“Nope. Nope. I prefer the old-fashioned way—by myself, I mean.” My words slur together in one long, awkward string that I wish could roll back into my mouth. “Don’t trouble yourself.”

This time he lets his laughter loose. “I assure you it would be no trouble.”

Every nerve ending in my body seems to be on high alert. Some of it’s the magic, sure, but some of it’s the flirting, the way my lips still tingle, and my desire to step back into him despite the awkwardness. It’s no wonder I wrote off the magic I felt when I met him as attraction. The two are difficult to distinguish, and combined, I’m so alive I want to puke.

So why am I still thinking about a dead guy?

CHAPTER 18

Xander insisted we finish training early today and have some fun. I’m not sure how I feel about being back at the boardwalk, but the sun’s not setting yet, and it feels different, walking this street with him. His bright hair and brighter smile fit this place in a way that Roman never could.

Xander stops abruptly in front of the bright turquoise arcade. A painting of an unfurling orange octopus covers the building above our heads. “I think we should hold hands,” he says.

“Oh?” I say, hands firmly buried in my pockets.

“Yeah.” He grins. “It’s good luck.”

I scoff. “I’ve never heard that one before.”

“Of course not, I made it up just now, but it sounds true, doesn’t it? Isn’t that what counts?”

“Probably not.” I pull my hands out anyway, dangling them at my sides, unsure.

“Plus, it’s just practical. It’s kind of chilly out.”

“I’m surprised you’re cold—you’re wearing more clothes than usual.”

He tugs on the strings of his sweatshirt hood and smirks. “You spend a lot of time thinking about what I am or am not wearing.”

I snort. I’m a little bit embarrassed, but after so much time together… this back-and-forth just feels natural.

“Fine,” I say.

He reaches down and locks his fingers into mine. “Try not to be so excited. It could scare the other pedestrians.”

“I’ll do what I can. No promises.” My skin thrums under his touch, either from the magic in our blood connecting or from plain physical connection. I’m not sure it matters anymore which is which.

We walk the rest of the way in comfortable silence. It’s so much different from walking alone, where I lose myself in observing my surroundings. Walking with Xander, I lose myself in him and how our steps slow or speed up to match each other, the way our fingers tighten and release, the way our forearms brush against each other through our sweatshirts.