Page 4 of Captivating Magic

“It’s not a bad thing, Ebba.”

She was sure they were thinking about two differentthings. His devastating effect on her system wasabsolutelybad, but she appreciated his trust.

“Probably not. What do you do with your… What do you call them?… Abilities? Powers?”

“Abilities. Gifts.” He shrugged a shoulder and sat back after releasing her. “To answer your question, whatever needs to be done. Liz works for Thorne Industries, and they collect magical artifacts to keep items out of the clutches of those who would abuse the power.”

“World domination. If I were a witch, I’d go for it.”

He laughed, and a warm glow sparked inside her. Whenever she could make Lo crack a smile, she considered it a win. When he was still married, he’d been considerably more uptight, but then again, that bitch-ass ex-wife of his made anyone’s humor sour.

“I use my particular set of skills to help people get rid of the spirits haunting them.”

“So you said you weren’t psychic. Can witches be psychic?”

Expression decidedly grim, his gaze locked unseeingly on an object outside the storefront window. “Some. Eventually, they go insane. They can’t tolerate the combination of visions andmagic. It becomes difficult to tell the difference between real and imagined, and they get lost in their minds.” He was grim. “Psychic witches usually have their powers bound at an early age or, at the very least, on the verge of madness. The havoc they can cause is immeasurable.”

“That’s horrible!” Could he be hiding the fact he was one to avoid having his power bound? His hunted expression said it was probable. What went into binding magic, and was it painful? Ebba desperately wanted to ask but held back, sensing it wasn’t the place or time. She gathered the courage to touch his wrist. “Who do you know that’s got that ability, Lo? Your reaction seems deeply personal.”

Staring down at her hand as if it held all the answers of the Universe, he placed his over hers and absently caressed her knuckles with his thumb. “My cousin, Mackenzie. But so far, she’s managed it well.”

“Mack?Mack is psychic?Anda witch?”

It shouldn’t have surprised her after discovering the truth today, but never would she have guessed one of her two best friends was psychic or that they’d both been lying to her for their entire lives.

And wasn’t that the rub?

Ebba had trusted the Thornes, but they’d never trusted her in return.

“Yes, she is.” Weaving his fingers with hers, he shook her hand to get her attention. “I’m sorry if you feel betrayed, Ebba. It’s a secret that can’t get out, and we guard it fiercely.”

“I’m not going to say I’m not hurt. But why tell me now when you couldn’t be bothered to before?”

Lifting their joined hands, he brushed his lips across the skin of her inner wrist and met her gaze with a frank one of his own. “Because we’re going to be lovers.”

2

“Because we’re going to be lovers.”

Ebba felt like the biggest coward on the planet for running, but that’s precisely what she did. When Laszlo went all seductive and turned all that panty-dampening charm her way, she bolted. Why? She couldn’t say. The panic-inducing desire to run had consumed her until she was left with no choice.

Maybe it was the fear of her fantasy life meeting reality. What was the sage saying about never meeting one’s idols? What if he turned out to be a dud in bed or, worse, his personality sucked? What if she’d built him up in her mind to be this amazing guy, but he was really an asshole? What did she truly know about the Thornes? Clearly, only what they’d wanted her to.

An echoing pop had sounded the instant she cleared the coffeehouse door, and it belatedly occurred to her that not only hadn’t the patrons of the place heard Laszlo and her, but she hadn’t heard them, either. All sound returned the instant she left. Traffic noise suddenly seemed thunderous and everywhere, disconcerting her after the relative quiet. It was worrisome anyone could wield such power, and it gave Ebba pause. Shouldshe avoid the Thornes from here on out? How did she escape the awkwardness of being a dupe for twenty-plus years?

Curled up in her bed and hiding under the covers as if she expected Laszlo to blow the hinges off her barricaded door and storm the castle, so to speak, Ebba released a miserable groan. Sure, the half of her forever crushing on him was all for decisive action on his part. But the other half, the one that didn’t know how to process what the hell she’d learned or if she should seek therapy for what might be a psychotic break, was happy to hide out by herself in her sanctuary from the outside world.

“What’swrongwith you?” she asked herself aloud.

Jars rattled on a nearby shelf.

Okay, so she wasn’t alone, alone, and it was in no way a sanctuary with the pain-in-the-ass ghost haunting her.

“Go away, you fucking asshole!” she hollered, losing her temper for the first time since her invisible roommate had appeared several months ago.

The temperature dropped by a good twenty degrees, and her comfortable space became unbearably frigid. The moisture caused by her ragged breaths met the cold air, creating small, misty clouds with every exhale. Lights flickered like in an early episode ofSupernatural, and if she had rock salt, she’d have made a protective circle around herself. A glance around showed no iron in the immediate vicinity. Dean was always handy with a poker.

She didn’t have any knowledge regarding ghosts, but with certainty, she shouldn’t have pissed off her resident spook. Based on recent experiences, things were about to get dicey. They always did whenever she accidentally annoyed the spirit haunting her.

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