Page 82 of A Highland Gargoyle's Lucky Star
I rub at my chest, which aches a little, feeling unexpectedly shy myself. “Of course. You should plan some stuff too, otherwise Imight steamroll over you with the ten thousand and one date ideas that I’ve come up with.”
“Aye, there are many things I want us to do together too. But we’ll take our time learning each other’s interests and preferences.” He lets out one of those toe-tingling rumbling noises in his chest. “We have all the time in the world, mo ghràidh.”
All the more reason we need to kick some Sluagh ass! We’ve got schmoopy romantic things to do together, dammit.
And for the first time in my life, that thought doesn’t freak me the fuck out and have me second-guessing how my actions will be received. With Elryk, I’m confident I can be as schmoopy and ridiculous as I want.
Far below us, the magic of the ley line continues to resonate with a rhythmic pulsing. It’s powerful and more than a little intimidating.
I whistle softly as I gesture to the ground. “So this is what they all want, huh?”
“Unfortunately, yes. To start, I need you to practice making contact with the node, using your powers, and then transferring some of that energy to me.”
I rub my hands together. “Let’s get down to brass tacks. Time to activate my mental tentacles.”
Elryk forces an awkward smile. “Right. You know, my mate, you have a gift for extremely inventive… nomenclature.”
“Stick with me, babe. You ain’t seen nothing yet!”
I stand in the center of the room, grounding myself like I’m getting ready to do mountain pose in yoga.
Don’t judge. I like yoga. My mom got me into it. In fact, when I was in high school, we used to take a class together, and I sort of miss that now that I’m older.
Speaking of which, I need to message her. Fuck. I keep forgetting, and I haven’t even checked my phone in a few days. I think I left it charging in my room.
But I’ve got more important things to do right at this moment. I send out my mental tentacles—yup, definitely keeping that one forever—and I’m surprised at how fast I brush up against the overwhelming power brimming up from the ground beneath us. On the plus side, my experience in Loch Ness was not just a fluke. On the other hand, the magic this time is so much more intense. It’s like comparing a lone waterfall to Niagara Falls.
I wouldn’t be surprised if my hair was standing on end from the sheer force of it all. I’m definitely giving Doc Brown inBack to the Futurea run for his money in the hair department!
This time I don’t even need to touch Elryk. When I tap the line, I’m flooded with power that needs somewhere to go, and I intuitively know how to share it with my mate. It’s like my mental tentacles want to inject him with my lo—I mean, magical energy.
Simmer down, libido. Not the time or the place.
Elryk stiffens as he takes the full brunt of the ley line’s raw force.
“Sweet goddess above,” he chokes out.
“Should I stop?” I shout.
There’s a rushing sound filling my ears and I’m a little disoriented.
Elryk widens his stance, his powerful thighs and calves flexing—bless you, sweet kilt, for the front-row view—as he positions himself facing the wall and places his hands on the stone surface.
“No, keep channeling everything you can to me until I tell you to stop, or until you cannae do it anymore. I’m going to charge the barrier right here, right now.”
My eyes widen, but I nod. Originally, this was just going to be a trial run to see how this would go. But it’s working better thanI think either of us expected, so we’re not going to waste the chance.
I concentrate on what I’m doing while also keeping an eye on Elryk. He moves around the circular wall, whispering words I can’t hear over the rushing in my ears as his hands brush over the runes. From what my newly awakened senses can detect, he seems to be imbuing his power into the carvings along the stone.
Eventually, he makes his way to the large circle of carvings on the floor beneath us, where he repeats the process for what feels like a long time until
he drops to his knees and scoots back against the wall, a tired expression on his ruggedly handsome face.
“Enough,” he manages to say, his voice hoarse.
More than a little relieved, I withdraw my mental tentacles from the node and collapse beside him.
We lean into one another, our backs pressed against the stone wall, and I marvel at what I’m seeing. The more I stare at the runes, the more I swear I can see a bluish glow of magic that just keeps getting brighter and brighter.
