Stolen Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Huntress Book 3) Read Free

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    FOUND SOMETHING. MEET AT OFFICE.

    I glanced up and met three pairs of expectant eyes.
    “Dr. Garriso wants to talk to me,” I said. “I’d better run.”  
      Nix’s eyes flared with interest. She knew I’d given our scholar friend the Chalice of Youth, an artifact linked to the Monster, and that I was waiting for answers. We wanted to know why the Monster hunted the chalice and hoped Dr. Garriso would be able to help us.
    “Go, go,” Nix said. “I’ll hang out here and make sure these bodies disappear.”
    “I can handle that,” Claire said. “I deal with enough demon bodies in my day job anyway. I’ve got the skill set.”  
    “It’s the least I can do,” Nix said. “And this is my favorite place to eat. I don’t want you getting shut down by the health inspector.”
    Claire laughed. The sound followed me as I headed out of the shop.

    I stepped out into the late afternoon drizzle and turned toward my car, immediately bumping into a tall, hard form. I stiffened, muscles on high-alert, then stepped back and looked up.
    Aidan.
    I relaxed, then smiled. My heart jumped in my chest.
    “Hey.” He grinned down, his smile a slash of white in his handsome face.  
    His dark hair and the blue shirt he wore glittered with raindrops. It made him look even more like a model. The rugged kind, not the pretty kind. Though I appreciated both. I always felt vastly outclassed by him, but I’d learned to ignore it.
    His magic surged against mine with the sound of waves crashing and the taste of chocolate. He smelled like the forest, and I had to stop myself from sucking in a deep breath.
      A girl had to have some pride.
    “Hey.” I smiled up at him. “Long time no see.”
    My friend and maybe-boyfriend—honestly, I had no idea what to call him—had been gone on business for the last three days. I’d missed him.
      “Sorry I was away longer than expected, but it’s done,” he said. His big hands gripped my shoulders, and heat shivered across my skin.  
      Aidan Merrick was the Origin, a descendent of the first Shifter and one of the most powerful supernaturals in the world. He was also a Magica with Elemental Mage powers and some healing ability. I’d met him about a month ago when he’d hired me to help him find a dangerous scroll. FireSouls can find just about anything of value, so I made my living finding valuable magic to sell at my shop. It was how Aidan had tracked me down.
    After that job, he’d figured out I was a FireSoul—smart bastard—but instead of turning me in to the Order of the Magica, which would’ve resulted in a life sentence for me at the Prison for Magical Miscreants, he’d stuck by my side, helping me with a difficult job. Things had snowballed from there, though we’d never had any time for a real date or other romancey stuff.
    Mostly, we’d been running for our lives or someone else’s. At this point, I didn’t even know what romancey stuff was. I’d have liked to figure it out, though.
      “Yeah, well I can forgive you,” I said. “You’ve sort of let your business lapse while you’ve been watching my back.”
    Aidan owned Origin Enterprises, a security business that made him immeasurably wealthy. At least by my standards.
      “I like having your back.” Aidan grinned.
    The sight sucker punched me. Damn, he looked good.
    When had I become so shallow?
    “But you never returned my calls,” he said. “Got anything to say for yourself?”
    My stomach dropped. “Noticed that, did you?”
    “Might have. Any reason why?”
    Yeah, but none that I wanted to share. Ever since I’d stolen a Shifter’s magic a week ago, I’d been so freaked out by my changing powers—and intense desire to steal other supernaturals’ magic—that I’d done my usual. I’d shut down. I didn’t know how to share with anyone besides my deirfiúr , and this felt too dark to share even with them. I hadn’t felt like faking being okay on the phone. That felt like lying.