āWhat card did you draw for August today?ā Willow asked me over lunch. The house had been buzzing with energy since she and Mal had arrived. August floated in the corner with hunched shoulders and a scowl.
āFather of Wands,ā I said. She laughed.
āMal gets that one all the time, heās very powerful.ā
Mal tipped his top hat to her.
āI owe everything that I am to hard work and sacrifice. That, and the spark of my Dark Lord.ā
āIs heā¦ nice? Satan?ā I asked.
āHe is fair and he can be jovial. His is a daunting task, and largely thankless, but he does love all his children.ā
āHmm. Thank you for coming to help me, us. You donāt know what it means to me that youād take the time.ā I didnāt really mean to duck my head coyly, it just kind of, embarrassingly, happened. Mal leaned across the table and took my hand in his. His sea-gray eyes met mine with a depth I was unprepared for.
āThere is something about you that I canāt place, but I feel like you and I will be inextricably linked in the future.ā
āI would like that very much,ā I said, my heart thumping in my chest. August groaned loudly from the corner.
āIf Evelyn could only see this appalling display, sheād know she has nothing to worry about.ā He faded and Willow turned the banter to the that nightās seance.
