I waited for him to say more. When he didn’t, I shifted in place, moving my weight to my other foot. “Um. That’s not really an answer.”
“It’s the only one I can give at the moment, I’m afraid. Thank you for the coffee.” Lupin slid off the barstool and pulled a few coins from his pocket, placing them beside his cup. “I must be on my way.”
“Nope. I don’t think so. Sit your wizard ass back down.” I pointed to the stool. “You can’t just pop in, say cryptic shit, and then flutter away like nothing happened.”
“Did you just call me a wizard?”
“Lupin. I’m serious.” Desperation laced my voice. “Please. Tell me why you’re really here.”
“I see why your men can deny you nothing. Those sad eyes are a true weapon of mass destruction.” He expelled a sigh. “Coming here tonight was a bit impulsive of me. As I’ve said before, nothing is set in stone. There are no certainties, only possibilities. Our decisions can alter our future, sending us down different paths. When you opened this café, a path to one of those futures was revealed. Now, it’s set in motion.”
“Something bad?”
“Perhaps.” His gray eyes tightened at the edges. “It’s neither the time nor the place for me to reveal more. But I’ll return soon to tell you more. As much as I can, anyway.”
“You’re already here. Just tell me now.” My anxiety couldn’t handle waiting. My head would pop off.
“I can’t. For those, like myself, who possess certain magical gifts, there are rules that must be followed in order to maintain the balance of the universe. Me being here is already teetering on that edge. You set things into motion, and if I interfered now, it could impose upon your free will and result in total chaos in the magical community.”
“You say you can’t interfere, but that’s exactly what you do with the Emporium. You alter people’s futures. Their lives.”
He was shaking his head before I even finished my sentence. “No. I don’t do anything of the sort. The people who visit the Emporium forge their own paths. I only provide the tools to help them do so. It’s called a magical loophole.”
“Your face is a magical loophole.”
“Now, now. Be nice.” Lupin grabbed the barely touched blueberry muffin and wrapped it in a napkin, tucking it into his inner jacket pocket. “Saving this for later. Do me a favor and try not to dwell on this. Enjoy the success of your café and fall deeper in love with the three males waiting for you upstairs. Live your life. I’ll return at a later date. In the meantime, I believe you have a discussion to have of your own.”
I cringed at the reminder. Maddox would more than likely pounce on me as soon as I went upstairs. “Any advice on how to explain it to them?”
“Tell them the truth. That’s all you can do. Let the cards fall where they may.” Lupin withdrew a silver pocket watch and glanced at the clock face. “Until next time, Evan.”
A light tap on the window drew my attention. Just a bug. When I turned back, Lupin was gone.
Freaking mysterious butthole wizard.He showed up just to throw my life into chaos, then vanished in the blink of an eye. Now, I’d be obsessing over whatever it was he needed to tell me. Something that could be really bad.
But what?
Nerves zoomed through me like a swarm of angry wasps as I neared the staircase. I felt sick to my stomach as I climbed them. By the end of the night, the three men who owned my heart would finally know the truth about me.
And I was terrified of losing them.
***
Maddox sat on the edge of the bed, leaning forward with his hands clasped in front of him. He fidgeted with the silver ring on his finger. “Start talking.”
“Don’t use such a harsh tone with him.” Briar stood with his arms crossed, resting his hip against the desk.
“Don’t give me orders, physician,” Maddox snapped. “I’m not in the mood.”
“Are you ever?”
“Please don’t fight,” I said, surprised by how meek I sounded. Okay, maybe not too surprised. I felt really pathetic. And anxious. Maybe on the verge of throwing up. “This is already hard enough.”
Something flickered across Maddox’s face but was gone too quick for me to make sense of it. He was skilled at hiding his emotions behind a mask of stoicism. “Hard how?”
Lake stood near the window, keeping his distance from all of us. His gaze landed on me as he waited for a response.
“Because…” I waved my hands around, searching for the right words and only finding more anxiety. “It just is. I’m not good at this stuff. Important conversations. I need a glass, or ten, of liquid courage first.”
