Page 51 of Captivating Magic

Lo returned and knelt at her feet, rubbing his hands along the outside of her thighs. “I’m sorry I was slow on the uptake. Are you okay, Ebba?”

His worry was endearing but unnecessary.

“I’m fine.” She brushed back a dark lock of hair shielding his intense eyes. “I swear.”

“Did I see markings illuminated on that globe?” Damian asked.

Laszlo nodded, and the Aether shot a thoughtful look toward the stove.

“I’d like to take a few minutes to study it.” When they protested, he held up a hand. “I’ll create a force field around Ebba, and it won’t affect her in any way.”

With their main objection neutralized, they agreed.

Damian approached her with a warm smile, and Ebba had difficulty remembering to breathe.Notthat it mattered, because she wasn’t living. But the stern-eyed stare from Lo was flattering. Call her twisted, but she liked his jealous act.

“It’s best if all of you stay inside the dome I create. No matter what happens, don’t break the barrier until I say,” the Aether warned.

Pressing his palms together, he shut his eyes. The language was undecipherable to Ebba, but there was a musicality to the way he spoke it. Around them, the atmosphere grew heavy and crackled, as it had when he first arrived. Growing between his hands was a ruby-colored ball, and like the gemstone, it appeared faceted. How it differed was in its density. Instead of a solid rock, it resembled a soap bubble, expanding as he separated his hands. Inside, sparks ignited, popping off like miniature lightning bolts.

She was supposed to stand inside that thing? Was he mental?

His lids flew open, and his gaze locked with hers. Ebba gasped at how his eyes had transformed from their obsidian color to molten-silver.

The ruby bubble expanded until it consumed the entire space between them, and with a flick of his wrist, he chucked it in their direction.

She screamed.

Laughter from the men caused her to open her scrunched-tight lids. Looking around in wonder, she shook her head. Where there was nothing before, a filmy, see-through wall stood, its depth similar to a wood-studded one. The lightning bolts existed within the confines of its structure, unable to reach them.

“Are you all right, Ebba?” Damian asked with a humor-filled smile.

“Peachy.”

19

Laszlo appreciated the kindness the others showed Ebba. Curiosity endless, she plagued them with questions about magic and the barrier the Aether had created. Through it all, they displayed nothing but patience and understanding.

For himself, he wanted to be in the kitchen with Damian, examining the artifact. Periodically, the man would nod to himself as he scribbled notes, silently confirming a theory only he suspected. With an abrupt slash of his pen, he drew two lines, dropped the globe back into the water, and shoved it into the oven.

As he approached them, his expression was grim. The removal of the barrier consisted of a single-hand swirl and pull of the crumbling wall toward himself. It folded in on itself, shrinking until it was golf-ball-sized. Instead of dispelling the magic completely, he tucked it into his jeans pocket.

“Saving it for later use?” Alastair asked before taking a sip of the drink he’d conjured.

“You never know when a force field comes in handy,” Damian deadpanned.

“For those who don’t know”—Castor gestured between Ebba and Lo—“this is the lull before shit gets real. Damian becomes all business when he’s in planning mode.”

The Aether’s lips twitched, and he gave his friend a look that was shy of an eye roll.

“Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me you’re not plotting something,” the Traveler taunted.

“No.”

“I thought so.” His chuckle was packed with satisfaction, and he rubbed his hands together. “Hold on to your hats, kids. Things are about to get fun!”

Alastair barked a laugh.

“Don’t encourage him, Al,” Damian scolded good-naturedly. “If he believes he has a rapt audience, he’ll double down.”

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