Page 94 of Soul of a Witch

“My fiancé?” I said, the moment Will was out of earshot. “That sounds so serious. It would have made more sense to say I’m your girlfriend.”

Callum growled with irritation. “You humans and all your various terms for your lovers make no sense. Calling you my girlfriend would imply a lack of certainty on my part, would it not? A lack of commitment?”

“Not necessarily. Some people stay boyfriend and girlfriend forever, and are entirely committed to each other.”

“Regardless. Fiancé carries the significance I wanted it to. Makes the point clear.”

“What point is that?”

“That you’re mine.” He crowded my personal space, pressing me against the wall as he caressed the back of his hand against my cheek. “Does that sound a bit too serious? I own yoursoul, darling. And unlike some others of my kind, that actually means a significant amount to me. Do you understand?”

Breathless, I nodded.

“Perhaps I haven’t done such a good job of reminding you,” he said, looming over me as my world shrunk until it was only him and I. “That I own you, body and soul, and always will. Humans do have difficulty with the concept of forever, after all. Doesn’t sit right in your sweet little heads, does it? But I’ll set you right.” He gave my chin a little nudge and grinned when my words came out as nothing more than a squeak.

Someone softly cleared their throat, and we turned to find Will staring at us.

“I’ve got the key,” he said, face significantly redder than it was before. He kept shooting Callum distrusting glances. “Follow me. We’ll take the staff elevator.”

Being in a small, enclosed metal box with Callum was no easy feat. A thrumming tone reverberated from him, like the pulse of the universe itself. He put his arm around my shoulders, holding me close to his side, which only increased the intensity. My heart beat harder, my mouth salivated. The air was heavy, crushingly hot. Will’s back was to us, and I cautiously lifted my eyes to glance up at Callum.

He had a nasty grin fixed on his face, staring at the back of Will’s head. He was doing this on purpose.

By the time the short elevator ride had stopped, Will was rubbing his temples and wincing in pain.

“Just a little headache,” he said when I looked at him in concern.

We were in a narrow hallway on the library’s third floor. We passed a few open doorways, and although the interiors were not lit, they looked like offices: hulking wooden desks, leather chairs, walls lined with books.

We reached a solid wood door at the end of the hall. It was equipped with a pin padlock and a large metal keyhole. Will stepped ahead of us and withdrew a thick key from his pocket, turning it in the lock before he typed four numbers into the pad.

“This room doesn’t get many visitors,” he said. “Many of the books are delicate, so they’re under glass.”

The door creaked as it opened. North-facing windows allowed gentle light into the space, a tidy room with rows of display shelves holding books under glass. Filing cabinets lined the far wall, and a staircase led to a small upper level, covered with larger bookshelves.

“The plans are in here, supposedly,” Will said. “They’ll be in a folder, most likely. Unless they’ve been laminated, in which case, probably in a binder. Unfortunately, the computer didn’t list a shelf number.”

“Thanks, Will. We’ll be quick, I promise.” I clasped his arm in thanks and saw a storm cloud descend over Callum’s expression. “We really appreciate the help.”

“It’s no problem.” Will stared at Callum as the demon brushed past him, headed toward the filing cabinets. He lowered his voice, leaning toward me as he whispered, “He’s not really your fiancé, is he? You don’t have a ring.”

“It’s complicated,” I said. The less he knew, the better. “He’s keeping me safe. You don’t need to worry about me.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he nodded in acceptance anyway. “Okay. I guess I’ll head over to the lounge and grab a bite to eat. I’ll check back with you afterward. Just be careful with everything.”

As he left us, shutting the door quietly behind him, I joined Callum at the filing cabinets. He already had a drawer open, rapidly flicking his fingers through the numerous papers within.

“That boy desires you,” he said, shutting the drawer with a bit more force than necessary.

Surely, he didn’t think Will was any kind of threat to us — whatever “us” meant. Callum’s affection for me was frighteningly obsessive but strangely sweet; I wasn’t sure if he viewed me more like a pet, a toy, or a partner.

I wasn’t even sure how to ask him. Considering he literally owned my soul, it felt silly to try to definewhat we wereby human standards.

We were bound to each other for eternity. The sheer magnitude of that was hard to contemplate. But then Callum would do something like introducing himself as my fiancé, and suddenly I was left wondering what exactly he meant by it.

Was he merely being possessive? Or was he trying to use unfamiliar human terms to make a point he didn’t have other words for?

“Will is sweet,” I said. “And just a friend.”

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