Read Charmed in Vegas: Bad Potions for Free Online Page A

voice she added, “Put the past behind you, okay?”
    She nodded and waved as Raven and her werewolf went out the door.
    “Well, I guess it’s just the two of us now.” Aidan handed her a glass of wine.
    Marion took the glass and drained it in one gulp.
    “Whoa, easy there.” Aidan went to get the bottle and refilled her glass. “Why do I get the feeling you’re afraid of me?”
    “It’s not you.”
    “Then who?” His gaze held hers.
    Marion blinked and stared into her wine glass. “It’s a long story.”
    “We’ve got all night.”
    Worrying her lower lip, she debated how much she wanted to share, but then the oven timer buzzed a last-minute reprieve. She rushed into the kitchen and took the roast chicken from the oven, transferring it to a serving plate. The vegetables and mashed potatoes were already in their serving bowls. Aidan followed her into the kitchen and grabbed both side dishes, carrying them to the small dining table in the living room where, to her relief, he changed the subject.
    “This smells delicious,” he said, carving the chicken.
    “Yeah, reminds me of Sunday dinner back home.”
    “And where was that?”
    “Small town Ohio.” She held out her plate and he set some white meat on it to which she added a heaping spoonful of potatoes and veggies. “The only witch for fifty miles.”
    “The only?” He raised his eyebrows. “I thought witches were more common than that.”
    “In the cities maybe. But not out in farm country. They take the Bible literally there.”
    “Yes, I’ve read it. ‘Suffer not a witch to live,’ right?”
    Marion nodded. “Exactly.” Just because magic was real didn’t mean everyone liked it.
    “Did you have a hard time growing up?”
    “Not really. It wasn’t so bad. We all just pretended I didn’t exist.” Magic wasn't a secret, but talking about it openly wasn't encouraged. Ignoring it made the people without magic feel safer. "That's one of the reasons I came to Vegas, though. There's more magic here than anywhere else."
    “It doesn’t sound like Ohio was much fun.” Aidan sipped his wine and gave her a sympathetic look.
    Marion ducked her head and focused on her plate, uncomfortable with his pity. “I got used to it. How about you?”
    “Me, what?”
    “Where did you grow up?”
    “In the Lowlands of Fairy.” At her puzzled look, he elaborated. “Fairy is divided into three regions: The Lowlands where most of us live, the Wastelands where there are tricks of time and space, and the Borderlands where the barriers between our world and yours are thin.”
    “What’s it like growing up with magic all around you?” Marion didn’t know much about Fairy, but if the stories were to be believed, magic ran wild there, ripe for the taking. Being human, she had to sweat for every ounce of magic and study for years. In Fairy, it came with a snap of the fingers. Or so she'd heard.
    “I never noticed it. It was just normal. My father grew flowers for the Queen. Even with magic, we did a lot of weeding.”
    “You didn’t grow up in Court then?”
    “No. There’s more to Fairy than the Queen’s Court.”
    “Have you met the Queen?”
    “Yes, I have. Many times. She recruited me for her guard when I was full-grown.”
    Marion gaped at Aidan, eyes wide. “You’re one of the Queen’s own?” Rumors abounded about the Queen’s guards. They were fierce, loyal and handsome, almost like superheroes. Suddenly she felt much better about letting Aidan get so close.
    “I am.” He laughed. “Don’t be so impressed. It’s a job.”
    “But not just anyone can be in the Queen’s guard, right?” Marion asked, reaching for the wine bottle to top off their glasses.
    “Maybe not, but trust me I barely squeaked by. My first Ball, instead of guarding the Queen, I almost took her down myself. I tripped over her train and she almost fell off the dais.”
    Marion couldn’t hide a chuckle at the idea of him falling and taking the queen with him.