He shook his head at me, as if I were a particularly slow child. “You sell magic supplies.”
“In my defense, there’s a pretty awesome range of herbal teas there as well.” My attempt at lightening the mood didn’t change his tense expression, and I sighed. “All right, obviously I’m not getting what the big whoop is. Could you please tell me why you’re so worked up about the prospect of me selling a candle to an actual witch?”
He sighed too, running a hand through his dark, tousled hair. “Witches have always been our enemies, as far back as anyone can remember. They seek to destroy us, and due to their powers, they are a far greater threat than any regular human. Some who master necromancy have even been known to possess our bodies.”
For someone who was still wrapping her head around the fact that magic was apparently real, the idea of necromancy made me shudder. “Does that mean zombies are real too?”
“Yes,” he said. “But witches who are strong enough to control the dead are thankfully rare.”
“Well, that’s a relief.” I frowned as I took in what he’d told me. “Okay, I guess I can see why you’d be a bit antsy around witches, but… no offense or anything, I don’t see how they’re all evil because they’ve got beef with vampires. So do humans; we just lack the skills to actually win, most of the time. And not all humans are evil, so I doubt all witches are. Just like not all vampires want to tear the throat out of any human they pass by.” I gave him a gentle smile, but he just sighed and shook his head.
“You cannot understand the darkness of the supernatural because your humanity is so pure.” When he looked at me this time, there was no anger left on his pale features. Only gentle regret. “I fear if I do not separate our connection soon, your innocence will be tainted, Liv.”
I did my best to fight back the blush at the images his talk of “tainted innocence” brought to the forefront of my mind. Forcing a smile, I said, “Maybe my humanity will taint your gloom. Have you thought about that? You might end up all happy, losing your broodiness, and then what will all the other vampires think? It’d be a scandal!”
The rumble of Warin’s laugh sent warmth radiating from my chest into my arms and down my torso. When I looked at him, he was watching me with a mix of amusement and wonder that had my blush returning despite my best efforts to keep it at bay.
“You are truly a unique soul.”
I grimaced, trying to take the edge off the flutter in my belly at his words. “You mean ‘special,’ don’t you? Just trying to be nice about it.”
He just smiled softly, not confirming one way or the other. Then, the curve of his lips hiked up higher and he cocked his head as he looked at me. “There’s something… I would like you to experience with me. Are you afraid of heights?”
10
“Heights?” I asked, frowning at the change of subject. “Not particularly. Why?”
“I’d like to take you flying with me,” he said.
I blinked, quickly pushing away the barrage of Fifty Shades scenes involving fancy helicopter rides followed by some light spanking that filled my brain. “Uh, now?”
“Yes. If that’s all right with you?”
“Yes, of course it is!” I shot him a wide grin and got to my feet faster than I’d moved all day. “You didn’t really expect me to be all ‘let me just check my calendar,’ did you?”
Warin chuckled at my obvious eagerness and stood up too, albeit at a much more dignified pace. “Dress warm. I don’t want you to freeze.”
I sprinted into my bedroom, pulled out a thick sweater, and was back in the living room in three seconds flat. Once I’d donned my winter coat, scarf, gloves, and wooly hat, I turned back to Warin. “Good enough? I feel like a kid experiencing her first snow, here.”
“I think so.” He held out an arm, indicating my front door. “Shall we?”
I led the way outside and stopped on the sidewalk in front of my building. “Are we taking your car, or mine?”
Warin shook his head. “Neither,” he said as he stepped onto the road, clearly expecting me to follow.
I did, frowning in confusion—which turned to downright incredulity when he continued into the alleyway meant for garbage bins on the other side. My dreams of romantic helicopter trips to Seattle withered and died. “Er, Warin…?”
“Come,” he called from the depths.
Maybe I should have been hesitant of following a vampire into an abandoned alley at night, but my curiosity was much too strong for such contemplations.
I found him at the very end of the alley, squashed between two apartment buildings. “Now what?” I asked.
He shot me a downright mischievous grin, making him look like the young man his face would have me believe he truly was, turned his back, and crouched down. “Climb up.”
I blinked. “Excuse me? You want me to piggyback you? Why…?”
Warin looked at me over his shoulder, eyes sparkling in the low light making its way into the darkened alleyway. “You said you wanted to fly. So jump on.”
It took me a full second before what he was saying finally set in. “Shut up! You can fly? No way! You’re bullshitting me!”
“I promise you I’m not.”
“What? What! How is that even possible? No, that’s… Oh my goddess, Warin, how have you never told me?” I was aware my voice was reaching notes only dogs could hear, but I couldn’t contain my disbelief at this new development. Super speed, sure, I’d heard of vampires being ridiculously fast. But flying?
“It never came up,” he said, the grin still on his face. Judging from his expression, he was enjoying my frazzled meltdown of excitement. “Have you changed your mind about flying with me?”
“Fuck, no!” I hurried to his side before he changed his mind and placed my hands on his shoulders to easier crouch down on his back. He didn’t make a sound when I accidentally placed my knee on his spine, but I still grimaced. “Sorry. Tell me if I’m too heavy.”
Warin snorted, and I had the good grace to blush.
“Right, yes, vampire strength. Sorry.”
“Put your arms around my neck,” he said, and I did as instructed. No sooner had I linked my arms around him than he straightened up.
I squealed at the sudden shift, but Warin locked his arms around my thighs, ensuring I stayed put. It was like being encased in granite.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Oh, goddess, yes!”
Warin chuckled at my obvious excitement and set off.
We rose faster than I had anticipated, and I screamed and clung to his neck with all my might as the g-force pushed at me and the wind whipped at my face.
The pressure stopped as soon as it started, and I gasped in a breath of air as I stared over Warin’s shoulder down on the rooftops far below. Red and white lights from the city’s many cars coiled in the distance.
“Holy shit, Warin, you can fly!” I gasped from where I was pressed flush against his strong body. “Oh, goddess, we’re flying!”
“Would you like to go further?” he asked.