No Quest for the Wicked Read online

  “Yeah,” I said, forcing my voice to sound firm and brave. “It’s just like that time when the potion took away my immunity.” I managed a casual little shrug and a wry grin. “I guess I’ll have to give up that idea of working in security. A ‘normal’ person won’t be much use there.”

  “I’m not so sure about that,” Owen said. “The line between powers and immunity is a fine one. If the explosion restored my powers …” His voice trailed off, and he squeezed my hands. “Okay, I need you to concentrate. Hold your hands out like so—” He turned my palms upward. “Now, imagine your hands growing warm, so warm that they’re glowing.” I closed my eyes and did as he directed. That weird buzzing tingle that had been running through my body since I woke up intensified. “Good,” Owen’s voice said softly. “Now let the glow lift into the air.” I tried doing that, then opened my eyes to see what was happening.

  Small, faint balls of light hung in the air in front of my face. “Did I do that?” I squeaked.

  Owen squeezed my hands. “You did that.”

  “Yep, that’s why I had to come,” Granny said with a knowing nod. “You’ll need me here to help you adjust. I don’t want you to turn out like your brother. If I’d guided him as he learned to use his powers, maybe he wouldn’t have been such an idiot about it.”

  “You mean, I have magic powers now?” I asked.

  “Looks like it,” Owen said.

  “For good?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll have to do some research.” For Owen, that was like saying he’d have to eat chocolate cake. His eyes were already sparkling.

  Still holding my hand, he walked with me to the edge of the platform, then gestured with his fingers. The ruined remains of the brooch flew into his hand. He swayed slightly as it touched him. “It still has a little juice in it, but it’s limited to direct contact,” he said. “To be on the safe side, could someone please hand me that box.”

  Rod brought over the box, and Owen placed the ruined brooch inside, then closed the lid and sealed it. He waved his hand over it, and the whole box glowed briefly before the light dimmed and it became just another wooden box.

  “But you had no magic!” a voice cried in protest. Raphael was awake and staring in horror at Owen.

  “I didn’t then, but it looks like you were right about the Eye restoring power,” Owen said. “I assure you, that was entirely unintentional.”

  “Wow, this is like something out of a Shakespearian tragedy,” I said with a grin. “The thing you did to stop something you feared would happen turned out to cause the thing you feared. If you’d left Owen alone, he might have just put the brooch in the box and never learned that it could restore his powers. Not to mention the fact that we were so near the blast because we were saving your life.”

  If I’d expected undying gratitude or an apology, I’d have been sorely disappointed. “You should have let me die,” Raphael said morosely, hanging his head. “I turned out to be as weak as anyone. I, too, fell under the sway of the Eye and lusted for power.”

  I went over to him and patted him on the shoulder. “Hey, nobody’s perfect. It was the Eye. I’m not sure anyone could have resisted it. Even my own grandmother tried to take it away from me.”

  “And I’m no weakling,” Granny said. “Come on,” she added, nudging him with her cane. “Everything will look better after you’ve had a good meal.”

  “We’d all better get back to the office so we can let the healers at you two,” Sam said. “I sent for a car. It ought to be here by now.”

  “This is where we part ways,” Thor said with a bow. “I got payment for our work and saw to it that the brooch didn’t fall into the wrong hands, so my work is done.” All of us glanced at each other with some amusement, since he’d had very little to do with protecting the brooch and had even injured Owen while trying to get it for himself. But it seemed rude to quibble at a time like this. Thor took Granny’s hand and added, “It has been an honor fighting at your side, good lady.” Then he headed off into the concourse.

  Rod took charge of Raphael, and we all started to leave the platform, but someone behind us cleared his throat. We turned to see Earl standing there, looking sheepish. “I don’t suppose you’re hiring,” he said. “I probably don’t have a job after attacking my boss, and I think I blew my cover as a spy in his court. I may even need to hide for a while if he figures out I tied him up before he woke up.”

  “So, that’s why he didn’t join the party,” I said.

  “I’m sure we can work something out,” Owen said. “Come with us. Merlin will want to talk to you.” He paused and smiled. “He may even want to listen to you. He’ll want more information about what Sylvester’s been up to.”

  It was probably a good thing I was too tired to think much about what had just happened to me or I’d have been like a kid on Christmas morning with a complicated new electronic toy that had come without instructions. I’d have wanted to play with my new powers, but I wouldn’t have had the slightest idea how to use them or what to do with them.

  I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me, and I didn’t know what Owen having his powers back meant for him, since it would make people even more suspicious of him and it would stop his research on the Ephemera. But I figured we could worry about all that the next morning. Make that next week. It was already very early Friday morning, and we deserved a break. I suspected even Owen would take the whole weekend off.

  It was too bad my grandmother had come to stay. It was the first time in ages when Owen didn’t have any pressing problem to work on and would likely be under orders to stay home and rest. We were both too tired to get up to anything interesting, but it would have been a great time for a good, long cuddle and some privacy. The glance we exchanged on the way to the car told me he felt the same way. A warm tingle flowed upward from our joined hands as he laced his fingers through mine.

  If this was what was possible when we shared a magical connection, then it appeared that I had a lot to look forward to—whenever my grandmother finally left town.

  About The Author

  Shanna Swendson is the author of the Enchanted Inc. series of humorous contemporary fantasy novels, including Enchanted, Inc., Once Upon Stilettos, Damsel Under Stress, Don’t Hex with Texas, and Much Ado About Magic. She’s also contributed essays to a number of books on pop culture topics, including Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl, I Learned from Judy Blume, Serenity Found, Perfectly Plum and So Say We All. When she’s not writing, she’s usually discussing books and television on the Internet, singing in or directing choirs, taking ballet classes or attempting to learn Italian cooking. She lives in Irving, Texas, with several hardy houseplants and a lot of books.

  Visit her Website at www.shannaswendson.com.