Page 10 of Boundless Magic

“I’d just come to that exact conclusion.”

“Hmm. Well, what can I say? We’re practically the same person.” He eyed Alastair’s suit. “Or we would be if you weren’t such a tight ass. Why are you?”

“I abhor dirt of any kind.” When LJ’s dark blond brows shot up, Alastair elaborated. “I was held prisoner for a number of years, bound by magical shackles and living in my own filth. No clean water for drinking or bathing to be had. Only given enough food to keep me alive so I could be tortured daily.”

Compassion came and went on the other man’s face, as if he tried to hide it because he knew it wasn’t welcome. “Makes sense. Let’s go save Tums’s kids.”

“Tell me. In your world, does Autumn marry Keaton Carlyle?”

“Yeah. He’s pretty much a worthless asshole. I don’t understand what that girl sees in him. Never amounted to much.”

“Really?” A grin curled Alastair’s mouth. “You’re in for a treat.”

“You say that like he’s something here.”

“I can see we share the same powers of observation.”

LJ chuckled. The man sobered and shot a side glance his way. “You and Aurora Fennell, huh? What about Preston?”

“My brother never toured Europe out of school. The Witches’ War was in progress when he was that age. Prior to that, I fought in a human war, then traveled to Europe to shuck the weight of what I’d seen.” He shrugged. “I suppose you could say I needed a palate cleanser. My first day there, I saw Rorie reading a book at a small cafe and lost my heart.”

“But you met Angelica during the Witches’ War. When was that, and how did Aurora come to have children with your brother?” LJ met Alastair’s inquiring gaze and smiled wryly. “The girl looks just like him, and she asked if her parents were dead.”

“It’s quite a long story, and if we have time, I’ll fill you in on the details. However, right now, we’ve arrived at our destination.” Alastair nodded toward the house as it came into view. “You’ll find our brother through those double doors.”

“Pres is here?”

“This version of him, yes.”

His alternate-plane twin inhaled deeply, nodded once, and moved toward the patio. As LJ strode away, Alastair turned over their meeting in his mind. This crush of exchanged information was likely the reason they shouldn’t reside in the same time and place. At any given moment, one or the other might be inclined to alter the other’s fate by doing something to save a loved one or friend. With any luck, they’d get the children home and Lumberjack Al back to his proper world in a timely manner.

Alastair was just about to the pool deck when a shiny object caught his attention. He didn’t swear aloud, but he sure as hell wanted to when he recognized the significance of the jewelry piece at his feet.

7

Autumn was in the middle of explaining about their portal visitor to the others when LJ walked into the room.

A hush fell over the small crowd.

“Holy crap!” Spring approached the man with avid curiosity on her lovely face.

In response, LJ scowled like he’d seen his worst enemy and backed up a step. Directing his question toward Autumn, he kept his wary gaze on her sister. “What’s this, then? She’s welcome here?”

“Welcome?” Perfectly arched chestnut brows shot up as Spring tilted her head to study LJ. “Am I not welcome where you come from?”

His distrust could be felt like crawly bugs along Autumn’s arms, and curiosity got the better of her. Leaving her father’s side, she crossed to him.

“She’s the best of us in this world, LJ. But what has she done to you?”

“We’ll just say she’s not a nice person and leave it at that,” he muttered.

Skirting her, he approached Preston. Sadness clouded his visage, and he appeared to be holding back his grief as he struggled with the idea of embracing his brother’s twin. Autumn felt a twinge of sympathy for what he’d lost. The Thornes in this world had once experienced a similar emotion when her father crossed to the Otherworld for a time.

“Preston,” he said gruffly. “You look the same.”

One of her father’s dark auburn brows lifted as he studied the rougher duplicate of his brother. “I can’t say the same for you. Alternate Alastair, I’m assuming?”

“Lumberjack Al seems to work with all the flannel,” Autumn said with a gesture toward his shirt.

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