Page 14 of Captivating Magic

She snorted. Yeah, Spencer was great at that.

Another blinding pain struck behind her eyes, and she closed them, concentrating on breathing and not throwing up.

The spontaneous headaches had been happening to her since the accident, and she assumed it was a side effect of injuring herself. But maybe it was something more. Maybe Castor could help her figure it out.

When she turned around, he was in a deep discussion with Alastair. Laszlo hadn’t returned to the living room but lingered at the bar with his head cocked in the slightest of manners as if he were listening to a different conversation. His amber-colored eyes weren’t focused on anything in particular that she could tell.

The sudden need to escape the oppressive atmosphere made her skin clammy, and Ebba wished she had their effortless ability to teleport away. What she wouldn’t give for a magical power like that!

After setting her glass on the counter, she smoothed her shirt down her stomach and hips, then returned to the couch, doing her damndest not to interrupt the men debating the merits of saving mortals.

“Oh, give over, Al,” Castor said with a snort and a wink at Ebba. “Tell me you wouldn’t have saved her.”

Alastair straightened his tie before tugging his shirtsleeves and aligning his cuff links with the seams of his suit jacket.

Ebba frowned, realizing he’d never mussed his suit in the entire time he’d been at her apartment. No blood from Laszlo’s wound or wrinkle to be had. It was as if he’d stepped from a photo shoot for a men’s style magazine straight into her living room. How was that possible?

She met his sparkling sapphire gaze and noted his unholy gleam of amusement. It occurred to her that he enjoyed sparring with his friend. When he faced Castor, she studied his features. It seemed all Thorne men possessed strong jawlines, bodies to die for, and bright eyes regardless of color.

Was it a reflection of their magic?

She’d have to ask Lo later.

As if thinking about him recalled him to her side, he joined their small group and sank down on the cushion beside her. This time he was careful to keep a respectable distance, as if in deference to her earlier waspishness.

Relief swept through her, and she frowned at the conflicting feeling. Prior to five months ago, she’d have given anything for Lo to look at her with desire. To hold her hand and treat her with great care. Hell,anythingto be noticed by him! But the second he’d suggested they become lovers, she was running scared.

Why?

What was with this conflict between what she always wanted and what she was now receiving from him?

“The question is, what do we do?”

Alastair’s voice caught her attention.

“Do?” she asked.

“About fusing your soul back into your body, child.”

Ebba balked at the word fusing. “Sounds painful. How about we shelve this discussion for another time? Thanks for coming out, fellas.”

Discordant and awkward, she sprung up like a Jack-in-the-box, knocking her knees against the coffee table and rattling the dishes. With a spastic wave, she rushed for her bedroom and locked herself in.

Under no circumstances was she prepared to be fused!

6

“What do you suppose got into her?” Castor said with a light laugh.

“Hmm. That’s a great question.” Alastair sent a considering glance toward the bedroom door. “Her emotions were ricocheting about.”

“It’s highly unusual behavior from her,” Laszlo replied, scrubbing his hands over his face. “If I had to guess, she’s overwhelmed by everything we’ve revealed.”

With a shake of his head, Alastair expressed what he was thinking. “The girl showed admirable resilience and strength during the earlier incident. But it was as if she shut her emotions behind a sturdy steel door and locked everyone out.”

“Hence the overwhelmed part,” Lo replied dryly.

Over the years, Laszlo’s natural-born humor had taken a backseat to his wife’s dour personality until he rarely cracked a smile. As someone who strove to ensure his family was happy as well as healthy, Alastair found it difficult to bite his tongue. The one time he did take the younger man aside to discuss the sorrowful state of his marriage, he was told in no uncertain terms to mind his own business.

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