Page 50 of Bombshell

“Itisgoing to be a girl. I don’t just feel it, I know it,” Daphne said, her chin jutting up stubbornly.

“It’s going to be nothing if we don’t get this barrier put in place,” Alexander cut in unhelpfully as he pushed a little metal table next to me with various tools on it. Upon seeing me looking at it he shot me a grim look. “In case things go sideways and we need to remove the baby.”

I shuddered at that.

“Okay, let’s do it. So a barrier—where do I start?”

“Barrier magic requires the use of all four elemental magics and strong intention. You have to want to protect whatever you are trying to place a barrier around—the more youwantto protect it the stronger it will be.”

As he spoke I was still stuck on the first thing required to make a barrier. All four elemental magics. Like I was the fucking Avatar or something.

I’d barely learned how to use water magic yesterday and I hadn’t ever even attempted to use air magic.

A hand slid along my back and I turned as Dallan pressed his ear to my mouth. “It’s the same as water, Lass, except you aren’t pulling anything from the air but the air itself.”

“Easier said than done,” I shot at him, my words barely loud enough for him to hear. I didn’t want to panic Daphne or Cash with my worries about not being able to do this. “What if I can’t do this?”

Dallan’s gold eyes softened. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

That did little to soothe my frayed nerves as I turned back to where Cash was speaking softly to Daphne, sharing a moment with her before we got to work.

“Are you ready?” Alexander asked from where he stood on the other side of the bed.

Swallowing hard, I nodded.

“Okay, place your hands on Daphne’s stomach.”

I did, feeling the baby start to move again and watched as Daphne’s slack expression started to tighten with pain again.

“Now I want you to imagine all four elements coming together to create a sphere.”

I paused. “Isn’t there a spell for this?”

“Yes, but it wouldn’t work for you anyway, so why try? Now close your eyes and picture it, Euphemia,” Alexander said and my shoulders slumped a bit as I turned back to Daphne and let my eyes drift shut.

Imagining fire and earth, as always, was easy. They came bounding up in my mind’s eye ready to do whatever I asked. Water was much, much slower, like it didn’t trust me quite yet.

And air? Air was nowhere to be found.

I wanted to throw my hands up in frustration. Maybe Daphne staying in the mansion wouldn’t be so bad… but then I thought about the owner of the mansion who would figure out some way to use Daphne and her baby for his own gain.

But how the hell was I supposed to conjure an element that was, quite literally, invisible?

I can help, a soft voice whispered in my ear as that same strange magic from last night slipped along my senses like a cat brushing against one’s legs. It was much more pronounced now and the feeling of it was like being filled with static electricity. I half expected my hair to start standing on end any second now as the voice spoke again.

I can help you make a barrier,the voice repeated more loudly this time and I realized that it was distinctly feminine. It was almost like the times that Dallan spoke in my head, but that felt comforting like a warm bath, this felt like whoever was talking was trying to force themselves into my brain.

I frowned and resisted the urge to press my hands to my ears.

“Is everything okay?” Daphne asked, a note of worry in her voice.

“Yes,” I told her but my voice sounded odd to my own ears as I ignored the not-so-little voice in my head and tried again.

And again earth, fire, and (begrudgingly) water came at my call… but air still eluded me completely.

That’s not going to work—that’s witch’s magic,the voice said, sounding almost bored.

I gritted my teeth.

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