Page 80 of Power Shift
I swallowed hard as Caelan reached around and laid the pendant against the hollow of my throat. His breath was warm against my shoulder, fingers brushing against my skin as he fastened the clasp. An innocent touch that sparked the end of my nerves into flame.
“There.” Caelan’s hand wound through my hair as he moved it off my shoulder.
I turned, my fingers already playing with the pendant.
“How does it feel?” Ash asked, unable to mask the amusement in his eyes over my reaction to Caelan.
“Friendly.” That wasn’t quite the right word, but it fit. Warmth and joy spread from the obsidian, enclosing my heart in a warm cocoon of light. I smiled and placed my hand over my chest. “I sense all of you within.”
“Good.” Ash gathered the spell materials and put them inside the canvas bag he’d brought. Fine lines of weariness had gathered at his eyes. “I’m going to head out.”
Tess yawned. “Me too. I’m wiped.”
Moira sank onto the couch and groaned. “What did you do to us?”
Ash helped Tess up. The banshee swayed against him. He put a gentle arm around her shoulders. “Spell work is always hard on the body. We’ll all be fine in the morning, after a good night’s sleep.”
Caelan stretched and yawned. “Thank the gods. I have a Council meeting tomorrow and need to be clear headed.”
“I’ll see you guys in the morning. We have a lot of work to catch up on.”
All three of my friends groaned. “Now go on, get out of here,” I said with a laugh.
They piled out the door, waving as they went. Caelan followed but turned before he stepped out.
“Let me know if there are any issues with the pendant.”
“All seems well, but I’ll call if things get weird.”
He nodded and was poised to leave when I reached out and touched his arm.
“Caelan?” A question had been bothering me for the last few days.
“Hmm?”
“Why are you acting so…?” My voice trailed off as I tried to think of the right word. “Normal.”
His eyebrows flicked up. “Normal? Isn’t that what everyone wants?”
“Not necessarily. You’ve been extremely calm. Too calm.”
Amusement glittered in his eyes. “You don’t like me calm, flower girl?”
“You haven’t been calm from the second I met you, so it’s weirding me out a little, that’s all.”
“Maybe things are different now.” He turned and walked down the steps.
“Are they?” I called.
“Perhaps I’m different.”
We stared at each other.
“I’m not sure I like it,” I blurted.
Caelan’s grin was a flash of white in the darkness. “Good night, Evangeline.”
A moment later he was gone.
