Page 25 of Urban Gladiator

Bixby nodded and was gone in a flash.

I put the boots on first, sighing at their softness. Then I hung the rest of the gowns in the armoire. He was only gone about fifteen minutes when he reappeared with the rest.

I spied the supplies I’d asked for and bit back my grin. It was risky, but I was counting on the fact that Bixby would be so thrilled at being corporeal again that he wouldn’t take the spell supplies away when I was finished.

“Give me a minute to mix the ingredients properly. Don’t go anywhere. It’s better if I do the spell with you nearby.”

Bixby nodded solemnly. An air of excitement hummed around him.

Ignoring the clothes, I picked up the ingredients, sat them on the bedside table, and mixed small amounts, leaving the bulk for later. Fingers crossed he would ignore them afterward.

I lit the candle with a blink. It sputtered to life, much to Bixby’s amazement. I grinned. He hadn’t seen anything yet.

I poured the dried mixture into my hands and instructed, “Pick up the candle, Bixby.”

He was at my side and holding it before I could blink. Someone was a mite eager. I rose and stood before him, holding the powdery mixture. Internally, I called the elements, air, earth, fire, water, and spirit. He didn’t need to know every part of this ritual.

“Maiden, Mother, Crone, I beseech thee. Turn what is unseen, seen. Solidify that which is vapor. Give him use of his limbs and body once more. As I will it, so mote it be.” And then, for a flourish, I opened my hands and blew the mixture at Bixby.

As the powder sprinkled over his form, his body shimmered, growing, hardening, and becoming solid.

Bixby’s jaw dropped open in shock. He put his hands against his chest, then his face, hair, and arms, and breathed. “You did it. I can’t believe it worked. I can’t—” He rose to his full height, his black eyes fiercely burning. “The gift you’ve given me, miss, I can never repay. I’m in your debt and offer my gratitude.”

As much as I was using him to get what I needed, the joy emanating from him made me happy. It had been the right thing to do. “Do you think we could take that tour now? I’ve never been in a castle before.”

When he nodded, strands of his golden hair shifted, and he ran his fingers through it with a laugh. “Certainly, miss. Anything for you.”

“Great. We should go now. And when we’re done, I’m quite hungry.”

“We’ll stop by the kitchens and see what Mistress Lara has prepared for you. Follow me.” Bixby held the door open.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I stepped across the threshold. It was the first time since that disastrous meal that I’d been allowed out of the room. And I wasn’t someone who took confinement well. I liked my freedom far too much.

The hall was long, with marble floors lined with soft rugs. The ceiling was high with dark wooden buttresses. Artwork was displayed from a mixture of artists. There were paintings from the fairies, suits of armor crafted by the giants, and depictions of battles the wolves won during the witch wars.

It couldn’t be helped. It was before my time.

And if things were different, I could see myself enjoying living here. As we walked, Bixby provided me with a history lesson. The castle was built in the early sixteen hundreds. It became a beacon after the burning times. All supernaturals migrated away from populated areas. Back then, the Native Americans were the only other people competing for space in these parts. And they steered a wide berth around the area we settled.

Although there were a few raids. But after meeting a pack of wolves and having half their braves slaughtered, they learned to stay away from the area.

Avalon was created out of a need to protect our kind. Witches sacrificed their lives to create the barrier around our settlement. With the potential for raids, we decided as a group to seal ourselves away from humans. They were a murderous lot. They wanted to either control or annihilate anything or anyone that was different from them.

“And where is Rowan’s bedroom?” I cast a somewhat shy glance at Bixby, who took my look just as I intended.

“It’s at the end of this hall.” He gestured at the hallway on the right. It was a short hall that ended at a huge black door.

I was curious about him. More than I wanted to admit. I wanted to search his room and discover the little things he didn’t share with most people.

Oh my goddess! A few fantastic tumbles between the sheets, and I was fawning over him.

His room was as far away from me as possible. It would work in my favor. He pointed out the ballroom, the library, and a movie room with a real theater in it. We’d adopted much of the technology of the outside world with solar energy. Although we were leagues behind when it came to fashion.

I glanced out gleaming windows and peered down at a courtyard. I sucked in a breath at the familiar dark-haired man striding through in a suit, looking suave and debonair when I knew the animal that lay beneath the surface. And I wasn’t talking about the wolf.

Children ran up to him. Even three stories up, I noticed his smile and the way the kids hung on his every word.

“They love him,” Bixby said, standing beside me.

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