Kindling the Moon (Arcadia Bell #1)(77)

The rain pattered on the roof of the small cottage as I made my way down the cramped hall to the living room. Lon had removed two sofa cushions; he sat on one in front of the fireplace, huddled to the neck inside the blanket he’d stripped off the bed. He was nothing but a mass of damp golden brown waves poking out from the top.

Our shoes sat together on the hearth beside his pocket-knife, my silver bangle bracelet, and the car keys from my pocket. Wet clothes dangled down from the mantel, held in place by small stacks of books. My bra and panties hung from two nails like Christmas stockings. Lovely, I thought with a ripple of embarrassment.

Lon had washed the Hellfire Club’s red mark from his forehead. He’d also reverted to his normal form. No more horns, no fiery halo … no more reading my thoughts. I set the candle down on the hearth and smiled as he looked up at me.

“What?” he asked.

“I used up all the hot water, sorry.”

He grunted. “What else?”

“Is that the real reason you were kicked out of the seminary? You said one of the teachers suspected you were a demon—did someone see you in your transmutated form? Humans can see your horns, right?”

His cheeks were ruddy from the fire. He gave me a devilish grin.

“Uh-huh. No wonder you got booted. That makes more sense now.”

He motioned toward the floor beside him. “I found another blanket.”

Not a scratchy one, much to my relief. I draped it over my shoulders. He politely kept his eyes down, so I shimmied out of the wet towel beneath it. Much better. I kicked away the towel and plopped down on the cushion next to him.

“They took my deflector charm,” I said.

“I’m sorry. I might be able to get it back for you later.”

I nodded, but we both knew it meant that I was now open to magical attack. At least Jupe was far away from me right now, safe at home; I wondered if Lon was thinking the same thing.

“So,” I said. “Are you mad at me again?”

He narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously. “Should I be?”

“I thought you might be because of what started all this. The incubus incident.”

His face relaxed. “That sounds like a bad movie, and no. But what happened?”

I drew my knees up to my chest under the blanket. “I have no idea.” I explained the strange event as best I could and he was equally puzzled.

“Maybe something in that particular room?” he suggested.

“Like a vein of alien metal running through the walls? Some sort of antikryptonite?”

He shrugged. “Vermilion? Or maybe gypsum?”

“No, that wouldn’t be it.”

“Some other kind, a magical moon rock for the Moon-girl?”

“Moonchild, not Moongirl.” I propped my forearms on my knees and rested my chin on them. “I definitely think I should be concerned, but at this point, I don’t have the strength to care anymore. My life is in total disarray. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going.” I lazily watched the gas flames lick at the ceramic logs. “I’m just glad you’re not angry.”

“If anyone’s to blame for tonight, it’s me, for hauling you over to that damn place. I should’ve just gone by myself like I originally planned.”

I sniffled and wiped my nose as the fire loosened my sinuses. “Why did you bring me?”

It took him a while to answer, but I didn’t rush him. “I wanted to know how you’d react to me transmutating. And, more selfishly, I wanted to experience you from that perspective.”

Embarrassment flared through me as I remembered all the random thoughts he overheard.

“Stop. It was … nice.”

I scrunched up my face and turned to look at him. “Nice, huh?” It was his favorite word.

“I liked the way you saw me.” His eyes darted toward mine as he stretched out his legs until his toes peeked out from the edge of the blanket. “Yvonne never saw me that way.”

“I’m sorry.”

He grunted and shook his head once, as if it was of little consequence. “As much as she keeps coming up, I want you to know that I am over her. If it weren’t for Jupe—well, it’s just harder to work through issues with him in the picture.” His toes curled and flexed several times in succession.

“But, you know what?” he said. “Every shitty thing she ever put me through, all the grief … I would endure it all over again just to have him. He’s the most important thing in my life and I wouldn’t give him up for anything.”

I smiled at him. “Don’t blame you one bit.”

“Hmm.”

“Hmm, what?” I asked.

“You really aren’t bothered at all that I have a kid.”

“Why would I be?”

“Most women try to be gracious about it, but they see Jupe as baggage. You don’t.”

A crack of blue-white lightning illuminated the windows outside, followed seconds later by a roaring boom that rattled the windowpanes. We both started, then relaxed. “I’ll admit that I was kinda freaked out by the notion of you having a kid that old at first. When I met him, though … well, he’s pretty easy to love, isn’t he?”

Lon smiled. “Is he? I don’t think anyone’s ever said that about him. He’d be pleased.”