Page 14 of Weave the Dark, Weave the Light
Ari closed the distance, slid their hands inside his coat, and pressed into the violet mark they’d left behind. Jonathan closed his eyes and exhaled. “I don’t want to interrupt your life any more than I have.”
“Please interrupt my life, Ari.” He opened his eyes. “I have no desire to chase you away.”
But there needed to be space. Ari’d always longed for both companionship and solitude. Spaces between to think and ponder. Right now, they didn’t want to leave, but space could be opened here too. “I could read while you worked.” They stroked his collarbone.
“That would be… It would be lovely to have you here.”
So, after they stole a lingering kiss, Ari stayed. A quick perusal of the store, and they found an old action-adventure book to read. They settled into one of the comfortable chairs scattered around, and tucked their legs up, their long blue skirt keeping them warm from the occasional rush of cold air when the front door opened.
Jonathan flitted between the back room and the front counter, his occasional laugh a counterpoint to the general quiet of the store. Hours passed. Jonathan would stop by, and Ari would pull him down for a kiss and revel in the sweet taste of submission and sharp bite of starlight.
Some customers eyed Ari with curiosity—but not hostility—though they did overhear a murmured question and then Jonathan’s clear response. “Oh, they’re with me.”
Yes, and no. Jonathan was withthem, but that would undoubtedly be lost on most people. Ari glanced away from their book and stared unfocused at the shelves across from them. A thought twisted and swooped in the back of their mind—but they couldn’t form the words to tease it out. It was all emotion and longing. Somehow, Jonathan wastheirs.They didn’t fucking care that it had only been three days.
Ari reached out and tugged on the strands of Jonathan’s energy swirling between them. A moment later he walked around a bookcase into the aisle, concern marring his expression. “Are you all right?”
No. “Yes.”No.Ari closed the book, unfolded their legs, and stood. “No.” They still hadn’t processed all that had happened, what they’d learned, and all Jonathan had whispered to them last night.
Jonathan held out a hand, in offering. Ari took it, pulled him to them, and wrapped their arms around him. “You’re overwhelming.”
A huff of breath hit their ear. “You too, my witch.”
Ari held him tighter. “You’re not chasing me away, but I need to go home. Alone.”
“I know,” Jonathan murmured. “Space. Time. Both are needed to build a relationship.”
Ari open a gap between them. “Jonathan—”
Bright fucking smile that took all of their willpower not to kiss away. “Not a romance. I know. But there are all kinds of relationships, Ari.”
True andtrue. Didn’t ease their desire to stay, nor the need to flee. Jonathan helped them into their coat and tugged at the starlight scarf around their neck. “This looks good on you.”
“I still owe you a spell.” They hadn’t meant to say that.
“There’s time, Ari. There’s time.”
Ari believed Jonathan then, but that wore off when they got to the T station. Their life was a blink, a moment to Jonathan. His was eternity in theirs.
Later, Ari watched shadows shift and move across the ceiling of their bedroom. Jonathan’s scarf glowed softly on the chair they’d thrown it over, and the elements they could see and touch slithered through the room like forgotten memories.
Jonathan wastheirs. That was the spell they’d been casting all this time. The one they’d begun at Samhain.
Weave me a spell.
“Did you know what you were asking for when you asked me that?”
The room didn’t answer, but the scarf twinkled brighter.
6
Ari waitedbefore setting their plan in motion. The moon became full, then waned, then waxed again, and Midwinter loomed—the darkest day, the longest night.
In between, Ari’s life meshed with Jonathan’s and his with theirs. Jonathan answered questions and pointed out the hidden mysteries of Pittsburgh. Their spells became stronger. Focused.
And they worked. Even Bess and Theo had accepted that Ari had found a balance—and that Jonathan hadn’t burned the apartment down—not that they spent much time there. Many nights, Ari would find Jonathan waiting in the lobby of their office building. Sometimes, they’d go to dinner. Other times, they went ice skating. Most times, Ari fucked Jonathan. Or tied him up. Or both. But when they became so overwhelmed by Jonathan, when they’d taken too much, he’d hold Ari and whisper reassurances.
There was somuchof Jonathan, of the light and darkness. Of submission, his need, his desire. All things Ari wanted to take and take and give back in spades.
