Page 21

Chapter twenty

Owen

I felt a quiver just over my heart, and then fear spread throughout my body. “Something’s wrong,” I said out loud.

I’d just finished a meeting with my bosses and a new real estate client and was about to write up my handwritten notes to send to the partners. Cary entered the room and stared at me. “Owen, you don’t look so good.”

I nodded. “Yeah, something just came over me. I-I think I’m going to take this home and work on it there,” I said and stood quickly, grabbing the files I needed to work on and rushing out of the office toward the door.

Cary stopped me. “Owen, be careful,” he said cryptically, then shook his head like he’d said something he wasn’t supposed to. “You, um, you seem a little pale. Let’s get you a taxi.”

I knew that wasn’t what he was thinking, or at least I thought I knew, but with all the magic bizarreness in my life right now, I wasn’t sure I didn’t just think everything was weird. I opened my app and ordered a cab because Cary wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t feeling okay. Something was wrong with Damian. I knew it—not sure exactly how, but I knew.

I was surprised when Cary walked outside with me. The taxi hadn’t arrived yet. “Um, I’ll be okay,” I told him, but he shook his head.

“I’ll wait with you,” he said.

I didn’t argue, mainly because it would do no good, not when I felt so much anxiety. The taxi pulled up, and when I saw the driver, I gasped.

“Nope, we’ll pass,” Cary said, and the driver seemed to grow in size, which looked extra weird since he was sitting in the driver’s seat.

Cary chanted something I couldn’t quite make out, and a light flew through the air and struck the driver in the chest.

I closed my eyes because the light that erupted from him was so bright. But when I opened them, stars filled my vision, and the car and the driver were gone.

“I think I’d better drive you myself,” Cary said.

“Um, explain what just happened first,” I said, and Cary laughed.

“Owen, you are living in an enchanted mansion, given to your wizard man by his wizard predecessor, who hired your magical law firm to handle his will. Do I really need to explain things to you? ”

I swallowed hard. “I guess not if you’re going to put it that way.”

Cary laughed again. “Okay, so you had a premonition. I could tell by how you were acting. Come with me, and I’ll drive you home. Can you tell me what you felt?”

I followed him to his car without responding to his question. I didn’t know if I could trust Cary, but then, the wizard had met him. Damian’s predecessor surely would’ve known if he could be trusted.

“Um, Cary, did you meet the old wizard? The one with the will?” I asked once we were in his car.

Cary nodded. “Yes, and I hoped maybe I’d be Damian’s companion. It would’ve been quite the thing, a witch and a wizard, not to mention the fact that your wizard man is very attractive.”

“Oh, are you mad? Um, jealous?” I asked, surprised.

Cary just laughed. “Do you know how strange it would’ve been for a Legacy Wizard to mate with a witch? It’s a small miracle your wizard is open to a mate in general. My coven holds historical records that go back centuries. The Legacy Wizards have never taken a mate in the past, as far as we know, at least.”

“I’m so confused. Why…? No, I’m not mated to Damian. We’ve only kissed a few times.”

Cary leaned back and laughed. “Mating isn’t about sex, although if you’re lucky, that’s a part of it. No, mating is about connection, living with, and spending a lifetime together. Sex? That’s a bonus, of course, especially as hunky as the two of you are.”

I shook my head. I’d just learned Cary was a witch of some kind, and to be honest, any other time in my life that would’ve shocked the shit out of me. Too much had happened though, and clearly, Cary was still as himself as he always was. “Okay, so I’ve got a lot to catch up on, but, yes, I need to get home soon. I think something’s wrong with Damian.”

“We're here, honey,” Cary said, and I peered out to see we were indeed sitting in front of our house.

“How?” I asked, and Cary just laughed.

“Witch, baby. Why be a witch if you can’t manipulate time and space?”

I shook my head. “Okay, I’m going to leave it at that. Do you want to come in?” I asked.

Cary laughed again. “That house will not let me in. Your man will have to okay it, but yes, eventually, maybe, but let’s save that for later. Go tend to your man.”

I reached over and squeezed Cary’s hand. “You need to tell me about that dude you blasted, but yeah, going in now. Thank you, Cary!” I said as I got out of the car and rushed into the house, thankful the gate was still unlocked.

“Orville,” I called, but he didn’t come. Instead, Emma showed up.

“Oh, Owen, we’re so happy you’re here. Orville said to send you up to the attic when you got home.”

“What’s wrong? Is Damian okay? ”

She shook her head. “I don’t know, but I think something happened. Go on up. Hurry. Poor Damian,” she said, and I didn’t wait to hear more. I threw my paperwork on a side table and took the steps two at a time, then rushed up the stairs into the attic.

I immediately spotted Damian lying on the bed and rushed toward him. Orville was standing close by, and I could tell he was upset. “Orville, what happened?” I asked.

“Thank the souls you’ve come home. He exhausted his powers dangerously. He shouldn’t have been able to cast a spell like that. Elias… Never mind the details. Elias told me to give you this tea to drink. I’ve already given the required amount to Damian.

“Owen, he must draw from your life force. It won’t hurt. I’ve seen Elias do it in the past with his…well, his acquaintances. But drink. Hurry.”

I didn’t ask questions, because I could see how weak Damian was. I took the cup from the table and drank, ignoring the leaves and stuff that hadn’t been filtered out.

My head began to spin, and I lay down next to Damian as energy began to flow out of me and into him.

I reached over and took his unconscious hand and wondered why I wasn’t more afraid of literally seeing my energy flow into him. “I hope this helps,” I said, before falling asleep beside him.