Page 5 of These Charms Won't Fade
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I wake alone in bed,the late-morning sun warm against my bare skin.
The last fragments of dreams cling to my consciousness, formless but unsettling. I check the bed for one of the cats, but even they’ve abandoned me this morning. With a deep breath, I connect to the air and trace the currents to find where everyone has gone.
Colby, I find in the kitchen, napping next to his food dish. Jack, meanwhile, is in the second bedroom-turned-office down the hall, curled up at Morgan’s feet. With barely more than a thought, I direct the air to dance through Morgan’s hair in a silent hello.
Laughter echoes down the hall. “Morning, babe!”
“Morning!” I call back, sliding out of bed. My body is deliciously sore after last night, and I make my way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. The first spray of water against my skin fills me with a steady thrum of power, which is probably why I’ve never developed a taste for coffee. Who needs ground up bean water when a shower literally fills you with energy?
Once I’m clean, dressed, and my teeth are minty-fresh, I wander down the hall to the office Morgan and I share. It’s a cozy space, two desks separated by a plush couch, the room filled to bursting with house plants.Morgan is at her desk, headphones in, her favorite candle burning as she types away at her novel. The flame flickers to acknowledge my arrival, the fire’s bright energy a welcome hello.
I slip my arms around Morgan’s shoulders and press a kiss against her cheek.
She finishes the sentence she’s on before lowering her headphones and turning her chair to kiss me properly. “You working on client projects this morning?”
“Uh-huh,” I murmur in agreement. “After I grab some breakfast. Do you need anything?”
“What are you making?”
“Eggs probably. On a bagel, if we have any left.”
Morgan grins. “Well, if you’re making your famous Walsh egg sandwiches, you know I want one.”
“Two bacon, egg, and cream cheese bagels with red onions, coming up!” I start to pull away to head for the kitchen when Morgan’s fingers circle my wrist, holding me in place. “Yeah?”
“How are you feeling? About Cal’s offer?” Her thumb brushes along my inner wrist. “Do you need to talk about it? I can take a writing break.”
“Later. You looked like you were in a good groove. Keep going.” I kiss her forehead and spin her chair back to face the computer. “Once you finish the first draft, I’ll mock up a cover for you.”
Morgan wiggles in her chair, a grin brightening her expression. “My girls are just about to get to their first kiss!”
“Make it a good one,” I say before leaving the office. Jack follows at my heels all the way into the kitchen.
Colby greets me with a big stretch as I fill their food dishes, and then I settle into the rhythm of a typical Saturday morning. Breakfast made and shared with Morgan while she updates me on her book. Finishing some final changes for a cover design on my computer before shifting to the office’s couch to start sketching a new project on my tablet. Colby and Jack curl up at my feet, their gentle purrs vibrating against my toes.
As I sketch out the initial design for the client’s requested just-about-to-kiss pose for their characters, my mind wanders away from the work at hand. For a moment, I let myself imagine a future where I get to work on this kind of project all the time. No more boring corporate clients. No more basic ass fonts over a palette of neutral browns and grays. Instead, I could fill my days bringing other people’s creativity to life. Designing covers for stories I believe in. Seeing my art help inspire readers to pick up a new-to-them author.
I have a decent following online already, and if I didn’t have a nine-to-five, I could take on more clients.
And if I say yes to Cal’s offer…
My gaze flicks up from the tablet to where Morgan is scrolling back through her document, her brow furrowed with concentration. She wants to go. Teaching at the academy—theArcher Walsh International Academy of Witches—would give her so much more time to write.
While part of me is still nervous about the idea of giving up mynormaljob with its health insurance and retirement plan to gallivant across the ocean to spend a year surrounded by experimental magic… I know it’s notjustthat holding me back. Despite Cal and Morgan’s insistence that this new Council project is about lookingforward, I worry I’ll feel trapped in the past. I don’t know if I can handle spending an entire year surrounded by reminders of the worst moments of my life.
I worked so hard to heal. To build a life for myself that’s based on whatIwant, not what the Witch Hunters thrust upon me when I was seventeen.
And what if Morgan loves teaching there? What if she wants tostay? She said last night that she’ll go wherever I want to be, but I can’t stomach the thought of holding her back. Of putting my happiness before hers. I want to be her forever, but not if that means she has to deny her own dreams.
“Han? You good?”
At the sound of Morgan’s voice, I shake my head, dislodging the anxiety-producing thoughts and offering her a smile. “Yeah. Just distracted.” I turn off my tablet and secure it in the drawer of the side table. “I forgot I still need to make a dessert for the solstice ceremony tonight.”
If she can tell I’m deflecting, she doesn’t call me on it. “Want help?”
“Nah, I’ve got it. You have fun.” I wave on my way out of the room and take a deep, settling breath. At least I’ll be with the coven tonight. Mom will be there.
