Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39596 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39596 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
True fear widened Roman’s eyes and he rapidly shook his head, struggling against some unseen force. Lonnie glanced at the preternaturals around him, taking in their confused expressions. He got the feeling he was about to witness something that even they thought couldn’t happen.
Roman managed to lift his hands but stopped in midair, seemingly frozen in place again. He paled, pure terror turning his face into a morbid, slack-jawed mask. “Xavier, no,” he whispered before he screamed long and loud, then slumped to the floor.
Lonnie peered around Callan to see Roman lying completely still, eyes closed. “Is he dead?”
“No,” Callan answered.
“He’s something much worse,” murmured Emory. “Did you do what I think you did?” A thread of something like fear was in his voice as he questioned Xavier. “I didn’t know you could.”
Xavier let out a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I didn’t want any of you to know I could do this.”
“Do what?” Lonnie asked. “What’s worse than dead?”
“Stripped his powers,” Callan explained before turning to wrap his arms around Lonnie and lift him off the ground. He buried his face in Lonnie’s neck. “Roman deserved it. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“I’m fine. He didn’t do anything but talk to me and stroke my hair a little bit.”
Callan growled.
Lonnie grabbed Callan’s horns and tugged his head back so he could look him in the eye. “I am truly fine, and I knew you’d come for me. He told me you think I’m your soulmate. Is that true?”
“Yes.”
Lonnie couldn’t help but smile at the short, succinct response. Callan would never be a man of words, which was perfectly fine with him. He liked… No, he loved this demon just as he was. But his smile faded as he glanced around at the others.
“How is losing his powers worse than death?”
“Our magic is a part of who and what we are.” Xavier stared down at the fallen wizard, raw regret pouring from his dark eyes. “He will never feel like himself again.” He looked at Emory. “I’m sorry you were here to witness this.”
“This was different,” Emory said, voice low. “I’m fine, Xavier. More stunned than anything that you have this capability.”
Finn grunted. “I’m a little freaked out.”
“It is only something that is taken as a last resort. Roman was already walking on the dark side with his choice of past employers, but he never would have stopped coming after Lonnie. I did what I had to do.” He gave Finn a steady look. “It is not something I would ever do to any of you.”
“If you hadn’t, I would have killed him.” This came from Callan, who still held Lonnie close.
Lonnie got the feeling he wouldn’t be letting go anytime soon. As they all turned to leave, he couldn’t help but look at the former wizard passed out on the floor. “What about him? Are we just leaving him here?”
“Yes,” Xavier answered.
“But he told me we’re miles from everything.”
A smile pulled up one corner of Xavier’s mouth. “You are kind to worry, but he will have to learn how to survive without his magic.”
“Let him suffer,” Callan said as he set Lonnie on his feet. He still didn’t let him go, keeping one hand wrapped around his arm. He pointed at the large preternatural Lonnie had seen in their offices earlier. “This is Dax. Thank you, Dax, for coming. Thanks to you all.”
Finn clapped his hand on Callan’s back. “A mate is a special, special thing. No way we wouldn’t do what we could to help, even if all we did was provide a shield around him.”
“Was all that was needed.”
Callan never let him go as they walked, moonlight lighting their path and giving Lonnie glimpses of mesquite and ironwood trees. He’d been to Arizona once before and had looked up what they were called. Now that the danger had passed, he could marvel over actually traveling to another state in the blink of an eye. He took a deep breath of the humid air, knowing that the rain had made the local bushes smell sweet.
“It’s really over,” he murmured as pure relief bled through him. He stopped, causing Callan to pause as well. The others kept walking. He looked up at this demon who was his actual soulmate. He’d told Callan he knew what those were, though it was something he’d always considered a part of fiction. He was going to have so many questions for Callan later. “If he comes after me again, at least this time, he won’t be able to use magic.”
“He won’t be coming after you,” Callan said softly.
“How do you know? He seemed pretty certain I was his reincarnated boyfriend. Not to mention he was seriously crazy.”
Callan tucked Lonnie’s hair behind his ear, his gesture so much more welcome than Roman’s had been. He did that thing where he seemed to be struggling to speak, his brows moving closer together with frustration. “To lose magic is devastating. Will take years for him to…adjust. He won’t be able to function for a long time.” Callan hugged him and pressed his lips to Lonnie’s temple. “Even if he tries, I will be there. I will always be there. I will not fail you again.”