Page 10 of The Mating Magic
“Screw you, wizard.” Lacey gasped as he pulled harder, her head now partlysubmerged.
“Lacey, please, tell him,” Evie begged. “I can’t loseyou.”
“Never,” Laceypanted.
An alligator swam closer, so close Evie could see its beady eyes, the malevolence in its grin as it opened its jaws wide. A tentacle snaked out of its mouth, swimming toward hersister.
She loved Lacey. Drust would execute her without a backward glance. She knew the impervious and cold power of the wizard, from the hushed tales Chase had shared withher.
“It’s at her house,” Evie cried out. “Please, your excellency, don’t hurt my sister! Stopit!”
Drust released Lacey, who pulled away in time from the gator’s deadly tentacle. Her green gaze grew shiny with unshed tears. Tears of anger, Evie knew, for Lacey would never cry withdefeat.
“You’ll never find it. It’s a bighouse.”
“I have no intention of searching.” Drust snapped his fingers and Chase came forward. “Take the women back to Lacey’s house and find the potion. You were responsible for safeguarding it, now you will return it tome.”
“Do this, do that. You’re such an old fart,” Lacey muttered. “Is that all you know how to do is giveorders?”
“Lacey,” Eviehissed.
The wizard’s eyes glowed an eerie blue, and Evie quivered with fear for her sister. Drust splayed his hand over Lacey’s face. Evie winced. That had to hurt, but Lacey did notreact.
“I am finished with your rule breaking, Lacey McGuire. This is the last chance you have. The next time, I will not be aslenient.”
“Oh?” Lacey’s mouth curled upward in a bold smile. “What are you going to do, singe me with dragonfire?”
“No, perhaps I shall keep you as a pet and make you dance for me with bursts of coldfire.” Drust released her and pointed a finger at a nearby bush. Blue flames streamed from his finger. The bush shriveled instantly andvanished.
Cold dread filled Evie. “Lacey, please stopit.”
But even her daring sister had paled beneath the terrible display of purepower.
Drust walked over to the swamp and nodded at Chase. “Find the potion, and call upon me when you do. Do not waste my time further, Chase, or you will suffer theconsequences.”
Then the Coldfire Wizard walked over to a clearing, shifted into a magnificent cobalt blue and silver dragon the size of a tractor trailer, and with a beat of his enormous wings, lifted into thesky.
Lacey stared after him until Drust became only a blue dot in the sky. For a moment, her expression looked wistful. As if she longed to joinhim.
Chapter 4
Evie saidlittle to him on the drive to Lacey’s house. Though the trip itself took less than an hour, it felt agonizinglylong.
Chase sat in the back of her Lacey’s sedan next to Evie. Though the car itself was red and polished and looked expensive, the leather seats were cracked and faded, and one door handle was missing. It was another sharp contrast between Evie’s world and hisown.
She had limped back to the car, refusing his assistance and once inside, removed her sneaker and donned a pair of sandals with a cracked strap. The shoes were woefully old, another reminder of how little money she and Laceyhad.
He gazed out the window, searching for words to say to Evie that would make everything all right again. Deep inside, he felt he could never make amends. Not after abandoningher.
His family had truly fooled him, especially his cousins. Later, he would deal withthem.
Right now he was more concerned with saving Evie’s ass, for he’d never seen Drust so coldlyfurious.
When they arrived at the house, Chase climbed out first, opened the car door for Evie. The times they had been together, Evie had never brought himhere.
Now he knewwhy.
He stared at the structure. Solid concrete block, typical Florida home, and yet one gutter sagged precariously off the roof and the front porch was crammed with dead or dying plants. Though it was only April, the humid air held a hint of heat. It promised to be a hot summer, the kind that dragons adored, but visitors to Floridaloathed.
