Theo rested his sword against the wall and pulled a bottle of water from the small fridge nearby. “You think every woman is hot,” he said with a snort before uncapping it and taking a long swallow.

“I don’t,” he protested, turning toward him with sword in hand. “I’m committed to Claire now, but that doesn’t mean I don’t notice an attractive woman when I see one. I just don’t think any of them hold a candle to my wife.”

Theo just grunted. It was true that Adam was a different man now that he’d met Claire.

“You never answered my question.” Adam danced toward him playfully, sword in hand. “Admit you think she’s cute.”

Theo took a step backward and was forced to set his water down. “Adam, I’m not in the mood for games.”

He danced closer, blade at the ready. “Fuck, Theo, when are you ever? Come on, admit you think she’s cute. It’s not a hard thing to do.” Adam feinted, making Theo duck and back away.

Theo was forced to take his sword back up and block Adam’s jab. “Gods damn it, you’re a fucking pain in the ass.”

“Like that’s news.” He slashed upward toward Theo’s chest and Theo blocked his swing. Metal clanging on metal filled the air anew. The hit reverberated down his arm. “Admit it already.”

“Don’t make me hurt you, Adam.” Theo growled.

Adam took a swing that Theo blocked at the last second. “Just admit it.”

“Yeah, okay, fuck! She’s cute!”

Adam raised an eyebrow and turned on his heel, bringing his blade down fast and hard toward him. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

Theo had only a moment to wonder why Adam cared what he thought about Sarafina before he was on the offensive and back in the battle again.

THE IMPRINT OF THEO’S KISS STILL WEIGHED ON Sarafina’s lips. The time that had passed since he’d pressed her up against the wall hadn’t diminished it. In fact, every time Theo looked at her—which was never directly these days—the memory became even heavier.

She shifted on the small couch she sat on and tried to focus on Thomas’s update and not on Theo, who leaned against a nearby wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

They’d gathered in one of the Coven’s general meeting/ receiving rooms. All of them were lushly furnished with overstuffed couches and chairs and had fresh flowers on the tables.

Somehow, some way, she’d been admitted into the Coven’s inner circle. She’d gone from non-magickal office worker, to being a suspected warlock, to being a confirmed fire witch who was intimately involved in the most powerful witchy organization of the realm.