Chapter One
Another sucky Valentine’s Day. Valerie twirled the straw in her rum and coke as she sat at the restaurant bar. She had been there an hour already. Val had wanted to get there early and scope out the place, but she’d been a little too eager to leave home and been way too early. The ice in her mixed drink had melted, watering down the concoction, but she didn’t care.
She had looked forward to having a date for the first time in years on Valentine’s night. Even if it was a blind date set up by her cousin Suzy. Suzy, who had encouraged Val to take a walk on the wild side . Those were the fledgling witch’s exact words to her older cousin who didn’t have enough magic in her to boil water. She was a disgrace to the entire Faber Clan. Teachers of magic from time immemorial. To have such a powerless child in their midst was both an embarrassment and practically a sin.
Good thing her brothers and sisters had proved to be exceptionally powerful warlocks and witches, or her parents might have been completely disgraced. As it was, not a single mage worth mentioning wanted to date the Faber’s freak child who had very little magic of her own—most of it quite useless.
But Suzy had always been a kind child. She’d grown into a gracious young woman who had a soft spot in her heart for her magicless older cousin. Suzy was her one true friend in Clan Faber. Without her, Val would’ve long ago left the family fold and struck out on her own in the real world. The world where magic didn’t intrude on every aspect of life. The world where Valerie didn’t feel like a freak all the time. A world without her beloved cousin, Suzy.
Without Suzy, Valerie wouldn’t be sitting here, waiting for a blind date.
Valerie hated blind dates as a rule, but she’d been on her share of them. Most didn’t work out. One or two had led to short-lived affairs. Yet, she was still alone. Unwanted by the magical community. Nothing terribly special among those who didn’t have a clue magic existed either. Just plain old Valerie, the eternally alone.
She was feeling single and pitiful, sitting by herself in a restaurant full of lovers on the alleged most romantic night of the year. Val sighed, trying to look invisible on her lonely barstool. All around her, people were mingling, sipping colorful drinks while they waited two-by-two for their tables to be ready. One quick glance told her she was the only single person sitting at the bar. She’d intercepted a few pitying looks from some of the other women in the room, but refused to acknowledge them.
She would sit here for another five minutes and if her date didn’t show by then, she was leaving. No matter how humiliating it would be to walk the gauntlet of paired off people on her way to the coat check and ultimately, the door.
“Is this seat taken?” A deep voice asked from above.
Expecting to see some guy and his date, Valerie looked up from her drink, only to be ensnared by dark eyes in the most handsome face she’d ever beheld. A quick check behind him showed no date in evidence, but Valerie was cautious. No way a guy this gorgeous would be on his own on Valentine’s night. Maybe his date was in the powder room?
“It’s free,” she answered shortly, turning back to her drink. She needed a minute to collect her thoughts. No doubt some slinky woman would show up to claim Mr. Handsome in a minute or two. Best not to make a fool out of herself before then.
“You’re Valerie, right?”
Be still her beating heart. Mr. Hunkalicious was her blind date? Way to go Suzy. If his packaging was anything to go by, Valerie owed Suzy big time for setting her up with this major hottie. Her radar went off at the thought. There had to be something wrong with him. Why else would a gorgeous guy like him be scrounging for a blind date on Valentine’s Day?
“Keith?” she asked, just to make sure. Her cousin had only given her the mystery man’s first name. Nothing more. Not even a
Another sucky Valentine’s Day. Valerie twirled the straw in her rum and coke as she sat at the restaurant bar. She had been there an hour already. Val had wanted to get there early and scope out the place, but she’d been a little too eager to leave home and been way too early. The ice in her mixed drink had melted, watering down the concoction, but she didn’t care.
She had looked forward to having a date for the first time in years on Valentine’s night. Even if it was a blind date set up by her cousin Suzy. Suzy, who had encouraged Val to take a walk on the wild side . Those were the fledgling witch’s exact words to her older cousin who didn’t have enough magic in her to boil water. She was a disgrace to the entire Faber Clan. Teachers of magic from time immemorial. To have such a powerless child in their midst was both an embarrassment and practically a sin.
Good thing her brothers and sisters had proved to be exceptionally powerful warlocks and witches, or her parents might have been completely disgraced. As it was, not a single mage worth mentioning wanted to date the Faber’s freak child who had very little magic of her own—most of it quite useless.
But Suzy had always been a kind child. She’d grown into a gracious young woman who had a soft spot in her heart for her magicless older cousin. Suzy was her one true friend in Clan Faber. Without her, Val would’ve long ago left the family fold and struck out on her own in the real world. The world where magic didn’t intrude on every aspect of life. The world where Valerie didn’t feel like a freak all the time. A world without her beloved cousin, Suzy.
Without Suzy, Valerie wouldn’t be sitting here, waiting for a blind date.
Valerie hated blind dates as a rule, but she’d been on her share of them. Most didn’t work out. One or two had led to short-lived affairs. Yet, she was still alone. Unwanted by the magical community. Nothing terribly special among those who didn’t have a clue magic existed either. Just plain old Valerie, the eternally alone.
She was feeling single and pitiful, sitting by herself in a restaurant full of lovers on the alleged most romantic night of the year. Val sighed, trying to look invisible on her lonely barstool. All around her, people were mingling, sipping colorful drinks while they waited two-by-two for their tables to be ready. One quick glance told her she was the only single person sitting at the bar. She’d intercepted a few pitying looks from some of the other women in the room, but refused to acknowledge them.
She would sit here for another five minutes and if her date didn’t show by then, she was leaving. No matter how humiliating it would be to walk the gauntlet of paired off people on her way to the coat check and ultimately, the door.
“Is this seat taken?” A deep voice asked from above.
Expecting to see some guy and his date, Valerie looked up from her drink, only to be ensnared by dark eyes in the most handsome face she’d ever beheld. A quick check behind him showed no date in evidence, but Valerie was cautious. No way a guy this gorgeous would be on his own on Valentine’s night. Maybe his date was in the powder room?
“It’s free,” she answered shortly, turning back to her drink. She needed a minute to collect her thoughts. No doubt some slinky woman would show up to claim Mr. Handsome in a minute or two. Best not to make a fool out of herself before then.
“You’re Valerie, right?”
Be still her beating heart. Mr. Hunkalicious was her blind date? Way to go Suzy. If his packaging was anything to go by, Valerie owed Suzy big time for setting her up with this major hottie. Her radar went off at the thought. There had to be something wrong with him. Why else would a gorgeous guy like him be scrounging for a blind date on Valentine’s Day?
“Keith?” she asked, just to make sure. Her cousin had only given her the mystery man’s first name. Nothing more. Not even a
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