A Practical Guide to Sorcery for Night-Shift Workers novel · Chapter 17 of 24

Chapter 17: Stop Aiming

I held out my hand, and he put the bead in my palm.

It was warm from his fingers.

It was the size of a marble, clear glass, with a thin gold thread of light turning slowly in the middle.

"Your aunt made this for you," I said.

"She made it because I was afraid."

"And you were afraid for five years."

"I'm still afraid." His voice went flat. "I'm afraid of the retest, Reya."

"I'm afraid of the cold, and the clerk, and Duane's pen. A thing in my pocket would help."

I walked to the drawer by the stove and put the bead inside it.

I shut it gently.

"Then I'll say it once and not coach," I said. "That is not a crutch. A crutch holds you up while you heal."

"And?"

"That bead teaches your hands to lie. I won't stand here and watch you go back to it."

His face closed.

"You aren't in a position to tell me what to do."

"No," I said. "I'm not."

I got my coat.

I did not see him again until Saturday night.

The rare-book room was dark except for the green lamp on the oak table.

He was working at it in his shirtsleeves, with a pair of white cotton gloves and a book open on a foam cradle.

He looked up when I came through the keycard door, and his expression went still.

"You're not supposed to be here."

"I'm not coaching."

"Then why have you come?"

← Chapter 16 · All chapters · Chapter 18 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend