Page 27 of Captivating Magic

“Theatrical effect for the young ’uns,” he replied with a roguish grin, earning a laugh from Castor and a glare from Laszlo.

Ebba bit her lip to contain her amusement, thoroughly charmed by the older man. Or sheassumedhe was older, but maybe not by much. Ebba’s secret obsession was movies from the thirties and forties. Charming actors like Grant, Peck, and Gable elicited a girly sigh whenever they walked on-screen. Alastair Thorne easily fit in with those men with his tailored suits and stylish haircut. His vibe screamed gentleman from a bygone era, yet he appeared to be in his mid-forties at best.

“How old are you?” She winced even as the question cleared her lips.

His brows shot up as Castor clapped him on the shoulder with another hearty laugh.

“Pushing eighty,” Laszlo said, grim satisfaction in his expression. “Sorry, Al. She deserves to know that not only are you old enough to be her grandfather, but you’re married to boot.”

“You should point out Castor has a son her age,” Isis added with an air of faux innocence, smiling wide when Castor’s mouth clamped shut and a muscle ticked along his jaw. “She’s meant for another, Alexander. You shouldn’t muddy the waters.”

He replied with a stiff nod and an affronted look.

Laszlo’s heartsank to his stomach. “Who? Who is she meant for?”

Once again, Isis’s brows rose.

He’d surprised himself, so there was no doubt everyone else might be, too. Why the hell couldn’t he keep his mouth shut?

“I would think that’s obvious,” Al replied in a desert-dry tone. “But let’s circle back to that, shall we?”

Miserable and feeling particularly foolish, Lo nodded.

“I suspect I know the reason, Exalted One, but for the sake of those who don’t, why are you unable to help?” Alastair asked.

“There must be balance in all things. Even Death,” she explained with a sympathetic smile for Ebba. “When Alexander bound you to the Earth, he threw off the balance. It must be rectified.”

Lo hated her answer. Inasmuch as Castor’s impulsive action knocked Ebba’s fate off course, it had also bought the Thornes time to help her or, as it looked to be the case in two days, time to say goodbye. “Is there a way to do it without costing Ebba her life?”

“Her life was forfeit the moment her vehicle struck the tree, child.” The Goddess stroked a finger along his brow, and a small margin of the anxiety he was experiencing eased. “Death will have her payment.”

Ebba’s eyes, enormous and tragic, met his, and though her smile was brave, it wobbled.

“No.” He shook his head. “No, that can’t be the end. Not for her. We’re magical beings, for fuck’s sake!” Working up to a full steam, he began to pace. “What other sacrifice can we make? Abilities? I’ll give mine.”

“That’s not enough,” Isis said with compassion not typically attributed to a deity. They had no real reason to care about the plight of mortals, yet for some unknown reason, she did.

Ebba drifted to him and placed her hand against his chest, over the region of his heart. The pulsing energy warmed him, chasing away the cold from the finality of Isis’s answer.

“It’s okay, Lo,” she said, intent on reassuringhimwhen she was the one whose life was over. “You’ve done all you can.”

“No. No. I can’t accept this. If she won’t help, I’ll find another way, Ebba.” He pressed his hand over hers, jerking in shock when the contact felt solid. His should’ve passed through hers, but the very real sensation of her skin was disconcerting. “Don’t give up.”

“If anyone can do it, it’ll be you.” Her faith in him was humbling, but it was the acknowledgment and acceptance of her ultimate demise lurking in the depths of her chocolaty eyes that had his heart skipping beats.

“I need you to believe in me. Don’t assume this decision is final,” he begged, not caring how desperate he sounded. “We’ll reverse it somehow.”

She rose on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his. The sweet innocence of their first kiss wasn’t lost on him, and the memory would be one he cherished forever.

Wrapping his hand around her neck and marveling at how real she felt, he drew her close to whisper, “I don’t intend that to be our last kiss, Ebba James. Remember what I told you at the café. We will be lovers,” he promised.

A saucy smile curled her full lips, illuminating her beauty and sparking an answering fire inside him. “When we get back to my apartment and give ol’ Spencer the boot so I can have my body back for whatever ti—uh, so I can have my body back, I’ll hold you to that, Laszlo Thorne.”

“Why do you have this spell and implements in a sacred space?” Isis interrupted, glaring at the objects on the altar. “Do you think to trap me?”

The subtle shift of their group’s energy told Lo he’d fucked up. Big time!

Voodoo and Thorne magic weren’t meant to blend, and the spells in their family grimoire were as far from the Haitian religion as two worlds could be.

---