Page 101 of Her Dreadful Will
But there was definitely wind—a whirling funnel of it, gusting around them, lifting papers from her shelves and sending bits of dried herbs fluttering upward.
She broke the kiss, and Achan opened his eyes, flushed and dazed. “Sorry,” he said, and the air currents settled, papers drifting down like discarded leaves.
“Does this happen when you—when you’re excited?” she asked.
“Sometimes,” he said. “It’s one reason I couldn’t have longer relationships, even with girls I felt connected to. But it’s not usually this strong, or this obvious. Must be our recent infusion of moonlight. Either that, or it’s you.” He drew the backs of his knuckles down her cheek, and she felt a prickle of latent magic from his tattoos.
Soleil got up, dragging him by the wrist. “Let’s go somewhere you won’t make so much of a mess.”
She led him to her bedroom and set about tucking away the few items that sat atop the dresser and nightstands, in case wind started to circulate through the room during their activities. Achan stood silent by the corner of her bed, gripping the frame.
“I’ll be right back,” Soleil told him, and darted into the bathroom.
She went as fast as she could, glancing at her ridiculously happy face in the mirror while she washed her hands.
This was happening. Really happening. Her, and Achan, beautiful wild Achan, sweet lonely Achan—she would give herself to him, and they would make such exquisite magic together. She ached for it, for him, with every cell of her body, every throb of her heart.
But when she flung open the bedroom door, he wasn’t standing by the bed.
He wasn’t in the room at all.
She wandered into the hall, where Cerberus lay in front of Florence’s bedroom door. The Doberman lifted his head and gazed at her with sleepy eyes. Soleil snapped her fingers at him. “Find Achan,” she said, not knowing whether or not the dog would know whom she meant. But he unfolded his long legs, sniffed the carpet, and trotted straight to the front door.
When Soleil peeked through the blinds into the driveway, Achan’s car was gone.
She crumpled to the ground, with her back to the door, and sat perfectly still for a long time.
34
There was no one in the coven that she could tell. And Soleil wasn’t about to try to explain Achan to her mother. So she returned to the other two people who knew a little of the story, who might understand a fraction of what it did to her when he left.
She logged in to the Grimoire chat app while walking home from work, and sent her fellow witches a short but painful version of the other night’s events. As she’d hoped, Lucibae and Uzigoth were appropriately furious.
“He just left???” Luci answered. “No message? What a jerk!!!”
“He texted me,” Soleil typed back. “Some crap about how this was too intense, and he didn’t want me rushing into it, and we both needed time to think. And then he said he’d be gone for a few days—some dentists’ conference or training thing. Said it will give us both the space we need to slow down.”
Uzigoth sent several nauseated, disgusted, and angry emojis. “Men are bastards. This is why I date women. Among many reasons.”
“OMG girl,” added Luci. “Maybe he likes you too much and it scares him!!”
“Stop being such a romcom, Luci,” Uzigoth retorted. “He’s a rat bastard, and that’s it. He probably IS a Witchlord working for the Convocation, and he felt guilty for trying to bone you when he’s supposed to be monitoring your magic. The whole MeToo thing has made a few creeps think twice before they bang their subordinates.”
“Whatever he is, he’s no Witchlord,” Soleil typed—and then she erased the words. She hesitated, her thumbs poised over the screen’s keyboard, wondering how much she could safely tell them. Angry though she was at Achan’s sudden departure, she didn’t want to reveal any secrets that could put him in danger.
“Gotta go, girls,” she told them. “I’m almost home from work, and I have a houseguest. But thanks for the sympathy. Kisses!”
“Here for you,dorogoi,” replied Luci. “Anytime you need to talk.”
Uzigoth’s message popped up immediately afterward. “Same. Love you bitch.”
Soleil permitted herself a small smile and pocketed her phone.
She couldn’t understand it. She and Achan had chemistry, and a real emotional connection. Why kiss her like that, and then leave?
It hurt. That was the plain old truth of it. It hurt, hurt,hurt.
And it hurt all over again when she saw a strange car in her driveway—because her heart jumped with hope even though she realized a split-second later that it was a silver Audi, not Achan’s gray Honda.
