Page 62 of Touched By Destiny

Eric lifted a brow. “Right. Because you’re not dramatic at all.”

“I’m just saying we could’ve been a lot worse,” Richard retorted.

“Clark, tell the children not to squabble at the table,” Rosalind said with a grin.

“Children, behave or I’ll send you upstairs and you won’t get to finish your supper,” Clark stated.

“You literally never sent us to bed without dinner,” Richard countered.

Gabriel laughed. “You didn’t give them the chance. If you got pissed, you’d declare yourself unable to take another bite and march up to your room. You’d go up there and probably spend hours reorganizing a bookcase until your temper cooled.”

Eric and Maribeth both snickered.

“He’s right,” Eric said.

“I can’t wait until I learn how to properly kick someone in the face,” Richard retorted.

“Come on, Richard,” Maribeth remarked. “Let’s go figure out what I should pack for my trip to LA.”

“I was thinking about taking a walk later,” Eric said, grabbing his dishes as he stood. “Is that okay, Gabriel?”

“Of course,” Gabriel replied, pleased that Eric had so effortlessly created a perfect rendezvous for them.

“Nine-thirty? Meet me at the side door?”

“I’ll be there,” Gabriel said, already planning on stealing a few kisses in the garage where the security cameras couldn’t catch them. It wasn’t a perfect way to spend his night, but Gabriel planned to make the most of it.

Chapter 26

Pale gray walls and floor-length curtains in a muted stripe were a stark contrast to the striking décor Eric’s mother had used throughout the main rooms of their house, but this space was designed for serenity. It was more a studio apartment than a guest room, and it had a single purpose. Each inspirit resurrected by a Marwood was brought to life there and offered the choice to call it home for as long as they wanted.

The inspirits rarely stayed for more than a week. They were always eager for independence, and Eric’s parents helped them find a job that interested them and an apartment or house with an easy commute. From childhood, Eric was taught how to respect inspirits. Although it was necromantic magic that created them, they were people—they had hopes and dreams and were beholden to no one.

Eric loved that philosophy and encouraged his inspirits to spread their wings and find happiness. As he stood in the spacious room—complete with a kitchenette, office, and lounging area—Eric prepared to cast the spell that defined him as a necromancer. He was alone, and it was a sad commentary on his life in the past week.

Unable to venture outdoors to aid ghosts, Eric had haunted the mansion and grown more frustrated with each passing day. A break from spirits was welcome in a way since Eric rarely gave himself days off, but it was lonely. Everyone had tasks to complete, and his usual mornings with Gabriel were nonexistent.

Since Gabriel didn’t need to guard him, he climbed in the car with Eric’s father every morning to work in Vegas. They still shared meals together, but Gabriel insisted on shortening their evenings to take a real walk. So obsessed with secrecy, Gabriel worried that if they didn’t stroll around the expansive backyard, Eric’s family would figure out the truth about their relationship.

That left Eric with about an hour each day to cuddle, kiss, and touch his soulmate. Perhaps he was greedy, but Eric wanted far more than to rush through a blowjob on the sofa or a quick jerkoff session. It wasn’t just the physical stuff Eric missed. They barely had a chance to discuss anything either. Their daily sixty minutes passed in a flash, and Eric was suddenly outside, huddled in his jacket, pissed he had to say goodbye to Gabriel.

Only seven days had passed since Eric was confined to the mansion, and he was already full of complaints he kept to himself. His frustration was rooted in his affection and caring for Gabriel, and his heart yearned for him. It was difficult to adore someone but have to keep it locked up until the right circumstances presented themselves.

Whoever was following them around remained elusive, and his father had already requested Eric stay indoors for at least another week. So, while everyone else was busy, Eric was sitting around the house reading books and still trying to figure out why necromancers couldn’t use more than a single crystal.

Uncle Alden had put a contract on a house, and Maribeth was over the moon that in a month she’d be visiting him. As for the pair of Marwoods interested in self-defense, Richard andDavid had taken an adult martial arts class. They’d arrived home last night brimming with excitement after the experience and had both signed up for additional classes.

Eric was happy they’d have someone to practice with and loved that they were trying something new. Maybe that was what he needed—to find an interest and run with it. Of course, it had to be something he could do from the comfort of home, which posed significant limitations. But Eric promised himself he’d search the Internet for ideas.

Meanwhile, he had a purpose today, and it would be impossible to complete his task if he continued to stand in the serene room twiddling his thumbs. Eric breathed in and closed his eyes as he cleared his mind. None of his personal woes mattered at that moment, and he had to admit that as problems went, his weren’t awful. They were also temporary. Someday, he’d have unlimited access to ghosts and, more importantly, to his soulmate.

Focusing on the center of himself, Eric carefully reviewed his wish list. What he wanted was an inspirit with both immortality and heightened eyesight. How powerful the inspirit’s abilities would be was up to his magic and his ability to concentrate. The trip from one plane of existence to another blanked their memories, and Eric assumed it was to keep them from missing lost loved ones or reliving their death.

Eric gathered his magic and envisioned a silvery ball of fire growing bigger and bigger. A worthy soul. That was the formula Eric always used. They didn’t need to be exceptional, just interested in living again and without malice in their heart. Eric’s fingers curled into fists as he dug deep for every scrap of sorcery he could summon to infuse into the inspirit.

Opening his eyes, Eric smiled at the glow emanating from his entire being. His hand tingled and shone brighter than the rest of him. Across the room, a body was forming on the bed, andEric thrust more power toward them. In his head, he continued to chant his wish list as he drew further upon the ability that made him a necromancer.

The heady responsibility of granting life was never stronger than in the moment he cast a resurrection spell. Eric tugged and tugged until he swayed on his feet as he shoved more power into the form on the gray-and-green bedspread. It was a man with golden-brown skin and black glossy hair long enough to rest on his broad shoulders. A wave of silver danced down his tall body, and although Eric knew the spell was complete, he dumped more magic into the room to ensure the inspirit was as strong as possible.

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