Page 7 of Eternal Light (Fated in the Stars #5)

Finn opens the sliding glass door from where he’d been sitting on the balcony. “Nimue is on her way over. We’ll get the protections in place, and then we can get some food. Does anyone have any preferences?”

“Thai? There’s a place across the street, near that small market. We should stock up on stuff for the babies and Nix,” Rowan suggests from the couch, like the rest of them don’t need nutritious sustenance. “I’ll go. Jaybird, do you wanna come with?”

Unsurprisingly, Jay hesitates.

The pack is in new digs, and Jay hasn’t poked his sexy nose into every nook and cranny yet like he has at every place they’ve been since Gideon has been bonded to the pack.

Probably even before that. But Gideon doesn’t want Rowan in the wild without a strong hand on the grocery cart and a bit of self-control.

Lauren still complains about the charges to her card every time she calls.

“Go, Jay. Bring back enough food for a few days, and Thai is fine for lunch—just no shellfish for Nix or spice for you. We’re all in the nest tonight, and we don’t want regrets.”

“I’ve got this,” Leo says, and opens the apartment door for his mate. It’s his persistent stare and subsequent raised eyebrow that gets Jay moving.

Rubbing a hand down his face, he sighs, “Fine, let’s go. See you soon.”

Once they’re gone, Gideon takes the time to do some quick recon for himself to be sure his kittens and Grayson are decent before Nimue arrives (they aren’t), and notes the balconies are staggered in such a way as it would be impossible for someone to grapple down from the roof or climb over from the neighboring one.

Jay is right about there not being any trees tall enough to reach the balcony or any of the windows. The front door is sturdy, and when Gideon checks the neighbor’s door, he notes theirs is reinforced steel as well. No one is getting in unless someone lets them in.

No sooner has Gideon closed the door than there is a brisk knock. Before Gideon can reopen it, Grayson is out of the bedroom, straightening his t-shirt, and answering the door in a literal blink of an eye.

“It’s Nimue.”

Not like Gideon couldn’t smell the Luminary’s magic through the door, so he pastes his social smile in welcome.

“Luminary, welcome.”

The magic user is dressed in a long rust-colored dress, with glittering beads on the front. She takes Grayson’s hand right away.

“Good morrow, Gideon. Oh, my dear, Grayson. How are you after your journey?”

Journey? Oh, the Traveling.

“Fine, I think. It was weird, though.” No shit. “Being here and there at the same time.”

“I imagine so! Finn said that there was another magic user there? Did you see him?”

“I did. Carnell called him Aleksander.”

“Damn. That’s Aleksander Withers. So unfortunate. He was the youngest Adept to grow out of our Guild in twenty years. We had to revoke his license late last year.”

Nimue sits unceremoniously on a chair, placing her cloth bag on the table.

“He did not look good.” Grayson offers her a glass of water. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault, Grayson. He’d been removed for violations that I can’t talk about here, but the Guild doesn’t take these decisions lightly.”

She gives a moment of silence before she takes a sip of her water, putting a serene smile on her face.

“I’ll notify the authorities, and perhaps you’ll be asked to testify about what you’ve seen.”

Gideon doesn’t like the sound of that. He’s seen enough of courtrooms for the next several decades.

“Why? You’ve already removed his license to practice. What more can you do?”

She pulls a white cloth-wrapped packet out of her bag. She unwraps it and lays the cloth flat, placing a crystal goblet beside a large piece of amber and a bar of chocolate.

“We have, but if he’s found guilty of being Arcanas, he will have his access to The Plain severed.”

Grayson pales upon hearing that, and his basil scent is putrid with the scent of rotten greenery.

But it’s Finn who says, “That sounds horrific.”

“It is. It’s a terrible process, and the result is even worse. The severed magic user can see The Plain—feel the magic—but would not be able to draw on it.”

Gideon shudders at the thought of how torturous that must be. Grayson’s face has now gone green.

“How can someone live like that?”

“They don’t, not for long. The process of convicting someone of using arcane magic is thorough and intense. This is a last resort, and we require an international panel of thirteen to make the decision.”

Grayson’s distress is enough to draw Nix out of the bedroom and into his soulmate’s arms for comfort.

“Luminary Nimue, hello. Why so sad, Gray?”

“Nimue was just sharing a bit about the magic user I saw this morning when I was Traveling.”

Their omega starts up a low growl before he can get it under control, and his cheeks pink up in embarrassment.

“Gosh, excuse me.”

“That’s alright, Nix. It’s only what we’re all thinking.”

She pours the rest of her glass of water into her crystal goblet and places her amber to rest on the top of the glass.

“We can talk more about it tomorrow, though, if that’s alright with you? I need to be in the right state of mind for the protections, and thinking about Aleksander Withers is not conducive to a positive state of mind.”

“Do you think the wards will keep Withers from finding Gray?” a rumpled-looking Luca asks from the doorway, with a shy wave.

“I do. While Grayson is here and not accessing The Plain, that is. But Grayson draws so strongly on The Plain unintentionally, and Aleks—Withers’s talent is such that he can follow those traces to their source.

It would take more skill than I can offer to stop him from doing that, but I can protect you from other visitors.

It’s difficult since you share this dwelling and this floor with others.

I can’t effectively keep your neighbors from their home, but I can ward the doors and windows with a bit of a deterrent and an advanced warning system if they’re breached. ”

“Is it difficult?” Finn asks.

“It’s quite simple, but it requires that I draw a lot from The Plain.” She smiles and removes the amber from the top of the glass. She then takes the goblet of water and the amber in either hand and visits each access point to the apartment.

While she doesn’t speak the words, Grayson is enthralled with the process as he follows in her wake, eyes alight with happiness and the curiosity Gideon only sees when his mate is at his easel. He must be able to see the streams of magic as she calls on them, his fingers twitching.

Gideon’s wolf doesn’t like to see her marking their territory with her water and magic, but the man appreciates her expending her talents—her soul—for the good of their pack. Especially since she has no skin in the game…or at least, not to Gideon’s mind.

Once she’s done, she sits again, and Grayson tops up her water glass, holding his curiosity and questions back with difficulty.

“Thank you for doing this for our pack, Luminary Nimue. We are in your debt,” Finn says with a bow. It must be a ritualistic response because Nimue bows in return.

“The Plain is here for us all, Dr. Merritt. Thank you for trusting me to care for your family.”

“So cool. It’s all done? Like you did at the house?” Luca asks and steps in closer to see the amber.

“Yes, as much as I can alone and without direct sanction of The Guild.”

“These are important to the process? The goblet, the water, and the amber?” Gideon asks, as she folds the cup back into the white cloth and then follows it with the amber.

“Tools of the trade. They act as external focuses for aspects of The Plain where my Affinity is not as strong: water and earth.”

She picks up the chocolate then, and it’s too much for Gideon’s curiosity, so he has to ask, “The candy? What Affinity does that help focus?”

Her laugh fills the space as she opens it, popping a piece in her mouth. “It supports my affinity for sweets, Gideon. It’s food for my soul.”