Chapter 7
Silver
Sitting at the cafe, I started to wonder if I’d set myself up for disappointment. Not because Ash wasn’t into me, because he clearly was. But because I’d never bothered to ask what his class schedule looked like. He could be in class for all I knew and unable to meet me at all.
A quick glance at the clock on the wall told me it was five minutes past three. Ash was already late. Maybe he really did have class. Or maybe… maybe he didn’t actually want to meet with me.
No. That couldn’t be it. My pride wouldn’t allow it. Everyone thought I was hot, right? I felt myself cringe internally. Right?!
“Hey,” a breathless voice said behind me. “Sorry I’m late. I had to run here from class.”
Thank the gods.
“Oh hey,” I replied, trying to sound like I wasn’t just on the precipice of an existential crisis. “Don’t worry. I didn’t even notice you were late!”
I watched Ash slide into the chair across from me, his cheeks flushed from running and his dark hair slightly disheveled. He looked adorably flustered, and I felt something warm settle in my chest at the sight of him.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d actually come,” I admitted, surprised by my own honesty.
“I wasn’t sure either,” Ash replied, glancing around nervously. “I kept thinking this might be some elaborate prank.”
“Do I seem like the kind of guy who’d do that?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ash shrugged, his sapphire eyes finally meeting mine. “I don’t really know what kind of guy you are, Silver. That’s kind of the point of coffee, right?”
I laughed, genuinely delighted by his response. “Fair enough. What can I get you?”
“Oh, um...” He fumbled with the menu, clearly uncomfortable. “Just a regular coffee is fine. Black.”
“You don’t strike me as a black coffee kind of guy,” I said, studying his face.
His cheeks reddened. “Fine. I like those ridiculous caramel things with extra whipped cream, but they’re expensive, and I’m trying not to—”
“One ridiculous caramel thing coming up,” I interrupted, standing before he could protest. “My treat.”
As I waited in line to order, I kept glancing back at Ash.
He sat stiffly in his chair, fidgeting with a napkin, looking like he might bolt at any moment.
Something about his nervous energy was endearing in a way I couldn’t quite explain.
Most guys I met up with were confident, sometimes bordering on cocky. Ash was… well… not that.
When I returned with our drinks, the caramel monstrosity for him and a simple latte for me. His face lit up like I’d just announced Christmas had come early.
“Thank you,” he said quietly, taking a sip and closing his eyes briefly in appreciation.
“So,” I began, settling back in my chair. “Tell me about yourself. Who is Ash Vale?”
“Oh gods,” he sighed, looking mortified. “That’s a boring and sad story.”
“Not to me,” I smiled, taking a sip of my latte. “Where do you come from? What’s your family like? I’m not from this realm, so I’m always curious.”
Ash smiled shyly, wrapping his hands around his enormous caramel drink. “I’m from a small town you’ve probably never heard of in rural Ohio. It’s mostly humans with a few magical families scattered around.”
“And yours is one of those magical families?” I leaned forward, genuinely interested.
“Technically, yes.” His eyes dropped to the table. “But we’re not exactly respected. Two centuries ago, my family was involved in... well, let’s just say some unethical magical practices involving dragons.”
“Dragon hunting?” I guessed, remembering some of the darker chapters in magical history.
He nodded, looking surprised. “How did you know?”
“We have history books in the Twilight Realm too.” I caught myself too late, realizing I’d mentioned home. That was a topic I wanted to avoid. “I mean, dark elves study magical history extensively.”
“Right.” Ash took another sip of his drink, leaving a dot of whipped cream on his upper lip that I desperately wanted to wipe away. “Anyway, my family’s been basically shunned ever since. Most of us lost our magic entirely. My parents can barely light a candle with theirs.”
“But you have shadow magic,” I prompted, wanting to hear more about him specifically.
“Yeah. Nobody knows why.” His fingers drummed nervously on the table. “Professor Blackwood says it’s a genetic throwback to some ancestor, but my parents think I’m cursed.”
“Cursed with incredible power,” I said with a smile. “Seems like a good curse to me.”
He laughed, and the sound did something strange to my chest. “Try telling that to my mother when I accidentally turned our living room into a portal to somewhere else when I was twelve.”
“You did what?” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Where did it lead?”
“No idea. My dad threw a chair through it, and we never saw it again.” He shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips.
“It took him nearly six months to rebuild the floor after the portal put a giant hole in it. Then there was that time I nearly teleported into the restricted area of a bank by accident…”
I found myself fascinated by every word. Most people I met at Widdershins came from prestigious magical lineages, their family histories polished and proudly displayed like trophies. Ash’s story was refreshingly honest.
“But what about you?” he asked, finally meeting my eyes directly. “What’s the Twilight Realm like? I’ve only read about it.”
I tensed slightly, unsure how much to reveal. “It’s... beautiful, in its own way. Perpetual dusk, purple skies, silver-leaved trees. But it’s also very traditional. Lots of rules and expectations.”
“Is that why you left? To escape the rules?”
His question hit closer to home than he could possibly know. “Something like that,” I admitted. “I wanted to experience something different before...”
“Before what?”
“Before life gets in the way,” I finished lamely. “There’s not exactly a lot of fun waiting for me back home.”
I saw something shift in Ash’s expression, a flicker of curiosity mixed with concern. His eyes, those deep sapphire pools, searched my face like he was trying to decode a particularly complex spell.
“What’s waiting for you back home?” he asked softly.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. This wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have on a first coffee date. How could I explain that what awaited me was a crown, a kingdom, and a bride I’d never met?
“Responsibilities,” I said vaguely. “Family stuff. Nothing exciting.”
Ash nodded slowly, like he understood more than I was saying. “I get that. Family expectations can be... suffocating. My parents expect me to save our entire family from shame. You know, no big deal.”
“Exactly,” I replied, relieved he wasn’t pushing for details. He seemed to understand it was a subject neither of us really wanted to talk about.
“So,” Ash said after a moment, “why did you ask me out? Really?”
The question caught me off guard. Most guys didn’t question why someone wanted to date them. They just went with it, especially when that someone looked like me. But Ash wasn’t most guys.
“I told you,” I said, trying to keep my voice casual. “I think you’re cute.”
“But you could have anyone,” he persisted, those blue eyes fixed on mine with surprising intensity. “You’re Silver Erestolal. Half the campus would drop everything for a chance with you.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Been asking around about me, have you?”
“No!” he protested, then hesitated. “Well, maybe a little. My roommate wouldn’t shut up when I mentioned we were getting coffee.”
I couldn’t help but grin at that. “And what did this roommate have to say?”
Ash’s blush deepened. “Just that you’re... popular. And that you’re well known for your… uh… talents.”
Now that was intriguing.
“My talents?” I asked, leaning forward. “What talents? Like football or something?”
“Uh… no. Not exactly.”
But I wasn’t giving up. “Tell me,” I urged. “I never get to hear my reputation secondhand like this.”
“Okay,” Ash sighed. “He said you have a talent for getting people in bed. Like anyone you want.” He held up his hands in mock defense.
“I’m not slut shaming you either. I just…
I didn’t know that was your thing. I figured it was sports, but then he started talking about a dryad and a werewolf and a vampire and—”
“Alright,” I laughed, feeling a little self-conscious. I didn’t need my entire body count recounted for me. “I get it. I’m the campus slut.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that!” Ash replied, jumping to my defense. “Really! I… I kind of admire that. I’m jealous. Hell, I’ve never even kissed anyone before—”
He suddenly clapped his hand over his mouth, his face turning beet red. I froze, watching as mortification spread across Ash’s face. His eyes widened in horror at what he’d just admitted.
“Never been kissed?” I asked softly, trying to keep any hint of judgment out of my voice. The idea seemed almost impossible to me. How could someone as cute as Ash have never been kissed?
“Please forget I said that,” he mumbled, looking like he wanted the shadows to swallow him whole. “It’s embarrassing.”
“It’s not embarrassing,” I said, reaching across the table to touch his hand. That familiar electric spark jumped between us again. “Everyone starts somewhere.”
Ash stared at our hands, his breathing slightly uneven. “Yeah, but most people start in high school. Not when they’re twenty.”
I studied his face, seeing the genuine vulnerability there. This wasn’t just embarrassment, it was shame. Like he thought there was something wrong with him.
“Hey,” I said, squeezing his hand gently. “Look at me.”
Those sapphire eyes reluctantly met mine.
“There’s no timeline for these things. And there’s definitely nothing wrong with you.”
“Easy for you to say,” he muttered. “You’ve probably been kissing people since you were twelve.”
I laughed. “Fourteen, actually. And trust me, it was awful. I had no idea what I was doing.”
That earned me a small smile. “Really?”
“Gods, yes. I was a disaster. Practically drowned the poor guy in spit. He almost got pneumonia.” I shook my head at the memory. “My point is, experience isn’t what matters. It’s finding the right person to have those experiences with.”
Ash’s eyes searched mine, like he was trying to figure out if I was messing with him. “Is that why you asked me out? Because you want to be my first... experience? Are you like a virgin hunter or something?”
“What? No!” I pulled back, genuinely surprised by his question. “I asked you out because there’s something about you that I find... intriguing.”
“Intriguing?” he repeated skeptically. “That’s a polite way of saying weird.”
“No, it’s not,” I insisted. “When we touch, there’s that spark. You said you feel it too.”
His cheeks flushed again. “Yeah. I do.”
“And your magic...” I continued, leaning forward. “The way the shadows respond to you. It’s beautiful to watch.”
“Even when I destroy toilets and benches and wall paint?”
“Especially then,” I grinned. “It shows how powerful you are.”
Ash took a deep breath, his fingers fidgeting with his nearly empty cup. “I still don’t get it. Why me? And don’t say it’s because I’m cute, because we both know that’s not true.”
I frowned, genuinely confused. “What are you talking about? Of course you’re cute.”
“Silver,” he sighed, his voice darkening, “you don’t have to lie to me. I’m not an idiot.”
I felt an anger rise in my chest. Who had hurt this poor boy? And told him he wasn’t cute or worth anyone’s time or attention?
“I’m not lying,” I replied, pushing myself to my feet. “And I’ll prove it. Stand up.”
“What are you doing?” He seemed almost frightened.
“Stand up,” I repeated.
But he didn’t move.
“Fine.” I grabbed him by the collar and leaned down close, my lips only an inch from his before I stopped. “Can I kiss you?”
His eyes widened, those sapphire blues like twin oceans drawing me in. I watched his throat bob as he swallowed hard. The shadows around his feet swirled anxiously, reaching up around my ankles like they were trying to pull me in.
“W-What?”
“I said, can I kiss you?”
There was a long pause.
“Y-yes,” he whispered, the word barely audible even in the quiet corner of the café.
I closed the distance between us, pressing my lips against his. They were soft, warm, and tasted faintly of caramel. I kept the kiss gentle, not wanting to overwhelm him. But gods, it was hard to restrain myself when that familiar electric spark multiplied tenfold the moment our lips touched.
The shadows around us darkened noticeably, and I heard several gasps from nearby tables as the café lights dimmed. I didn’t care. All I could focus on was Ash, the way his breath hitched, how his hands tentatively came to rest on my shoulders, then on the back of my neck.
When I finally pulled back, his eyes remained closed for a moment longer, like he was savoring the sensation. The café lights flickered back to normal, and I became aware of several students watching us with open curiosity.
“Still think I’m lying?” I asked softly, my thumb brushing across his lower lip.
He opened his eyes slowly, looking dazed. “I… I don’t think so.”
“Good,” I grinned, feeling oddly proud of myself for rendering him speechless. “Because I’m not.”
A mug shattered somewhere behind us, breaking the moment. Ash seemed to suddenly realize we were in public, his face turning that adorable shade of crimson again.
“Everyone’s staring at us,” he whispered, mortification creeping into his expression.
I glanced around, confirming that yes, we’d become the center of attention. Most of the onlookers quickly averted their eyes when I caught them looking, but a few continued to gape unabashedly.
“Let’s get out of here,” I suggested, grabbing our jackets from the backs of our chairs. “Go for a walk or something.”
Ash nodded, clearly relieved at the suggestion. As we headed for the door, I noticed his shadows trailing behind us, more agitated than before, swirling and dancing like they’d been stirred up by a strong wind.
Clearly, I’d gotten under his skin. Hopefully in a good way.