Chapter 3
B enedict Matherson walked around the car. “Not like you to cut it so close, pumpkin.”
He was the only person who called her by the infuriating nickname. Clenching the library key in her fist, Lucy tried not to react. His satisfied smirk did nothing to soothe her annoyance.
“Come here to ruin my day?” she asked, putting the key in her bag. Eyeing his black suit, she wondered why he even bothered wearing a black tie with a black shirt. She suspected he was allergic to bright colours, whereas she liked to wear as many as possible.
“I didn’t know I had the power to ruin your day,” he quipped, threading his hand through his raven-black hair.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I thought you’d already be at the temple, trying to convince the other families I don’t deserve to be the next High Priestess.” She huffed, making her way down the library steps.
“Why must you always think the worst of me? Wasn’t it you who put a certain vicious fish in my fountain and disturbed my guests’ breakfast only a month ago?” He was blocking the path to her bike. The steps erased their height difference, so she at least didn’t have to stare up at him.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, thinking of her earlier conversation with Rosie, how she’d defended him. Now she just knew he’d been biding his time.
She didn’t like the way his eyes lingered on her. He’d been able to see through her since their childhood, when they’d been forced to spend so much time together thanks to their mothers’ odd friendship. However, past or present, whenever they were around each other, disaster struck sooner rather than later.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw you with your hair down.” His eyes settled on its loose ends, curled from being trapped in her signature bun all day.
Lucy brushed them over her shoulder, wondering what he was up to. “Probably because we’re better not seeing each other at all.”
His ocean-blue eyes narrowed at her rejection. It probably spurred him on that she was the one woman in town he couldn’t have. She wasn’t going to be another woman who fell for his long stares and solemn attitude. They were seduced by his darkness, at the thought of being with a Matherson– getting a taste of the darker side of magic.
“I was only trying to pay you a compliment. Since I’ve failed at that, I will continue with the task at hand. I was leaving the hotel and ran into Wilhelmina, your mother.” Benedict rocked on his heels, hands in his pockets.
He was plotting something. When they were seven he’d lost his favourite stuffed toy and cried until she gave him hers. It would’ve been a kind gesture, but when their mothers found them, he’d told them she had stolen his in the first place. Twenty years might’ve passed, but they were still getting each other into trouble.
“I know who my mother is,” Lucy grumbled.
“She asked me to make sure you didn’t forget about the meeting,” he explained, ignoring her quip.
“As you can see, I’m headed that way now. You can leave.” She wished her mother hadn’t sent her nemesis to remind her of her responsibilities.
“You’ll need a ride up the hill if you want to make it in time. You can’t use your bike; it’s been raining all day and your tyres won’t make it through the mud.” He opened the passenger door and motioned her inside. “Please get in. I’d hate to disappoint our High Priestess.”
“You’re up to something. Your help usually results in my punishment and your amusement.” She was used to taking the fall. If a Matherson, a descendant of dark magic, did something bad, it was excused as their nature. If a Hawthorne miss-stepped, it brought shame to the light.
“Let me guess. You’ll drive me into the middle of the woods and leave me there so I don’t make it to the meeting at all.” It was only one in a million scenarios she could think of.
“Why would I do that? I’d make myself late in the process.”
“To get back at me for the breakfast incident?” she snapped.
“So you admit it!” He grinned.
She gritted her teeth, refusing to respond.
Benedict let out a long exhale. “If I wanted to get back at you, don’t you think I would’ve done it by now?”
“Maybe you’re biding your time, and this is the perfect excuse to drive me off a cliff,” Lucy countered, shoving her hands in her pockets to keep them warm.
“I’m afraid such a scheme would cost us both our lives. Can we please put the paranoia aside for tonight? I don’t want you to be late for another meeting.” He tapped his foot, still waiting for her to get in.
Lucy narrowed her eyes, sensing his impatience as he pulled at his tie. Something was off. She didn’t like that he could still surprise her, and never in a way that brought her any joy.
“Need I remind you that I was only late to the last meeting because of you ? You melted my bike tyres into the ground.”
He smirked, exposing his dimples. “You’ve no proof.”
“Only Mathersons harness fire magic. I doubt your mum sabotaged my bike.” She preferred him scowling, so she could tell she’d got under his skin.
Benedict sighed again. “Whether or not I melted the tyres has nothing to do with my desire to bring you to this meeting. Nor am I trying to trick you because of what you did at the manor.”
Thinking of the piranhas in the hotel fountain, Lucy chewed her lip to stop herself from smiling. They’d been harmless but frightening; she’d only wanted to plague him with complaints. She’d never harm an innocent with their petty quarrels.
“I only did what I did because you volunteered me to work on the fireworks display for the summer solstice, when you know how afraid I am of fireworks!” she barked, only to grimace when a passing elderly couple looked upon them with concern.
“Lovely evening,” Benedict said to them, and they passed with soft smiles.
“Great. I’m sure everyone in the village will hear I was giving out to you in public by morning,” Lucy groaned.
He closed the gap between them, limiting the risk of them being overheard. However, it forced her to stare up at him – impressive, considering she’d worn her tallest boots in anticipation of seeing him at the coven meeting.
“How far do you want to go back?” he asked, scrubbing his jaw. “I did this, and you did that? Going over twenty-odd years of history would mean neither of us will make it to the meeting.” He stared at her, dark eyebrows pulled together.
He was right, they could keep going for hours, so she moved around him and continued down the steps. “Please, feel free to stay here and reminisce. I’ve a meeting to attend.”
Going down memory lane never led anywhere good. She could go right back to their first day of school, when he had set her backpack on fire. In retaliation, she had suspended him in a bubble of water. The teachers had accused her of trying to drown him, but she’d just wanted to teach him a lesson. Remembering the face he’d pulled behind the teachers’ backs sent a spike of fury through her all over again.She’d far rather use her magic to travel to the temple than be subjected to a fifteen-minute drive with him .
“ Evanescere ,” she whispered, blowing him a kiss as she disappeared.