Page 111 of Magic of the Damned

Bolting upright, I scanned the room and landed on Dominic’s imposing frame standing in the corner. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his dark gray slacks. The crisp, slim-fitted shirt bound to the contours of his body. The Prince of the Underworld’s lips were stretched into a severe line as his clinically assessing eyes took me in.

“You’re finally awake,” he noted in a whisper.

Running my fingers through the tangles of my hair, I made an unsuccessful attempt to smooth out the strands. “Yeah. How long have I been…asleep?”

Was I asleep? Unconscious? In a state of comatose shock from unbearable pain?

“Almost two days.”

“It worked!” I preened, ignoring the part about losing nearly forty-eight hours of my life. We were out of the underworld, and if the cost was lost hours and pain, it was worth it.

He nodded, although the blank canvas of his expression was worrying.

“What’s wrong?”

My eyes followed his to my dresser where the orb was placed. The luminous lively green colors that filled it as it pulled the magic from me were gone. Reading Dominic’s etched frown, the magic had returned from where it came.

In me.

His hands rubbed over the rough shadow of hair on his face and he blew out a breath. My heart pounded in anticipation of the bad news he was about to deliver. His face may not have betrayed him, but his tense posturing did.

“You’re the vessel,” he said, strained. “Taking the magic from you broke the spell, but it returned to you. You can’t be without the magic.”

One of the many questions had been answered. Removing the magic did nothing. I was still bound to the supernatural world—to Peter. I existed as a tool of malice for him.

“I need a shower,” I blurted abruptly, scuttling out of bed and stumbling when I put weight on my legs. They felt like rubber. My initial steps were as awkward as a fawn learning to walk. My body felt off and unusually weak. A moment of reprieve and time to gather my thoughts was what I needed.

Steam from the shower filled the room, I supported myself on the vanity, looking at my steam-clouded expression, expecting to see something other than the woman who had stared back at me hundreds of times before. I was the same Luna and I desperately wanted the same life. But it wasn’t the same and the sooner I accepted it, the more time I could dedicate to doing what was necessary to obtain a new version of Luna’s normal. Taking the magic from me wasn’t an option, so the next best step would be to make it unusable. If I couldn’t get rid of the machine, I’d break it. I was going to take my life back.

The hard water battering against my skin brought a smile to my face. How quickly I’d gotten used to the comforts of the underworld’s estate. This was my home. I lathered my body with fruity-scented shower gel, rinsing away the suds and any lingering defeatist thoughts. After washing my hair, blow-drying it, and securing it in a loose ponytail, I emerged from the bathroom to find Dominic gone and Emoni’s strained voice making a poor attempt at hiding her frustration and concern as she asked for me. Rushing to dress, I threw on an oversized button-down shirt and leggings, and opened the door to find Dominic and Anand standing in front of her, preventing her from moving any farther.

The way Emoni clutched the oversized beige slouch purse she was carrying, it was likely she was moments from using it to whack her way through. The potency of her glare lost some heat with her more youthful appearance created by her thick coils of hair being gathered into a puffy bun, leaving the back loose. Frustration had placed a glow along the bridge of her nose and her cheeks. Where her features had softened to the point she seemed innocuous, she placed a blade edge in her voice at the sight of me.

“Out of my way,” she demanded, tacking on a disingenuous “please” as she shoved past them. Tossing her bag aside, she gathered me into a hug so tight it pushed the breath out of me.

She whispered, “Where have you been? I’ve been calling you nonstop for four days.”

Once she released me, I saw the entirety of her concern. It looked as if she hadn’t slept in those four days. There were bags under her eyes and her emotive, lively eyes were dull. She retrieved the slouch purse and pulled it to her like a security blanket.

“Cameron is…” She searched for the words, but they didn’t come immediately. “Disappointed,” she finally provided. That hurt more than if she’d told me that she was angry. Our relationship with the owner of Books and Brew had been an odd tacit agreement different from the typical employer-employee arrangement. Having been with the company since the beginning, our roles weren’t typical. Cameron took our ideas into consideration, allowing us to take an influential part in the bookstore and café’s business. She gave us impressive holiday bonuses and a livable wage. The small, committed staff allowed us to become a work family and one of the reasons the business thrived. It was difficult hearing that Cameron was disappointed and believed I’d taken advantage of her kindness. We helped each other out and last-minute callouts were often filled by employees without a problem. But I hadn’t shown up for several days. No-call, no-show. What could she think? And Emoni didn’t have an explanation to give her. Cameron had to run her business and I was a no-show for work. I needed to make things right.

“I’ll go in tomorrow and talk to her,” I assured Emoni. Hopefully, I could convince Cameron to allow me to keep my job. But with my life the way it was, could I give her the consistency she needed? I had to. I wouldn’t let Peter take that from me. He’d already messed up so many things in my life.

“Luna.” Emoni’s low, tentative plea pulled me out of my reverie and snatched me from spiraling into desolation. She nudged her chin in the direction of my bedroom for some privacy.

The desperation and confusion in her face made the decision I’d been grappling with since I’d seen her, much easier. I wouldn’t leave her in the dark, nor would she be subjected to their magic to keep their secrets. Emoni could be trusted. She would be trusted.

“No, I think we should stay here. I have a lot to tell you and they should be here as well. They can fill in whatever information I may not have a complete grasp of.”

Dominic’s lips pinched into a line of apprehension. Shaking my head, I gave him a look that I hoped relayed how I felt. She has to know.

“Okay,” she said slowly, easing to my small living room. “Coffee first, okay?”

It was close to noon. I had slept or been in a state of unaware for nearly forty-eight hours. Coffee was definitely what I needed. Or maybe something stronger. But I needed food, too.

I nodded and followed her to my kitchen, taking out the supplies to make pour-over coffee. Cameron had gifted us each with a Chemex and gooseneck kettle, and filters in celebration of the store’s anniversary. Mine was only used when Emoni visited. I was content with the coffee from a drip coffeemaker. Emoni pulled a metal container of ground coffee from her bag.

“It was just ground today,” she supplied, but the only person who cared about beans being ground within hours of use was her. I didn’t know if Dominic and Anand were as finicky about coffee as she was. While she prepared the coffee, I went to the fridge to scavenge for food. At the sight of the stocked fridge, I shot Dominic an appreciative smile. At least he was optimistic that I’d wake up. I made a sandwich and ate it quickly while standing, scanning the room for something else to eat when I was finished. It wasn’t until I’d consumed the food that I realized how hungry I was. Anand and Dominic declined my offer of food and looked amused as I finished off a bag of chips, an apple, a croissant, and the premade salad I found. Emoni halted preparing the coffee and watched with concern as I ate as if I feared the food would disappear.

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