A raven-haired worshiper of the Titans--Hekate and Nyx--is determined to save her lover from an ancient curse, she must prove to him that life is worth living and that being a werewolf has its perks.
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The west wing was eerie with all its paintings sittings downstairs collecting dust. Now it was just a dark hallway with many doors and one long arched window at the furthest end. Its glass was stained with thin cracks threatening to burst. Only one door had orange light emitting through its gaps and that was the door I walked to, my palms perspiring as I lifted my hand to knock on it. I froze when I overheard Calix's nasal voice moan on the other side.
'If you're so certain the curse is being tamed then why have you been hiding up here?' he said.
'I'm not delusional. I just know what I felt,' Lycius said. I shifted as quietly as I could to see past the door and I saw Lycius in a rickety-looking chair seemingly as human as before. His dark sleeve was rolled neatly back off his arm and he rested it on a table beside a silver tray of tools and mauve-coloured concoctions in tubes. 'She helped me.'
'Be serious.' Calix's back came into view, he was in his usual suit and tie and blonde hair pulled back into a neat little ponytail. Compared to him, Lycius looked worse for wear, like he'd just been running and was ready to collapse. 'The little witch knows nothing of her own power. How could she have helped you?'
Lycius' brow furrowed. 'She didn't use magic. Not that I noticed.'
'You're saying that her company is curing you.' Calix laughed.
'I'm not saying that...'
Calix grabbed Lycius' wrist with one hand and in the other, he held a syringe. 'Listen. I'm willing to tolerate her around the house. I got a good look at her work, and it is commendable.'
'Told you.' Lycius smirked. I flash of warmth spread through my chest at his indubitable approval of me.
'Amateurish but acceptable... But Lycius, you cannot have a relationship with her. It wouldn't be fair to either of you. You need stop thinking with mini-Mavros—' Lycius interrupted with a loud groan, and I had to bite back a giggle.
'Don't call it that.'
'We don't know what the result is if she happens to excite your emotions.' Prick. I glowered at Calix because I thought it was ridiculous to assume that Lycius' condition was all on me. That if I happened to be forward and Lycius happened to like it that I was making things worse.
No, I refused to believe it.
'If I didn't know any better, I would think that you're discrediting your own work. Maybe my mother hired the wrong man.'
'If you could tell me what happened between you and the Darlings—' I couldn't see what look Lycius was giving him, but I knew something was happening because the silence was deafening. The Darlings. Paul had mentioned them too. Who were the Darlings? I had never heard of them, and he had compared me to them because I was a witch. Was that racist? Classist? I couldn't say. However, I was bizarrely comforted by the thought that Lycius was keeping secrets from Calix. The prissy butler cleared his throat and walked out of view. 'Then I may be able to figure out a speedy recovery. A romantic relationship isn't realistic for you. You don't want to hurt her.'
