s just mad because he’s only lived in two centuries.”

My ass drops the remaining few inches into my seat faster than planned. I guess I need to get used to being around people who’ve lived in more than two centuries. It might even be fun to talk to people who were born before 1900.

Noah studies me. “You knew about the lifespan thing, right? Xiao Wei usually tells people.”

“I knew. I just… haven’t finished processing it yet.”

He snorts. “Yeah, I hear that. I’ve been part of the community for more than a decade, and I still have to process sometimes.”

Our server comes over to ask about drinks, and I pick up a menu. Best to decide what I want to eat before I get too distracted.

Once our order’s been taken, Noah says, “Give me your phone, and I’ll put my number in before I forget. I’m sorry these two idiots are here, but you can call me anytime if you need to talk.” He takes my phone from my hand.

“Thank you, but I don’t mind asking questions in front of them. Alistair’s granted me temporary bro status.”

“Poor you,” Noah mutters, tapping at my phone.

“Noah doesn’t understand the sacred bond that is bro-hood,” Andrew informs me. “It’s okay, though, because sometimes couples need time apart.”

“Lots of it,” Noah confirms, handing my phone back. “I texted myself, so I have your number too. Hope that’s okay.”

“It is.” I hesitate. “I’m really grateful, but I feel like this level of personal welcome isn’t something every human gets. How much… I mean, what did Sam tell you?”

There’s an awkward little silence, and I look down at the cutlery in front of me. Great. A bunch of strangers know I’m a dumbass who got lied to by his boyfriend.

“Sammy would never blab personal stuff,” Alistair starts, but Noah cuts in.

“He said you’ve been dating King Raeulfr but hadn’t met the legal requirements yet for him to tell you about everything, and that you found out by accident last night.

And yeah, you’re right—I don’t personally welcome every human who learns about the community.

Neither does Sam. Alistair doesn’t give tours as part of his job.

We’re doing that because we like the king and we think it’s awesome that he’s finally met someone he wants to date.

Also because Sam liked you, and he has good taste—present company excepted. ” He gestures to Alistair and Andrew.

“I’d be offended by that, but he’s not the first one to say it.” Andrew meets my gaze. “Alistair and Noah might’ve come as a favor to Sam and Raeulfr, but I could’ve stayed at the office. I came because Al and everyone else you talked to this morning said nice things, and I’m nosy.”

I’m still not sure how to feel about the fact that everyone I’ve met in the community so far is connected to Raeulfr, but I guess I shouldn’t let it stop me from learning what I can. If I never want to see them again after this, I don’t have to. “Thanks. I think.”

“Now that I’ve met you, I like you,” he assures me. “I’ll probably even still like you if you decide to dump the king.”

I flinch. It’s still so odd to hear people refer to him that way.

The king. King Raeulfr. His Majesty, the King of the Elves.

Would it be different if his title was something else?

Something like “president” or a completely new-to-me title, like Sam’s “lucifer”?

Even though I know it’s the equivalent of an elected position and that he won’t hold the title forever, “king” has specific connotations and associations that I can’t unlearn easily.

“I’m not going to talk about that,” I say. “There’s a lot for me to think about, and you know him personally. I don’t want Ra—the k-king”—I stumble over the word—“to feel like I’m gossiping about him.”

All three of them smile at me. They’re nice smiles, but it’s still weird.

“We weren’t testing you, but if we had been, you would have passed,” Noah says. “Just one thing—Xiao Wei told you about the lifespan thing. Is there anything you’d like to know about elf lifespans specifically that might factor in to all the thinking you’re going to do?”

It only takes a few seconds for his meaning to sink in, and my stomach does a nervous flip.

He thinks there’s something about elf lifespans—about Raeulfr’s lifespan—that’s relevant.

I swallow dryly. “I’m not sure. Xiao Wei said elves and dragons choose how long they want to live because they can self-heal, and that humans can do the same. ”

Noah nods. “Yeah. I hope you don’t mind, but I had a quick look at the notes for where you’re at in the program.

It won’t be long before you can do that kind of magic, too, especially now that you know you’re capable of a lot more.

The program is kind of rigid because we didn’t want to scare people off. ”

That’s reassuring, in a way. I’m excited to learn more about what I can do with magic—it’s a definite upside to everything. “So it’s not out of the question for elves to live as long as the other species? About twelve hundred years or so?” That was the average Xiao Wei told me.

Andrew and Alistair exchange glances. Noah looks at his plate and sighs.

Not good.

“Just tell me.”

“Have you met any other elves?” Alistair asks. “Other than the king?”

“N— Well,” I change my answer, “sort of? I briefly exchanged insults with the head of his security team. Eoin, I think.”

“I’m going to ask for details on that later,” Alistair promises. “But okay, how old do you think Eoin is?”

I snort. “Yesterday I would have said mid-thirties. So, I don’t know… three hundred?” It’s a random guess. He looks a little older than Alistair, and he’s nearly two hundred.

Andrew and Alistair exchange another glance and say nothing.

“Tell me.” I brace. Andrew grimaces but still says nothing.

“Cowards,” Noah mutters, scowling at them. He looks me straight in the eye. “I’ve never asked Eoin exactly how old he is, but from things he’s said, you need to be thinking thousand, not hundred.”

Thousand.

Thousand?

Eoin is thousands of years old?

And Raeulfr is clearly older than him.

“Oh,” I say faintly.

I have so much to think about.