“The magical power necessary,” he clarifies. “They’ll probably only wear them for a few hours at most, and most stick to smaller accessories, like wings, horns, ears, things of that nature.”
Not helpful to me when I have no magic. “Do you have any?”
He hurriedly averts his gaze, lip pulling down. “Does it look like I have any?”
“No, but if it could be anything, how would I know?” His eyes narrow the slightest amount. “Youdohave one,” I accuse.
“It’s rude to ask people what their glamours are,” he says curtly.
“How am I supposed to know that?” I scrutinize Vera across the kitchen who’s also studying Sitri with newfound curiosity. “Do you have any?”
She shakes her head. “No, I don’t have any.”
I turn back to Sitri. “You’re really not going to tell me what--”
“Oh,” he interrupts, eyes suddenly lighting up. “I have something I think you’ll like.” He stands up to dig something from the pocket of his trousers. Once it's in his hand I have no idea how he managed to fit the black leather bound book in his pocket in the first place. “This is my grimoire. Let me just show you,” he says, scooting his stool over to seat himself next to me. I’m accosted by the smell of his cedar like scent. When his leg brushes against mine I lean away slightly to lessen the contact between us.
“If there’s anything you want to know about, for instance—“ A few twitches of his fingers and Vera’s pen on the opposite counter floats into his outstretched hand. He scrawls mylings across the blank page in terse, neat print. My lips part as the page fills with words and illustrations of the most grotesque monsters.
“You mean…I can ask it anything?”
“Most things, I’d say, we have knowledge of. When you’re through, draw this symbol.” He etches a mark that resembles a backward e with three dots next to it and the pages immediately clear. “And, it will empty again.”
He scoots the book and pen in front of me. Eagerness plumes in my chest. This is exactly the sort of thing I need. “I can keep it?”
The book in front of me slides across the counter into his outstretched hand. “We have an agreement? Meaning tomorrow or any event going forward, you’ll do exactly as I ask of you when I ask it of you?”
“Within limits…”
“Pet…”
“That seriously depends on what you might ask of me.”
“Well, I’m definitely asking that you don’t scowl or glare or whine or stomp your feet, or just generally act like a disrespectful brat when we’re in the vicinity of other Magi. Don’t antagonize them. They’re already going to despise you for what you are. And especiallynot Morin.”
My eyes roll to the back of my head with a sigh.
“Or roll your eyes. Forgot that one.” He picks up the grimoire, waving it enticingly. “Not very many of these left in the world, and they’ve gotten ungodly expensive.”
“Don’t you need it?”
“I do…but I’ll let you have it…if…” He tilts his head down expectantly waiting my agreement.
“I just have to do as you say…tomorrow? At our wedding party?”
“Any time we’re in the company of others,” he corrects.
My eyes stray across the room. “Except Vera.”
“Vera’s cool. You can act as bad tempered as you want around Vera.”
She flashes me a grin that I can’t help but to return. I turn back to Sitri still uneasy about making such a vague bargain with him. Agreeing to do anything he asks, it's well, I don’t know what that could entail. “But you’re not going to like ask me to…”
“To what?”
“I don’t know…” The possibilities are endless. The one that springs to mind has the blood rushing back to my cheeks for the umpteenth time this evening. I know he’s made the connection when his face twists with horror.
“Gods, I—I wouldn’t ask you to do anything unsavory, pet,” he says distastefully. “I’monlytrying to protect you.”
