Page 17 of The Mating Claim

He could not believehis eyes. Drust stared at the red neon sign glowing in thewindow.

FREESPELLS.

With a low growl, he ran across the street and flung open thedoor.

The Sage Shop was packed, crawling with witches. He could tell by the glow of their auras, pulsing weakly, threaded with flickers of hope. Witches who had lost much magick, and needed potions to reviveit.

Drust strode inside, barely checking his rage. Lacey needed to maintain a low profile lest she bevaporized.

Not advertise her services with that damn light. Did she realize the trouble she caused? The risks shetook?

He did not know why this mortal dragon bewitched him. By all rights, he should simply let her dig her owngrave.

At the mere thought of that grave, a shiver ran down his immortal spine. He could not let that happen. He must save her, stubborn dragon. Even if she did not wish to besaved.

Through the throng of people at the counter, he spotted her. Long, dark hair bound back in its usual braid, her face shining as she rang up sales on the cash register. For a moment he simply stood, staring at her. She pulled at him in some mysteriousway.

Drust hated mystery. He started forward. As if sensing his power, the crowd respectfully parted. Whispers threaded through the air. “ColdfireWizard.”

He carednot.

She saw him and her pretty mouth turned down. “Wait in line, like everyoneelse.”

“I am not the waiting type, Lacey McGuire.” Flattening his palms on the wood counter he leveled his coldest stare at Lacey. “What the hell are youdoing?”

“I’m giving out spells. It’s called a loss leader, wizard. You give away a freebie to entice people into buying more because they crave the rest of the products yousell.”

Drust vaulted over the counter and backed Lacey against the wall. “Are these spells from the Book ofShadows?”

Lacey only smiled. “Maybe. I have nothing to lose, so what does it matter toyou?”

It means everything to me, for I cannot lose you. He blinked at the thought.Focus on the matter athand.

“The book was never intended for mortal use. You know not what you have, Lacey.” Drust turned, mustered his most charming smile for the clients. All of them were Others, so he could dispense the crowdeasily.

“Pardon me, but Lacey has an urgent request to fulfill. You’ll have to go elsewhere. Have a beer onme.”

He waved a hand and all the witches vanished. They would find themselves inside a comfortable bar down the street, never remembering having visited the shop or why they were even in the area, only that the barkeep would run a generous tab, which Drust would laterpay.

As forLacey…

Infuriated at the idea she’d sold spells from the book, he let all his powers surge. The air grew cold and flickering with cobalt blue pulses. “Answer me, Lacey! Did you sell those spells from thebook?”

Blood drained from her face. She backed up against the counter, her breath hitching, her hands shaking “No.”

Her voice was small and judging from her too-rapid pulse, he’d finally scared her. Regret filled him. He hated seeing fear on her face. “Good. What spells did youuse?”

“Old ones I had copied out of a potion book my mom gave me. The witches need to keep buying herbs and potions to keep the spellspotent.”

He let his powers die down, and the air turned normal. Lacey breatheddeeply.

“You tricked them,” he saidslowly.

“No, I gave them free spells and they have to buy the potions and herbs to make them work. I’m running a business here, wizard.” She glared at him, the old, insolent Lacey back once more. “And how am I supposed to pay the rent on this place this month without anycustomers?”

“You have more to worry about thanmoney.”

“Easy for you to say.” She waved a hand. “You can gonow.”