Spell Cat by Tara Lain Page 0,59
guys were meant to be together.”
“I told him I’m a witch, that’s how.”
“But you are a witch. You had to tell him sometime.”
Killian put down his cup, leaned against the back of the couch, and closed his eyes. “But I didn’t have to tell him now. Gods, you should have seen the ring. He’s so beautiful. Oh, Powers, I love him.”
“Ring?” Lavender’s voice.
Killian opened his eyes. “He asked me to marry him. He wanted to go to the marriage bureau and get the license. I thought I had to tell him about me. So I did.”
Jimmy frowned. “What did he say?”
“That I was crazy.”
“But you showed him, right? That there is no spoon.”
“Oh yes, I showed him.”
Lavender’s voice was soft. “What happened?”
“He fell on his ass, jumped up, told me I was certifiable and he couldn’t believe he’d been nuts enough to love me, and left.”
“I’m so sorry, Killian.”
Jimmy threw himself back in the chair. “But you showed him! Maybe you weren’t convincing enough.”
Killian wiped a hand over his face and picked up his tea. “Jimmy, you’re a physics major. If you’d seen these phenomena rather than creating them yourself, what would you have done?”
“Yeah. I’d try to find a logical explanation. That’s what he did, right?”
Killian nodded. “Heat lightning. I’m not sure how he explained the fire I started in his hand.” He sipped again.
“He loves you, Professor. He’s gotta come to his senses.”
“I doubt it. He was pretty certain about my insanity.” Why is it so hard for witches to die?
Lavender poured him more tea. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m thinking of leaving. Going to a place where there are few witches and they don’t know me.”
Jimmy looked shocked. “But what about my parents? You said you’d fix things.”
“He’s not leaving, Jimmy. Don’t worry.”
Meddling female. “Why shouldn’t I leave? How the hell do you know I won’t leave?”
“Because you may be gentle, but you’re not a coward, and you hate injustice and manipulation. You want to right the wrongs that have been done. I know you do.”
He wasn’t going to answer. They waited him out, both staring. No, make that three of them. Aloysius stared too. “Okay, yes. I want to make things right for all the mixed-breed witches. I do care about that. And then I’m going.”
“What you do then is your business, Killian. If you can establish what’s happening with the council, I think you’ll have done a great service for witchery. You’ll have fulfilled your destiny as the Witch Master.”
“Shit, never wanted to be a Witch Master at all.”
“None of us get asked who we want to be. Jimmy didn’t ask to be a quarter-breed witch and be mistreated as a child by other witches. I didn’t ask to have a tyrant for a father.”
“Okay, okay.” He sipped some tea. “Why are you two here, anyway? I thought we were keeping you out of this until we see the council.”
She grinned. “My father sent me to spy on you.”
He cracked a small smile. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. He wants to know what you’re up to.”
“Hmm. Maybe that presents us with an opportunity.”
“Papa, are you here?” Lavender hurried down the hall toward her father’s office.
“In here.”
She peeked into his office. He put down a file and looked at her. “Well?”
She crossed the room and sat opposite him. The big, imposing desk gave the impression of the power he sought. Humph. She’d show him power. “Father, Killian’s in love with a man.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know exactly. He wouldn’t say.”
“A human?”
So he had his own ideas, the spying SOB. “No. Gods, Father, he’s not that crazy. I should have said male. I think it’s some male witch from Europe. But he says he’s not going to marry me. He’s trying to go to the council to tell you this. Failing that, he’s going to bring together the community and call off the wedding.”
The bushy brows met over his nose. “The pup can’t do this. Your marriage is bigger than just some infatuation. It will save all of witchery. He isn’t free to dissolve it on some romantic whim.”
“He insists there’s another way to save witchery. He said he had a better solution than the marriage. He seemed quite excited, but he wouldn’t tell me. Said he wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Ridiculous. But I suppose the council had better hear him out before he throws the entire community into an uproar.” He stood, and she followed his lead. “Don’t worry, Lavender. This witch will do his duty to you. I