Page 38 of Sapphire Flame
Grant sipped his Scotch but didn’t say anything further. Neil had closed his eyes and kept swirling his snifter beneath his nose. Maybe he hoped the fumes would help ease his suffering as well.
After a moment, he seemed to relax then finally opened his eyes. “Do you accept my apology?”
“Of course. So long as you take mine.”
“I will. I do. I’ve been stubborn. I swear to you I’d never used a spell before to gain an advantage in a social situation. It’s been one of my vows from the beginning and I regret having broken it.”
“You haven’t since?”
“No.” He leaned forward slightly and hissed. “Jesus. Every joint in my body hurts.”
“Sorry you’re going through it.”
“Yeah.” He breathed slowly. “Thanks.”
Grant watched him for a moment. He didn’t know a lot about wizardry but getting there looked like hell.
Neil set his empty snifter on the small table beside the chair but remained on his perch. “Now, tell me why you’re here and what I can I do for you?”
Grant finished his Scotch then set the tumbler on the coffee table in front of him. He gave Neil the short version.
Neil listened intently and as Grant talked, Neil’s symptoms appeared to abate. By the time Grant told him about the dreamglide adventure to Cape Town, Neil rose from his chair and stretched.
“I take it, the pain comes in waves?”
“Yup. Right now, I’ve got a break, though I have no idea how long it will last. So, Natalie suspects that a wizard was involved in heraltertransformation since it occurred when she bought the pie and took it home.”
“Yes. Her husband died that night.”
“I have to be honest. I think she’s been set up. Whether a wizard spiked the pie or whether her unknown stalker did, from what you’ve said, she’s been watched for years.” He then switched subjects. “Natalie’s studio is in a very pretty park.”
“It is.”
“Have you been to her home, though I suppose you have.”
“I flew her home, but I didn’t go inside. You have to remember that though we’ve experienced a lot over the past couple of nights, we’ve only just met.”
Neil nodded. He moved to stand in front of the fireplace opposite Grant. “I’ll tell you what I know. There are over a dozen confirmed wizards in Elegance. Half of those, at the very least, are given to the dark arts and to summoning as much power as possible for every vile purpose under the sun.
“I’m telling you this, so you’ll know what you’re facing and how powerful this level of invisibility is. There have been rumors about these kinds of spells for a long time and only wizards can cast them. They can be controlled by the one who purchases the spell for indefinite periods of time. From what you’ve said about Natalie, if her stalker had used a fae futurist to discover a potential fae of power, I can see an amoral man of any species turning Natalie for his purposes.”
“If that was the case,” Grant said. “Why wait all this time before approaching her?”
Neil shook his head. “I can’t say. Depends on the motivation or there may have always been a particular timing involved, especially if the future was consulted. It also sounds like the hour is getting close.”
Grant experienced a terrible sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. “I think we need to figure out who this person is. Could you help with that?”
“I’m not sure. But I could ascertain whether or not she’s being stalked. I would need her here and would have to bespell her.” He paused before adding, “And something more. I would need to connect with her mentally and to some degree physically. She may not want that since it can feel invasive.”
Grant felt his fingers balling up as they had on the way over. “What do you mean, ‘physical and mental’?”
“I would need to hold both her hands and invade her mind.”
Grant rose slowly to his feet, teeth clenched. “If Natalie permitted you to do this, she would be completely under your control.”
Neil nodded slowly. “I can see this distresses you. But you would be there to protect her if necessary and you could have anyone else present you wanted. But why the hell are you showing fur? You’re pissed?” A smiled suddenly curved his lips. “Ah. I see. You have an interest in Natalie, a very alpha-wolf interest.”
“No.” The word came out just short of a bark. He paced in the direction of the foyer, then headed back. But every time images of Neil taking hold of Natalie’s hands popped into his mind, more fur appeared, even down his back. “You can’t touch her.” He spoke the words before he could stop them.
