Page 14 of Boundless Magic

The ring of his cellphone startled him out of his worrisome musings.

“Babe? Have you found something?” he asked his wife in lieu of a greeting as he switched the call to speaker.

“Spring may have,” Autumn replied. “She said upon further inspection of the book, she doesn’t think it’s an exact replica. More like some altered version that subverts deity intervention.”

“Fuck.”

The chittering of raccoons filled the room.

“Sounds like my cousin isn’t thrilled by the idea of this book,” Autumn said with a hard laugh. “Tell him we aren’t, either. I think you fellas need to return home.”

“Be there momentarily.” Keaton disconnected and tried not to laugh at the horror on LJ’s face as the handful of trash pandas surrounded Nash. Their bandit-like faces all stared up at him as if he were a god and they awaited his command with bated breath.

With a resigned sigh, Nash conjured a bowl of peanuts and allowed them to scoop out whatever they could carry before he waved a hand and returned them to where they’d come.

“That right there is disturbin’ as hell,” LJ declared with a shake of his head. “Those things could be rabid.”

“Not really. If I detect illness, I heal them. It’s the least I can do if they’re showing up to offer assistance.” Color crept up Nash’s neck as his father laughed outright. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same, Sperm Donor.”

Alastair didn’t reply, but he smirked, which was mostly the same thing.

“We have to go, guys,” Keaton reminded them.

“Your home?” Nash asked. When Keaton nodded, he said, “Go on, and I’ll follow after I let my wife know I’ll be gone for the rest of the day. Tell Spring to text me with any artifacts she may need between now and when I get there.”

“Will do.”

They left from inside Nash’s office, not bothering to go out the way they came. Keaton was too keyed up to put on an act, and if he didn’t take action soon, he’d lose his goddamned mind.

* * *

Autumn pacedthe living room as Keaton and the two Alastairs brought everyone up to speed on their conversation with Nash. With every second her children were gone, she unraveled a little bit more. Soon, she’d be a complete basket case and rip the veil apart with her bare hands. Or she would if it were possible.

“Can we hurry this up, gang?” she snapped. “I’m freaking the fuck out here.”

Spring looked at her as if she wanted to give her a hug, but feared having her arm torn off. In their father’s eyes was a deep understanding, and Autumn couldn’t meet his gaze, or she’d cry. He’d been through it when Spring was abducted and held for months on end, with none of them able to find or rescue her. When she’d returned to their home, she was changed, remembering none of them. The Thornes’ enemy chose well when he’d selected Spring to bring them to their knees. To this day, none of her family wished to discuss that excruciating time.

Alastair rose to his feet. “I’m going to step out and call Damian. Nash should be here soon—ah, there he is. Show him what you found, child, and I’ll let you know what Dethridge has to say.” In minutes, he was back, and his expression was blank, as if he was trying to hide his deeper emotions.

Autumn wanted to throw up.

“Give it to us straight, Mr. Thorne,” Keaton said with heavy resignation in his voice.

“It’s not good. He’s never known this to happen, and already, there is buzz through the Witches’ Council and the Authority,” Alastair replied, darting a significant glance at Preston. “We need to correct this within the hour, or those in charge will have no choice but to step in. They recommended we don’t use the same spell.”

“Then what the hell are we to use?” Keaton demanded, forgetting himself in the face of his worry. Surprisingly, Alastair didn’t chastise him for his disrespect.

“I didn’t say we wouldn’t use it, simply that they recommended we don’t.” A wicked gleam of intent entered her uncle’s eyes, and he slowly surveyed the crowd. “Anyone opposed?”

Not one of them objected.

Thornes hated to be told what to do as a rule, and if it involved one of their own, they held tight to the saying, “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!”

“Let’s go get Jolyon and Chloe,” he said with an encouraging grin for Autumn.

Until the instant he said it, she hadn’t been aware of holding her tension in her shoulders, and they dropped along with her anxiety.

Finally!

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