Page 25 of Enduring Magic

“We don’t havemuch time. Any minute now, they’ll notice their rings are missing.” Alastair looked at the new inscription on Summer’s wedding ring and smiled. “You do great work, my friend.”

Damian Dethridge, also known as the Aether in the magical community, grunted and sent Alastair a dark look. “Of course I do, Al. I’m the bloody Aether. Do you want the same inscription on this one, or do you want to change the spell up for Cooper’s ring?”

“You don’t have a spell to make him stop questioning my authority in that book of yours, do you? No? Fine, use the same one as you did for Summer’s.”

With a laugh, Damian went to work, blessing the second ring.

The enchantment placed on the jewelry was meant to protect both Summer and Coop and, by extension, their home and family. When his beloved Olivia was born last year, Alastair had Damian perform a ceremony to safeguard her, just as he had Summer and Holly when they were small children. If he could go back in time, he’d have had Preston do the same for his three daughters so they would never have experienced the hardships they’d endured at the hands of Alastair’s greatest enemy. But he wasn’t a Traveler, and in the end, the Thorne women had come out stronger for their experiences.

As Alastair watched Damian finish the spell for the ring, the new inscription with an infinity symbol on either side appeared with a flare of yellow-white light.

Two hearts, one enduring love.

“Do you think they’ll appreciate the quote?”

Alastair glanced up from admiring Damian’s handiwork. “Summer will. Who knows about Coop? He might be irritated he didn’t think of it first.” He held his hand out for the second ring. “I have to sneak these back into their rooms via that nutty squirrel Summer calls a familiar.”

“Why not just be upfront and give them back to them at the ceremony?”

With a grin and a slap on his friend’s back, he asked, “Where’s the fun in that?”

Five minutes later, Alastair was confronted by Rorie. “Summer’s missing!”

“What do you mean she’s missing? She was in her room, getting ready, when I left.”

“But she’s nowhere to be found, and Autumn has disappeared with her.”

After a tired sigh, he tugged down his cuffs and glanced around the foyer, summing up the scene. Winnie, Spring, and Holly all wore concerned expressions similar to their mother’s. “When was the last time anyone saw the two of them?”

“I did.” Winnie frowned and nodded toward the kitchen. “About the time Autumn decided to lock Saul in the pantry. She told me to let him out in five minutes if she wasn’t back for him.”

“But she gave no indication where she was going?”

“None.”

“Did any of you think to scry?” he asked patiently.

Rorie smacked his arm. “I’m offended you had to ask, darling. Of course we did.”

Turning abruptly, he left them alone in the hallway and strode to the kitchen. He called back to Winnie. “Where’s Saul now, child?”

“Missing from the cabinet. The door was open when I went back for him.”

“Lovely,” he muttered.

Once he reached the sink, he lifted a glass from the drainer and filled it with water.

“Ostendo!”

The water became cloudy and swirled in a clockwise direction, reminiscent of a tornado, wider at the top and narrowing at the bottom of the glass. When the liquid became clear again, he could see Summer arguing with Saul as Autumn looked ready to pop his overblown head off his tiny shoulders.

“They’re fine. Simply cloaked with Granny Thorne’s spell.” He dumped the water down the sink and placed the glass upside down in the drainer, then faced the women behind him. “They’re in the old elephant barn, arguing with Saul. A useless endeavor on both their parts.”

“Bloody hell!” Rorie scowled at Winnie. “I thought you said Zane looked there.”

“He did! But apparently, they didn’t want to make themselves known to him.”

“Fine. I’ll go myself.” She glared at Alastair and poked his chest hard enough to make him wince. “When I get back, you’ll bloody well tell me where you hied off to and why. In the meantime, make yourself useful and get everyone to their seats on the front lawn.”

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