– May contain spoilers for Oracle 1 and 2 –

“Stop squirming,” I said. “This is what you came here for.”

“It tickles.”

I snorted. “Your life is fraught with inconvenience.”

Henry chuckled, causing his chest to shift underneath my careful henna application. Again.

“Don’t make me hurt you,” I snarled, only half-joking.

“I bet you say that to all the sorcerers.”

“Only the good guys.”

“I’m not sure you’re the best judge of that, Rochelle.”

“Yeah?” I kept my attention glued to the fine line I was adding to the henna design on Henry’s chest. “And what does that say about you?”

Henry didn’t answer. I flicked my gaze from his pale-skinned left pec to his piercing cobalt blue eyes, countering his judgemental silence with a sneer. He broke eye contact with me almost immediately.

I didn’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to be gazing into the weird light-gray eyes of a diminutive oracle either.

– Chapter 1, Oracle 3, 2nd draft (unedited and unproofed)