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Morgan’s expression was grim as she leaned against the kitchen counter and looked at Ella, arms folded and a cup of tea in one hand. “So, you did it. You not only brought her here, but you let her stay the night.”
What Morgan didn’t have to add was that they all seemed to know what that meant. Ella had gone and broken one of the biggest rules of being a faerie godmother. This wasn’t just sex. This, for her, was so much more.
Ella picked at the omelet on her plate. It was a strange concoction Raven had conjured for her, full of ham and cheese, onions and peppers. It didn’t look at all appetizing, but Raven had served it with a knowing wink. “You’ve got to keep your strength up for that one.”
Whatever Raven was hinting at, Ella had a feeling it had nothing to do with her actual assignment. This romance thing was complicated and maybe, just maybe, that had more to do with the rules about falling in love than the races themselves. Perhaps it wasn’t falling in love with a human, witch, or shifter that was the problem, per se, but rather the stuff that came with love in general. Stuff that could interfere with doing work, because you were too preoccupied to—
“I bet she’s loud in bed.”
“What?” Ella straightened and blinked at Raven dazedly. “Excuse me, why would you think that?”
“She’s got that look about her, really passionate, you know?” Raven made a gesture with her hands, as if outlining the shape of an hourglass. “Plus, she’s got a banging body. I’m almost disappointed I didn’t get to meet her first.”
Ella didn’t know what Raven was going on about, nor could she tell if Raven was joking or trying to make her uncomfortable. Probably both at the same time, as usual.
“I am loud and I do have a banging body. Thanks for noticing.” The soft, but firm statement was followed by tan arms sliding down over Ella’s shoulders from behind and then the fresh scent of her own body wash. Addison leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, long, wet hair cold against Ella’s skin. “So, it looks like we have some witchy problems to work out today, don’t we?”
Ella didn’t want to work out anything at this moment but their relationship. Things were getting complicated. Last night had proven just how head over heels she was for this woman and that meant she needed to put on the brakes. Maybe focusing on the witchy problem, as Addison put it, was a good first step.
“I’m not sure what I can say about that, but you probably do need to consider it,” Ella said. “They made it very clear that they want you in their coven, but it’s your decision whether or not you join them.”
“You say that, but I don’t think you mean it.” Addison moved around to sit in the chair between Ella and Raven, and folded her hands atop the table. Now that she was dressed again, with her hair mostly pulled back from her face, she looked all business. “I think what you mean is, you want me to tell them to go to hell and choose you. Or your coven.”
Raven rose from the table a little too quickly, drawing Addison’s gaze. “I’ll just get you some breakfast.”
Ella cleared her throat to pull Addison’s attention back to her and, once she had it, said, “We aren’t a coven.”
“Then what are you?”
Raven placed another plate in front of Addison, this one piled high with French toast. There was already a sprinkling of powdered sugar and a drizzle of syrup. Addison squinted at Raven, but didn’t ask how she’d managed to serve breakfast so quickly. Ella wondered if she was starting to take it for granted that everyone around her had been hiding some kind of supernatural secret.
“We’re women who care about the happiness of others and well-being of those in this world.” Morgan spoke a little more authoritatively than she had to Ella, standing tall and looking down at the women seated at the table. “We aren’t witches, but we do share a certain capability for accomplishing things with them. Since you’re here now, there are issues all of us need to consider.”
“Such as?” Addison moved into a defensive posture, rising to her feet and folding her arms in front of her in a stance that mirrored Morgan’s.
It took all of Ella’s self-restraint to keep herself from moving closer to the woman she loved. Even though she’d been admonished to never tell a charge what she was, things might be about to take a turn. Morgan, she knew, would let her know if and when that kind of revelation was acceptable. Maybe because Addison was a witch, she could now know the truth. But Morgan took the conversation in a direction Ella didn’t expect.
“First of all, you don’t need to be upset. No one here is the enemy. We’re friends or we want to be seen that way, anyway. Second, you’re allowed to make your own choices. We aren’t going to try to influence those choices.”
Since Morgan’s face didn’t twist into a grimace, Ella knew she wasn’t lying. She meant what she said. Their job as faerie godmothers was to guide and assist, never force or cajole someone onto a path that wasn’t right for them.
Addison nodded and her shoulders relaxed. She sat back down in the chair. “Okay, I’m listening.”
“Thank you. Your power is creation, right?” Morgan sat at the table opposite Addison, which made her appear a little less formidable. “You can make life appear where there is only a hint of it, make it grow and thrive?”
“How...” Addison’s cheeks flushed pink. “Yes.”
Morgan nodded and Raven sucked in a breath before turning away from them.
“Why? Is that bad or something?”
“Not bad or evil in the way you might think of those things, but it can be dangerous. Creation is inextricably linked to destruction, and sometimes it’s a fine line between the two.” Morgan pursed her lips as if deep in thought. “That which is created will ultimately be destroyed, and perhaps it will even be an instrument of destruction itself. Putting something out into the world is a responsibility, not something to do on a lark.”
“I see.” Addison turned to Ella. “Since you know me a little better than your friends, do you think I’m irresponsible and dangerous?”
Ella’s heart beat so hard, she thought it would jump up her throat and choke her. Why did this have to be so hard? It was one of those moments when she wished she was capable of lying.
“Not... yet.”
The way Addison’s eyes narrowed, Ella thought she was about to explode with rage. “I see.” Her voice was tight with an emotion Ella couldn’t pinpoint. “But you must trust me if you invited me here, so I think there’s room to talk about this. Don’t you?”
“I want to talk about this, more than anything,” Ella agreed breathlessly. She glanced at Morgan who gave a slight nod.
“Then tell me where I can get an omelet like yours and we’ll talk.” She turned and smiled at Raven. “Not that I don’t like French toast, but I have a feeling I’m going to need some protein today.”
There was, Ella decided, a better place to talk than the house she shared with her fellow faerie godmothers. So after conjuring an omelet for Addison and watching her devour it, they drove to the shop. Ella didn’t know how to drive a car, of course. It was a skill none of the godmothers had thought to learn, though Raven liked to try. She spent more time off the road than on it, which was why she wasn’t allowed to make her attempts in town. Too much risk of collateral damage.
This wasn’t Ella’s first time in a car, but she watched Addison closely to see if she could figure out how driving was done. Maybe she would be brave enough to try it someday, even if it seemed like an inefficient way to get from Point A to Point B.
When they arrived downtown and parked, Addison unlocked the front door of her shop and waved Ella inside. The lock clicked into place once they were in, and Ella turned to the woman she’d been trying first to guide, then to befriend, and now to...
She swallowed when Addison’s gaze met hers. There were still so many unknowns between the two of them, but this tenuous moment wasn’t the time to reveal everything. Especially after last night’s loving and this morning’s difficult discussion.
“What do you get out of this?” Addison asked. “What’s your stake in making sure I don’t join that coven?”
The straightforward question was like a gut-punch, but at least it was one Ella could answer honestly without revealing too much detail. She let out a slow breath. “It’s not about me at all. It’s about you—you finding what’s right for you, what makes you happy. All I know for sure is that you’re a person with tremendous power, but also tremendous love and kindness. You have more of that than most humans do. I don’t want to see you lose those qualities.”
“Are you saying I would if I decided to run with the coven? Do you think I’m that weak of a person?”
“Not at all!” Ella couldn’t help but yelp out her response. So much for opening with her honest feelings and a compliment. “But... but... There must be a reason your mother not only left her coven, but didn’t even suggest you join or partner with one. Maybe there’s some insight you could glean from her experience, something she hasn’t shared with you yet.”
Addison folded her arms, still looking annoyed and defensive. “You say you’re not concerned about your own gain, but I know there’s got to be some other motivation that you aren’t sharing. What could it possibly be that you’re so scared to talk about it?”
Ella squeezed her eyes shut and let out another honest answer. “I can’t tell you. If I tell you, I won’t be allowed to see you anymore, and I’ve fallen in love with you, which is already a big no-no. At first, I didn’t want to lose you for one reason. Now, I don’t want to lose you for another. Or both, or either. It’ll break my heart.”
Warm hands cradled her face and Ella’s eyes flew open to see Addison standing in front of her. “So, you’re capable of at least being a little bit selfish.”
“Selfish?” It had never occurred to Ella that she might have even one iota of that quality in her.
“Yes, because you only care about how things are going to work out for you. You didn’t even bother to mention my heart. But that also tells me you aren’t as perfect as you seem. For a moment there, I was beginning to think you might be some faerie godmother who can’t do anything wrong.”
Before Ella could formulate a response, Addison leaned in and kissed her. Explanations scrambled in her mind, now reduced to incoherent word soup. Nothing mattered anymore—not witch factions or the interference of faerie godmothers, or anything else—as long as Addison stood by her.
“There’s so much more we need to know about each other, so why don’t you stay here today. Hang out and help, if you want, and maybe we can see how it goes. Deal?” Addison asked.
“Deal,” Ella agreed, unable to catch her breath. Even though Addison walking away to start prepping the store to open left her bereft, happiness warmed her chest.
Clearly, Addison wasn’t mad at her. She wanted this to work. What, though, could Ella possibly say to express herself as both a faerie godmother and lover, as someone concerned with Addison’s well-being?
No wonder there were rules against faerie godmothers falling in love outside of their own kind. Ella’s heart was in danger of overruling her head at every turn.