Willie kept working, nimble fingers guiding the wire. "Yeah," he said simply. "Why not?"
Eric blinked. He hadn't expected that. "You're not… afraid?"
Willie shrugged. "We all have darkness inside us." He glanced up.
Then, as if the conversation hadn't just brushed against curses, Willie added lightly, "So… are you going to the Awakening ceremony with a date?"
"Uh— I—" Eric cleared his throat, mind scrambling to catch up. "I'm not coming."
"Really?" Willie's brows knitted together as he finished another knot-free loop. "Shame. The human seems to have a thing for you." He inclined his head casually toward Sera, who stood a few yards away, laughing as she corrected a crooked tablecloth and playfully smacked one of the boys with a rolled napkin.
Eric followed his gaze before he could stop himself.
"The… Sera?" he echoed, heart giving a traitorous thump. "Yeah. I mean—she is going. Just not with me. Another guy."
