Page 57 of The Magic of Discovery
“You did so well, both of you. You pleased me tonight,” he praised, and pride swelled in my chest.Why do I care so much?His posture was lighter, the strain between his eyes gone. He was smiling right now, a genuine smile. Not the dark slash of a smirk that he usually walked around with, the one that screamedbad boyand combusted the underwear of men and women alike.And oh my moons, I want to see that every day.
Sloane pulled me into them, both men engulfing me in their arms, taking turns planting small kisses on my lips, my face, my neck. They kissed each other languidly, a slow dance that they’d perfected the steps to long ago. Hands and fingertips ran up and down my back in slow, soothing motions. These touches, they weren’t meant to arouse; they were meant to express gratitude and to bring all of us back down from the impossible heights we’d just reached together. My heart slowed, returning to normal within a few minutes.
“Of all the sights I expected to see when I strolled out here, finding you in his arms was probably at the absolute bottom of the list,” Fischer chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest when we broke apart.
“I think it was at the bottom of our list of possibilities when we walked out here, too,” I confessed, shrugging.
“She fell victim to my sex appeal. Are you really that surprised, Fish?” Sloane questioned, and I whipped my face over to glare at him, but he was grinning.What a shithead.
“Hmm, you sure it wasn’t the other way around? She’s quite appealing.” Fischer sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and then smirked when my cheeks flamed with the realization that he was still tasting me.
Bending down to snatch up my discarded panties, Sloane hummed in agreement. “She is, indeed, but I still need to see her cast some magic, so let’s get to it. This puzzle is pissing me off.”
The red lace disappeared into Sloane’s pocket as he looked at me expectantly. “Hey! Those are a matching set. Give those back!”
Fischer shook his head with amusement when Sloane promised he’d return them after he got to see the other half of the set. Turning from us, he strode away like a slightly brighter little storm cloud.Damn pervert.We followed him down the path, moving out of the cover of the rows of saplings that had hidden us during our moment.
“So you left Kaito and Cam in there with Gran?” I asked with mock horror.
“Dude, she’s showing them her dance moves. She’s using Cam as a stand-in pole, claimed he was a little thicker than what she was used to working with, but she could make do.”
My mouth dropped open, and all three of us laughed like hell.
“That woman is savage. She called Cam thick? I wish I could’ve seen his face.” Sloane wiped his eyes, and his deep laughter got us all going again. This was the first time I’d seen him let loose more than a chuckle, and the sound was like music to my ears.
“Honestly, she’s not fit for public consumption. I’m going to have to apologize to them,” I wheezed, short of breath after laughing so intensely.
My bright mood dampened slightly as I led the guys to a garden that looked particularly terrible. All of my beautiful plants were dry as a fucking tumbleweed, and damn, if that sight didn’t send a wave of fury through me.
“Fix them, and then I’ll see if I can sense anything that feels off in your magic,” Sloane instructed.
Suddenly, I felt anxious. What if itwasme? Maybe I was sick or cursed, and this would keep happening for the remainder of my life.What would I do if I didn’t have my green magic? I love my affinity. Watching life erupt from my palms, creating beauty, connecting to the earth when my hands plunge into the soil, I need that. Damn these demons who have caused such a clusterfuck in my life. I’ve never even gone further than a few miles outside of town. I have done nothing to deserve this bullshit.White hot energy rolled through my body, my skin prickling with each second that passed, rage building inside of me so fast I felt like my skin would split if I didn’t release it.
I vaguely registered hearing my name being said, but it was overpowered by heat and fury.Blink. I was on my knees.Blink.Hands in the cool dirt, searching, seeking.Blink.Magic was pouring out of me.Blink.Can’t stop.Blink.So much power.Blink.Fix it, fix it, fix it.Blink.On my back, looking up at the sky.Blink.
Not moving, I sucked in deep lungfuls of air. I felt like I’d just broken through the surface of the lake, seeking oxygen like a flower sought the sunlight.
“Sweetheart, can you hear me? Fuck, Sloane. She’s just staring. What the fuck was that?!” my reserved mage barked, his distress clear in the way he raked both hands through his hair.
“Fine... I’m fine,” I nearly whispered, my voice shaking. The statement didn’t sound believable, even to my own ears.
Sloane scoffed, his voice full of ice shards and then a dose of wonder. “Like fuck you’re fine, Red. Look at what you’ve done.”
His stern face came into view, hands reaching for my arms, and then I was standing. The world spun, and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to get my bearings.
“Holy. Shit.” Fischer’s whispered words had my eyes snapping open.
“What the hell is all of this?” I shrieked, spinning in a circle, eyes widening to take in the state of my garden.
Cam, Kaito, and Gran’s concerned voices carried to us on the wind, but we couldn’t see them. We couldn’t see shit. Every single plant within one hundred yards had exploded to triple its starting size, including the grass and trees. The dried up plants I’d set out to repair had been a mix of summer flowers, and not only had they been restored to health, but they were also exploding with blooms.
Fish called out to the others, telling them we were all okay. He grabbed my hand just as Sloane claimed my other.
“Well, Red. Doesn’t look like your magic is failing you, but itischanging. Growing, becoming much more powerful. It’s still carrying your specific signature, but darker. I don’t know what those fucking beasts are up to, but they’ve done something to you,” Sloane explained, searching my face. I’d never seen him look anything other than pissed off or indifferent before tonight. Right now? Wonder, curiosity, and alarm were cycling on repeat, and an alarmed Sloane was something that scared me to death.
The sound of glass shattering had the three of us freezing and looking to the window in the kitchen. A thick ivy vine had broken the glass and was continuing to grow at an unnatural rate, wrapping itself around any and every surface it could find.
“Saige,” Bette breathed.
