Page 35 of Fangs with Benefits

First, I search through all the grimoires until I find the few special ones that I want to take with me. The other witches won't miss these much—they mostly pertain to cosmic witches and celestial magic. They probably won't even realize these books are gone; I think I'm the only one who ever looked at them. I would never take anything from the coven if I thought they might still need it, or if I thought that its absence would leave them vulnerable in any way.

I don't want anything bad to befall my coven sisters after I leave. They are, and will forever be, my sisters. So, after I collect the grimoires I need and stuff them into the messenger bag I brought with me, I sequester myself in one of the other quiet rooms to work on the oracle decks.

The others are busy helping Isla in the kitchen while I pull out the three blank card decks that I brought with me. I am going to make an oracle deck for each of the witches. Each deck will be infused with the power from the witch's astrological sign, and then I will place a protective spell over the decks to ensure that some of my magic remains here to guide them. Every time they pull a card, magic will lead them toward the right path. It's a complicated spell, one that requires a great amount of magic, and I'm exhausted by the time I've finished. But it's worth it because each of these decks is a personal gift, and I want them to know that I didn't just jump ship without thinking about the effect that it would have on the coven.

The coven's power will be weakened, but I'm sure they'll manage okay without me. These decks will help whenever they need guidance or a bit of celestial magic to steer them in the right direction. I painstakingly spend the entire day illustrating the faces of the cards, and by the time evening rolls around my hand is cramping up.

The potion that Isla is crafting must indeed be a strong one, because they've been in the kitchen working on it all day. I feel a little guilty for not helping, but then I realize that my guilt is from leaving them behind. But being a cosmic witch also means that I know, deep within my soul, never to make decisions out of fear, guilt, or regret. I am doing what is best for me, and they will adjust.

I finish the very last card of the last deck and write the same thing on the cover that I did for the other decks—We are all made of stardust.

Then, I take them out and stack them neatly on the small table in front of the bookshelf full of grimoires. They will see the oracle decks the next time they come looking for a grimoire, which is practically every day. I remind myself that they'll be okay without me. If I don't, I won't be able to leave and I'll be stuck here for the rest of my days.

"Hey, how did it go?" I ask as I walk into the kitchen to check on their progress and say goodbye. None of them knows thatthisgoodbye will last much longer than just a single night.

The kitchen smells strangely of cinnamon, which seems like an odd ingredient to use when combating a Jinn plague.

"Wejustfinished," Elspeth says in an overly exasperated way.

"Well, it would have gone faster if allfourof us were working on it," Isla says, getting one last dig in before wedging a cork into the potion bottle. "At least it's done. Who wants to go and distribute it to the Jinn? Blair, since you didn't help make it, do you want to volunteer to take it to them on your way home? You'll need to make sure that they take the right amount though, since too much will have side effects."

I don't have time to stop and distribute a potion to sick Jinns. Treyton will be at my apartment in a few hours to pick me up and then we will leave the city for good.

"I don't think I'm the right person to take care of that tonight," I say, realizing that it sounds like a lame excuse. "I'm just not in the best headspace to deal with caring for other people right now."

I can see Isla ready to lose her temper, but Sybil quickly takes the potion from her and says that she will do it instead. Then, it's time for the thing I have been dreading the most: saying goodbye.

Normally, we all walk out of the coven building together and say goodnight, knowing that we will all see each other again at some point the very next morning. But tonight is different. I don't know if I willeversee any of them again. At least they think I'm heartbroken so I have an excuse for hugging them.

Even Isla hugs me, despite her anger. I linger a bit in each embrace, because I know this is probably the last time that I'll get to hug them.

Once that is done, I walk back to my apartment with my heavy messenger bag full of grimoires. I ready a few things and pack them into a backpack to bring with me, and I take one last, long look out my apartment window at the city below. Tomorrow I'll wake up to another, equally as impressive view of a beautiful city.

When I'm finished feeling nostalgic, I sit down on the couch with both of my bags and a glass of wine to calm my excited nerves while I wait for Treyton to show up.

A few hours later, right on time, in the middle of the night, there is a knock at my door. When I swing it open, Treyton is standing there wearing his leather jacket, backpack, and a face full of the same excitement I can feel beating in my chest.

"Okay, are you ready?" he asks without stepping inside. "Are you sure about this? Are you sure this is what you want to do? Because once we leave, there's no turning back."

"I'm sure." I smile. "I'm a little bit afraid and alotexcited, and I am a thousand percent sure that this is what I want to do."

His smile grows until it's so wide that I can nearly see the tips of his fangs.

"There's one more thing," he says, looking even more nervous now than he was a moment ago, though he's still smiling. "I love you."

My heart fills with happiness so swiftly that it's like a volcano has erupted in my chest and the hot lava is pulsating fiercely through my veins.

"I love you too," I say before I lunge forward to kiss him.

That kiss feelsimportant. Every kiss that I've shared with Treyton has felt like a miniature utopia on my lips, but this one feels especially significant. We've both professed our love to each other, and we're getting ready to embark on this adventure together—just us, against New York City.

I'm nervous, and excited, and I've never felt more alive in my entire life.

Boston is a big city, but New York City feels a million times bigger and busier and more intimidating. Treyton knows his way around, even though it's been years since he's been back. He makes quick work of finding us an apartment, and since money isn't an issue, he finds us a beautiful high-rise that overlooks the city. It's still dark, but almost morning and the light of dawn will be spreading through the sky soon. Already the corners of the sky that I can see between all the tall buildings are tinged with a deep purplish hue that hints at sunrise.

"Well, what do you think?" Treyton asks as we stand outside our new apartment building and look at the city that never sleeps.

The rumors are true—there are people in the streets and cars on the roads and subway trains running at all hours of the night. I know that I should probably feel more intimidated by it all, more overwhelmed, but I don't.