Calla looked over at Gwydion, who flashed her a smile as they walked into the cottage. Marick disappeared into the storage room, Blaise yawned and looked to be heading back to his room, and Raven walked off towards his room muttering about needing to finish something. Only Gwydion seemed to pause as he was heading back to his room, turning to look back to Calla.

“Something wrong, love?” he asked, catching her attention. Calla’s eyes fell to him before she just looked off with a shy look on her face.

“Um...no….I guess,” she said though she did have a lot on her mind from what had just happened. She heard Gwydion give a small sigh before seeing him stop before her. Her eyes moved up to his as he gave her a gentle smile.

“You’re not angry with Marick, are you?” he asked calmly. Calla’s eyes softened. She felt as if she should, but from what Marick said, he had only done it once and it was when she had already been bleeding. Plus, according to Gwydion, the mysterious man could have done a lot worse. She shook her head.

“No, it’s not that,” she admitted, frowning a little. “I’m just coming to terms with what happened.” She saw Gwydion give a nod at that.

“Understandable,” he said calmly before thinking something over. He smiled down at her again. “Head to my room. I’ll make us some tea.”

With that, he turned and walked down the path to the kitchen. Calla watched after him a moment before sighing lightly and headed towards his room.

Once she got inside, she looked around. Once again, he conveniently didn’t have a single chair in the room, not even at his desk. She gave a blank stare, looking around.

“Okay, now I know he’s doing it on purpose…” she muttered, glancing at his bed. Her mind was filled with the memories of his hands on her side. She blushed deeply, moving her hand to touch her lips in thought before looking back to the bed again. In the time since that day, Gwydion had kept his word, not using his powers on her. However, that meant he had taken breaks from his tasks to ‘teach her how to kiss’ which he made sure to review the lesson nearly every day. Staring at the bed her thoughts turned a bit more mischievous as she smirked. “Two can play at this game, Gwy.”

She casually walked over, moved things to make room before pushing herself to sit down on the table. She fixed her skirt before folding her arms, glancing towards the door.

It wouldn’t be much longer before Gwydion walked in with a tray carrying two cups of tea. He seemed surprised before giving a wicked smirk. “Ah, caught on to my plan, did you?” he asked with a playful tone. He chuckled, moving over and setting the tray down next to her.

Calla pouted at that. “You could try being nice without the undertone of harassing me,” she muttered to which Gwydion chuckled again before giving her a wink.

“Now, where is the fun in that?” he teased, making her huff at his comment. He lazily waved his hand, making a chair appear before the desk before taking his seat. He leaned back with his arms folded, eyeing her top to bottom before his grin became coy. “You know I can do just as much to you on this desk as I can on my bed.”

“GWY” she yelled, her face as red as his hair. She stared at him a bit angry. He gave an exaggerated sigh before taking up a cup from the tray and leaning back.

“Fine, fine…” he said calmly, taking a small sip as if testing the heat first. “Now, about what transpired at Madam Coffer’s…”

Calla’s expression changed, she looked off again, her mind swimming in the fear she had experienced. Even now, so far from the shack, she felt the eyes of the old woman on her. It made her shiver. That seemed to catch Gwydion’s attention as he frowned, moving to grab the other cup and offering it to her.

“The tea will calm the nerves, love,” he told her gently. She stared at the cup a moment before taking it from him, taking a small sip. Oddly enough, it did relax her slightly. She set it in her lap and sighed.

“...The way she spoke to me… is that what you meant about the dangers?” she asked softly, looking into the cup she held. She heard Gwydion give a hum in thought.

“To be honest, love, Blaise was not lying when he said it went well,” he answered, rubbing his temple with a free hand. “Madam Coffer was putting you into a trance, if I hadn’t been standing in front of you, it could have gone a lot worse.”

Calla was reminded of the look that had been in Gwydion’s eyes. She looked back at him. “That look in your eyes… I’ve never seen you look so intimidating,” she admitted, to which Gwydion smiled lightly.

“Just because I specialize in healing and nature spells, that doesn’t make me less of a threat. I have just as many other spells that cause a lot of damage when I take a situation seriously.” he pointed out. He sighed, tapping the cup in his hand. “Madam Coffer is a powerful witch, but not nearly as powerful as the coven, let alone its members. You know this coven is highly respected, and there is a reason for that. Very few dare to take us on given our level of power.”

She couldn’t help but watch him as he took another drink from the tea in his hand. She wondered just how powerful they were. She assumed she hadn’t seen nearly the extent of their powers, which only made her more curious. Sure, Gwydion was a flirt, but could he be dangerous? She took a deeper drink of her tea before setting the cup down.

“You put yourself between her and me to keep her from looking at me… why would you do that?” she asked. He glanced at her a moment before giving a playful grin.

“I was jealous.” he teased, making her scowl.

“Be serious!” she snapped, to which he chuckled.

He shook his head before his smile became more gentle. “You say that as if you expected me not to try and keep you safe, love,” he said before sighing. “What I can promise you is that the situation was never out of our control when we were with the old witch, and she will not come after you while we are around.”

She let his words mull around a moment before nodding, finishing up her tea. “So what happens now? For the last few weeks, you guys have been doing nothing but getting things together for this delivery. What happens now?” she asked, almost regretting the question immediately as Gwydion’s wicked grin returned.

“I have a few suggestions~” he sang, making Calla give him a blank stare and kick him. He chuckled at that before shrugging. “To be honest, love, we would more than likely travel to gather more resources for any new deliveries or take side jobs.”

She couldn’t help but frown. “I would have expected the life of a warlock to be a bit more-” she started before he cut her off with a grin.

“Exciting?” he asked. He shrugged again. “Normally yes, but as we live between the other realm and the non-magical one, and are a coven that is highly regarded, people do not find it wise to try anything. Thus, we normally have to find our own entertainment.”

Calla blushed when she noticed he was giving her a look over, not wanting to know what he was thinking. She didn’t have to wait to find out as he soon set his cup aside and got to his feet. All at once, he slammed his hands on the table on either side of her and leaned close to her face. Her body gave a bit of a shiver, seeing the look of lust in his eyes as she looked up at him. He had a coy grin on his face, his forehead touching hers as he looked down at her.

“And I am someone who could use some entertainment~” he purred in a low, sensual voice. Calla’s heart raced, feeling her face growing hot as she looked up into the face of the beautiful man before her. Even though he did similar things to her like this nearly every day, he somehow managed to make her heart skip a beat when he was so close.

“Gwy, don’t,” she said when she found her voice, her lips trembling.

He smirked more. “Don’t what? You have to be more specific, love.” he purred with the same tone. One of his hands that were against the table, moved to touch her chin, leaning in only for his lips to be stopped by her fingers. She could feel him pouting before he pulled away from her fingers, looking down at her with the biggest pair of puppy-dog eyes the adult man could do. She blushed at that but huffed.

“Can’t we ever have a conversation without you doing this?” she asked seriously with a slight frown before narrowing her eyes. “Also, enough with the eyes, you’re supposed to be the older one here!”

He pouted a moment longer before sighing, moving away. “Of course we can talk,” he said before frowning as he looked back at her. “But getting a taste of your lips always makes my day~”

She huffed at that, her blush turning a deeper red. “Your flowery words are not going to change the fact that every time I want to talk to you, you either try to explore my body or kiss me!” she exclaimed with a scowl. Gwydion smirked at that before looking off with a sigh.

“Fine. I guess I shouldn’t be so selfish,” he said with a playful tone. Calla’s eyes widened as she saw him undo the buttons of his vest and shirt, removing both.

“W-What are you doing?!” she exclaimed, turning her eyes from his sight.

“Leveling the playing field. I have explored your body, so you should explore mine~” he sang, finding her reaction amusing to watch.

“That was not what I meant!!” she whined, but soon heard him chuckle from the other side of the room. She glanced over to see him sit on his bed, messing with his hair. He undid the messy updo he normally had it in, undoing the braid once his hair was down. She watched him with a gentle expression, watching as his crimson hair flowed over his shoulders like red water. Now down, she could see just how long his hair was. It had to at least reach his lower back. No wonder he kept it up. She blushed again as he caught her staring. He just smiled and held his hand out to her.

“Join me for a rest?” he asked, his tone low and gentle. She hesitated, her eyes scanning his bare chest. She slowly got off the desk, turning towards him. That seemed to be all he needed to see as he moved to recline, moving the pillows to prop himself up against the frame, a smirk on his face. She sighed, moving over to the bed. She paused when she got there, however, thinking things over. Her eyes narrowed at him, making him raise a brow curiously.

With how much he teased her, she wondered how badly she could tease him. She blushed, not sure how to be sexy but figured there was something she could try. She pulled her skirt up a little before climbing onto the bed. Blushing with a shy look on her face, she slowly crawled over the bed to him.

However, simple, it seemed effective as she saw him bite his lip, eyes wide for a moment before the look of desire filled his expression. His mouth curled into a smirk, arms reaching out to receive her as she was pulled onto his lap, her hands resting against his chest. She swallowed hard, eyes wide as her fingers slowly ran down Gwydion’s chest. He had some chest hair, but other than that, his skin was smooth and as flawless as the rest of him. Her eyes were on his chest, though feeling his breath stagger as her fingers traced the lines of his muscular body. His arms were wrapped around her, holding her loosely to allow her to explore. As her hands traced just above the hem of his pants, she felt his arms tighten uncomfortably.

“Love… if you keep touching down there, you will be responsible for dealing with the outcome,” he warned with a staggered purr. Calla felt her face grow hot, eyes looking into his, seeing the arousal in his eyes. She felt a bit glad that she could do that to him while being unsure about what she was doing.

“S...Sorry…” she said softly, moving her hands up to rest on his shoulders. However, Gwydion just chuckled lightly and shook his head.

“Nothing to be sorry about, love. I probably deserved that,” he answered, though looking a little uncomfortable. He pulled her body against his, eyes looking into hers longingly. He frowned, searching her face. “Let me make love to you, Calla…”

Calla frowned at that. He would beg for it occasionally, though she knew it was only when he couldn’t help himself. In reality, Gwydion had been on his best behavior for the last few weeks, not using his power and never going too far. Even now, she knew he wasn’t really asking, it was just in the heat of the moment.

“...I...I know it's something I’m required to do, but I’m...I’m not ready to go that far yet…” she said, looking off. He sighed, rubbing her back gently.

“It’s not a requirement, love,” he replied tenderly, making her look back up at him. He just smiled warmly. “There is no reason for all of us to go to the other realm anytime soon, there is no deadline for when you need to give it up and I will wait for as long as you’d like until you are ready to give it to me.”

She was quiet for a moment before giving a breathy giggle. “Y-You seem confident that I’ll offer it to you,” she said, trying to tease but it came out a bit shyly. He gave a playful little pout.

“And you call me mean, love,” he replied back before smiling sweetly again. “First you turn me on and then you tell me you won’t even sleep with me? You little tease.” he teased back with a wink. She giggled at that, wrapping her arms around him before leaning in to kiss him softly. It wasn’t a long kiss as she pulled away, looking away with a shy smile.

“I have been hanging out with you a lot lately, so I guess if anyone is to blame for becoming a tease, it’s you.” she teased back. He watched her a moment before giving a chuckle.

“I guess so,” he replied, smirking at her. He let out a sigh, his arms loosening as he moved to lay down. She moved off of him as he did, moving to lay down next to him. He smiled at that, turning his body to face her. “Then how about I try a little harder to court you?”

She looked surprised at that before humming in thought. She was still worried this was just a game to him but was curious all the same. “And how would you do that?” she asked, curling up.

“Allow me to take you on a date,” he answered with a smile on his face. Calla’s face grew flustered again but so did the look of surprise.

“I...I’m not…” she started, more just surprised at the idea of Gwydion courting her like she was a woman of status. “W-Where would we even…?”

He chuckled at that. “You are so cute when you get all flustered!” he teased, making her pout before he hummed in thought, eyes locking with hers. “There is a larger city just to the north of here. I am sure you have heard of it as it is a point of trade and wealth in the area. I figured we could dress nicely and spend the day tomorrow exploring the area.”

Again, she was surprised to hear this. “You want to willingly go into a non-magical city?” she asked with a frown, remembering what he said about magical’s being slightly afraid of non-magicals. He just laughed at that.

“I go there all the time, love.” he pointed out, the look of amusement on his face. “Granted, normally I am there for pleasures of the flesh, but I would be more than happy to enjoy the day with you.” His smile grew warm and loving. “Let me treat you like the princess you deserve to be.”

Calla’s face was bright red, almost matching the color of his sheets before she turned away from him. “...You’re teasing me again…” she muttered. He chuckled at that, moving to wrap his arms around her and holding her close. She curled into his hold as she felt him kiss her head gently.

“I would never tease about treating you well, love,” he whispered to her, making her body shiver. She sighed, clinging to his sheets as she thought it over.

“Okay…” she said after a moment. “But… But I’m not wearing that frilly dress.” For some reason, she just had a feeling he was going to try to get her into that dress. He whined and pulled her closer.

“How did you know my plot?” he whined as he did. “I will get you to wear it eventually…”

She giggled at that, turning in his arms to cuddle close to him. “Good luck.” she teased back before giving a small yawn. Something about laying in his warm arms seemed to melt the stress of that morning away, making her dose off after a while.

As Calla fell asleep in his arms, Gwydion gave a small sigh. He looked down at her form, running his hands into her soft brown hair, twirling it in his fingers. He was doing everything in his power to ignore how tight his pants were. Even now, his eyes looked distant as memories of her crawling over to him danced around his head. Then there was the feeling of her hands exploring his body, so curious, and yet so shy. It was bad enough the memories of seeing her so aroused below him as he used his power kept him up at night. He was almost glad she had been staying in Marick’s bed as the temptation was becoming harder to avoid.

He sighed again, looking down at her sleeping face. She looked so sweet, so innocent, it sickened him with how badly he wanted to corrupt her. Maybe he was just a fiend addicted to sex. How different was he to an incubus? Then again, this was the longest he had ever gone without finding entertainment for his desires. That might be why the temptation was higher than normal.

His eyes softened, leaning down to kiss her forehead before pulling her close. For now, it was enough just having her here with him and it was an amazing feeling knowing she seemed to enjoy being around him without the use of his powers. He closed his eyes, smiling warmly as he felt her shift and cuddled against him.

Calla awoke the next morning startled to see that she had managed to fall asleep in Gwydion’s room again. After their nap, she had mainly hung out with him the rest of the day, helping him tend to the garden and even assisted in making dinner. The man was an amazing cook, a skill Calla figured she should probably get better at. By the time night fell she had fallen asleep while watching him enchant things at the table again. She must have been moved to his bed as she did, and the fact that she was still in the dress she was in yesterday meant the man hadn’t done anything. She looked around, Gwydion wasn’t in the room, making her frown before sighing.

“He’s probably making breakfast,” she muttered to herself, climbing out of the bed. She wondered if he had been serious about what he said, him planning to take her on a date. If it were true, she should probably take a bath.

She grabbed a nice-looking dress from her wardrobe before leaving the room. She could hear people talking in the dining room and saw Marick moving towards the storage room with a list in his hand. He caught sight of her and simply nodded towards her as if saying good morning. Calla blinked and did the same before the mystery man disappeared into the open door. She sighed, walking into the washroom and closing the door behind her. Marick was strange to her, but from what the others tended to say, he was strange to all of them. As she turned on the faucet to fill the tub with water, something the warlocks never seemed to use as they had magic, Calla wondered if she could ask Gwydion more about what the group was like before she got here.

The tub was filled with warm water by the time Calla got her dress off. She was starting to think Gwydion got dresses with buttons that were hard to undo without help.

In her struggle with the dress, she hadn’t heard the door to the washroom open and close. She only noticed when she felt arms go around her, making her let out a small scream in surprise before looking up at a laughing Gwydion. Her face grew bright red.

“I figured I would join you for a bath this morning, hope you don’t mind~” the man sang with a playful look in his eyes.

“GWY!” she exclaimed, “GET OUT!” She looked around before seeing a sponge, grabbing it and tossing it at him. To her horror, he caught it with ease, still smiling coyly.

Oh no! Her ultimate defense against him had failed!

“Gwy please!” she whimpered, trying to pick up the dress to cover herself as he hugged her close to him. He chuckled, pulling away from her. He was in nothing but a nightshirt and she turned away from him as he removed it, covering her face. She only looked his way again as she heard him get into the tub and give a sigh. He caught her look and smiled coyly. “If you wait, I will steal all the warm water.” He glanced towards the door then back to her. “I also enchanted the door so no one will be bothering us.”

She huffed at him, her face still beet red. Of course, he would. Still, her expression turned to one of hesitation. Her heart raced at the idea of taking a bath with him. Finally, she gave in but glared at him as she let the dress drop to the floor, leaving her bare.

“I-If you try anything I’m telling them how far you took your powers,” she warned, making him pout before sighing.

“Fine, fine,” he said before offering her a hand to help her in. Calla swallowed hard, keeping her eyes away from the water to make sure she didn’t see a certain part of him as she did. She sat down, facing away from him as he pulled her to lay against him. He hummed, wrapping his arms around her.

“See? Not so bad,” he said calmly, waving his hand to bring items he needed closer to them. Calla sighed, turning to lay the front of her body on his, blushing as her chest was pushed against his. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he was trying his best to behave himself, making her wonder just how badly he wanted to go farther.

“Is this what you like to do, push things until you get your way?” she huffed at him, not saying that to be mean. He seemed to understand she wasn’t that angry with him as he smiled, his hands running over her back, exploring the curves of her body.

“You say that like I’m a spoiled child,” he teased with a wink. “I wanted to spend the whole day with you, after all, we do have our date today.”

So he had been telling the truth about it. She hummed at that, his hands resting on his shoulders as she looked up into his face. “I don’t understand why you would… I’m not a lady or anyone of status,” she pointed out to which she saw Gwydion frown.

“You think so little of yourself, love,” he said softly before sighing. “You are no longer just some mere lower-class non-magical. You are the fifth member of our coven, our family. If you are so worried about status, I assure you that you're far higher in rank than other non-magicals.”

Calla blinked in surprise at that before her expression softened, looking off as she thought over his words. “You mean that?” she asked softly, looking back up at him. He just smiled warmly at her.

“Of course I mean that…” he said in a warm tone. Calla blushed at that before moving herself to sit up more so she could kiss him, her hands slipping from his shoulders to slowly run down his chest as she did.

It wasn’t a long kiss, her pulling away with a soft smile and blush. “Thank you, Gwydion… that means a lot to hear you say that…” It was true, him saying she was a part of this family unit, this coven was a good feeling. The life she had come from made her feel as if she was just something to be used or sold off for the right price. She came from nothing, and thus felt like nothing.

Gwydion just smiled, looking over her face. “You are getting better at that, you know,” he said after a while. “A few more lessons and you may be as skilled as me when it comes to kissing.”

She sighed at that. Gwydion always had a habit of turning a sweet moment into one where he teased her. She figured it was his way to avoid getting too close emotionally. “And when I begin to think you were being sweet to me, you go and say things like that,” she muttered, giving him a slight smile. He just chuckled at that, his hands resting on her sides.

“Sorry love, force of habit,” he mused playfully before his eyes looked her over. “I will say though if you prefer to be treated like you are a lower class woman, I am happy to do so~”

He had that lustful look in his eyes when he said that, making Calla blush before glaring at him. Even someone with her naivety knew what he meant by that. Girls in her status were lucky if they were pure by the time they married, normally being pulled into bed by upper-class men who were bored and horny. Women like her were things to use for entertainment, and even be insulted when money was offered to them for their time.

“You wouldn’t dare,” she said, though a slight worry in her voice. He gave a coy grin at that before she felt his hand move from her side.

Her eyes widened with a gasp as she suddenly felt his hand rubbing her between her legs. She bit her lip, clinging to him with her eyes closed. She couldn’t help a soft moan from escaping as his fingers slipped into her folds, expertly teasing her sensitive areas, making her body grow hotter than the water. However, it wasn’t long before she came to her senses and pulled away from him, climbing out of the tub. Her face was bright red as she got out, glaring at him.

“G-Gwy! You are such a jerk! Always doing things like that!” she whined as she did, seeing him watching her confused before sighing. She heard him get out while she moved to kneel to get her dress before suddenly being whirled around, falling back onto her back, blinking in surprise as she watched Gwydion kneel and move over her, a frown on his face. She blushed deeply, seeing the look of lust in his eyes as he scanned her body.

He sighed again, one hand touching her face as he leaned in to kiss her deeply, making her squeak, eyes wide. His kiss was so needy, passionate and commanding, but had a little force in it as if wanting more. The kiss was broken and he looked down at her longingly, his hand moving from her face and down her body to stop at her waist. It made Calla shiver at his touch.

“G-Gwy…” she started only to see his eyes looking a bit serious.

“Calla,” he said suddenly, catching her eyes before moving his hand away from her, closing his eyes to rub them. He soon pulled his hand away with a frown as he looked back down at her confused expression. “I need it, I need you... badly. I don’t know how much longer I can control myself.”

Calla’s expression went from confusion before shock and then bright red, her eyes closing as her legs were parted and she soon felt Gwydion’s hard member rubbing against her folds. She shivered, the feeling of pleasure rippling through her but also mixed with the slight fear she had about the sudden situation.

“N-No” she whimpered, gripping Gwydion’s arms as he continued to move his hips, but at the moment, not penetrating as he watched the moaning girl squirm in her unknown desire. “G-Gwy you promised…nnggh!”

“I won’t put it in…. I just want to show you what I’ve been dealing with...” he said calmly, making her open her eyes to look up at him as she made small sounds of arousal. She couldn’t help but look down, watching what he was doing. Her face was bright red, seeing him holding one of her legs up to give him better access to what he was doing. He was rubbing her sensitive clit, making her feel waves of pleasure that slightly clouded her mind at the new experience. This was the first time she had ever laid her eyes on the full male body, the thoughts of what she had expected being interrupted by the feelings he sent through her without the use of his powers. The only thing she could compare to Gwydion’s lean, slightly muscular body was the greek statues that she had seen in the lord’s manor when she was brought through. However, there was a major difference between Gwydion’s flawless body and the statues, and it had everything to do with the size of the part of him that rubbed against her. It was longer and thicker than those carved onto the male athletes made of marble.

“T-That’s not… nngh… t-the point! Y-You said you wouldn’t go t-too far!” she whimpered through her soft gasps and moans.

He sighed, rubbing her leg before smiling down at her. “Do you really want me to stop, love?” he asked with a coy tone. He smirked as he saw Calla bite her lip, looking up at him as he could see the mix of emotions going through the eyes of the girl below him.

She moaned softly, gripping his arms after a moment before her eyes locked with his. No, the answer to his question was no. Maybe he was succeeding at his game to push the line enough where she wanted more, maybe it was her curiosity with sexual acts, or maybe it was just because of how good him doing this felt. Either way, she didn’t want him to stop, wanting to know the feeling of release. However, the more she thought that the more there was that voice in her head telling her she was just another conquest for him. She didn’t mean anything to him but something he could play with. “G-Gwydion… I-I… If I am… If all I am is another girl to you… If all you want is sex from me… t-then just take it...” she said with a small moan, hurt filling her expression as she said those words. She felt his hips stop as she said that, catching him looking deep in thought. The room was quiet for a moment before he gave a long sigh, pulling away from her. She sat up as he got to his feet, turning to offer his hand.

“Calla… of course, you are not just another girl to me… I just…” he started before looking off. She could see a slight pain in his eye. “I’m not going to lie to you, love. I want to be intimate with you more than anything…” he gave a slight breathy laugh as he helped Calla up. “You would think I would be better at controlling myself.”

Calla frowned, looking up at him, he smiled softly down at her. Her expression sank to a sad expression. “Gwydion… I…” she started before looking at the tub.

However, she felt him pat her head. “Don’t, love,” he said tenderly. “I was being selfish, wanting to satisfy my want with the sweet look on your face when you are experiencing pleasure and arousal. How about we finish our bath and start the date I have planned for us today?”

Calla blushed, looking up at him as she watched him give her a wink, her still noticing the desire in his eyes. He turned and climbed back in. Calla paused a moment as he sat down, the warm water seeming to relax him. She was thinking a moment before moving over to the tub.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Gwydion?” she started, making him glanced at her curiously.

“Yes, love?” he returned. His gray eyes locked on her face. She bit her lip and looked away. Was she sure about what she was about to ask?

“You said that today… you were planning to court me,” she said before sighing, blushing deeply as she rubbed her legs together. “If… if you can prove to me that I’m not just something you want to sleep with… afterward… afterwords...I’ll agree to do something sexual you want to do t-that doesn’t involve taking my virginity.”

She watched him raise a brow at that, frowning as he paused to seriously think over her offer before humming, rubbing his chin. He smiled. “You know I am not like my brother, Calla. You don’t have to offer me something for me to treat you nice.” he pointed out, making her frown before he hummed again. “Are you sure you would be alright with that?”

Calla nodded at his question. “I...I haven’t a clue about what you would be interested in doing… but… if you can show me that I am not just some toy to you today, I will feel better about doing more… with you…” she said shyly.

Gwydion didn’t know what interested him more, her offer, or that adorable shy look on her face. What she was offering was a challenge. In reality, he wasn’t fully sure how he thought of Calla yet. But he did know that he didn’t like the idea that she thought he was treating her like a toy, even if deep down he knew he probably was.

He hummed before smiling. “I accept the offer,” he said calmly before motioning to Calla to join him again.

She searched his face a moment before blushing and climbing in. After all that had happened, Calla was glad when Gwydion’s attention went to actually taking a bath with her. As for the conversation, it was more on the lines of Gwydion asking about things Calla liked.

“G-Gwydion, wait…!” Calla exclaimed as she was nearly dragged as the enthusiastic man had her by the arm as he nearly danced into the center of the large port city with her. They received some looks but mostly people just chuckled, Calla, hearing them talking about being young. Clearly, the city knew about Gwydion’s antics as no one looked surprised. A part of Calla wondered just how many girls he had done something like this with.

She didn’t have time to think as he stopped in the center of the city and gave a grand gesture around him. “This, my love, is the majestic city of Rowien! See the lovely people, the splendid opera house, the smells of sweets and saltwater...” He nearly sang.

“The sounds of the overly dramatic lunatic at the center of it…” a voice said, making Gwydion pout as he looked back at Blaise giving him a blank stare. The comment made Calla giggle, especially with the overly dramatic look of hurt on Gwydion’s face.

The others had needed to go to the city anyway, so the group had gone together. However, after whining all morning, Marick finally agreed to allow Gwydion to spend the day with Calla instead of gathering resources. To her surprise, everyone seemed to be wearing clothing that made them look like non-magical nobles. It was...odd to say the least. She was not used to seeing them, especially Marick, looking like anything but warlocks.

“You are so mean to your teacher!” Gwydion whined at Blaise, moving to shake his shoulders. “Why can’t you ever say nice things!” The younger redhead growled and pushed him off.

“Let go of me!” Blaise hissed. Marick just looked annoyed before taking out the list he had. Raven just looked like he was about to burst out laughing, even having tears in his eyes at the sight. Calla was starting to think that Raven lived off the chaos, he always looked amused when it happened.

“Anyway,” Marick said sharply, catching all of their attention as they looked his way. He scanned the list for a moment. “While we are here, we need to restock supplies.” He glanced Raven’s way, clicking his tongue at the smile on the man’s face. Clearly, Marick expected Raven to have a bit more control over himself than this.

“Raven, you always have luck in the markets. See how many of the items you can locate and get a cart for us to bring things back.” Marick ordered, to which Raven smirked and nodded.

“Of course,” Raven replied, turning and walking towards the open market. He stopped and patted Calla’s head, giving her a wink. “Let me know if Gwydion doesn’t make you feel special today so I can fix that~” The comment confused Calla, making her blink in surprise as she looked up at him.

Gwydion stomped his foot with a pout to his brother, folding his arms. “You say that as if I don’t know how to treat a woman,” Gwydion whined. Blaise rolled his eyes.

“Perhaps it’s because he knows how you treat women is why he said that.” Blaise snapped back, once again making Gwydion act as if he had been shot.

“Enough,” Marick nearly growled. Raven frowned towards Marick before chuckling in amusement and waving it off.

“I’m going, I’m going,” Raven said calmly. He turned to walk down the sidewalk. “You act as if we’ve never done this before.” Marick just muttered in annoyance before looking over his list again before glancing at Blaise.

“Blaise, you handle gathering what we need from the docks, and don’t get into a fight with anyone this time,” Marick stated bitterly. Blaise just rolled his eyes at that.

“Whatever,” Blaise grumbled, turning to head that way. He glanced towards Calla.

“Kick him in the balls if he misbehaves,” Blaise stated so casually that Calla’s face lit up at that.

“W-What?!” She exclaimed only to watch Blaise continue to walk down the street. Gwydion huffed at that, looking hurt.

“Why do I get the feeling no one trusts me?” Gwydion grumbled with a pout.

“Because we know you and all the brainless things you do.” Marick shot back, making Calla look his way again.

“You’re so heartless, Marick!” Gwydion whined dramatically, once again getting people to look their way. Once again, no one looked surprised, just amused or annoyed as they moved about. That could only mean this was a common occurrence.

Marick just gave him a blank stare. “I already permitted you to run off today so you would stop bothering me. Since you are not helping, shoo.” Marick snapped, waving his hand to shoo him away. Gwydion gave a huff at that but sighed, turning to Calla with a smile.

“Fair enough, shall we?” Gwydion asked, offering his arm for Calla. She blinked in surprise at that before her face grew hot with a soft blush. She smiled shyly and took his arm.

“O-Okay,” she answered, making Gwydion’s eyes soften their expression to a warm, loving look. With that, he turned to walk with her down the stone sidewalk.

She looked up at him again as they did. “So um… What did you have planned for today?” she asked curiously. Gwydion had looked down at her curiously when she first spoke before smiling with a playful grin.

“If I told you, how am I supposed to surprise you?” he asked coyly. Calla pouted at that with a huff.

“I would still be surprised…” she muttered, looking away. Her eyes caught the bulletin board at the opera house. It seemed there was a show that would be happening over the next week. “Don Giovanni…”

That seemed to catch Gwydion’s attention as he glanced her way before he stopped, looking towards the opera house curiously. He hummed in thought before smiling back to Calla. “Do you know that one?” he asked curiously. Calla frowned, returning his gaze as she looked up at him.

“No, is it a show?” she asked, making him blink in surprise.

“It’s an opera, not one of my favorites, but it’s very good. You’ve never seen an opera before?” he asked. Calla gave him a blank stare at his stupid question.

“Gwy, when would I have seen an opera?!” she snapped at him with a huff. He seemed to pause to think a moment before smiling again.

“Well then, I guess I have to ‘pop your cherry’ so to speak~” he sang with a coy grin. Calla blushed deeply at that, glaring at him.

“GWY!” she yelled to which he chuckled in amusement at her face.

“Sorry~” he sang playfully, giving her a wink.

“No, you’re not.” she huffed back, looking away from him. “Lecher…”

He gave a pout at that before chuckling slightly. “But in all seriousness, I will get us tickets. We can make the show our second date,” he said calmly, making Calla frown but she soon sighed and smiled at him.

“Fine,” she said softly, making Gwydion smile once again.

He began to walk with her again. “Now that we know what we are doing on our next date, let’s start this one,” he said with a chuckle, leading her towards smaller docks with what appeared to be small boats that could be used.

Before Calla could react, Gwydion had already pulled away from her and walked over to the man who seemed to be dealing with couples who were buying these boats to spend the day out on the water. It seemed that whatever he did, it got them a boat as soon enough Calla was whisked away into it, being rowed out onto the water.

She couldn’t help but look around, the water shimmered and sparkled as if it danced with magic itself. The sky was so clear, the water a deep blue, which only made the city to the left of them stand out more on the port. The girl couldn’t help but look around in wonder at the surroundings.

Seeing Calla’s expression, Gwydion couldn’t help but smile warmly at her, slowing the rowing to a stop to allow them to drift out on the clear water, a little away from other couples who had decided to do the same. In the light reflecting off the water, Gwydion’s heartbeat warmly as he watched Calla, drinking in her sweet beauty and curiosity. It almost amazed him that she was from such a lowly background, her gentle beauty having been made to be treated like a lady of high society. As much as he didn’t fully understand the society of non-magicals, he knew Calla’s life could have been one of misery if she hadn’t found her way to him. Then again, perhaps her misery would still occur, just in a different setting. He had been with so many women before but only now his heartbeat with a soft new feeling of longing that confused him.

“It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it,” Gwydion said after a while, making Calla’s blue eyes look his way again. The smile on her face made his heart skip a beat.

She nodded at his question. “It is,” she replied, turning herself to look his way. His smile widened.

“I am the master of romance, after all, how could I not give you a beautiful sight while I enjoy my own beautiful view?” he said, giving her a look over. Her face redded at that, looking off shyly.

“I-I’m not that pretty…” she muttered to which Gwydion sighed again, making her look up at him as he touched his chin.

“You think so poorly about yourself, love,” he said gently, his eyes softening as they looked her way. “Have you not seen the looks people have given you since we arrived? You are a vision of beauty.”

She huffed at that, pouting his way. “I’m sure the one they are looking at is you, not me,” she stated with a sigh. He seemed to blink in surprise at that before chuckling.

“You think I’m a vision of beauty?” he asked coyly, making her jolt in surprise, her face growing darker in her blush.

“I-I…!” she stuttered before pouting and looking away from him. “D-Don’t act like you are unaware of the way you look! Y-You care more about your looks than any of the others… and you’re one of the most beautiful guys I have ever seen and I know you are fully aware of that!”

That’s why Calla knew he was a guy who could get anyone he wanted, why she was so afraid he was just using her as a toy. The man knew what he was doing, knowing how attractive he was. Added with his flowery words and romantic air, girls would melt if he merely looked their way.

She heard him give a slight laugh at that, leaning back slightly. She looked his way to see him fold his arms and looked towards the reflection of the water. “Well, I will accept your compliment, but I still think you sell yourself short. You are just as lovely to me as you think I am to everyone else,” he said, looking her way with a smile. At first, she blushed at that before she felt her heart ping with a sad thump, knowing that had to be a line he’s used before. However, he sighed.

“I inherited a lot of my looks from my mother, the same with her power,” he explained. His casual speaking of magic made her slightly worried as she couldn’t help but look around to make sure no one had heard. However, Gwydion chuckled at that. “Don’t worry, love. We are far enough away from their ears, plus, I doubt anyone would care about whatever the other couples are doing unless another boat starts to get frisky.”

She blushed at that, glaring at him before he just continued. “My mother was a lovely witch, kind-hearted and warm,” he said with a soft smile. “It made her a popular healer as not only was she talented, she was nurturing.”

Calla’s eyes softened as she listened. She tried to imagine what his mother would have been like. How he spoke of her, Calla assumed she was no longer alive. A question hit her mind again when he stopped.

“Gwydion?” she started, making him give a curious look before smiling softly.

“Yes, love?” he answered, tilting his head. She hummed in thought about how she wanted to word this.

“Raven and you… you don’t look all that much alike… even though you are brothers. I was wondering if-” she started only for Gwydion to cut her off.

“We share the same mother, but not the same father,” he explained, seeming calm like before when he openly spoke about his powers with her. It seemed Gwydion wasn’t the type to get offended by questions like this.

She blinked in surprise at that before frowning. “Oh…” she said. She hadn’t thought of that being a possibility. After all, a single mother was scandalous in the non-magical world. However, Gwydion just smiled softly at her.

“My mother was a helpless romantic, always falling in love with the idea of love,” he explained, his eyes staring off dreamily. “I didn’t know Raven’s father, he was long out of our lives when I came along but I did interact with mine a few times. I guess I get my charm from him. He was the type who was more interested in short, fun relationships, rather than anything long-term. Growing up, my mother would have flings but never anything serious, and never really bringing men around when we were home.”

Calla frowned at that. “So you picked up bad habits from both of your parents…” she muttered, Gwydion giving a dramatic look of being hurt by her words.

“Your words wound me, love,” he said before giving a playful chuckle. He sighed. “But you may be right with that comment. As I told you before, I have never hidden my intentions around you, but I promise I do not think of you as someone merely for a fleeting moment of blind passion.”

She wasn’t sure if she believed that, sighing and looking at her reflection in the water. “Gwydion, I don’t understand how you can talk so freely about things like that…” she said with a soft blush on her face. “Do you not have any shame in what you do?”

He raised a brow in surprise at her comment before frowning, however, he didn’t answer her, his expression shifting to a distant look as in thought. Did he feel shame? He hadn’t ever really thought about it before. He shook his mind out of the thought before smiling at her.

“Calla, I wanted to ask you…” he started, making her look back at him again. His smile was soft. “Are you happy… living with us?”

She gave the look of surprise at the question, even more so at the faint hint of worry in his voice about her answer. “What… do you mean?” she asked, confused by his question. Gwydion gave a small sigh, running his fingers into his hair.

“I’m not a fool, Calla. I understand the events that brought you to us were far from ideal. I also understand that you were not given a choice when you were told to live with us.” he explained, a slight sadness in his voice. “Given all of that, I worry sometimes that you are unhappy.”

She paused at that before sighing, looking off. “I won’t lie, Gwydion… your world… it’s a lot to get used to,” she said honestly, before looking back at him. “I still don’t fully understand everything. As for living with you guys, I’m getting used to it, but it would be nice if I were able to help in any way… and if I wasn’t getting pressured into doing things.” She gave him a look at that, only to see him give a smirk and shrug at that part. “But I’m not unhappy…”

Calla sighed again. “I didn’t have much of a future before this after all. I’m a nobody little farm girl from a poor family. If I hadn’t been sold to the lord of the town I ran from, I would have been married off to some rich older man.” she said before smiling slightly. “Ironically, being forced to live with a bunch of warlocks has given me more freedom than what I would have had. You guys tell me about all kinds of things, I get to read the books in the cottage without being told not to, everyone has been at least civil towards me though sometimes I question your motives. Still, I would say I am happy.”

Gwydion was silent as he listened to her speak. Her words had surprised him. Not just what she said, but how genuine it felt to him. He smiled softly at her, moving to take her hand into his. “Well, then. I would say that I’m glad to hear that, love,” he said calmly before giving a wicked smirk. “But I am afraid I can’t make any promises about the pressuring part, however, I will try not to make you feel as if you have to do things with me.”

Calla gave him a blank stare. At least he was being honest about it. “Lecher....” she muttered again, Gwydion giving a pout before pulling away from her hold. He gave a hum in thought before smiling.

“How about we get off the water? I promise I do have other things planned for today,” he said. Calla watched him a moment before nodding. Her curiosity was getting the best of her at this point.

Once she gave a nod, he began to row them back to shore. Once there, he got out of the boat and offered his hand to Calla, who took it. However, she did stumble a little as she climbed out, squeaking in surprise as she was swiftly caught by Gwydion.

He blinked in surprise before chuckling. “Oh my! It seems you are already falling for me~” he teased, making her face go bright red as she glared up at him.

“S-Shut it,” she muttered as she hid her face in his chest. He chuckled again, petting her head before moving her away so he could take her hand, leading her off.

Calla was a bit confused as Gwydion moved about the city to the different food places, picking up a few items before seeming to lead her towards a wooded park area.

“What are you doing?” she asked in her confusion as he spread out a cloth and started to place different foods and wine down. He glanced up at her with a cheery smile.

“A picnic!” he said before gasping in surprise. “You can’t tell me you’ve never had one before!”

“Gwy, again, when would I have?!” she snapped back. Gwydion sighed and sat down, motioning for her to do the same.

“Love, I will be honest, I do not fully know everything about non-magicals. I just assume everyone has had some experiences.” he pointed out with a pout. Calla looked at him for a moment. She figured him making comments like that was probably similar to the questions she asked about magic. The questions might be stupid for one side, but not the other. Sighing, she sat down, next to him. Looking over the food he got, she noticed it was things like cheeses and fruits. She wasn’t sure if that was common or not, however.

As she looked over the different fruit and cheese he had got, Gwydion was already getting into the wine, filling two glasses and offering one to her. “Here, love. Give this a sip and tell me what you think, assuming you’ve never had wine before,” he said, taking a sip of his own.

She stared at it a moment, taking in the deep red color of the liquid inside the glass before taking a small sip. At first, she didn’t know what to think of it, the odd mix of fruit and alcohol, however, she didn’t mind it when she took another taste. She glanced at Gwydion watching her and blushed.

“Well?” he asked curiously. “Not too terrible is it? I made sure to get a sweet one, not that you need any more sweetness of course.”

She huffed at him. “Stop teasing me…” she said softly, moving to lean against him. He smiled at that, putting an arm around her and resting his head on top of hers lightly.

“I only speak the truth, love,” he said softly. Calla’s heartbeat softly, enjoying the feeling of being cuddled up with him. He seemed to be trying to court her, pulling out all the charm.

Looking around, she wondered if this was what it felt like to be upper class. And then, there was the reminder that she wondered how many others had been treated like this. Was she truly special or was he just making her feel special to him? Gwydion seemed to know what she was thinking as he sighed.

“Before you start questioning me, love. I assure you I am not treating you like just another woman,” he said calmly, making her jolt before blushing, looking off.

“I...I’m sorry… it’s just, I sometimes wonder just how many girls you’ve done things like this with.” she said honestly. He gave a light chuckle.

“Calla, are you jealous of the women in my past?” he asked, making her pull away from him with a slight jump, looking up at him wide-eyed.

“W-What? N-No!” she said before huffing at him. “Why would you even think that?”

“Teasing~” he sang with a coy grin before noticing that she had managed to spill some of her wine on her arm. He sighed at that. “You, my dear, will stress me out if you ruin another dress.”

She blinked, confused by that before he took her glass from her. She didn’t even see the bead of wine running down her arm until Gwydion grabbed her hand and leaned in to lick it from her body, making Calla shiver, face going red. He seemed to take notice of that before smirking wickedly.

“And you say I am the horny one, love.” he teased, making her look down, face hot with a blush. “You are very easy to arouse. I have a feeling we will have so much fun once you are ready to go that far with me.”

“I-I am not..!” Calla whined. He just laughed at that, her face too cute for him to handle before he leaned in to kiss her forehead.

“You’re too cute, Calla.” he purred, making her shiver before he pulled away from her. He took up his glass again, taking a sip, offering hers again. Once she shyly took it back, he moved to grab some of the cheese he had gotten. “Try this, love, then take another sip. Wine is a funny thing that changes with food.”

She blinked in surprise at that before taking the bit of cheese. She ate the piece before taking another sip of wine. Her eyes widened in surprise. “That’s… good,” she said as she did. She heard Gwydion chuckle slightly, making her look back at him. “You know, you seem to know a lot about food. If you were not magical, do you think you would have been a chef? Or a royal cook?”

Gwydion paused at that, looking to the sky as he thought it over a moment. “I’ve never thought about that before,” he admitted, looking back at her before giving a smile. “When you are born magical, it is difficult to imagine yourself without those abilities. But, the idea of having a job where I get to cook all day does sound nice.”

She listened quietly before frowning. “I wish I were magical… your lives sound much more interesting,” she muttered before sighing.

He gave a light chuckle. “Well, yes, I would say it probably is.” he pointed out. He gave a hum in thought. “My mother always told us stories of the lives of non-magicals she would help. She found your kind to be fascinating. Non-magicals have created amazing things without knowing how their societies have grown alongside the other realm. I was a teenager when I first set foot into a non-magical village with my mother and brother.” He smiled at her again.

“As simple as non-magicals live, I have fond memories of aiding the sick on my first few trips to the non-magical towns and villages,” he said, his stare distant. Calla watched him a bit before humming in thought.

“Your mother sounds like she was a wonderful person.” she said softly before frowning. “But you speak as if she is no longer with us. When did she pass? If...If you don’t mind me asking.”

Once again, Gwydion didn’t seem upset or bothered by her question, just giving her a smile. “It was a few years before Raven and I set out to form a coven. I believe I was 20 at the time.” he said before sighing, staring into his glass as he swirled the red liquid inside it. “She was caught performing magic while in one of the non-magical villages. Fear and paranoia set in as soon as she was found out. I wasn’t present at the time but Raven was there as she was tried and executed for being a witch.”

Calla’s blood ran cold, eyes widening as she listened. Their mother was killed by non-magicals? Gwydion glanced over, seeing her expression before sighing with a frown. “Don’t worry too much about it, Calla. I do not blame all non-magicals for the sins of a few,” he said calmly, taking another sip. “However, Raven has a much harder time with trusting non-magicals or seeing them as equals. The only reason he’s not as bitter around you as I have seen him with others of your kind is because of the state you were in when you arrived. He told me seeing you in such a state reminded him more of the state our mother was in than when he took revenge on the villagers who had killed her.”

Calla looked down at that, thinking to herself. She wondered what Raven thought of her or if he was uncomfortable with her being in the cottage. He was normally smiling towards her but she now wondered if a part of it was just an act.

“He doesn’t hate you, Calla,” Gwydion said calmly, making her snap her attention back to him, once again wondering if he could read her thoughts. Gwydion smiled softly at her. “And neither do I. However, that is why I wanted you to understand that some magicals are slightly fearful of non-magicals or will think of them as lesser beings.”

Calla’s expression still held a sadness to it but she nodded. Gwydion frowned however before sighing, moving to wrap his arm around her again. “Love, trust me. You would know if any of us held any malice towards you. To be honest, Raven’s been very gentle around you since the moment you arrived, which outside of being friendly towards women for the sake of his desires, I have never seen him do towards non-magicals. You were not the one to blame for what happened to our mother, nor do we hold you accountable for the whole population of non-magicals. So please, don’t be upset.” He said, his words soft and warm as he kissed her head softly. He smiled when she looked up at him. “Anyway, I believe a change of topic would be best.”

Calla nodded before sighing. “Alright, so what should we talk about now?” she asked, curious, however nervous about where he would turn the conversation. Her suspicions were only elevated when he gave a wicked grin.

“How about you tell me what sexual act you are the most curious in doing with me~?” he purred playfully. Calla’s face went red again and she glared, pushing away from him.

“You are worse than a lecher,” she muttered, to which Gwydion laughed and hugged her back to him.

“Oh come now, you are young and curious after all. You cannot tell me you have never fantasized about what it was like to be intimate with a man before.” he pointed out, making her face grow a darker shade of red as she looked off embarrassed. He chuckled. “See? Now I know I’m right.” He leaned to whisper into her ear. “Tell me what you want me to do to you, love~”

Calla whined at that, trying to cover her face. A shiver ran over her body and her heart raced. Why did he have such an effect on her like this? “I-I don’t know!” she whined, using her hair to hide her face. The sight made Gwydion chuckle with amusement.

He hummed. “Do you want to know what I want to do to you tonight?” he asked playfully. She moved her hair to shoot a glare at him, her face still beat red.

“I already know what you want to do, Gwy! And I’ve told you, I’m...I’m not sure if I want to go that far yet…” she stated with a huff. However, his smile curled into his wicked grin again.

“Not sure? Interesting, so now your answer has moved from not ready to not sure if you are ready. I seem to be making progress~” he teased with a wink. Calla whined and lightly pushed his face away before turning to face away from him. He pouted and moved to wrap his arms around her.

“But Calla, what if you start looking all sweet, moaning my name in that lovely tone you do when we play together? How am I to control myself? I know deep down you want to~” he purred into her ear, making her body tense with a shiver again.

Calla whined, eyes closing tightly as she bit her lip. “Stop it!” she yelled. She felt Gwydion’s hot breath on the back of her head as he gave a sigh and soon let her go.

“Fine, I’ll stop,” he said as he did. Calla looked back to watch him down the rest of his wine, his eyes distant and disappointed. It made her frown and look off, remembering what he had said that morning about not being able to control himself. She felt she was being unfair to him, but at the same time, it wasn’t her problem that he was addicted to sex. She shouldn’t have to give in and do things when she wasn’t sure if she was ready to do so because he wanted it. Gwydion was a man who was used to getting his way, getting what he wanted when he wanted. Even Calla was aware of that.

Still, Gwydion was showing a level of restraint around her that she didn’t think someone like him could do. He wasn’t using his powers to force her to do anything she would regret. He pushed the line, but never fully crossed it, always stopping when she asked him to. What he had done that morning was about as far as he had ever gotten to crossing the line and yet Calla wasn’t upset with him for it. Maybe he was right about her wanting to give in deep down. Gwydion was open and honest, and that was why she was so conflicted.

The two were silent a moment before Calla turned back to him. “Gwydion…?” she started, making his gray eyes look her way again.

“Yes, love?” he asked, a look of curiosity peeking through the other emotions in his eyes. She frowned, looking off.

“What am I to you?” she asked softly, hugging herself.

Gwydion’s eyes widened as he watched her. She was conflicted about her thoughts on him, he could sense that, which she had every right to be. Out of habit, his head went to every line he had ever said to a girl. He knew every disingenuous answer he could give to make a woman feel comfortable about being with him, maybe even to tip the scales in his favor of getting what he wanted from them. However, upon letting the look on her face sink in, he soon turned his mind from those lines. No, Calla wasn’t like the others in his mind, she deserved a real answer from him.

He gave a long sigh, looking up at the sky as he leaned back. “What are you to me…” he repeated her question, almost as if asking himself. He gave a light smile. “To be honest, that’s a question I’ve been asking myself since you first started spending time with me…” He looked her way again, Calla’s eyes on him. She looked both confused and curious.

“I don’t fully know the answer to that question,” he admitted calmly, moving to run his fingers through his hair. He looked to the ground in thought as he did. “I enjoy your company… I dream of the day you want to start spending nights with me, and that’s not just for sex. I want to hold you in my arms for hours and talk about anything. I love making you flustered, and I adore when you smile my way…”

Calla was silent as she listened to him, a faint blush appearing on her face as her heart beat faster. This was the first time she had ever seen him look so lost in thought. He continued, “I am kept up at night with thoughts of making love to you, but the idea of being forceful towards you makes me sick. I know I push things to the limit, and every time I do I hate myself for doing anything that would make you uncomfortable. Always that pesky hindsight.” he said before looking at her and smiling softly. “You’re the first woman I have ever cared about upsetting with my actions. So I would say you are quite special to me.”

Calla’s heart fluttered, not because his words were flowery or were trying to make her heart race, but because of how genuine his words felt. She believed everything he had said, and yet, a part of her was still unsure. He didn’t make some wild claim that he loved her, he claimed he didn’t fully know how he felt but that he cared.

She seemed to think for a moment before putting down her glass. She moved over to him, pushing her lips to his as she climbed onto his lap. She felt him tense slightly for a moment before he wrapped his arms around her tightly, kissing back with a deep passion that made her mind dizzy. That or maybe it was the wine. Still, she clung to him, not wanting to pull away any time soon. His embrace was warm, his lips soft and needy.

Her head was spinning by the time the kiss was broken, finding she needed to catch her breath as her eyes opened to see him smiling lovingly to her. Her heart raced, face a deep red as she hid her face into his chest. She felt him give a slight chuckle, petting her head as he moved to lay down, holding her close before sighing.

“And here I thought I was courting you, Calla...” he muttered, his eyes staring into the sky.

It would be hours later when Calla and Gwydion walked back into the middle of the city, greeted by Raven who waved to them.

“Well now, how was the day?” Raven asked with a smile on his face. Calla blushed but smiled back at him.

“He behaved himself,” she said, giggling when she heard Gwydion whine next to her. Raven just laughed and nodded.

“That’s good to hear.” Raven replied, smirking at his pouting brother before sighing. “But sadly, I may have to steal Calla from you for a while, Gwy.”

Gwydion paused, looking confused before blinking. “Why?” he asked, seeing Raven take out a small list and hand it to him.

“There were a few things we still needed, mostly those in the nature department. You are the expert when it comes to the rarer plants.” Raven pointed out with a shrug. Gwydion gave a pout before sighing.

“Fair enough,” Gwydion said before smiling at Calla. “Will you be okay without me?”

Calla just rolled her eyes with a smile. “I think I’ll be fine,” she said, Gwydion giving a chuckle.

“So mean, I was hoping you’d beg me to stay.” Gwydion teased with a wink before turning to leave. He glanced back at the brother. “Don’t do anything I would do~”

Raven chuckled, shaking his head. “Never would,” he replied before looking at Calla. “Ready to head back?”

She nodded but looked around. “Where are the others?” she asked, not seeing them. Raven sighed.

“Blaise got into a fight, Marick dragged him back to the cottage nearly an hour ago,” he explained, turning to walk down the sidewalk with her. Calla frowned at that.

“Of course he did…” she muttered, following. “Is he okay?”

Raven flashed her a smile. “Yeah, he’s fine. The other guy however is missing a few teeth,” he said, shaking his head with a smile.

Calla sighed again, wondering what could have happened that had gotten Blaise so angry that he would fight someone. Then again, Blaise was always a hothead. His name was fitting for him.

As they walked out of the city, heading to the location they started in which would be out of sight enough to teleport back to the cottage, thoughts filled Calla’s head, making her frown and slowing to a stop. She looked at Raven.

“Raven?” she called, making the black-haired man stop and turn slightly towards her.

“Yes?” he replied curiously. Calla sighed, her eyes softening. She knew Gwydion told her not to worry about it but she felt she had to at least make sure Gwydion wasn’t just saying Raven wasn’t angry to make her feel better.

“Gwy… Gwy told me what happened to your mother. I just… wanted to say that I am sorry-” she started before Raven’s gentle smile cut her off. His smile was so warm, eyes soft as he smiled her way.

“He did, huh…” Raven said, turning his body to fully face her. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “You have a very kind heart to apologize for something that wasn’t your fault, Calla. But you have nothing to be sorry for…”

Calla frowned more at that, stepping towards him. “But… she was killed-” she started again before being cut off.

“By people who were not you…” Raven stated calmly, shaking his head with a smile to her. Calla looked down as Raven moved over to her. He patted her head softly.

“Calla, I’m assuming you are bringing this up because Gwy said I had an issue with non-magicals, right?” he asked but didn’t give her a chance to answer as he hummed in thought. “I won’t lie, I don’t particularly hold non-magicals in high regard, but I know good from evil. If you are worried that I hate you, then you have nothing to worry about.” He gave a warm smile as she looked up at him again. “You are family, and Gwydion adores you. I will protect you the same as I would anyone in this coven and I hold no thoughts of hatred or dislike towards you.” He hummed, moving to scratch his head. “Does that make any sense?”

She hummed in thought, letting what he said sink in before nodding. “I guess so,” she said after a moment. Raven smiled again and nodded.

“Good, now let’s get back before Gwydion thinks I ran off with you,” Raven teased with a wink before taking her hand and teleporting off with her.

In the city, Gwydion sighed, looking over some flowers before scanning the list in his hand. His thoughts were elsewhere. Thoughts of his day with Calla swimming through his mind. He wondered if he could do anything with her without giving in to his lust and taking her. He wanted her badly, hoping she would stay the night with him tonight. Then again, could he control himself if she did?

His attention was grabbed by a pretty girl who was nearby. She smiled at him, blushing before giggling with some other girls who were with her. Gwydion gave her a look over before smiling. Perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to indulge himself a little before returning. At the moment, his mind was only on his desires and needs as he moved away from the flowers. He put on his most charming smile before walking over to the excited-looking ladies.

Regret would only set in when he returned to the cottage, his mind finally clear enough to realize his head was screaming with the thought of his betrayal.

Gwydion’s feelings for Calla have increased.

Continue the story on Chapter 12