“You know how moms can be.” I was deliberately vague since bringing up the grandbabies my mom wanted would almost definitely have Opal running for the door.
“Nope, I don’t.” She curled into herself, her arms wrapped around her middle, as she admitted softly, “Mine abandoned me when I was a baby.”
She looked haunted by sadness.
And utterly alone.
I couldn’t just leave her sitting there by herself, hurting. Not when I could do something about it. With me by her side, she never had to be on her own again. Sliding out of my half of the booth, I sat down next to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. She stiffened at the contact but didn’t pull away. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not like it’s your fault my mom couldn’t handle being a parent.”
“True.” But that didn’t stop me from wishing I’d found her sooner. I would’ve done my best to ease the sting of abandonment over her mom leaving, and she would have had the Ainsley coven to teach her about her powers.
If her magic came from her mother’s side of her family, that would explain how she didn’t know about it. Especially if her father hadn’t been her mom’s consort and didn’t have any powers of his own. “What’s your dad like?”
I felt the rise and fall of her chest as she sighed. “I wouldn’t know. From what I was told, my mom was the one who surrendered me at a fire station a few days after I was born. When I was in middle school, my social workers told me that I was one of the very first cases of the safe surrender of a newborn. She was able to hand me over to the custody of a firefighter without even telling him anything about herself. All she gave him was my first name and date of birth. When I got older, I found a story about it online. It made the news and everything.” She laughed softly, but it didn’t hold any humor. Only sadness and bitterness. “I’m supposed to be an example of how the law saves lives because they didn’t find me dead in a dumpster somewhere. But as happy as I am to be alive, it hurts to know that I’ll never have a way to track either of my parents down because of it.”
I hated that part of her pain came from not knowing who her parents were, but it was probably for the best. Even though I knew it would be hard for her to forgive me for it, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop myself from hunting them down and destroying them for the pain they’d caused her.
I had a feeling that I already knew the answer to my next question, but I still had to ask. I had a driving need to know everything about my consort. “If you still had a social worker in middle school, does that mean you weren’t adopted?”
Her body stiffened, and she gave me a jerky shake of her head. “I think it’s different now, but back then safe surrender babies were placed into foster care. No questions were asked when my mom dropped me off, but the authorities did their best to figure out if there was any family to take me. They didn’t find anything. One of the articles I found said that it was almost like I appeared out of thin air.” She tilted her head back to stare up at me with big, blue eyes. “If they’d known I was a witch, maybe they would’ve called it magic.”
“The existence of witches is an open secret in Ashburn, but we’re kind of an exception to the rule. The Ainsley coven helped settle the town, and our size has only grown over the years,” I explained. “People in most other places have no idea there’s real magic in the world. But if you’d been born somewhere like Ashburn, you would’ve been taken care of by a coven.”
She let out a bitter laugh. “I can’t pretend to know anything about witches except what I’ve seen in movies, but being raised by the Wicked Witch of the West sounds better than some of the foster homes I ended up in.”
Fuck. It sounded like her childhood was even worse than I’d thought. “Don’t most babies in foster care get adopted?”
“Yes, but I was one of the unlucky ones. Things seemed to always go wrong for me somehow. My first foster family planned to adopt me, but then the mom got pregnant with twins shortly before everything was official. They decided it was too much to handle, so I was transferred to another foster family. They also wanted to adopt, but then I developed a dog allergy. They’d had one for three years already and didn’t want to get rid of it, so I was the one to go.” She looked out the window as a lone tear spilled down her cheek. “It was a series of unfortunate events like that until I was too old for most families to consider. And those who did got scared off by my history of failed adoptions because they assumed something must have been wrong with me for it to keep happening.” She sniffled and wiped her face before looking up at me again. “Maybe they were right to trust their instincts when it came to me. I am a witch, after all.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
She quirked a brow. “For all I know, it is a bad thing.”
She made an excellent point. Having been raised outside our world, she had no idea what it meant to have powers. “Give me time to show you that it doesn’t have to be bad. For all you know, you’ll love getting training for your magic. Maybe being a witch will be the best thing that’s ever happened to you.” Other than me, of course. That’s what I planned on being to Opal, just like finding her was already the best thing that happened to me.
Her blue eyes got a faraway look in them, and her lips turned down at the edges. “Magic might be useful in certain situations. Maybe if I’d had training, the break-in wouldn’t have scared me as much.”
Break-in? “What break-in?”
She scooted away from me and looked out the window again. “The one I don’t want to talk about.”
“Yet,” I added. I got that Opal wasn’t ready to open up to me about everything in her life. She needed to learn that she could trust me first. But if she was keeping a potentially dangerous secret, then I needed to work harder than I’d originally planned to show her she had nothing to fear from me. Considering how many people had disappointed her growing up, gaining her trust was going to be hard as fuck. I knew I had my work cut out for me, but I’d figure it out. Fast. I didn’t have any other choice.
Chapter Six
Opal
The whole consort thing was such a foreign concept to me; the idea that we’d been born for each other was hard to wrap my head around. I wasn’t sure about the whole fated to be together stuff, but I couldn’t deny that there was something about Warren that drew me to him. It was a connection unlike anything I’d felt before. I rarely opened up to other people about my past, but it’d taken him less time than my favorite sitcom aired to get me to talk about my childhood. Then I followed him out of that diner and straight into his home—but that also might’ve had something to do with needing somewhere to stay.
The place was perfect—like something out of a magazine. It was two stories tall with coastal blue siding and crisp white trim that matched the picket fence surrounding the front yard. The inside was all polished wood floors, walls painted in muted colors, and expensive furniture.
His house was the nicest place I’d ever been inside, but I was trying hard not to show how impressed I was. “So, where are these guest rooms you said I could pick from?”
Warren slid his palm against mine and started to lead me towards the stairs. “They’re right up—”
Before he finished his answer, a feminine voice called out, “Guest room? Who’ve you got staying with you?”
Unsure of the situation I’d gotten myself into, I tugged my hand out of Warren’s hold. The woman walking towards us from the kitchen—which had been empty during that part of the tour only a few minutes ago—was tall with long, thick brown hair and familiar green eyes which filled with shock when they landed on me. She looked so much like Warren that they had to be related somehow. Knowing this made me feel less like I’d been doing something wrong when I was holding Warren’s hand. But it also added a layer of awkwardness because I tended to be uncomfortable around other people’s parents.
“Well, hello there.” Her gaze darted over my shoulder to Warren, so she luckily missed the odd little wave
I gave her. “I know I’m not the high priestess of the coven anymore, so you’re not required to tell me when there’s a witch visiting town. But I am still your mother, and we did talk this morning. I would think you could’ve mentioned it to me then.”
I twisted my hands together and looked over my shoulder at Warren, figuring that he’d probably change his mind about having me stay with him since his mom seemed upset. When I spotted the curve of his lips and the hint of humor in his eyes, my tension eased a bit.
“C’mon, Mom.” He moved to my side, and I felt oddly comforted by his nearness. “You know me better than that. Of course, I would’ve mentioned it. But I didn’t know about Opal when I saw you this morning.”
Her attention shifted back to me, and she smiled. “Such a pretty name for a beautiful girl.”
My cheeks heated at the compliment. “Thank you.”
“Where are my manners? I’m Rowenna Ainsley, Warren’s mother.” She came closer and held her right hand out to me. When I reached mine out to take hers, she spotted the mark on my wrist and lifted my arm to get a closer look. “Which coven are you from? I don’t know all of the witches in the world, but maybe I know your consort since he has air magic.”
My panicked gaze darted to her son, who slid his left hand to rest it on my lower back. “You definitely know him.”
“I definitely—” She broke off on a gasp. “Wait. Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“I am.” Warren turned his right arm over to show his own mark to his mom.
When she spotted the black flames on his wrist, her green eyes widened in surprise as they filled with joy. She flung her arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. “The Empress card was right. I just knew it!”
I was stiff as a board in her embrace, but she didn’t seem to notice. Luckily, Warren must have because he gently tugged me out of her hold and tucked me against his side. “Let’s give Opal a little space before you scare her off.”
“Pish posh,” Rowenna scoffed. “A little hug won’t send her running, not when she’s your consort. Right, dear?”
The last part was aimed at me, but I wasn’t sure how to respond. I didn’t fully believe Warren’s story about fated consorts, and I sure as heck could be sent running in the opposite direction if strangers kept getting touchy-feely with me. I wasn’t a fan of having my personal space invaded by anyone, let alone people I didn’t really know. “Um...I don’t think I’m the right person to ask.”
Rowenna’s brow wrinkled, and she shot a questioning glance in Warren’s direction. “I don’t understand. Wouldn’t you be the best judge of how my son’s consort would act? You’re the only one he’ll ever have, after all.”
“About that”—Warren ran his hand through his hair—“Opal was raised outside the world of magic. She didn’t even know it existed until I told her today, and she’s not familiar with consorts or really anything related to witches, warlocks, or covens.”
“Oh, I hadn’t realized.” Rowenna took a step back and flashed me an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I bet this is all quite confusing to you, then.”
“That’s a major understatement,” I muttered, thinking about everything that had happened today. If there hadn’t been things that had happened in my life that I’d never been able to explain away, I probably wouldn’t be handling all of this magic stuff quite so well. There was also the fact that I’d learned at an early age to roll with the punches life tossed at me. As weird as it was, my current situation had nothing on being tossed aside by families who planned to adopt me.
Not that I was going to open up to his mom about my horrible childhood while standing in her son’s picture-perfect house. It was bad enough that I’d already told Warren about it. But the knowing look in Rowenna’s eyes made me feel like she could see any mistake I’d ever made. I wasn’t sure if it was a mom or a witch thing, but either way, it was intimidating. “If you were raised outside of our world, I assume that means you’ve never received any magical training?”
“No, ma’am.”
“You don’t need to be so formal with me, dear. Please call me Rowenna.” Then she blew my world apart when she added, “We’re family, after all.”
Family. It was something I’d always wanted but never quite got. At least not one that stuck around for the long term, something I needed to keep in mind when dealing with the Ainsleys. I couldn’t let myself get sucked deep into their picture-perfect family life. Even though I’d survived everything else that’d happened in my up until now, I had a feeling that being cast out by Warren could possibly destroy me. I wasn’t willing to give that kind of power to a man I’d just met, no matter what he said about consorts, magic, and the mark on my wrist. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to take him up on the offer of a place to live, especially with digs like this. And if his mother wanted me to use her first name, I wasn’t going to rock the boat. “No, Rowenna. I’ve never received training of any kind outside of the usual in high school.”
“Well, then I’d be honored to be the one to teach you,” she offered.
This conversation was so weird. Then again, it wasn’t like it topped the whole where-did-this-tattoo-come-from talk earlier. Bottom line, the entire day—hell, more like the past week—has been super odd. Even for me, and it wasn’t like my life had been anything close to normal up until now. And it was only getting more complicated as I listened to Warren and his mom argue over who was going to get the privilege of teaching me magic.
“Oh, please. The girl needs to learn the basics, and she won’t be able to concentrate with you looming over her all the time,” Rowenna argued.
“I’m not going to loom over Opal,” Warren growled, running a hand through his dark hair in frustration.
“Oh, please. Of course, you will. You won’t be able to help yourself.” Rowenna gestured from his feet to the top of his head with a wave, as though there was visible evidence of her claim.
I didn’t see it, but Warren backed off with a jerky nod of his head and a muttered, “Fine, you’re probably the better choice anyway since you have more experience teaching young witches than I do.”
“Perfect! It’s settled then.” Rowenna shifted her attention back to me. “I’ll let you get settled in today, and first thing tomorrow your education will begin.”
After we said our goodbyes, Warren led me upstairs so I could pick out a room to stay in.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“I know you’re scared, and agreeing to stay with me was a big leap of faith for you.” He reached out and cupped my cheek with his palm. “Having you under my roof is enough for now. It’s taken some of the pressure off and will help me give you the time you need to be sure about us.”
Chapter Seven
Warren
I slept better last night than I ever had in my life. Having Opal under my roof settled something inside of me. Even though she was in a guest bedroom down the hall from me when I would much rather have had her in my bed and arms, I was still comforted by the knowledge that my consort was in my home. After years of searching and wondering if I would ever find her, my wait was finally over. Or at least the search was—now I had to convince Opal of how vitally important she was to me.
I couldn't complain too much about facing a challenge with winning over my consort since I’d lived a pretty blessed life. I was born with much more than the average amount of powers for a warlock, raised in a town where our family was revered, and groomed by my mom to take over her role as head of our coven. The only real turbulence I’d faced was when my father died. I was only ten years old, and I still missed him to this day. But like he had always said...anything worth having was worth fighting for. And I already knew that I’d never regret any price—emotional or otherwise—I had to pay to earn the privilege of having Opal in my life.
With that goal in mind, I sprung out of bed and got ready to face the day. After quickly showering and dressing, I quietly opened my door. I didn
't want to disturb Opal if she was still resting. Even though I had the impression that she was skilled at masking her feelings around others, it was clear to me that she’d been exhausted last night. I wanted her to get as much rest as it took for those dark smudges under her eyes to disappear.
Unfortunately, it didn’t look like that was going to happen since I’d only made it a couple of feet down the hallway separating our rooms when I noticed that her door was cracked open about an inch. My curiosity got the better of me, and I slowed my pace to peek through it as I drew closer. Before the sight in front of me registered in my brain, my dick figured out what I was seeing and got as hard as a spike.
My gorgeous consort was wrapped in a fluffy, blue towel...and that was it. The material was held up by her breasts, with one end tucked in between the perfectly rounded swells. Her dark hair was still wet, and my cock pressed against my zipper as I stared as a bead of water dripped down her neck, across her chest, and under the towel.
It took all of my will power to force myself past her room and farther down the hallway to the top of the stairs. As I headed to the lower level of my house, I wanted nothing more than to strip off all of my clothes, yank the towel off of Opal’s body, and toss her onto the bed. Unfortunately, I knew I couldn't do that—not yet anyway.
The mark on her wrist hadn’t fully convinced Opal that she was mine. But as soon as I got inside her tight, little body, there’d be no denying it. There would be no going back, either. That was why I knew that I needed to go slow with her; to give Opal time to adjust to her new reality. She had to be ready because being my consort wouldn’t be easy. Not with how territorial I already felt over her.
I was still rock hard when I made it into the kitchen. Then I saw my mom puttering around and making breakfast, and it deflated. I chuckled darkly at the thought that I should try to have my mom around more often since she was definitely a boner killer. She might be my only hope of not walking around with a hard on twenty-four seven because Opal was sexy as fuck.
The Empress: A Cards of Love Story Page 3