Page 80 of The Mating Claim

“Right. That.” He waved a hand, repaired the candle and sent it floating back to the table, the flame flickering in the breeze. “Just…that. Only Lacey’slife.”

“This isn’t about you and your fear of being returned to the ShadowLands.”

Drust flicked a finger, making the candle flame rise higher and higher, until it turned into a spiraling flame tornado. “Nolonger.”

Tristan’s face appeared taut in the dancing shadows cast by the increased fire. Silence draped between them, a companionable one common to their friendship. He thought about those long, lonely centuries spent wasting away in the Shadow Lands. No desire to revisit that again, thank you very much. But Lacey’s life tookprecedence.

Flicking another finger, he watched the flames return tonormal.

“You’re been a wizard far longer than I, my friend. Have you ever thought about how ironic it is to have all this power at our fingertips…” He snapped his fingers and the candle flame burst up into a column of blue coldfire, “to heal and destroy with a simple snap of our fingers, and yet we have absolutely no control over our destiny or the ones welove?”

“Always.”

Tristan’s voice sounded strained. He glanced at him. “What’swrong?”

“I don’t know.” A rough laugh. “But something is off. My Spidey sense doesn’t want Niki and the twins in Montana to visit hersister.”

Spidey sense? Instead of questioning, he let his friend talk. But he waved a hand and turned on the lights to see his expression, extinguishing the cold fireflame.

“I’m sure she will be perfectly fine. I’m just a concerned mate and father. But I can’t ignore this feeling something is stirring, something dark and wicked, and Niki and my children are vulnerable toit.”

“Brought on by the Book ofShadows?”

“Perhaps. Or even more so, perhaps the book itself is part of this darkness, and is merely a pawn in the larger chess game beingplayed.”

“A weapon dark forces are using to test us, and our powers, to see how vulnerable we are and how they may manipulateus.”

The answer reflected in Tristan’s dark eyes. For a moment, the Silver Wizard said nothing. Then henodded.

“I know why Danu chose you as our fifth wizard, Drust. It wasn’t to amend the terrible torment you spent alone all those centuries. Or merely to control dragons. It was because we need your wisdom, your insights. You are new to your powers and have more clarity in a way we do not. You see the struggles of mortals and most importantly, your own struggles andvulnerability.”

Interesting. He had never consideredthat.

“There’s a reason why I’m here, other than to talk. You need an extra infusion of the Bloodmoon Flower potion to combat the negative influences of the Book of Shadows. I brought it foryou.”

Tristan handed him the vial. He swallowed quickly. Now was not the time to be, as Xavier put it, running low onjuice.

The vial vanished soon as he finished. He leaned back, staring at the stars glittering in the nightsky.

“If only it were as easy to vanquish Lacey’s past as it is to replenish my powers each month. She spent a lifetime searching for her parents, only to have me extinguish her last hope when I exterminated herfather.”

“What’s done is done, Drust. Stop blamingyourself.”

“I do not. I only regret I could not have aided her sooner, and perhaps she would not have made the mistake of using the Book ofShadows.”

“If anyone’s to blame, it’s me, for not removing her from that harpy sooner. But blood is blood. Sometimes a mother’s love gets corrupted, even with your people,” Tristanmuttered.

Odd thing to say. “What do youmean?”

The Silver Wizard sighed. “Never mind. I was lost in thought. Test your powers. I need to see for myself and report back to Danu that all iswell.”

Drust waved a hand, summoning a ball of pure coldfire the size of a softball. It floated in the air toward Tristan, who held out his palms to cupit.

“Such power for such a new wizard. Yet I have seen you wield it with caution and wisdom, never abusing it. Your coldfire can sear a dragon from the inside out, or can level a building. And yet you have not let this absolute power go to your head. Quite the opposite. Danu made an excellent choice in selecting you, myfriend.”

Feeling both humbled and flattered, he watched Tristan cradle the blue energy ball in one hand. Suddenly the Silver Wizard pulled his hand back and flung the energy ballupwards.

Straight toward the master bedroom where Laceyslept.