Page 13 of The Magic of Discovery
“You just now figured that out, boss?” Fischer laughed, punching Cam lightly on the shoulder.
“Okay, so I got two out of four now. Don’t leave me hanging here.” I rapidly looked between Fish and Sloane, giving a cheesy smile and nodding my head.
“Sure, Red. I’d be happy to fire you up. Just say when.” The smug fuck winked at me then flashed that megawatt smile. I’d be a lying son of a bee sting if I said I didn’t get a jolt right to the lady biscuit.Damn him.
I fist pumped the air just as Fish added his yes.
“Four for four. I love getting what I want.” I stood up and started grabbing everyone’s plates to throw in the trash, singing a song about victory, and shaking my ass around.
Laughing, I walked over to start packing up the rest of the supplies the guys had brought, and I could’ve sworn to the sun and stars, I heard four distinct growls coming from behind me. I didn’t think I’d ever smiled so hard in my whole damn existence.
It had been after five when we got back to the apartment. Everyone was in good spirits, and it was likely the most relaxed I’d seen my brothers in a very long time. I slipped off to the shower immediately, needing some time to myself after the sensory overload at the lake. My mind drifted back to Saige, the way she interacted with us so easily, like it was completely natural. The conversation had flowed seamlessly, and the little jabs we made at each other had Saige rolling with laughter. She’d even gotten under Sloane’s skin a few times, which was hilarious.
No, I wasn’t worried about her hanging out with our group. I found her to be very sweet and caring. The way she pulled me aside to ask more about the depressed teen, getting as much information as possible, showed a genuine concern that was refreshing.
So what was it about her that had me on edge? For the second time in my life, I couldn’t get a single fucking emotion off of someone. Nothing. Not happiness when she was tearing her cheeseburger apart, not amusement when we were dicking around and teasing each other, not lust when she’d caught any one of us studying her pretty face or delicious curves. Not a fucking thing, and I was confused, and really, really intrigued. After obsessing over her long enough, I finished my shower, figuring I’d just chill out and read a book in my room for a while. The guys knew I needed alone time after spending so long around a bunch of people, so no one would begrudge me the privacy.
Hanging the towel back up to dry on the rack, I silently moved through the hallway and slipped into my room without any interruptions. Peace and quiet.Sigh.
* * *
Once night fell,we all headed out to different cardinal points within the town limits. With wardingandrevulsion spells in place, the caster would’ve needed to layer the magic. If they were sloppy, which I highly doubted, then their magical signature could still be lingering. In our line of work you never assumed anything; you double and triple checkedeverythingbefore accepting it as fact.
I headed east, and the town was so damn small, it only took me three minutes to drive my bike there. We had all brought our motorcycles since they easily fit in the back of the moving truck, and it eliminated the need to find a car right away. Kai and I both had souped up crotch rockets, Cam had a big fucking Harley Davidson, not surprising, and Sloane drove a vintage Indian.
Pulling over to the side of the road, I walked the bike up to the tree line to keep it out of sight, an easy feat since the whole town was surrounded by forest. My boots crunched on twigs and rocks as I scanned my surroundings. This place really did remind me of home. It had been a year or so since we had all been back; I should give my parents and sister a call soon to check in. We were all close and had a solid and loving family dynamic, but my team’s workload had been fucking intense the past year. This was the first ‘break’ we were getting, and it wasn’t even a real one.
Leaving the bike, I headed into the trees, muttering the incantation for some fairy light. The small lights wouldn’t be enough to draw attention, just enough to keep me from tripping over a fucking tree trunk and face planting.
“Mediocris lumina.”
Little swirling dots flared to life, moving with me through the thick forest. All witches and mages had the ability to cast general spells and magic, though each of us also had a specific affinity, an area that we excelled in, a “gift” from the stars.Not that I’d say never being alone in your own head is much of a gift.Each magical person came into their affinity during their teens, though theexacttime varied by the individual.
Since age thirteen, I’d been surrounded by emotion, so many fucking emotions. Sometimes a man just needed to be alone with his thoughts, and the only time I could ever manage such a feat was when I isolated myself in a very secluded area, like I was right now. I took a deep, shuddering breath.Fuck. That felt good. With a second deep lungful of fresh, crisp air, I pushed myself, holding it in my lungs until they were screaming for more, my heartbeat starting to race with the need for more oxygen. Depriving myself until I started to see black dots dancing in my vision, I finally let the air out and quickly sucked in another huge breath.
I am my own man. My feelings are my own. I am an individual.
My mind quickly flashed back to the teen at the lake. I hoped he found someone to confide in soon because his depression had damn near smothered me. I couldn’t imagine what living day to day with that blanket of absolute blackness must feel like. If he didn’t find some respite soon, I was concerned for his safety. I could check in with Saige in a few days to see what she’d done with the information I’d given her.
Damnit, Fish. Stop. You’re out here on your own, which never happens. Don’t think about that shit. You’re free... for now.
Grunting, I hiked my pack up on my shoulders and picked up my pace. Allowing my senses to spread out, I tested the boundaries of the town lines. There was a presence, but it wasn’t stronger than any other basic witch spell. It didn’t even feel like a warding spell - just raw magical power. That might just be the town’s potency though. A lot of magical people in one location could definitely let out power this palpable.
I pulled out my cell and quickly typed out a message to the guys.
Me: Out on the East line. Normal energy levels, nothing of notice. Heading back.
Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I turned around and started to hike back to where I’d left the bike. The moon was full in the sky tonight, but not bright enough to break through the thicket, so I was thankful for my fairy lights.Guess I won’t be sleeping.Something about full moon vibes just set me on edge.I might need a session soon.
Pushing my bike back to the road, I hopped on and revved the engine, the smell of burnt rubber quickly invading my nose as my tires burned out. Yanking up on the handle bars, I rode a wheelie before slamming back down to earth and speeding down the road away from town. If I had time to myself, I was going to enjoy it for a little bit longer. Who knew when it would happen again.
* * *
We wereall sitting in the living room with the television on, but everyone was distracted. Cam was hunched over in one of the armchairs, looking through some paperwork, Kai was lying back on the couch typing on his phone, and Sloane was draped across the other armchair, snacking on some popcorn, looking deep in thought.
“So what was the outcome tonight? Same for all of us?” I inquired, crossing my legs underneath me, my hand rubbing over the rough patterned rug I was sitting on.
Kai put his phone down on his chest and looked over to me. “Yeah, I felt like there was something there, but nothing that would be strong enough to keep anybody out of the town, ya know? I wondered if that was just the town’s pulse I was picking up on.”
