Page 18 of Sweets and Sycamores
Dominic had a right to know the truth; in fact, she should have told him about her power last night, when he had, indirectly, asked about it. But she couldn’t ignore the part of her that feared he would let her go after discovering her uncontrollable fire. Allie had hoped to stay for as long as she could at Dom’s Sweets.
Which, with her crazy power and bad luck, had been only two days.
“Alecsandra.” A warning, his tone louder and more urgent.
“Yes,” she relented, fighting the urge to squeeze her eyes shut. She held Dominic’s deeply green, deeply shocked eyes against her every instinct. “It’s fire.”
Dominic flinched as if she’d slapped him. He regarded her in a way that could mean so many different things, but she didn’t know this man. He could be thinking about firing her ormurdering her. When he finally spoke, it was barely above a whisper.
“Fire?” The low sound was coated in shock and despair, and Allie wished he’d yelled at her instead.
Her breath hitched in her throat, but she nodded. Dominic was still as a statue, as if afraid that if he moved, she would set him on fire. That could very well be the case with her unpredictable power, but Allie pushed the thought away. She would never hurt anybody. Intentionally.
“And what, exactly, are you looking to learn about it here?” he hissed through his teeth. Allie swallowed once, twice, trying to shove that lump from her throat to make room for the words that would determine her fate in Sycamore Falls. Because if Dominic chose to kick her out, no way in hell anyone else in this town would take her in.
She didn’t get to be a coward now. Well, she was a coward, but she didn’t get to act like one. It was just a matter of time until the truth came out, and with her luck, it so happened that she’d only had a day to prepare for it. Time she hadn’t used to prepare for it.
“I need to learn how to control it.”
Dominic must have heard her wrong.
“What?” he barked, breaking his carefully built restraint. The Witch didn’t cower from him, but fear took charge of her features. He couldn’t tell if she was afraid of him or afraid to lose her place in Sycamore Falls.
“I don’t have it under control,” she repeated, and this only made Dom’s rage flare through his veins as if someone set him on fire.Ironically.
Dozens of scenarios flew through his head like a flock of uncoordinated geese. The bakery could spontaneously burn.His homecould burn. His customers were in danger, and?—
Mia.
He had seen some books in the bags Alecsandra had carried last night, meaning she’d already met his sister. The Witch had been at his sister’s business,a bookstore, a place full of paper and wood. He couldn’t suppress the shivers crawling down his spine at the thought.
But she was fine; Mia was fine. All of them were fine.
“I’ll go pack.” The hushed, small voice broke Dom’s spiraling, and he focused on the woman before him.
Dominic rarely used his magic to Read people. He simply did not care enough to know about them, or understand them, or be around them. He had few friends and was more than content that way. Growing up, this strong sense of justice was instilled into him as soon as the nature of his magic came to light. Most times, he had an unfair advantage using his magic, so he didn’t use it often. But now was the time to make an exception.
He grabbed at that silken tendril of power hidden inside him, just enough to toss it at the Witch and see what answered. The power left him on a swift wind, and he felt it swirl around her, poking at her magic.
Dom picked up a sizzling heat, a restless energy, giddy to be let out. His magic caressed a strong but gentle power. Under all that tension, a pure kindness welcomed him, undeniably soft and warm. Did her random channeling happen only because she didn’t know how to control this fire?
He remembered the time when he had no idea what to do with the power outbursts, the strength he didn’t feel he was ready for. But he’d had his father’s guidance and his mother’s words of encouragement. Alecsandra clearly had no one, if her own coven had sent her away instead of trying to help her.
What if it was Mia?
He’d punch Brandon in the face for branding that thought into his brain with a hot iron. Just once, he’d punch him one time for this. Hard.
Dom realized he had been silent for too long when Alecsandra passed by him on the way out of the kitchen. The last thing she had said was about packing, and he’d said nothing. She must have taken his lack of response as a dismissal, although he hadn’t meant it like that.
Had he?
Living alone and not having to worry that everything he held dear could end up in flames sounded pretty sweet. But he still needed help around the bakery so he could focus more on his mission. And it would just be for a few weeks. He could endure it, but… Could his bakery?
“Don’t.” He was surprised at the command in his voice. He turned around, and it took a second for the feminine figure with the cherry-red bun to come back into view.
She kept quiet, but her eyes brimmed with water. He was uncomfortable around people crying, more so knowing he was the reason for it.
“Does this happen often?” he asked. She seemed confused before Dom fixed his gaze on her hands, but then she answered him in an even voice.
