Damon believed he was going to hurt the Variks from within.
There was a chance he could be right. What if he’d gotten the prophecy straight from the witch? She could have explained that was what the prophecy meant.
Not that Winter didn’t have a good interpretation too. They just weren’t working with enough information yet.
The big question was whether Fox was willing to risk the lives of all the Variks by not doing anything.
That was a huge fucking NO.
He didn’t want to do anything that endangered the Variks. Yes, he’d known Winter for barely more than a week, but the vampire was claiming his heart piece by piece with every kind word, gentle gesture, and wonderful laugh. Even the Variks had treated him with kindness and respect despite the fucking mess they were all in. Not once had they thought less of him because he couldn’t do magic. When Winter said he’d didn’t think Fox meant to harm them, they all believed him. And by extension, they believed in Fox. He had no intention of ever breaking that trust.
So if he didn’t hurt them intentionally, it all came down to doing something unintentionally.
Like blocking Winter’s access to the ghosts with his magic.
His stupid fucking magic, which he couldn’t even access. The last link between him and his mother. She’d been so proud of her witch heritage. She never wanted to do grand things with her magic, but she loved doing small, helpful things. She liked making the world a better place.
And Melanie Turner instilled that same pride and need to be helpful in her son.
Except Fox couldn’t do anything helpful with his magic. If anything, he stood a very good chance of destroying something beautiful with his magic, and he couldn’t allow it.
He had to get rid of his magic.
Just the thought created a painful lump in his throat. Fox slapped a hand over his mouth to hold back the choked cry. He’d wanted magic his entire life, and when he’d finally discovered that he was truly a witch, it remained just beyond his reach. But it was there. The potential was always there and with it the tiny hope that just maybe he’d learn how to tap into it one day. He’d be the witch that would make his mother proud.
If he got rid of that, all those hopes and dreams would be dead.
But Winter would be safe. Marcus, Bel, Rafe, and all their family would be safe.
Winter would lose his shielding from the ghosts. He might even hate Fox for cursing him once again, but he’d be alive. His family would be alive.
Roughly wiping away the tears that streaked down his cheeks, Fox got off the couch and marched into Winter’s office. He could do this. Losing his magic would be worth it if he could protect Winter and his family. Even if he lost Winter, it would be worth it.
A twist of unease shimmied through him as he sank into Winter’s chair. Their first night together in the loft, Winter had told him not to use his computer, but it was the only way to find the information he needed.
Taking a deep breath, he shook the mouse and woke the computer from its slumber. It didn’t recognize his face, but Fox had watched as Winter typed in a six-digit code to unlock it one day. Of course, he remembered it, as if his brain had known he’d betray his lover’s trust one day.
Once logged in, he pulled up a browser and started digging in the few places he’d sworn to himself he’d never go again. His personal contacts were extremely few, but there were other resources online he could use. It just took knowing where to look. Things his mother had made him aware of just before her death.
He didn’t know how much time ticked by as he worked on his search. Enough that his neck had grown stiff and his back ached. Groaning, he straightened and twisted in his seat when his eyes fell on Winter standing in the open doorway. He shouted and jerked upright.
“What the fuck? How long have you been standing there?” Fox demanded, even though he had zero right to be pissed. He was the one invading Winter’s space without asking.
“Not long. I woke up and didn’t like that I was alone,” Winter replied. He didn’t look pissed, just wary. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing. I-I was just looking for something,” Fox muttered. He reached for the mouse to close the window he was on, but a sharp bark from Winter halted his hand in midair. Winter closed the last few feet between them and stood behind Fox to see the computer monitor clearly.
“SpellIt?”
Fox groaned. “No one ever accused witches of being incredibly original. It’s sort of like Reddit for witches. A networking forum to share information.”