Page 50 of The Mating Claim
“They did look a little scary. I made sure to not read themaloud.”
“All the spells in that book are best left to be unread, unrecited, and forgotten, not merely the ones in the back,Lacey.”
“Easy for you to say, when all you have to do is wish for it and you have diamonds or gold, all youwant.”
His temper snapped. Drust laced his fingers around Lacey’s wrist, dragged her to the alcove of a deserted shop and then pushed her up against the wall. He got in her face, this dragon who failed to realize the dangers of what she had gotten her handson.
“If money is what you love, then I’ll snap my damn fingers and ten bags of gold will appear on your doorstep. I do not know how to drill sense into this…” he stabbed a finger at her head. “thick skull of yours, Lacey McGuire. You are flirting with evil every time you open that book and take a ‘peek’ as you put it, at the darkness within. This is not a gray area. It is absolute. The book must be destroyed or you will unleash a horrible evil. If you think that copperhead snake was frightening for the children, imagine what a horde of demons could do to them. They could die screaming. All because you ‘took a peek’ at a book never intended for mortals likeyou.”
She faced him with such defiance in her snapping green eyes, her bristling stance. “If it was not meant for us, wizard, then how did it end up in mortal hands? Why didn’t you guys do something about it, since you’re the all-powerfulBrehon?”
Good question, and one he had no answers to. Drust suspected Caderyn did. Now was not the time,however.
Honesty was best. His firm sense of honor overrode all. “I do not know. But I know this…” he got into her face again, let her see the subtle flickering of his power. “You are endangering yourself and Others with that book. Do you think Willow simply appeared out of nowhere for noreason?”
Blood drained from her face and her lower lip wobbled. Finally he’d gotten through to her. How he hated scaring her like this, but Lacey was a stubborn dragon and she had to see what power she’d tapped into had the potential to turn againsther.
And innocents, like thechildren.
Her breath came out in a thin whistle. “My shop. If I did conjure this thing… with a spell… where would Willow gonext?”
Drust was already pulling her out of the alcove. He knew. Snapping his fingers, not even taking the time to ensure no Skins witnessed them dematerializing, he teleported with Lacey into the front room of herstore.
What greeted them had her gasping and triggered all his wizard senses, making his powers surge intooverdrive.
Chapter 11
Lacey had thought escapingthe Crystal Wizard’s wrath and a deadly copperhead bite was the worst of it. And then Drust had hauled her outside, saving her skin, and gave her a warning that sent chills skating down herspine.
Deep down she knew he was right. She’d opened a door todarkness.
The evidence of which was now in her store, her beautiful little store that helped witches and Others and even Skins find peace, harmony andbalance.
Glass jars were smashed on the hardwood floor. The cash register drawer was open, and all her cash from the spell and today’s sales had been cut into shredded pieces. With trembling hands, she picked up a corner of a $20 bill. The stench of urine and feces made her gag. She glanced in the corner where she’d set a display of colorful candles to ward off darkness and saw thesource.
Bile rose in her throat and she swallowed pastit.
Wrinkling his nose, Drust crouched down, picked up a shard of glass labeledAshwagandha. “You carried this. Interesting. A good herb for healing the immune system and calming the body from high stresslevels.”
How could he be so calm? Every nerve inside her quivered with rage, grief and fear. Lacey let the ruined Jackson bill flutter to thefloor.
And then she saw the glow emanating from him, a cobalt blue glow as if all his magick surged like a nuclear reactor. His eyes, normally a penetrating blue, turned cobalt and glowing with the samepower.
So maybe not so blasé, but barely checked rage. Likeher.
But his demeanor remained calm as he dropped the shard. “Tell me everything you did, Lacey. Leave nothingout.”
Drawing a deep breath, she confessed about using the doubling spell and how it had increased her cash. Drust said nothing, but a muscle ticked in his jaw, indicating his temper wasrising.
“At least no one got hurt.” She swallowed past her emotions and tried to think of her next step. Nothing convinced her that the book was deadly likethis.
A deep bark drew their attention to the back room. Immobilized with fear, Lacey stared atDrust.
“Lucky,” shewhispered.
“Stayhere.”
The order snapped her out of inertia. Lacey ran to the back room, skidded to a halt, her sneakers sliding on a broken jar of herbal tea. Her jawunhinged.
