Page 11 of Christmas Magic

Galahad hissed. “Feel that?”

Lucian’s jaw clenched. “I do.”

A Dealer was nearby.

Glancing at the library to his right, Dennis Crow strode down Sherwood Boulevard while savoring the salty breeze blowing in from the sea. Parents and young children carrying paper craft projects were leaving the library building. A holiday event for the kids must have just finished.

His heart hurt as he thought of his son and wife, whom he hadn’t seen in months. At least he remembered them again. During the battle in July between the sorceress and Lucian, a blast of energy had wiped Dennis’s memories. No longer of use to his superiors, he’d faced being terminated.

Desperate times.

He recalled the dankness of The Dealers’ catacomb library; the flicker of light from oil lanterns; and the rasp of parchment as he’d frantically gone through tattered journals and bloodstained grimoires. At last, he’d found what he’d needed and presented it to his superiors.

Shuddering, Dennis shoved his hands deeper into the pockets of his black leather jacket as he walked. What he’d endured, he never wanted to experience again.

“Last chance to back out,” said the dark-haired Dealer who’d led Dennis to the underground chamber lit by burning torches. Three other Dealers—highly skilled mages—stood near the stone slab in the center of the cavern. They waited to begin the magical ritual Dennis knew would be dangerous and possibly lethal.

Fear crawled through him. He didn’t want to die. But, if the ritual worked, he’d get some if not most of his memories back. He’d also have proven his dedication to the Dealers, and he’d be valuable again to his superiors.

Mentally shoving aside his fear, he crossed to the slab. A gray-haired Dealer held out an earthenware cup: the elixir Dennis had to drink before the mages got to work. His stomach roiled as he thought of the ingredients he’d gathered.

Dennis’s hand shook a little as he took the cup. Bile burned the back of his throat.

No turning back now.

He swallowed the foul-tasting sludge then lay back on the slab. Rough rope encircled his wrists. His ankles were bound as well.

The ropes must be tight. He couldn’t move his fingers.

Damn. He couldn’t move—or feel—any part of his body.

Nor could he utter a sound.

Fear gathered in his chest. He didn’t want to die. Not today. Not this way.

Unable to look away from the cavern ceiling, he sensed the Dealers moving to the slab. Smoke from torches coiled around him. It moved like writhing snakes.

The Dealers’ voices rose in an eerie incantation…and then came the blasts of magic.

Every cell in his body—head to toe—screamed in agony.

He’d endured sheer hell, but the ritual had worked. Some of his memories had returned, including those of being a husband and a dad.

He’d also recalled his hatred of Lucian. Moreover, how concerned his superiors had been about the combined threat to dark magic that Lucian and his fiancée posed.

Determined to stay useful, Dennis had returned to the catacombs. He’d dug up the ancient bones of an enchantment that could destroy Lucian and Molly’s relationship.

He’d presented his idea to his superiors. They’d approved.

Dennis was in Cat’s Paw Cove now to make it happen.

As he shoved windblown hair from his cheek, a sensation similar to hot water droplets spread over his scalp. After years of serving The Dealers, he knew what that feeling meant: An Expert was nearby.

“Lucian Lord,” Dennis muttered. Since William was out of town, it had to be Lucian.

With slight movements of his fingers, Dennis increased the invisible magical shield surrounding him—one designed to give off readings that included elements of Molly’s DNA. He’d engaged it since arriving in the town, to avoid Lucian’s detection, but it wouldn’t hurt to kick it up a bit.

The shield was only one of the advantages The Dealers had acquired since July. Being allied with Agnes had allowed them to take samples of and study her magic all the way back to its medieval origins. Because Agnes and Molly were distant relatives, Agnes had been able to possess her—and The Dealers had since adapted elements of the possession enchantment to create not only Dennis’s shield but what was in the vial.