Page 41 of Magic & Mochas
Before anyone could react, Thorne turned on his heel and carried me out of the ballroom and into the cool night air.
Chapter fifteen
Shadows & Stars
Clove
“Didyoumeanwhatyou said?”I whispered, terrified but painfully hopeful.I fisted the fabric of his shirt in my hand as he strode through the gardens that surrounded the castle.
“Every word.”Thorne’s voice rumbled in his chest, and I could feel his heart racing beneath my ear.
The full moon highlighted the planes of his face, and silvered strands of his hair.When his arms tightened around me, I buried my face in his chest.I felt so relieved and excited and giddy all at once that a laugh bubbled up and snuck its way past my lips.
“Are you crying?”Thorne said in alarm, stiffening for a moment before relaxing when he realized I was laughing.“What’s so funny?”
“The looks on their faces,” I shook my head in disbelief.“When I first asked you to help me put on a show, I never could have imagined that fiasco in the ballroom.”
Thorne sighed, then said ruefully, “They’ll be talking about that little scene formonths.”
“More like years,” I corrected him.When he raised a scarred eyebrow at me, I explained, “Magically enhanced lifespans, remember?”
The shadowmancer groaned.“Great.Well, I think we both got a little more than we bargained for out of our little arrangement.”
The way his eyes softened when he said that made me think he was referring to more than just the scene we had made.“I’m okay with that.”
“Just okay?”His voice went low and husky.
“More than okay.”I pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek, and heard his quick intake of breath.
“Good,” he growled.“Because I’m not offering refunds.You’re stuck with me, now.”
“I’m not complaining.”On the contrary, I felt like rejoicing.I could hardly believe this was real, that Thorne felt the same way I did.This whole evening felt magical—minus one unfortunate interruption—in a way that even my most impressive spells couldn’t replicate.“Thank you for what you did back there.For protecting me.”
Thorne smiled down at me.“I’m sure you could have handled him just fine alone.But I didn’t think you should have to.”
It was nice, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that Thorne was someone I could rely on.Someone who would see my need and supply it, without having to be asked.
“Where are we going?”I whispered, as we left the castle behind and entered the enchanted forest that surrounded it.
Thorne came to an abrupt halt, as if he hadn’t even considered that himself.If he hadn’t still been holding me, his answer would have made me weak in the knees.“Home.”
Although I had spent four years in that cramped little apartment in Seattle, had it ever really felt like home?I had tried so hard to pretend that it was, but now, only the old brick apartment above my cozy little shop came to mind.Only the touch of cool shadows and the scent of warm cinnamon felt like home.
I smiled into his shirt.“Yes.Let’s go home.”
The walk back to town was peaceful, and shorter than I would have liked.Thorne didn’t ask if I wanted to walk, and I didn’t ask him to put me down.I liked feeling safe and cared for in his arms, liked the way the stars reflected in his eyes and the way the crisp autumn breeze cooled my too-warm face.
Trees soon gave way to the quaint little buildings of Willowmere, complete with glowing Jack-o-Lanterns on every porch and balcony.It was almost eerie without other people, as if it were a ghost town.
As Thorne carried me down the main street, lights caught my eye.“Look,” I said pointing up at the sky.“They’re releasing the lanterns back at the castle.”
The Halloween lanterns, which were shaped like pumpkins and had drawn-on faces, swirled across the sky.They glowed like newborn stars as they began their journeys into the endless expanse of the heavens.Though we couldn’t see it through the trees, I knew the trail of golden lights led back to the castle.
“Is that some sort of tradition?”Thorne paused to watch them.
“Yes—they’re released every year at the end of the ball.”I smiled to myself.“It’s been years since I’ve seen it, though.The children are the ones who draw the faces, after they’re done trick-or-treating.”
We stood watching them dance across the sky in silence for a time.Though the air was cold, Thorne was so warm that I hardly even noticed the chill.
