Page 55 of No Charm Done

“Mr. Shaw,” she purred. “If you’re truly planning to bait the powerful, I may know a benefactor with resources to spare. She adores a good downfall.” Louise’s eyes glinted with her usual blend of amusement and malice. “Shall I make an introduction?”

Elias and Luna exchanged a meaningful look. His instincts hollered at him to refuse.

“Sure.” He shrugged instead. “What could possibly go wrong?”

“In my experience?” Luna knew that asking what could go wrong when Louise was involved was a bit like asking how many grains of sand were on a beach. “Everything.”

“I’ll be in touch.” Louise drifted away, leaving behind the faint scent of something floral but faintly wrong, like roses in a graveyard.

Luna tugged Elias toward the door. “Come on. Let’s get some air.”

Outside, it was a mercifully ordinary summer night. All the shops were closed for the night, lamplight flickering. From here, Oak Haven looked peaceful, like a postcard. Proof, he thought, that appearances are lazy liars.

“So,” Luna said. “We’re really doing this.”

“Looks like it.”

“You think it’ll work?”

The memory of the panda costume flickered through his mind, the way his body had tensed to attack her. He still felt slightly sick.

“Honestly? I dunno. My main worry is the timeline. That kid proved that CastR already works, so Vex won’t wait long before he starts selling it. Is there time to rope in other investors? Will he even want any?”

“Aw now,” she chuckled. “Guys like Vex always want more investors. Scarlett can maybe help, she used to work in Silicon Valley, back when she was pretending she wasn’t a witch.

“She what, now?!”

“Long story, don’t ask.”

They stood there in the darkness, the town murmuring behind them. Elias was suddenly acutely aware of how close she was, the way the moonlight caught in her hair, the warmth of her hand still in his.

“So,” she said softly. “Partners?”

“Partners.”

“Elias—”

He kissed her. Or maybe she kissed him.

Later, neither would be sure who moved first, just that they were standing with the weight of the world on their shoulders when suddenly her hands were in his hair and his arms were around her waist, and nothing else mattered except the softness of her lips and the way she made this small, surprised sound against his mouth. It was better than he’d remembered. Better than the forced kiss in New York, better than any kiss had a right to be.

They broke apart when breathing became non-optional, but stayed close, foreheads touching.

“That was—” Luna started.

“LUNA!”

They sprang apart like guilty teenagers as Scarlett’s voice cut through the night. Elias turned to see both Melrose sisters emerging from the town hall—Scarlett in the lead, Delilah right behind.

“There you are,” Scarlett said, looking between them with obvious interest. “We’ve been looking everywhere—” She stopped, her grin turning absolutely wicked. “Oh my gods, were you two⁠—”

“No,” Luna said too quickly.

“We were just—” Elias tried.

“Discussing strategy,” she finished.

“With your faces?” Scarlett was delighted.