Page 52 of Bombshell

But Arsenio ignored his daughter, yanking his arm away. “There is no privacy here in my home and it wouldn’t have matteredwhereshe performed that spell. I would have been able to feel it. The Source will be pleased that a new Guardian has finally been born.”

“Arsenio…” Alexander began, stepping in between us and cutting Arsenio’s view off from me. “Let’s not talk about this here in front of civilians.”

It was strange to see Alexander defend me to the man who, in my opinion, came first in his eyes.

Alexander had been Arsenio’s right-hand man for far longer than most people in this room had been alive—so to see him go against what Arsenio wanted was almost freakier than the strange voice in my head.

Arsenio looked as if he wanted to argue, but when his bright blue eyes scanned the room and all of the people in it, he nodded tersely before spinning around on his heel and leaving the room.

Alexander turned to me, looking more serious than I’d ever seen him. “Don’t show that magic to anyone, Euphemia, do you understand?”

I frowned at that. What magic did he mean? My own?

No one in the room had heard the same voice as I had, so how did they know I’d gotten help from someone on the outside?

But I never got the chance to ask what he meant because Alexander was hurrying after Arsenio, leaving Odette still standing in the doorway.

“What was that?” she asked, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind her. “I felt it clear across the mansion!”

“A barrier?” I offered before turning to give Dallan’s chest a pat. “You can put me down now.”

“Fat chance of that, Lass,” Dallan said with a shake of his head. “You still look about two seconds from turning the color of curdled milk, so your standing privileges are revoked.”

A streak of stubbornness filled me at his bossiness, but even as soon as it formed it was gone with another wave of nausea. So I just settled into his arms with a sigh and crossed my arms over my chest.

“That was no witch barrier I’ve ever felt,” Odette continued, ignoring our banter as she moved forward and reached for my face, drawing a finger down my cheek. I wasn’t sure who was more surprised when her fingertip came away glowing, her or me.

“Iknewit, thisisfae magic! Where did you get it?” Odette asked, squeezing the magic in between her forefinger and thumb and stretching it like it was some kind of goo.

I was starting to have a sneaking suspicion about exactly where it had come from, but Alexander’s earlier words made me hold my tongue.

Thankfully, Cash cut in and saved me from having to answer her. “As much as I’d like to stay and find out what magic Effie’s gotten herself into, I’d like to get my mate home for some rest.”

“I’m fine, Cash,” Daphne said as she accepted his hand and started to get up off of the bed with some difficulty.

Cash was having none of that. “You are not fine, Dragonfly, you’ve had what amounts to a concrete statue rolling around in your womb for the better part of the afternoon. You need to put your feet up and rest.”

Alexander’s earlier words rang in my head. “You two can stay in my apartment over the shop so you’re close in case Daphne needs me to refresh the spell.”

I wasn’t sure just how much refreshing I was going to need to do. I could still feel the barrier magic on the edge of my own magic, but it was almost like something—or someone—was taking the brunt of the load and my instincts were telling me that Daphne’s protective barrier would easily last until the baby was born without much interference from me.

“We couldn’t put you out like that…” Daphne said with a shake of her head.

“You aren’t,” I hurried to reassure her. “I’m… I’m actually staying with Dallan right now so the apartment is free.”

I felt Dallan’s grip on me tighten a bit as Daphne and Cash gawked at us.

“Finally,” Cash muttered under his breath, ignoring Daphne’s elbow to his ribs as he gently started to lead her toward the door.

“Wait!” Odette’s gasp stopped them as she stared up at Cash’s face with a frown. “I know you.”

“I’ve been around the mansion…” Cash explained, clearly confused by her words.

But Odette shook her head, her blonde brows knitting together. “No, it’s not that. These clothes—your face… I saw it all in my dream.”

It was my turn to frown. “The ones from your sketches?”

Everyone in the room turned to look at me but my eyes were fixed on my friend who suddenly looked far away as she ignored my question.

---