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I swiveled my hand, sending a little more magic to the barrier around him. Since I’d only had time to finish the full spell on four of the pendants, I wasn’t wearing one. Seth had insisted that he could go without until I had the time and space to finish the others. I wasn’t going to let him regret that decision. He might have more muscles than the rest of us, but that hardly made him invulnerable, especially when it came to magic.
My reinforcing spell came not a moment too soon. Another jittering wave of probing, jabbing energy rushed over us. I made a quick gesture to deflect more of it from me, reaching out through it for any impression of our attackers at the same time. Philomena faded away as my concentration shifted. Then I noticed Gabriel’s wince where he was sitting by the opposite window.
“Gabriel.” I grasped his elbow. His painted glyph hung beneath his shirt from the leather string Jin had bought, but it didn’t have a consort bond’s energy to draw on. I’d tried to bolster it as well as I could despite that, but obviously I hadn’t shielded him enough.
“I’m okay,” he said quickly, squeezing my hand and giving me a smile. “Promise. It was more the surprise than anything. They really like to hit us out of nowhere, don’t they?”
He sounded steady enough. “Yeah,” I muttered. “They do.” That was one in the long list of things I could say I really didn’t like about the Assembly, or at least the faction of them that was after us.
They seemed to be done for now, though. I waited through the thump of my pulse, but no more magic followed the last spell I’d fended off.
With a sigh, I leaned my head against Gabriel’s shoulder, breathing in the darkly sweet smell of him. He slid his arm around my back. Sitting there nestled against him, I could almost imagine a future less fraught.
“You’ve traveled all over the place,” I said. “Is there anywhere you’ve been that you think would make a good spot for a witch and her illicit consorts to disappear to?”
Gabriel hummed to himself thoughtfully. “There are a lot of little hole-in-the-wall places in California. And quite a lot of liberal-minded people who might not think our relationship wasthatbizarre.” He grinned. “I don’t know what kind of presence your witching society has down that way, though.”
“There are some witching communities in the south, but most of the families ended up gathering around the north and east coasts,” I said. “I don’t think it would be too hard to avoid notice. I guess I’d have to change my appearance—maybe bleach my hair.”
Damon made a disgruntled sound from up front. “You shouldn’t have to change anything.”
“I shouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean I don’t.” I fingered a smooth black lock. “If changing a few things like that means we can have a real life…”
“We could find another fixer upper down there,” Jin said. “Seth could work his kind of magic on it.”
A pang shot through me at the thought of the house Seth had already made over for us: that farmhouse just across the road from the Hallowell estate. But the chances we’d ever get to go back there were slim. And this dream was a nice one.
“A little place in the country,” I said. “Lots of land to roam around on without anyone disturbing our privacy.”
“I can always find work online,” Kyler said. “And Jin could travel around to sell his art. Seth could start his own renovation business—or stick to odd jobs to keep a lower profile. Gabriel, you’ve got your mechanic’s touch. That’ll always be in demand.”
“And I’ll sit around with Rose all day,” Damon declared.
We all laughed, quietly to avoid waking up Seth. “I’m sure you’d find some way to occupy yourself,” I teased. “Maybe you’d find you enjoy farming.Idefinitely wouldn’t want to just sit around.” I’d been working on the witching archive’s records and compiling my own modern history. Obviously I’d have to set that aside. But I could use those skills in other ways.
Damon and Jin started discussing our next possible stop along the route. I tipped my head against Gabriel’s shoulder.
“It’s a nice dream, isn’t it?” he said, hugging me closer.
“It is.” The thought of that possible future had left me with a warm glow. “Maybe it won’t be a dream.”
“With you, I’d believe just about anything’s possible.”
He traced his fingers up and down my side, and a tingle of deeper warmth raced through me. I looked up at him, and he gazed back at me, his expression so fond that I couldn’t stop myself from easing up to press my lips to his.
Gabriel kissed me back gently at first and then, when I deepened the kiss, with a passion that seared from his mouth to mine. His hand stroked from my hip to my knee and back again, leaving my skin quivering eagerly in its wake. I ran my fingers into his hair, kissing him even harder.
I wanted more of him—more heat, more sweetness, more passion. It was only a few days ago that we’d first really come together. I wanted him and loved him just as much as the other guys. I just needed to be sure he knew that.
But he stopped, lowering his head so our lips eased apart. His breath was ragged in the space between us.
“This doesn’t make sense,” he murmured. “I’m not the one you need right now. You’ve been using so much magic, and I can’t help you kindle more.”
The rough note in his voice carried desire and something more wrenching. He didn’t need to tell me he wished he could offer me that too. I could almost taste his frustration.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “I want you too. I never want anything we do to be just about my magic.”
“I know,” he said. “But you wore yourself out so badly getting us out of that prison, and you must be using a lot shielding us now.”
