Page 57 of Heart of a Witch
He scratched the side of his neck. “You don’t have to come. It might be dreadfully boring.”
“Well, if I’m not there, then I worry it will be.”
He smirked. “In that case, you better turn up.”
I smiled, grateful for the playfulness that returned as if last night hadn’t happened. “I may. It depends, will there be more scotch?”
“Only the best; however, after last night, perhaps we should stick to lemonade.”
I chuckled. “I can handle it, Elijah.”
“Back to Elijah, are we?”
My chest tightened. “As long as I’m no longer Miss Weathermore.”
He grinned. “No.”
“I’m bringing my snakes.”
He laughed. “You might give my bartender a heart attack.”
“Fine. I’ll take them out today instead.” My mouth dried. “You can accompany me to your orchard, if you like? I can let them roam around there.”
“You aren’t worried about them escaping?”
I rolled my eyes. “Never. What would they be escaping from? They’re well fed, loved, and too lazy at this point to do anything for themselves.”
He chuckled. “You are a mystery, Victoria.”
I licked my lips. If only he knew how much.
Seventeen
Victoria
Elijah met us at the orchard, as he’d said he would. Alex came with me, wanting to taste how good the apples really were. She had a day off school and said she wanted to spend quality time with me. I think she just wanted to be involved somehow and was bored.
We’d only just sat when a storm thundered in the distance, rolling clouds of dark gray swirling on the horizon.
“I feel the first splashes of rain,” I said, holding out my hand. “I didn’t think to bring an umbrella.”
Elijah pulled off his jacket and handed it to me. “Here.”
Alex side-eyed me. “Ever the gentleman.”
“You both can cover your heads with it.”
Ebony slithered through the blades of green, and Buttercup knotted herself around a fallen apple.
Elijah leaned back. “We should get going.”
I stroked Buttercup’s head. “It’s a shame. They were enjoying themselves.”
Elijah reached out. “They’re quite sweet really. Nothing like I expected.” His finger slightly touched Buttercup’s scales, and my heart palpated.
“No, not her!” I warned, but she’d already struck, sinking her fangs into the side of his thumb.
“Oh, gods.” Alex stood as the storm blotted the sky like ink, fizzling the sun to nothing.
