Page 84 of Sweetwater and the Witch

“I was planning to take you to a nice restaurant and order a bottle of wine.”

“Sounds lovely.”

“After a fancy dinner I thought we could take a stroll through the Dead City. Enjoy the vibes together.”

“Maybe have sex under the stars in your garden?”

“If the mood took us,” Ethan said.

“It probably would have.”

“It would definitely have taken me,” he said.

Ravenna exerted some focus and shut down a hellish scene. “Clearly we’re following a somewhat different script here, but you get bonus points for creativity.”

“I do?”

“I’ve never spent a night in a haunted cave with a date,” she said. “This is a first for me.”

“Same. I appreciate the creativity points, but let’s face it, my dating technique still needs a lot of work.”

“On the plus side, there’s one thing to be said about tonight’s date.”

“What’s that?” Ethan asked.

Another vision spun out of the heavy paranormal currents, a shrieking thing that was all teeth and claws. Ravenna pressed herself more firmly against Ethan’s back, taking heat, strength, and comfort from him just as he took the same from her.

“It’s another bonding experience,” she said.

“True. We seem to be doing a lot of bonding lately.”

“I’ve got a question for you,” Ravenna said.

“What is it?”

“Why Illusion Town?”

“I told you, I like the energy.”

“But there’s more to it than that.”

“You must be psychic.”

“I’m serious,” she said.

He was silent for a moment.

“Illusion Town was as far away as I could get from the people who cared the most about the Kavanagh affair.”

“I understand,” Ravenna said. “You wanted to move on. Can I ask you a very personal question?”

“What is it?”

“After Covington Kavanagh died, why didn’t you and Bethany Kavanagh marry?”

Ethan was silent for a time. “Bethany and I were childhood friends but never lovers.”

“What aren’t you telling me about your past, Ethan Sweetwater?”

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