“It’s just that I feel like you’re avoiding me and I couldn’t help but notice that we were fine until I told you I’m a fae and if it’s because you’re uncomfortable around me, I get it. I don’t even blame you for it. Some people get uncomfortable around fairies. But I’d rather just get it out in the open so we don’t have to dance around it,” Charlotte said.

“I’m so sorry.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s not that…it’s that you mentioned cursing when you talked about your abilities…and yeah, it’s made me–I’d like to use the word ‘wary’ but clearly, I’ve just been rude.”

She winced. “So, I’m assuming by ‘cursing’ you don’t mean obscenity.”

The corners of his generous mouth lifted for a moment. “No. I know it’s none of my business and asking this is…I just…” he swallowed heavily. “Have you ever cursed anybody?”

“Just once,” she said, pinching her lips together. “It’s not a very pretty story, but trust me when I say he deserved it.”

A chill seemed to run down his spine, rattling him so hard his teeth chattered. He gripped the edge of the table and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and the pity she felt for him bordered on heartbreak. This was the reason she’d only cursed one person in her lifetime, why her mother had never done it. Not once. Because the ripples of the magic laid on a bloodline never stopped hurting people. The lesson was too heavy and came at too great a price.

“And to make another assumption, that little zing of magic I feel when you’re around… that’s not static electricity, is it?” Charlotte asked.

He shook his head.

“How far back does it go?”

“1813.” he sighed. “It’s funny that a lot of cursed families don’t know exactly when their ancestor messed up on a catastrophic level, but I know the date by heart.”

She nodded, cutting into her pie just to give her something to do. “That’s strong magic, to be passed so far down the line. What did your family do to make a fairy that angry?”

Leonard sat back in the booth. “Well, from what I’ve been told, we were once considered sort of well to do back in Ireland. The family owned a lot of land, were kind to their tenants, and generally well-regarded and productive. But there’s a prick in every rosebush, and that was my many-times-great uncle Seamus. I’ve seen the portrait…well, the ones that later generations didn’t vandalize. He was handsome, probably would have been considered your classic Prince Charming if he hadn’t been such an ass.”