Page 52 of An Oath at Midnight

“Why? I know your people like to keep to themselves, but that can’t be the only reason?”

He glanced down at me. “Crows can be volatile when they’re young. There are few things more dangerous than an adolescent crow pumped up on hormones and ruled by their hunting instincts. Safer to keep us home where we can be kept in line.” He took my hand and started toward the building.

“Hunting?”

He didn’t answer.

The lightbulb went on. “Oh…like that, was it?” I said and chuckled, even as that unwanted jealousy rushed back.

“Like what?”

“Hormonal and on the hunt? You’re kept home so you don’t break hearts and knock up half the city,” I said and was glad it was dark when my face heated for some stupid reason. You just saw him jerk off, that’s the freaking reason. “I can see your brothers doing that as teenagers…you, not so much.”

I smiled, joking around, trying to keep things light, but he didn’t laugh or even smile.

“I was never really interested in any of that, and once I found my best friend, nothing and no one else mattered,” he said.

I swallowed hard. He had to be joking. “And before we found each other? Did you go out with anyone at your village?” What the hell was I doing? We had an unspoken rule that we didn’t ask each other about this stuff. Everything else, yes. Sex and romantic relationships, never. I didn’t know why or when we both decided that was how it would be, but we’d been avoiding this conversation for six years, and now I decide to bring it up and break all the rules?

But then so much between us had already changed. Maybe that rule didn’t apply anymore. Maybe it shouldn’t. Neither of us were kids anymore.

His expression told me he was thinking the same thing, and he waited, I assumed for me to take it back or change the subject. I didn’t.

“No one at the village,” he finally said, surprising me as he led me around the side of the main building.

An image of him in the shower flashed unbidden through my mind. Baby. His throaty voice igniting invisible sparks across my skin.

That swirly sensation curled low in my belly again. “Are you dating anyone?” I blurted, unable to hold it in. We spent enough time apart, it was definitely possible.

His step faltered, then he glanced over at me. “No.” He didn’t elaborate, and we both went quiet. I thought that was the end of the conversation, then he said, “Are you?”

I shook my head, trying to subtly rub my clammy hands on the front of my jeans. “No. Have you…ever dated anyone?” My heart was racing. Yes, we’d always been in each other’s pockets, but we’d had hours apart while I was at school. The idea of sharing him with someone else, anyone else—honestly, I hated it. It was selfish, but I wanted him all to myself.

I couldn’t expect him to be alone forever, though, and like Payne had so bluntly said, eventually, Bram would meet someone.

“No,” he said, startling me.

“No?” He couldn’t mean it. “No one at all?”

He shook his head as he walked to one of the side doors. It was darker around here, but we both had the hoods of our jackets up in case anyone saw us, or if there were security cameras around.

“You?” he asked as he quickly picked the lock.

I swallowed several times. “No.”

We walked into the dark building, and Bram pulled a small flashlight from his pocket, shining it up at the alarm system. We only had a few minutes. I quickly sliced an X into my palm and held it up in front of the control panel. I’d learned the spell from Iris, who’d learned it from a witch who frequented a bar she used to work in. It was a simple but seriously effective bit of blood magic.

The alarm instantly shut down, along with any cameras inside the building.

Bram produced a small jar of Else’s balm and grabbed my hand. He swiped some over it, then covered it with a large Band-Aid. He carried them with him, always. “Thanks.”

He took my other hand and led the way down the wide hall. “Where are we going? Office?”

“Library. This way.” I took the next right.

“Where was your locker?” Bram asked.

“A couple corridors over. Why?”