Leanne shifted and wrapped her arms around him fully, tucking her face between his neck and shoulder. “I thought you’d leave once you found out.”

“Are you serious? Why?” A sudden and shocking thought occurred to him. “Wait, are you immortal or something? How old are you, really?”

She laughed. “Definitely not. I’m thirty-seven. You saw my ID when we got our marriage license in Vegas.”

“That’s exactly what an immortal witch would say. Those documents could’ve been fake.” He grinned to show he was teasing.

“Is this what I have to look forward to?” she asked with a gentle sigh.

“Nah, this is just me…processing.”

“Witches aren’t a different species,” Leanne said. “We’re just…like augmented humans, I guess. You know, some people are supersmart. Others are incredible artists. Some folks can speak multiple languages. It’s like that, only our ability is magic. We do have stories handed down about how we came to possess these powers, but nothing that can be proven.”

Her explanation made it easier to grasp their situation. “So no differences otherwise?”

“Oh. We’re immune to some diseases, and actually, there is one other thing…”

“Lay it on me.”

“Witches don’t get pregnant accidentally. It’s a conscious choice, and the act of procreation requires a little magic. When we’re partnered with humans, however, our kids aren’t always magic endowed.”

“That’s actually kind of a relief,” he confessed, aware she might misunderstand. He hastened to clarify, “That way, when we have kids, it’ll be a mutual decision, not a sudden shock. Regarding the magic use, I mean…I won’t be any help if our tiny tot suddenly starts levitating all the toys in the nursery.”

“I’m glad you feel that way.”

“This is incredible. Anything else I should know?”

Leanne appeared to consider the question carefully. “You can talk about this to Titus, obviously, since he’s been looped in…and Dante, if Margie tells him. I don’t how serious they are. But otherwise, no external commentary until we figure out how best to reveal ourselves to the world. If I know the council, it’ll take a while yet.”

He nodded, thoughtful. “It sounds like you know a lot about the council.”

“I can neither confirm nor deny that statement.” But her eyes said he was on the right track; she just wasn’t allowed to discuss it.

“This has been a hell of a day,” Trev said.

“I’m sorry if you were scared.”

“I’ll be honest, when they tried to grab me and I suddenly lit up with an energy shield shaped like a hamster ball, that was pretty freaking wild. It’s probably a good thing I wasn’t…chemically enhanced, or who knows what would’ve happened?”