Page 31 of Charmed

Dang. With the annoying Meath hottie in the house, she'd almost forgotten. Closing her eyes, she brought her thumbs to her middle fingertips and concentrated. A slight buzz lay dormant below the surface, yet the hum in her blood wasn't present. To verify, she focused on a pile of napkins and extended her palm to conjure wind.

"Nothing," she muttered as fear slithered up her spine. Her magick should've returned by now.

"Wait." Riley paused mid-chew, concern tightening his brows. He set down the bagel and swallowed with what seemed like great effort. "They're still gone? All your powers? Even the healing gift?"

She hadn't thought of that. She'd only been checking her air element.

"Let's find out." She strode to the butcher block, removed a knife, and held her hand over the sink.

"What in the hell are you doing?" He flew at her and snatched the blade before she could bring the pointed tip to her skin.

"It's okay." Ceara calmly eased the knife from his grasp and stepped between him and Fiona. "She's just going to test her magick."

Clearly aggravated, he glared at Fiona, then finally raised his hands in surrender.

She took the knife from her sister and brought the blade to her thumb. Riley's respirations increased as she sliced a deep cut in the pad. Blood dripped into the sink, and he made a sound of duress.

"I'm fine, Riley." Ignoring the slight lick of pain, she set the knife aside and held her free palm over the injury. She closed her eyes again and tried to summon the white light of healing within her. A cut this small never required effort. The heat she typically associated with her gift didn't rise, and she shook with strain before giving up altogether. "No. That's gone, too."

Panic lodged a ball in her stomach as tears burned, threatening to fall. Her whole adult life she'd had her powers. Even before they'd activated, she could sense them within her blood, throughout her system. They were so much a part of her, she was lost and unanchored in their absence. All she could do was stand there and watch while crimson drops splashed the porcelain, hoping like hell there was a solution.

In the tense silence that followed, Riley ripped a piece of paper towel from the dispenser. Turning her around, he crowded her against the counter and held the makeshift bandage to her thumb. Compassion swam in his eyes when he met her gaze, and he offered a wan smile as if to give her some kind of reassurance.

Finally, he swallowed. "What do we do? Tell me."

She shook her head, feeling so helpless she could scream.

Ceara smoothed Fiona's strands. "Riley and I will head to the forest and collect the vial fragments. Perhaps we can get something from them to tell us what was in the potion. You should check the grimoire while we're gone. There has to be a spell in the book to reverse what he did." She looked at Riley. "Let me get dressed and wake Aunt Mara. I'll send her to cover the shop and we can go."

He nodded and waited for her to leave before refocusing on Fiona. The longer he studied her, the deeper the groove grew on his forehead. In his mesmerizing gray-green eyes, tenderness met understanding while concern took a backseat. She was this close to squirming when he nodded again like he'd solved a riddle.

"Ah, there you are." One corner of his mouth quirked. "Always figured I'd be freaked out to find what was buried beneath the attitude. Not so much."

She narrowed her eyes, her pulse thumping. "What nonsense are you spouting?"

He grunted, gaze affectionately roaming her features. "Your hair's a knotted mess on top of your head, you're not wearing any cosmetics, and there's still traces of morning bewilderment in your eyes." The other corner of his mouth joined in to transform his lips into a conceited smile. "Fiona Galloway, minus the polish and mask. Losing your magick exposed you for a beat, too. I rather like this version."

He...what? She seethed. "I will get my gifts reactivated. Soon as I do, you better pray for leniency."

And...he weaponized his disarming, megawatt grin. Her knees liquefied to jelly.

"Just like that, she's back. Good." He erased the meager inches of distance and pressed against her, crushing her to him. His fingers clenched around the paper towel in her hand while his gaze seductively dipped to her mouth. "There's something to be said for susceptibility, but you in take-no-prisoners mode is severely underappreciated. I don't mind exchanging one for the other, so long as you remember the version I just spotted isn't a sign of weakness, but of strength."

Siphoning air, she stared up at him, leveled to her very core.

He brought his lips to her ear, feathering the shell as he spoke. "Thank you for last night. Next time, clothes are coming off and I will not keep my hands to myself." Hot breath caressed her neck and she shivered. "Count on it, babe."

Chapter Nine

Riley followed Ceara into the house after their trek through the woods and held up the baggie with glass shards from the vial they'd recovered. "Do you really think you can get something from this? It's been out there all night in the elements."

"No, but Fiona probably can. She's incredibly talented with potions." She headed for the kitchen, and he trailed after her. "I just hope whatever she uncovers does the trick. Without her powers, you both are at a disadvantage."

"I would never label her as helpless, even without her gifts." He set the bag on the island and fingered the fragments through the plastic. Ceara wasn't wrong. This was a magical war they were battling and Fiona had seemed out of sorts from the moment he'd walked in on her this morning. Before, really. "She's stronger than whatever that asshole tries to do to her. Hands down, I'd take her for the win against anyone or anything."

She offered a secretive smile. "Maybe you should tell her that."

"I have." Sort of. Fiona had a way of distorting conversation to the point he rarely recalled the original topic. Her tangents had tangents. He was ninety percent certain she'd gotten his drift last night, though. "Not that she needs me to boost her confidence."

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