Page 66 of Love's a Witch
“What? No.No.Knox. Go away.” I stomped inside, his chuckle following me, and beelined toward where Lyra sat next to Raven at the bar.
“I took the liberty of ordering you a drink,” Lyra said, just as a very handsome barman appeared with a purple drink. He put it in front of me with a flourish, and then held out a little machine that poured smoke into a bubble on top.
“A witch’s brew.”
“Sloane, this is Liam.” Something about the way Raven spoke, a softness to her words, had me giving a quick glance between the bartender and her. His eyes lighted on Raven’s face, warming, and I realized my instinct was correct. There was something here. “He runs the best pub in the Highlands, and we’re lucky to have him here.”
“Stop, you’ll make me blush.” Liam grinned. He wore a waistcoat over a shirt rolled to its elbows, and tattoos of runes and Celtic designs covered his arms. This was not a man who blushed, but anyone who was sweet on Raven was a good man in my book.
“It’s true,” Raven insisted, turning to me. “He built this place up from scratch, with help from Knox when he redesigned the town, and we couldn’t be prouder of him. It’s become the hub for, well, everything really. And the drinks are truly magickal. Try it.”
I lightly popped the bubble on top of the glass, laughing as the smoke curled into the air, and then sipped the cocktail.
“Oh, wow.” I nodded approvingly at Liam, who bowed his head in acceptance of my compliment. “It’s incredibly refreshing.”
“Lavender and basil paired with sweet mint. It’s a gin-based cocktail, and a popular one with the tourists.” Liam slid us a few menus and then disappeared to attend to other people standing at the bar, while I glanced around the pub, studiously ignoring where Knox was speaking with a group of men who had flagged him down.
While I’d been here the other night for my cèilidh, I hadn’t spent any time in the actual pub itself. Now, I nodded in approval. Large arched front windows looked out onto the colorful shops of the street, letting the outside in, and giving clientele the opportunity to people-watch. A fire burned merrily on one wall, and a variety of seating options, from low-slung leather chairs and couches to tables for eating, gave patrons a choice of seating. It was sleek, both modern and quaint, and gave a cozy welcoming vibe. And the magickal elements were just right—nothing too in your face, and yet the artwork all featured dragons or mythological creatures and framed runes and spells, and a tartan witch’s hat was tucked on top of a fake stuffed coo head that hung on the wall.
“He’s cute,” I said, giving Raven a meaningful look.
“Isn’t he? And he’s just the sweetest too. He’s really been a good friend to me.”
Lyra and I exchanged a look over Raven.
“I don’t remember him from school.”
“Och, he moved here after you left. You just missed him. Nice family too.” Raven slid a glance at where Liam leaned on the bar, chatting with Knox, and then tucked her hair behind her ear. She’d unraveled her braids from earlier, but still wore the same pretty velvet dress. “So. Knox?”
“Ugh.” I took another sip of my drink and settled in, truly unsure of what to say. It felt like a million contradictory thoughts whirled in my head, and I wasn’t sure which one to land on. Frankly, I wasn’t sure I could even trust my feelings. I’d kind of felt like Alice down the rabbit hole ever since I’d arrived in Briarhaven, and what I likely needed was a few days by myself to just process all that was happening.
Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like I’d get a quiet moment anytime soon.
“Is that a good ‘ugh’ or a bad ‘ugh’?” Raven asked, sipping a frothy concoction in a tall-stemmed glass.
“I don’t know. He’s sexy as sin, kisses like the devil, and wants to throw me out of town. What the hell am I supposed to do about that?”
“Shag him,” Lyra and Raven said together. They both laughed and clinked their glasses.
“I can’t just…” I waved a hand in the air. “He’s, like, the town’s golden boy. I highly doubt he’s been running around having one-night stands. It’s too small of a town. We all would have heard about it.”
“No, you’re right. He gets tons of attention, but I rarely hear about him dating. I mean, he does, occasionally, but he doesn’t have a bad reputation for it or anything. He’s not a guy I’d warn you away from,” Raven said, pursing her lips as she thought about it.
“See? And I’m a love-’em-and-leave-’em type of girl. We don’t really have a choice. We always end up having to move.”
Lyra nodded her head sadly in agreement. “It can be fun, but also tiring, because you always have to leave. Goodbye gets a little old after a while, I guess. I try to be good about picking my men now.Ones that I will enjoy but not become too attached to. Even then, it’s not easy.”
“No, I can’t imagine it is.” Raven tapped a finger on the bar, considering our plight. “But if you break the curse, then you can stay here… and have a future with Knox.”
“A future…” A lump formed in my throat. I’d never really been in the position of truly being able to consider a future with anyone before. It made me feel all sorts of things. The saddest of which was hope.
I’d long ago learned to bury that particular emotion.
“Oh my goddess,” Lyra gasped, and I looked to see her staring at a third man who had joined Knox and Liam. If possible, he was even more handsome than Knox and Liam combined, and I was surprised the women in the room didn’t pass out from their collective good looks. Or, frankly, the men either.
“Is that Rab?” I asked, leaning over Raven to gape at Lyra. Rabbie Barclay had been Lyra’s first love at age sixteen, and things had ended on a very sour note when we’d left. She’d only spoken of it once, and I’d only seen her cry over him once, as well. After, it was like she zipped up whatever feelings she’d held for him, tucked them away in the bottom of her mind, and had never mentioned his name again.
His eyes locked on hers, and I held my breath. The two most singularly beautiful people in the room, locked in an unspoken argument.
