Page 96 of A Bolt of Magic

Before he can respond, she turns on her heel and saunters away, her hips swaying; her ass is also completely bare. My hands tingle with magic right at my fingertips. I would love to turn her into a goat or a mule. Or blow her up completely. My mother would be angry. She’d take it out on Kian.

“She really is something,” he says, and I’m not sure what he means by that. I’m not going to ask, either.

I don’t want to talk about Lydia. My grandmother always used to say that if you talk about a person behind their back, you’re giving them power. The last thing Lydia needs is more power.

Jealousy burns through me. I have no hold over Kian. He can do whatever he wants with whomever he wants. If he chooses to spend tonight with her, that’s perfectly okay.

“You’re welcome to take her up on her offer. Just please be careful,” I warn him, walking away to sit at one of the empty tables.

Kian

I stand frozen, watching McColl walk away from me with deliberate steps. The dismissive way she told me to go ahead with Lydia’s offer burns in my chest.

Anger rises in me, hot and unexpected. How could she push me toward another woman so easily? We have an attraction…more than just that. I was certain that there was something real there, something deeper. But perhaps I was wrong. McColl said that they’re sexual creatures by nature. Xander mentioned something along those lines, as well, telling me to be careful. What did he call them? Sirens of the land?

The cold indifference in her voice when she dismissed me reminded me, for just a moment, of her mother. That calculated detachment, that ability to set aside feelings for strategy. It throws me off balance in a way I don’t like at all.

I follow her to the table, taking the chair across from her. We eat in silence, the tension between us growing thicker with each passing moment. The delicious food might as well be sawdust for all I can taste. Every so often, I catch her glancing at me, but when our eyes meet, she quickly looks away. I finish my plate, pushing it away.

“Did you enjoy the pies?” she asks.

It takes me a moment to realize what she is referring to.

“Delicious,” I lie, since I didn’t taste anything.

She goes back to eating. When I glance at her plate, I note that she’s barely touched her food after all this time.

The sound of approaching footsteps breaks our uncomfortable silence. A tall man with dark hair approaches our table, and I can immediately sense the magic radiating from him. Strong magic. He is wearing low-slung breeches and is shirtless. His chest is broad and well-muscled. Everything about his bearing screams warrior – the way he moves, the confidence in his stride, the way his eyes constantly scan his surroundings. One of the Children of the Veil, I’d wager.

He glances my way, dismissing me and focusing on her instead. “Hi, McColl.” His face breaks into a genuine smile. “By the goddess, it is good to see you.”

McColl’s entire demeanor transforms. Her face lights up with genuine joy as she leaps to her feet. “Blaise! I can’t believe it!” she says. “It can’t be you.”

They embrace, and I watch with growing irritation as the hug lasts far longer than any friendly greeting should. His hands rest low on her back, and she doesn’t seem inclined to pull away.

“You look incredible,” Blaise says when they finally separate, his eyes lingering on her in a way that makes my jaw clench. “Even more beautiful than I remembered,” he adds, his eyes on her breasts. He seems reluctant to lift them, but finally does.

Heat floods through me, and I grip my wine glass tighter.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” McColl laughs, and the sound is lighter than anything I’ve heard from her all evening. “Look at you! When did you get so…broad? I think you may have grown an inch or two, as well. Not that you needed it. You’ve always been tall. It suits you.”

“Training with the Children of the Veil will do that to a man.” He grins, flexing slightly in a way that’s clearly meant to impressher. “Would you like to dance? For old times’ sake? It would be great to catch up.”

“You haven’t finished your food,” I say in a tone that is clipped.

“I could come back,” he tells her. “I didn’t realize you were still busy.”

“I’m finished,” she says. “I’m not used to eating such rich food.”

“Shall we then?” He smiles at her.

McColl’s eyes flick to me, something uncertain in her expression. Checking in with me, perhaps? After she just told me to go find myself a bedmate for the evening? I’m not sure why she thinks she needs to. She is her own person. Capable of making her own decisions. It’s clear that we are under no immediate threat, even if we do need to be careful.

I force my voice to remain level. “You should go. Enjoy yourself. I’ll be right here.”

The words taste bitter on my tongue, but I’ll be damned if I show the jealousy coursing through me when she made it clear she doesn’t care what I do or who I do it with.

Something that looks like hurt flashes across McColl’s face, but it’s gone so quickly I might have imagined it. She nods and takes Blaise’s offered arm, letting him lead her toward the area where others are dancing around the bonfires.

---