Page 32 of How To Summon A Memory
I shrug. “I’m a virgin too, on account that sex just doesn’t cross my mind. And certainly not with some random person off the street.” I shiver at the thought. “I need connection. But I don’t need sex.”
“Makes sense. And I was always told I’d have to marry Florence. They are sex repulsed and I’m gay, so I knew we wouldn’t be doing anything despite everyone’s desire for us to produce heirs. How fucking gross is that? Here you have to marry and fuck so we can continue the magic lines. No, thank you.” He sticks his tongue out and shivers. “Just doesn’t make sex appealing to me. I want intimacy, not requirement.”
“I get that.” I itch to hold his hand as we walk, but alas, I don’t want him to disappear on me.
“We are a mess.” Ethan chuckles. “I ever tell you about that time I fucked a grapefruit.”
I bark out a laugh. “Actually, yes. You said it burned and not in a fun way.”
“Sounds like something I’d say.” Ethan’s laugh is magical. Damn Cordia for her meddling.
I sigh, my fingers twitch. Ethan yawns and I feel bad because he’s probably exhausted.
“You should go to bed,” I whisper.
“And miss time with you? Not a chance.” He shakes his head, and it reminds me of him as that determined boy.
Something like a flare lights up the night sky over Cordia’s mansion and Ethan grimaces. “Are you kidding me? She’s using the bat signal on me?”
“What?” I ask.
“You’ve never seen bat man? He’s got the bat signal when Gothem needs him.”
“No idea what you’re talking about, but there’s not a bat in the sky or anything.”
“No, it’s just…” Ethan flings a hand towards the light. “Grandmother being dramatic. If I don’t show up in ten minutes, she’ll punish me. I can’t believe?—”
I wrap my hand around his upper arm where I won’t touch his skin and we teleport right into Cordia’s yard. There’s a raccoon in a tree that watches us.
“That’s Rosco, grandmother’s familiar,” Ethan says. “He’s pretty harmless.”
He says that, but then the little creature runs down from his tree and starts screeching. Ethan stumbles back and when he does, he grabs my hand, and he’s gone yet again.
“What did you say to him?” I ask Rosco, as if I’ll be able to understand him. He continues chatting and I just stare blankly at him.
Someone I don’t recognize rounds the house and I take a few steps back. They hold up their hands. “You probably don’t know who I am. Let me introduce myself. I’m Trever Belladonna. Head of the Belladonna coven and I think I can help you help your little Speller witch.”
“How can I trust you?”
“You can’t and you can’t trust him either. Somehow, he’ll find a way to betray you like he does everyone.”
“That’s not the Ethan I know. He’s trustworthy.”
Trever snorts. “He was supposed to marry my boy Liam. The two were thick as thieves before that Hallow bitch showed up. It’s like he forgot all about Liam.”
I search my brain for any mention of Liam and nothing comes up. If Ethan had to marry another boy, he probably wouldn’t have had any problem. Probably never would have fallen in love with me.
“I don’t think he forgot Liam on purpose. You know Cordia used a memory spell on Ethan to forget me. She probably did the same for him to forget Liam.”
“I know all about the memory spell that keeps you out of his head because I helped her develop it. But she stabbed me in the back and I’m ready for payback.”
My heart pounds. Could it really be this easy?
Ethan pounds on the door. “Let me out!”
“My sweet grandbaby, this is for your own good,” Cordia says from inside. Then I can’t see him anymore.
Trever laughs. “The bitch thinks I’m helping her keep Ethan locked up. She’s sorely mistaken. I’m here to cause chaos. You know what my Liam did?”
