Page 15 of Lunar Diamonds (Celestial Magic #1)
RILEY
T he magic shot outward in a crackling blue wave. It seeped into the walls and bare floorboards, making a crackling sound that reminded me of scrunching up a plastic bag.
“No!” Marcus roared.
The magic transformed into a dozen grasping hands, closing around each witch. Collectively, they lifted the invaders, dragging them away at breakneck speed, their screams blood-curdling.
Speaking of blood, hot liquid poured from my nose, trickling across my lips, dripping off my chin.
“Oh…” I mumbled, pinching it.
Drake jumped to his feet and hurried over. “What’s wrong?” He touched my shoulder with his bound hands, concern etched all over his face.
Why did I like the weight of his touch?
Hmmm. Must resist better and must stop being so curious.
Easier said than done.
Ollie strode across the room, checking on me. “You good?”
Other than the nosebleed and aching head, I felt fine. Energized. Ready for round two, three, and four. “Did it work?”
“It did.” He picked up the torn parchment. “Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome.” It sounded more like dor delcome .
“I’ll check on things.” He hurried out of the room.
Drake watched him leave and faced me again. His dark gaze unnerved me, forcing me to step back, his hands sliding off my shoulder.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“Yeah.” If he kept pinning me with such an enticing stare, I might launch myself into his arms for a victory kiss.
“We should find you a chair,” he said.
“And a stiff drink,” I added.
He smiled, the Drake from Mystique Square and Glitter Fox back in the room. “Sounds nice.”
I tore my gaze away. “Thanks for helping me.” My cheeks flushed.
“Thank you for saving me.”
“No problem.” I scuffed the floorboards with my shoe, feeling like a bashful teenager. Behaving like I’d never been in the presence of a beautiful man before.
I guess I hadn’t, really. At least compared to Drake.
“This better work.” Was that Isaac?
My vision blurred, the attic vanishing in a swirl of color and light, reforming into the living room.
“Come on, Erin.”
How was I here, standing behind Isaac as he held his sunshine hands over Erin’s lifeless body.
Lifeless, in a pool of blood, her chest a mess.
She’d been shot.
Isaac snarled at her. “I felt a pulse, so heal up. Just fucking heal.”
I stared at the scene in front of me, hoping maybe I had been trapped in an illusion myself.
“I’m too weak,” Isaac said helplessly, his body shaking.
“How can I help?” I said, not sure if I was actually standing here.
Isaac’s head snapped my way. “You’re here? Why do you look funny?”
I glanced down at myself, my body almost transparent if it weren’t for the constant pulse of silvery light moving across me.
“She’s dying,” he said, taking her wrist. “There’s still a pulse but…but I can’t do it.”
My body moved of its own volition, laying a hand on his crown. “Take this.” My mouth worked without my permission, too.
“Take what?” He straightened, the slivery light passing over him. “I’m…I feel stronger.” He immediately returned to his healing work.
I’d given him some of my strength, I think, while being moved by puppet strings.
Shrapnel popped out of Erin’s wound, clattering on the floor. She drew in a sharp breath, her eyes fluttering open. The mess of her chest knitted back together under the sunlight.
“You did it!” I rejoiced, returning to the attic with a big smile stretching my lips.
Drake moved into my eyeline. “What’s going on?”
“A miracle,” I answered, elated.
Minutes later, hurried footsteps sounded outside the attic. Isaac stumbled into the room, panting. “Fuck me hard!” He put his hands on his hips, wincing as he caught his breath. His perfect hair was flat and messy, destroyed by sweat.
My brother. My blood. Part of my family. I beamed with pride for a man I didn’t know anything about other than he was a model. Whatever. I liked this prideful warmth.
Could he return the favor with the energy boosting?
Isaac cocked a brow at me. “You’re bleeding.”
“It’s nothing.” I didn’t realize I’d released my nose. “Spell kickback.”
“What happened up here?”
We swapped stories, me going first.
“Illusions, huh? I love it.” He beamed at me, nodding at the grimoire. “What are those pages sticking out of it?”
I plucked them out of the grimoire. “Oh. They’re about our powers.”
On the silver page, with the heading of Moon Powers, someone had written Moon Illusion and Tidal Pull in a spidery scrawl, along with some extra details.
Moon Illusion could be used once per day, which confirmed the weird, replenishing sensation inside me. But it also weakened in potency over time, requiring an hour-long ritual within a circle of moon-blessed crystals to repair the wear and tear.
Inside the celestial room.
Dammit.
Tidal Pull worked like telekinesis, with no mention of any conditions on the page.
Isaac showed me the golden page for Sun Powers—Healing Light and Defensive Sunshine. The healing didn’t remove magical ailments and wouldn’t work beyond a certain point. Because Erin had crossed that line, my boost helped yank her back.
Also, the healing power came with a condition of use—fatigue. Too much healing and he’d be out for the count.
The pearly white paper was for The Star. Preston. But the ink was smudged, only four letters of a word clear: rnov .
By Hecate, he really was wreathed in mystery.
“Erin will be up shortly,” Isaac said, keeping the golden page. “She’s with Ollie. Fuck…” He lowered himself to the floor.
I went to him, crouching. “What is it?”
He waved a dismissive hand at me. “It’s sit-down time.”
I sat with him. “Good idea.”
He rested his head on my shoulder, and I didn’t mind one bit. “Fatigue is right.”
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Nothing resting won’t fix.” He yawned, scratching at his chest. “Ollie’s got some potions to help the Brambles.”
“Thank goodness.” How weird to be sitting here with a brother I never knew existed before tonight, yet felt at complete ease with him.
Erin appeared in the doorway, Ollie behind her. Her cardigan was buttoned up, covered in blood, pretty much ruined.
I stood. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
She smiled. “House Aurora lives to fight another day.” She clocked the pages, smiling with what looked like relief instead. “Those pages are remnants from your predecessors. Useful notes, aside from The Star—though I have that information for Preston for when we find him.” With another smile, she added, “Thank you for saving us, Riley.”
Not one to take any credit, I countered her thanks with, “Drake guided me up here.”
She stopped, regarding him. “Which tells me a lot about his character.”
Drake stayed statue-still, barely blinking.
“The protect spell recognizes enemies, which also adds positively to my understanding of who you are.”
Not an enemy. Trustworthy. Hot, hot, hot. Just by standing there, he exuded sex appeal to whet my appetite. And he’d proved himself to be trustworthy, only adding to his yumminess.
I think. I wasn’t sure. With everything I’d been through tonight, my brains were too scrambled to know what else to think.
“You said you can help find the lunar diamonds, Mr. Parish,” Erin said. “I presume that comes with a price?”
Ollie put down a folding chair for Erin, handed her a vial of pink liquid, then left the attic without a word.
“He’s not staying?” Isaac’s disappointment was nothing short of palpable.
Erin ignored his question. “Well?” She sat down, awaiting Drake’s response.
He took a moment to speak, not looking my way. “My freedom.”
That made me jolt in surprise. Not the response I’d expected.
“From what?” Erin replied.
“A shadow bond. Have you heard of them?” His eyes darted to me briefly.
Erin nodded. “Shadow witches use vulnerable moments to bind themselves to a victim. Though it doesn’t bind a victim completely to their will, you must obey some of the time.”
“Depends on the request,” Drake said. “I can resist some demands, but that comes with consequences.” He sighed, holding back the gory details.
“And it also tethers the victim to the caster’s life. Eventually, you will need to return to her side. Am I right?”
He rubbed his right wrist on his left. “Yes. It’s an itch that’s getting worse.”
Erin continued. “These bonds also provide a semblance of invincibility—which is why you said Rhianna couldn’t be killed, and neither could you.”
Aghast, I watched on, my brain numb. Poor thing found itself overloaded.
Drake looked my way again, rocking on his heels. “I’m an idiot. I played into Rhianna Kingwood’s hands.”
What did that mean?
He sighed, dipping his head. “I’m her fiancé.”