Page 29 of Woven Souls

I blink as I try to wrap my head around that number.

“Holy shit,” I whisper in awe. “You’reold.”

Viktor grunts.

“Should I start referring to you as Old Man Viktor?” My voice comes out a bit breathless as I tease him. “When I eventually have a family and I tell my kids about you, I’ll refer to you as Old Man Vic. The kids will love it.”

Viktor sputters with indignation… and possibly amusement. In fact, it looks like he’s trying really hard not to laugh.

“I’m not that old compared to—”

“What? Dinosaurs? Dirt? The universe? I highly doubt that.”

“Enough of this!”

I grin. “Hell, you could be my great-great-grandfa—”

“Willow,shut up.”

I laugh at the glare he’s really trying to scare me with. It melts away as he laughs with me. When our amusement fades, we stare at one another. Staring back at me, Viktor looks like a new man. It’s like a light switch has flipped, and someone other than a grumpy asshole now resides behind those eyes.

Before I can tease him anymore, our car pulls up and stops just outside ofBleu Nui. My nerves come back with a vengeance. I suck in and hold a deep breath as I peer at the swanky place. The wooden arches, decorative detailed flowers carved into the French doors, and tinted glass screams money. The people inside radiate ‘rich.’

Viktor reaches for his door handle. “Wait here.”

He doesn’t wait for a response. Leaving the vehicle, Viktor slams the door shut and takes a moment to adjust his jacket. As he does, I catch his casual glance around us. Is he looking for signs of Kwil, Theo, and Jonah? Relaxing in my seat, I wait for the okay. It doesn’t come. Instead, Viktor walks around the car with purpose and opens my car door for me.

I’m taken aback by his manners. When he offers me his hand, I take it with a bit of hesitancy. My heart races as I step outside the vehicle. He guides us over to the sidewalk but stops us just before we get to the doorman.

Bending down so that his lips skim across the shell of my ear, he whispers, “You are radiant this evening, Willow. The only reason anyone will stop and stare at you tonight is because they are green with envy.”

His third unexpected compliment both startles and flatters me. The heat returns to my face as I meet his gaze. The smile that pulls up both sides of Viktor’s mouth is showstopping. Before I can catch my breath, or say anything, Viktor pulls us towards the restaurant.

* * *

“Mr. Noir is waiting for you,”the young redheaded hostess says with a smile at Viktor. I let go of his arm since I’m all but ignored anyway. “You’ll be on the second-floor balcony overlooking the river. The best seat in the house.”

He’s already here? We arrived earlier than intended just to get the upper hand. I guess that plan is out the window. My heart races as the hostess leads us through the restaurant. I’m acutely aware of Viktor’s large hand when it settles on the lower part of my back as he moves with me.

The place is dimly lit, with dark colors painted on the wall, dark carpeting, and tablecloths. It’s like they didn’t want anyone to see in this place. My eyes keep going to the large floor to ceiling windows. Are the others nearby already? Can they see us? Have they run into monsters or demons yet? I swallow hard as we follow the hostess. With each step we take further into the busy restaurant, the more I begin to rethink this idea. Maybe simply back and forth emails would have done the trick. Could a warlock remove a curse over the internet? I should’ve asked.

Although I’ll never admit it out loud, I’m glad Viktor is the one joining me this evening. Even dressed to the nines, he is an imposing figure. Hopefully, his presence will make Fredrick think twice before doing something stupid.

The hostess leads the way through the restaurant over to a fancy elevator. The three of us step in, and she pushes the button for the second floor. Hardly thirty seconds tick by before the doors open, and we’re led through another dark room full of tables and guests. We exit through a set of fancy double doors out onto the wrought iron balcony. Draped above us is thin, creamy cloth that blots out most of the sky. Directly ahead of us, over the railing and well past the building, is the river. It glitters with the lights from the restaurants and shops that line its edges. There are small boats drifting down it, and a band plays jazz music somewhere in the distance, its sound weaving through the city up to this balcony. This is the most beautiful restaurant I’ve ever seen.

Viktor lowers his head and whispers into my ear, “It is nice for a human establishment. Maybe one day, you’ll get the chance to eat at one solely for supernaturals.”

My face warms in embarrassment. I didn’t realize I spoke that last part out loud.

There are only a handful of tables out here, and they are spaced out far enough that no one would be able to eavesdrop even if they tried. We’re led over to the farthest table with a view that overlooks a rose garden. I can smell them before we reach the table. But my attention isn’t on the pretty flowers below. They’re on the man getting to his feet as we approach. Fredrick Noir appears to be in his late sixties although I know he’s much older than that. Warlocks have just less than double the span of a human’s life expectancy. He has dark gray hair that’s combed back out of his face. His matching gray goatee is groomed nicely, and the smile tugging at the corners of his lips looks pleasant enough. He wears a simple button up shirt, accented with a tailored vest with purple stone buttons, a dark pair of pants, and fancy looking leather shoes. A glint of light captures my attention. My eyes land on the small purple stud in his earlobe.

He doesn’tlookintimidating. Still, my heart races as we come to stand in front of him.

“Good evening, Miss Harvest, I appreciate you showing up to speak with me this evening,” he says. “You look lovely, my dear.”

“Well, Mr. Noir, I thought it would be nice if we could clear the air so you’d stop trying to kill me.” I give him a pointed look.

The warlock has the decency to blush.

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