Arcane Magic (Stella Mayweather Series) Read Free

strand of hair behind my ear and shrugged off my jacket. "Where's Annalise? What's the news? Is she okay?"
    "In theatre. The baby's heartbeat dropped and they're doing a cesarean. Beau is with her." Gage slumped into the chair beside the one on which his backpack and jacket lay. I took the free chair the other side of him, and waited as he rubbed a hand over his forehead and through his thick hair, waving it into place. He had a few days of stubble, and as usual, I caught his earthy scent. "I haven't heard anything since I called you. I just checked at the nurses' station and they don't know anything yet either."
    I folded my hand over his, where it lay on the armrest, and gave it a quick squeeze. "I'll wait with you."
    "Thanks, Stella. Appreciate it. I've been going out of my mind." His hand was palm up and his fingers curled around mine as we sat there, waiting without talking, neither of us wanting to voice our fear, or offer meaningless platitudes. Time seemed to stand still as we watched the medical staff move past us, their heads bowed, and clipboards carried close to their chests. Patients shuffled to and fro as relatives arrived and left. Every so often, I checked the big clock over the nurses' station and drew a hard breath. I kept reminding myself that however difficult it was to wait patiently, that was all I had to do. At least, now I was close by. Again, it hit me just how much magic it required to bring me here, but now, I realised I barely felt tired. It should have taken much more from me than that. Perhaps it was from the adrenaline rush.
    "I hate this," said Gage, dropping my hand and rising abruptly, stepping back just in time to narrowly avoid walking into a cart pushed by an orderly. "She's my only family, Stell. Without Annalise, I have nothing. Shit, that's selfish." He turned away, moving a few paces before coming back and restlessly dropping into the chair again. "I shouldn't be thinking about me when she's somewhere in here, probably scared out of her mind, trying to deliver that baby."
    "I can try and send feelers out if you like? Just to get a sense of how she is?"
    "Could you? Please."
    "Of course." I straightened my back and folded my drying jacket over my hands. Instead of closing my eyes, I picked a spot on the floor and stared at it, concentrating as I opened myself and let a single stream of magic flow from me. I followed its wake as it began to travel through walls, and into rooms I could not see. I couldn't pick up any clues on what was occurring in the spaces around me, but I didn't want to. My magic was programmed to search out Annalise only.
    I knew the instant I found her. I could feel her calm, marred slightly by the drugs being pumped through her veins, mixed in with a pinch of panic and hazy disorientation. She absolutely believed that she, her baby, and Beau were all going to be just fine. She clung so hard onto those beliefs that it was beginning to strain her, but I felt it was because she didn't want Beau to worry. I got the sense that he looked exceptionally grim, but was holding her hand. I pulled my magic from her and sent it around the room, only mildly ashamed that I was invading their privacy. I justified it, thinking I wouldn't mind if they did the same for me.
    I sensed the presence of medical staff in the room, and traveled quickly from each person to the next, noting that none of them seemed particularly panicky. However, it did surprise me that I noted a witch in the room, a woman. My magic beelined from her before I could get a handle on it. I briefly felt her surprise before she rebuffed it. After a moment or two, her magic prodded back, not forcefully, but more friendly in gesture.
    I concentrated hard and sent a telepathic message towards her, hoping it would reach her, and that she would interpret it correctly from a friend, asking if Annalise was okay. A moment later, I got a resounding yes in return, and the assurance that the baby would be born very