Spell Cat by Tara Lain Page 0,48
down, still looking at Killian. “It’s okay, sweetheart. So I guess since he’s a witch, the fact that I’m not depleted doesn’t prove anything. We’re back where we started.”
Jimmy plowed a hand through his rough-cut hair. “Depleted. What are you talking about? I feel like I walked into a movie.”
Killian grinned at him. “You did. You’re Neo.”
Lavender laughed too. “Right. There is no spoon.”
Jimmy pulled away from Lavender’s hand and stood. “Okay, stop. You two just said I’m a witch and then went on as if that was normal conversation. What the hell is going on?”
Lavender reached up and took his hand again, patting it soothingly. “It is normal conversation for us.”
Killian flicked a finger, and the book flew over to Jimmy, opened to a place on the training of witches, and began to turn the pages. “Shit!” Jimmy jumped back. Lavender raised a hand, and all the lights in the room came on. “Double shit!” For a second he looked like he’d pass out; then he collapsed back onto the couch beside Lavender, breathing hard. “Okay, explain.”
Killian leaned forward in his chair. “I know it’s hard to take in, but you’re a witch. So are Lavender and I, both witches. And so are Lavender’s father and my mother, which is why I asked about your parents.”
“And what about him?” Jimmy pointed a finger at Aloysius, who sat in his favorite spot on the back of the couch.
“He’s a witches’ familiar. Extremely powerful.”
Jimmy looked at Al with some fear in his eyes. “Sorry for all those tummy rubs, Al.”
“Mwrar.”
Killian smiled. “That’s cat for ‘rub my tummy anytime.’”
Jimmy threw his hands up. “What the fuck is a witch? I thought it just meant you followed certain practices that I sure as shit don’t follow.”
Killian smiled. “No, witches look like humans, but we’re actually a different species. You have to be born a witch. You can’t become one, although some children come into their powers later than others.”
“But my parents aren’t witches!”
“Yes, well, that remains to be seen.”
“And my friend Sammy is a freak too, and his parents are just regular, hardworking folks.”
Killian glanced at Lavender. “Interesting. Your friend is also a witch?”
“He doesn’t know what he is any more than I do. We just told each other our secret.”
Lavender leaned forward so she could look directly into Jimmy’s face. “We’d like to meet your parents.”
He looked at her. “I always dreamed of you meeting my parents, but telling them I’m a witch was not a part of that dream.”
Killian poured some more tea. “The fact is, Jimmy, you can’t be a witch unless one of your parents is also. That’s witch biology. So someone isn’t telling you the truth.”
“My parents don’t lie.”
Lavender petted his arm. “No, but they could be neglecting to tell you something, maybe because they think it’s for your own good. It’s important that we talk to them, darling. It could mean everything to you and me, as well as to a lot of other people.”
That got his attention. “What do you mean ‘you and me’?”
“One of the reasons my father insists that I marry Killian and not you is that we’ve been taught that humans deplete our energy if we have sex with them. There’s a possibility that might not be true. Nonetheless, if you’re supernatural, which you certainly appear to be—”
Killian leaned forward again. “And a very powerful witch, from the little I’ve seen.”
“Then perhaps I can talk Daddy into letting us marry.”
Jimmy slumped back on the couch. “Wow. This is a lot to believe.”
Killian sipped his tea. “Harder than believing you made the spoon dissolve and re-form?”
“Yeah. It’s easier to believe that I’m a freak of nature than that there’s this big flock of witches running around that nobody knows about.”
She laughed. “You’re not a freak, darling. Just a regular witch.”
“Jeez.” He wiped a hand over his face. “But what about Killian? If we get married, what happens to him?”
Yes, that was the question. And maybe the answer wasn’t so bad.
“Darling. Killian has someone else he loves.”
Was that true? Did he love someone?
Jimmy grinned. “I’ll bet it’s Professor Genneau, isn’t it? I saw him this morning, and he’s sure upset. Hell, that man is gone on you.”
Powers. If Blaine didn’t deplete him, and Lavender was allowed to marry Jimmy, could Killian be with Blaine—for a while? Until Blaine lost interest and the spell wore off? Would that be better than this eternal loneliness? Oh gods, he knew the answer to that question. He hated that